Mat 5:17-20, A Peek into Jesus’ Personal Library.

Wednesday May 29, 2024

Idea: Apart from its rituals, the Hebrew Bible is our guiding law. 

Hebrew Bible was Jesus’ personal library. 

Luk 2:41-52. He questioned and answered concerning the books of the Hebrew Bible. 

Greek: “house” is not in vs. 49.

“in these of My Father I must be.” (literal)

“these”? Could He be referring to more than the house (singular) but all the legitimate things of the house?

Jesus directly quotes from at least 14 OT books and references several others (Psalms His most frequent). 

After His resurrection, He used the Hebrew Bible to show His disciples how all things were predicted of Him. 

Jesus saw His entire life calling in Scripture (even quoting from the cross).The Hebrew Bible was central to His life, not marginal. 

Paul’s example of living by the Hebrew Bible: Act 24:14-15, 24-25; 28:23. 

Note vs. 24-25 a summary of what Paul taught Governor Felix: “faith in Christ Jesus. But as he was discussing righteousness, self-control and the judgment to come, Felix became frightened …”

Remember this line when reading Heb 10.

Jesus’ fulfillment of the Hebrew Bible eliminated two things: 1) the idea that works could make one righteous, 2) the rituals that represented the sanctification to come. 

Righteousness by works is impossible: Gal 3:2

Rituals representing sanctification are rendered moot by His cross: Heb 10. (Religion likes to hold on to rituals (contrition, penance, etc. rather than deal directly with God.))

Act 24:24-25, read in light of Heb 10. Compare them.  

Do and teach and you will be called great in the kingdom of heaven (Mat 5:19).

Moral teachers who do not do lose credibility and are bad teachers. 

They don’t really know of what they speak. Can’t improvise, expound, relate. 

Jesus taught the law of God and lived it. 

He who is faithful in a little thing: Luk 16:10f. 

Cannot serve two masters: 

Jesus hits us in our wallets. The root of evil in the human race is the love of money. 

Using money as God’s steward - faithful in a little thing (compared to heaven, it is a little thing; Mat 6 consider the birds and lilies).

Application: Do and teach. Emphasis on do and teaching will be natural. 

The Bible is your personal library. Your life should be spent trying to master it, live it, and teach it. 

Hebrew Bible, minus the rituals, is a part of God’s eternal word. 

There are examples, narratives, histories, declarations, promises, poetry, wisdom, proverbs, prophecies, warnings, songs, and more that God has given mankind as a gift for loving knowledge and wisdom and living like Him. 

Do you know your Bible?