Three times in the Gospel of John, Jesus states that if you love Jesus, you will keep the commandments.
“If you love Me, keep My commandments.” (John 14:15)
“He who has My commandments and keeps them, it is he who loves Me. And he who loves Me will be loved by My Father, and I will love him and manifest Myself to him.” (John 14:21)
“If you keep My commandments, you will abide in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and abide in His love.” (John 15:10)
This statement emphasizes the link between genuine love for Jesus and obedience to His teachings. In the same discourse, Jesus reiterates this idea.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:17-20), Jesus tells his followers the importance of upholding the Law.
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17-20)
It is clear that the Law that Jesus is referencing is the Law given in the previous scriptures found in the Old Testament. This is further reinforced in Luke 10:25-28 when a scribe asks Jesus how to inherit internal life.
“‘Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?’ He said to him, ‘What is written in the law? What is your reading of it?’ So he answered and said, ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength, and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself.’ And He said to him, ‘You have answered rightly; do this and you will live.’ (Luke 10:25-28)
In this account according to the Gospel of Mark, 12:28-34, Jesus agrees with a scribe on the greatest commandments:
“‘The first of all the commandments is: ‘Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ This is the first commandment. And the second, like it, is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.’ So the scribe said to Him, ‘Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.’” (Mark, 12:28-34)
Also, in Matthew 15:1-9, when Jesus emphasizes that tradition should never supersede the spirit of the Law through his example of how the Jews of his time utilized the concept of Corban to avoid financial responsiblity of honoring their mother and father.
“Why do you also transgress the commandment of God because of your tradition? For God commanded, saying, ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and, ‘He who curses father or mother, let him be put to death.’ But you say, ‘Whoever says to his father or mother, “Whatever profit you might have received from me is a gift to God”—then he need not honor his father or mother.’ Thus you have made the commandment of God of no effect by your tradition.” (Matthew 15:1-9)
Jesus in Matthew 23:1-3, Jesus explains to his disciples that he wants them to listen to what the Jewish scribe and Pharisees say in order to understand the law but apply it better than they do.
“Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, saying: ‘The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. Therefore, whatever they tell you to observe, that observe and do, but do not do according to their works; for they say, and do not do.’” (Matthew 23:1-3)
Yet, Christians do not do this. They don’t listen to the scribes and Pharisees and they do not uphold the Laws of the Old Testament. Instead they continue to uphold their tradition and the creeds of men, individuals who have no authority, which is exactly what Jesus warned against.
“Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honors Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me. And in vain they worship Me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’” (Mark 7:6-8)
If Christians truly love Jesus, they would listen to the lectures of Rabbis about the scriptures rather than their priests. For such followers of Jesus who don’t take heed to Jesus’ actual teachings and shift the focus from the commandments he advocated and instead focus primarily on who he was will be in for a rude awakening on the Day of Resurrection when Jesus disowns them, as stated in Matthew 7:21-23.
“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’” (Matthew 7:21-23)
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