“Preparing His Kingdom”

Thursday, January 14, 2021

     Did all the teachings of Jesus from before the cross end after the cross?

Sincerely,
Crossing Into New Territory

Dear Crossing Into New Territory,

No, the vast majority of Jesus’ teachings apply as much today as they did when He walked this Earth.  It is sometimes taught that because Jesus was a Jew and spoke to Jews that His words only apply to them.  However, Jesus came teaching that His kingdom, the church, was near (Matt 4:17), and His teachings reflected a preparation for that kingdom.  Jesus was teaching people how to live then and how to be ready for the Christian era.
It is true that Jesus did live under and teach adherence to the Old Law.  He commanded people to follow Moses’ commands (like telling the cleansed lepers to go and make an offering to the priests – Matt 8:4), and He answered questions about the Old Testament Law (such as when the Jews asked Him about marriage – Matt 19:3, Matt 19:7).  Jesus was an Israelite and followed those laws without ever committing a sin (Heb 4:15).
Jesus came preaching His kingdom, and when His kingdom was established on the day of Pentecost (Acts 2:41), Jesus’ teachings became the foundation of the church (Jhn 14:26).  The Old Law was done away with, but Jesus’ teachings were not.

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