988. Considering the Words of Jesus in Context

Christians today may often have the idea that Jesus was always speaking directly to us. If we start getting honest with ourselves and take a close look at some of the words He was speaking—especially to the disciples—we'll begin to see a religious and blinding veil lifted, and consider who He was speaking to, when He said it, and why He said what He said.

The mixing of law and grace has been a common issue for a long time ... and much of it will have to do with misunderstanding the mission of Jesus while quoting Him out of context. For example, we think Jesus was teaching "us" with instructions during the "sermon on the mount." But He told His audience (the disciples) not to be like the Gentiles (or those born outside of the Jewish circle). Once we begin to understand that the mission of Jesus was aimed at delivering the Jews from the Mosaic law ... we'll also begin to realize this was necessary so Gentiles could also come to life by grace through faith.



   
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987. Doing Everything Jesus Said (Hypocrisy Exposed)

When church folks advocate and attempt to indoctrinate that we are required to keep and obey everything Jesus said, there is a very apparent and glaring problem with this mindset. You may have noticed ... they aren't doing it themselves. Hypocrisy is exposed but usually ignored, as the very thing they are touting is really just a selective version of pick and choose as they deceive themselves into thinking they are "doers" who end up landing in a pile of filthy rags known as self-righteousness.

We don't ignore or dismiss the words of Jesus. But much of what He said to Jewish people who were still under an unprofitable law of works before the cross needs to be considered in the proper context rather than trying to "Christianize" it into something that leaves believers today misinformed and off track. Jesus did not come with a new set of rules that would be harder and more challenging than the commands from the Mosaic law that nobody had ever successfully kept.



   
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986. Jesus: "Observe All That I Commanded You" (Uh Oh)

We pulled an email from the archives that we received from a listener who was explaining that their pastor believes the "sermon on the mount" was a teaching from Jesus that was meant as a list of new instructions—a Christian thing for future believers to follow and obey.

They arrived at that conclusion because of something Jesus said to His disciples after the resurrection: "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, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you."

As believers in Christ living inside of a new and better covenant ... is it the goal for us today to work at following everything Jesus shared with His disciples or charged them to do? It seems like a simple answer, after all, we're talking about the red letters, right? But let's consider the bigger context of what that would mean if we were to work at applying every syllable found in each Bible verse containing the words of Jesus.



   
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