Jesus was a Jew and as a Jew, he used the same idioms firgures of speech and highly exaggerated cosmic metaphors customary to that ancient people. Now, unless you are aware of this, you cannot appreciate what it is that Jesus was trying to tell his audience. Hence, its significance will be lost on you. More importantly, youll be prone to misinterpreting his words as found in the synoptic gospels. I think it is vital to understand that Jesus audience (which included his disciples) was a Jewish one, a nation STILL under the Mosaic Law, As was Jesus himself, of course.. Let me illustrate this. Consider heaven and earth in Matthew 5:18 (KJV) For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Heaven is a metaphor for the priestly leaders in Israel (princes in their own right) and earth a metaphor for the people. When we understand THAT we can correctly interpret Jesus meaning in Matthew 5:17 about the fact that heaven and earth would not pass away UNTIL every detail of the Law (and the Prophats) were fulfilled. Notice how Christ links the life of the Jewish nation with the Law (and the Prophets); they are inseparable. Did the haavens and the earth pass? Most assuredly it/they did; in the events that led to the terrible destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple in AD70. Now, if the nation did pass in AD66-70, then so did the Law (and the Prophets), right? We can safely conclude, therefore, that NO detail of the Law and the Prophets remains unfulfilled.. And that fact has huge implications for you and I living today.
Posted on: Wed, 03 Dec 2014 08:31:59 +0000