Jesus: The New Lawgiver

Believe Jesus

John 5:38-47 CSB
You don’t have his word residing in you, because you don’t believe the one he sent. [39] You pore over the Scriptures because you think you have eternal life in them, and yet they testify about me. [40] But you are not willing to come to me so that you may have life. [41] “I do not accept glory from people, [42] but I know you— that you have no love for God within you. [43] I have come in my Father’s name, and yet you don’t accept me. If someone else comes in his own name, you will accept him. [44] How can you believe, since you accept glory from one another but don’t seek the glory that comes from the only God? [45] Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. Your accuser is Moses, on whom you have set your hope. [46] For if you believed Moses, you would believe me, because he wrote about me. [47] But if you don’t believe what he wrote, how will you believe my words?

Commands Come from Jesus

Deuteronomy 18:15-22 CSB
The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own brothers. You must listen to him. [16] This is what you requested from the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, ‘Let us not continue to hear the voice of the LORD our God or see this great fire any longer, so that we will not die!’ [17] Then the LORD said to me, ‘They have spoken well. [18] I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers. I will put my words in his mouth, and he will tell them everything I command him. [19] I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name. [20] But the prophet who presumes to speak a message in my name that I have not commanded him to speak, or who speaks in the name of other gods—that prophet must die.’ [21] You may say to yourself, ‘How can we recognize a message the LORD has not spoken?’ [22] When a prophet speaks in the LORD’s name, and the message does not come true or is not fulfilled, that is a message the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously. Do not be afraid of him.

Acts 3:22-23 CSB
Moses said: The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You must listen to everything he tells you. [23] And everyone who does not listen to that prophet will be completely cut off from the people.

Hebrews 12:18-25 CSB
For you have not come to what could be touched, to a blazing fire, to darkness, gloom, and storm, [19] to the blast of a trumpet, and the sound of words. Those who heard it begged that not another word be spoken to them, [20] for they could not bear what was commanded: If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned. [21] The appearance was so terrifying that Moses said, I am trembling with fear. [22] Instead, you have come to Mount Zion, to the city of the living God (the heavenly Jerusalem), to myriads of angels, a festive gathering, [23] to the assembly of the firstborn whose names have been written in heaven, to a Judge, who is God of all, to the spirits of righteous people made perfect, [24] and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood, which says better things than the blood of Abel. [25] See to it that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven.

Hebrews 5:9 CSB
After he was perfected, he became the source of eternal salvation for all who obey him,

Jesus Commandments Come from God

Matthew 28:18-20 CSB
Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given to me in heaven and on earth. [19] Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, [20] teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

John 12:36-50 CSB
While you have the light, believe in the light so that you may become children of light.” Jesus said this, then went away and hid from them. [37] Even though he had performed so many signs in their presence, they did not believe in him. [38] This was to fulfill the word of Isaiah the prophet, who said: Lord, who has believed our message? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? [39] This is why they were unable to believe, because Isaiah also said: [40] He has blinded their eyes and hardened their hearts, so that they would not see with their eyes or understand with their hearts, and turn, and I would heal them. [41] Isaiah said these things because he saw his glory and spoke about him. [42] Nevertheless, many did believe in him even among the rulers, but because of the Pharisees they did not confess him, so that they would not be banned from the synagogue. [43] For they loved human praise more than praise from God. [44] Jesus cried out, “The one who believes in me believes not in me, but in him who sent me. [45] And the one who sees me sees him who sent me. [46] I have come as light into the world, so that everyone who believes in me would not remain in darkness. [47] If anyone hears my words and doesn’t keep them, I do not judge him; for I did not come to judge the world but to save the world. [48] The one who rejects me and doesn’t receive my sayings has this as his judge: The word I have spoken will judge him on the last day. [49] For I have not spoken on my own, but the Father himself who sent me has given me a command to say everything I have said. [50] I know that his command is eternal life. So the things that I speak, I speak just as the Father has told me.”

Jesus Gives the Command that Leads to Eternal Life

John 13:34-35 CSB
“I give you a new command: Love one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. [35] By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.”

Made Crystal Clear

John 15:10-17 CSB
If you keep my commands you will remain in my love, just as I have kept my Father's commands and remain in his love. [11] "I have told you these things so that my joy may be in you and your joy may be complete. [12] "This is my command: Love one another as I have loved you. [13] No one has greater love than this: to lay down his life for his friends. [14] You are my friends if you do what I command you. [15] I do not call you servants anymore, because a servant doesn't know what his master is doing. I have called you friends, because I have made known to you everything I have heard from my Father. [16] You did not choose me, but I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce fruit and that your fruit should remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he will give you. [17] "This is what I command you: Love one another.

John 3:14-18,36 CSB
"Just as Moses lifted up the snake in the wilderness, so the Son of Man must be lifted up, [15] so that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. [16] For God loved the world in this way: He gave his one and only Son, so that everyone who believes in him will not perish but have eternal life. [17] For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. [18] Anyone who believes in him is not condemned, but anyone who does not believe is already condemned, because he has not believed in the name of the one and only Son of God. [36] The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who rejects the Son will not see life; instead, the wrath of God remains on him.

Summed Up in Two Verses

Mark 9:7 CSB
"This is my beloved Son; listen to him!"

1 John 3:23 CSB
Now this is his command: that we believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another as he commanded us.

Questions that Challenge Your Current Understanding

1. Given the clear distinction between the commands of Moses and Jesus, how would you differentiate between the old and new covenants?
   
   
2. In light of John 3:14-18,36, how do you understand and articulate the relationship between belief in Jesus, love for one another, and eternal life?
   
   
3. Reflecting on the statement that Jesus' command leads to eternal life, how does your current understanding align with the teachings of Jesus, especially regarding love and belief?
   
   
4. How does the highlighted distinction between Jesus' commandments and the Law of Moses challenge traditional interpretations of the Bible that you might have encountered?