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The Commandments of Jesus
May 18, 2019

Last week, we saw how Jesus said in John 14:15 that if we love Jesus, we will keep His commandments, the commandments of Jesus. The commandments of Jesus are in addition to and not instead of the commandments of God. In Matthew, Jesus tells us that he did not come to destroy the law or the prophets, but to fulfill. He told us unless our righteousness exceeded the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees we would not enter the Kingdom of Heaven, and that if we taught others to break the commandments codified in the law and the prophets, or did so ourselves, we would be least in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew 5:17-20
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.

When Jesus was pressed to explain the great commandment in the law, Jesus summarized the first through fourth commandments by saying we are to love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, and mind. He also summarized the fifth through tenth commandments by saying we are to love our neighbor as ourself. With this summary, Jesus did not replace the ten commandments, or else he would have violated the principle he taught in Matthew chapter five.

Matthew 22:34-40
But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.

Jesus did give a new commandment near the end of his ministry, and again he did not replace or do away with the ten commandments or he would be violating the principle of Matthew chapter five. He gave us a commandment to love one another, and that this love between brethren would serve as a sign to others.

John 13:31-35
Therefore, when he was gone out, Jesus said, Now is the Son of man glorified, and God is glorified in him. If God be glorified in him, God shall also glorify him in himself, and shall straightway glorify him. Little children, yet a little while I am with you. Ye shall seek me: and as I said unto the Jews, Whither I go, ye cannot come; so now I say to you. A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

Jesus did emphatically give a new commandment by telling us to love another. He summarized the ten commandments by showing how the first four commandments show love to God and the last six commandments show love to fellow man. In Matthew chapter five, Jesus clearly told us he did not come to destroy the commandments of the law and prophets but to fulfill, to make perfect. Next time, we will explore the Beatitudes, as an extension of the commandments of Jesus and our path to perfection and the Kingdom of Heaven.

All verses are from the King James Version.
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