Jesus' Ministry of Condemnation

Quit Quoting Jesus, He Was a Legalist Part 5

Understanding the two-part ministry of Jesus is critical to understanding his words. Everything he taught either falls into law (the Mosaic Law - Jew's covenant) or kingdom (the kingdom of God - new covenant). The law was taught for the Jews to understand the full condemnation that was in their law that would soon end; kingdom was taught for the Jews to understand the Church Age that was soon to come.

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus nearly always taught kingdom in parables, unless it was taught to the “inner twelve” disciples; then it was explained. Chapters 14, 15, and 16 of the Gospel of John give us great understanding about the things of the kingdom. They looked forward to having the Holy Spirit dwell within them in their dispensation; today we acknowledge that it is a present reality. Everything in Jesus’ ministry is past tense for us; he was always promising things to come that are now here.
For example, the Lord’s prayer is not for us; it was for the Jews. “Let your kingdom come”; “forgive us”; “lead us not into temptation, but deliver us” – none of these things apply to us today because Jesus accomplished his ministry.

Everything Jesus said must be looked at through the lens of understanding his ministry and how the Holy Spirit functioned in his dispensation. Just because Jesus said it, it does not mean it is for you. The only way to understand the teachings of Jesus is to first understand the gospel. The gospel is revealed by the Holy Spirit and declared by participants in the Church Age. They revealed our present reality. With that lens, we can go back and observe what Jesus said to the Jews and glean truth from it once we have interpreted it through grace.

Jesus’ ministry was to draw out the full condemnation from the law and then draw that condemnation into his body. He used the law to bring every ounce of sin to life in the Jews, to bring it to their flesh and contain it with fear. The law was the cage for sin in the flesh of the Jews. Jesus used the law to capture sin so that he could put it in his own flesh. He bore the being of sin in his body. He became sin; then the Father judged sin in his body with a violent death.

This was one purpose of the law – to be a mechanism to revive sin and bring him into the flesh (the physical realm) in order to deal with him in the flesh. The other purpose of the law was to show humanity its inability to be holy and in right standing with God. It exposed our condition and need for a savior.

It was a violent pressing for the Jews to transition with Jesus and enter the kingdom. For us, now we simply believe – rest.

BORN GAY