“Is this why Jesus came?” I often ask this question when I see the religious shenanigans that go on in churches here and in other countries. Did He really come to set up a religion more ornate, elaborate, and more full of rituals and revelry than we already have in the world?
I love the latest series of “Voetspore” on TV, the second in a series of travels through South America. The first in the series took the travellers south from Uruguay to the southernmost tip of South America.
The current series is taking the team north, again from Uruguay, through Bolivia, Peru, Equador, and Columbia. How often, on their travels through great cities in South America, do they marvel at ornate churches of every size, shape, and colour. Some have already stood for centuries but all represent a brand of so-called Christianity that is far removed from Jesus’ purpose for coming into this world.
Our travellers have witnessed ceremonies, festivals, services, etc, that represent their hosts’ brand of religious faith that is far removed from the truth.
Why DID Jesus come? On one occasion,
Matthew 22:35-36 NIV
[35] One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: [36] “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”
Matthew 22:37-40 NIV
[37] Jesus replied: “ ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”
Unfortunately, these commandments didn’t work for most of God’s people. Their sinful nature drove them in the opposite direction. All 613 laws of the Old Testament couldn’t teach them to love God and each other as He required.
So, Jesus came, not to change God’s law but to take all 613 laws, stuff them inside five little words, model them in the life of one person, Himself, then empower them by His Spirit inside every believer to direct them to do His will.
The Old Covenant commandment was,
Matthew 22:37-39 NIV
[37] ‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ [38] This is the first and greatest commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as your yourself.’
Jesus reduced it down to…
“Believe in (love) me , and love one another.”
The rest of the New Testament flesh out these five simple words.
Believing in Jesus means obeying His teachings.
John 8:31 NLT
[31]” Jesus said to the people who believed in him, “You are truly my disciples if you remain faithful to my teachings. “
John 14:15 NLT
[15] “If you love me, obey my commandments.”
What else did Jesus command?
John 13:34 NLT
[34]”So now I am giving you a new commandment: Love each other. Just as I have loved you, you should love each other.”
There we have it! Time and again, New Testament writers repeated Jesus’ commands just to ensure that their readers stick to the plot and do not stray from Jesus’ blueprint for the church, BELIEVE IN ME AND LOVE ONE ANOTHER. Everything we do, as the church, should feed into these two commands.
1 John 3:23 NLT
[23] “And this is his commandment: We must believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and love one another, just as he commanded us.”
Romans 13:8-10 NLT
[8] “Owe nothing to anyone—except for your obligation to love one another. If you love your neighbor, you will fulfill the requirements of God’s law. [9] For the commandments say, “You must not commit adultery. You must not murder. You must not steal. You must not covet.” These—and other such commandments—are summed up in this one commandment: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” [10] Love does no wrong to others, so love fulfills the requirements of God’s law.”
Now, I ask you, if Jesus is the head of the church and the church is His body, why are the Head and the Body pulling in two different directions?
Everything the Holy Spirit says and does in us is to direct us towards obedience to Jesus’ commands. However, to many so-called believers, egged on by prosperity and faith preachers, the body’s goal is to get all its material and sensual needs met.
So, how do we deal with this anomaly?
As individuals and as a church (a local branch of the worldwide body of Christ), we must test our lives by this question, “Is this why Jesus came?” If we can answer that our believing and doing enhances our obedience to Jesus’ commands, we are on the way to maturity.
Ephesians 4:11-13 NLT
[11] Now these are the gifts Christ gave to the church: the apostles, the prophets, the evangelists, and the pastors and teachers. [12] Their responsibility is to equip God’s people to do his work and build up the church, the body of Christ. [13] This will continue until we all come to such unity in our faith and knowledge of God’s Son that we will be mature in the Lord, measuring up to the full and complete standard of Christ….
[15] Instead, we will speak the truth in love, growing in every way more and more like Christ, who is the head of his body, the church. [16] He makes the whole body fit together perfectly. As each part does its own special work, it helps the other parts grow, so that the whole body is healthy and growing and full of love.”
Surely, all the rest is gobbledegook!