Rabbis later calculated that precisely 613 “statutes” were contained in the Torah. Now the word Torah here refers specifically to the first five books of the Bible (the Pentateuch), which contain the law of Moses. Oh that my ways may be steadfast in keeping your statutes! You have commanded ( tzavah) your precepts to be kept ( shamar) diligently. Who also do no wrong, but walk in his ways! I think we can get a good sense of how Jesus the Jew understood what “Torah” meant because we can hear him praying Psalm 119, as we did today.īlessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law ( torah) of the LORD!īlessed are those who keep his testimonies, who seek him with their whole heart, “If you love me, keep my commandments.” What are we to make of this statement? What does Jesus mean by “love,” and what does He mean by “keeping my commandments.” Specifically, what does Jesus mean as a first-century Jew, whose Bible was the Old Testament, who from His earliest years knew the Scriptures better than His elders, who attended synagogue each Sabbath where the Torah scroll is taken from its box, its tabernacle, and read, “Torah” meaning the divinely revealed Words of Almighty God to Moses. So please follow along with me over the next few weeks, as we search the Scriptures:īLESSED Lord, who has caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning: Grant that we may so hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of your holy Word, we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which you hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. I’m not sure what they mean for me, a follower of Jesus, or for us, the church of Jesus Christ here in Bellevue. “If you love me, keep my commandments.” I must confess, I have been wrestling with these words, because I am not sure what they mean. They are, in a sense, Jesus’ last will and testament. It was at the Last Supper, the night before He was betrayed, tried, and crucified. This saying comes from the last words Jesus ever spoke on this earth. Jesus said: “If you love me, keep my commandments. Stephen Noll THE TEN COMMANDMENTS: Channeling God’s Love Sermon Preached at Redeemer Anglican Church These sermons formed the basis of a “confirmation” process for members of the church. In the Easter-Pentecost season 2021, I began a series of sermons on the theme of God’s Commandments, beginning in the Old Testament and moving to Jesus’ teaching.
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