What connections exist between Deuteronomy 5:31 and Jesus' teachings in the Gospels? Setting the Scene in Deuteronomy - “But you stand here with Me, and I will speak to you all the commandments and statutes and ordinances that you shall teach them to follow in the land that I am giving them to possess.” (Deuteronomy 5:31) - Three movements: • Moses stands near the LORD. • He receives words straight from God. • He must teach Israel so they obey and flourish in the promised land. Jesus as the Greater Moses - “For the Law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17) - Jesus forever dwells in the Father’s presence (John 1:18) and speaks only what the Father commands (John 12:49-50). - Where Moses mediated law, Jesus embodies it and gives the Spirit to inscribe it on hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; John 14:16-17). “Stand with Me”: Invitation to Discipleship - Mark 3:13-14—Jesus “called for those He wanted, and they came to Him. He appointed twelve to be with Him…” - Before any sending, there is nearness; the same pattern as Deuteronomy 5:31. - Luke 10:39 shows Mary sitting at Jesus’ feet, the ideal posture of a disciple. “I will speak to you”: The Father’s Words on Jesus’ Lips - John 7:16—“My teaching is not My own. It comes from Him who sent Me.” - John 14:10—“The words I say to you I do not speak on My own.” - Every sermon and parable pulses with the same divine authority that addressed Moses. “Teach them to follow”: The Sermon on the Mount and Beyond - Matthew 5–7: Jesus, on a mountain, reissues and deepens God’s commands—“You have heard… but I tell you…” - Obedience brings kingdom blessing (Matthew 5:3-12), echoing Deuteronomy’s promise of life in the land (5:29). Obedience and the Kingdom - Matthew 7:24—“Everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” - Luke 6:47—“He who comes to Me and hears My words and acts on them…” - As disobedience led to exile in Deuteronomy, ignoring Jesus leads to ruin (Matthew 7:26-27). The Great Commission Echo - Matthew 28:18-20 mirrors Deuteronomy 5:31: • Divine presence—“All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me.” • Command to teach—“Teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you.” • Prospect of inheritance—life in the renewed creation (Matthew 5:5; Revelation 21:1-7). Summary of Key Connections - Both passages center on a mediator who 1. Stands with God, 2. Receives authoritative commands, 3. Teaches them so God’s people can thrive in His promised realm. - Moses points forward; Jesus fulfills. - To stand with Jesus, receive His word, and obey it is to enter the life Deuteronomy anticipated—now energized by the Spirit and oriented toward an eternal kingdom. |
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