The start at the beginning of this series click here.
Are there any other moments where Jesus speaks as if He were God—sayings that if you heard from a mere human would not quite fit? Quite a few actually. And it is remarkable to me that such sayings do not leap off the page. They don’t because the Holy Spirit carries the truth of them to us—and we accept from Jesus what we would not accept from a common man.
Here are some samples.
“Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets” (Matthew 5:17a) Which of you, my readers, could say such a thing? You are under the authority of the Law and the Prophets. So-by what authority could Jesus make this claim? Only One who had authority over the Law and the Prophets’ messages could abolish them. Jesus lays claim to have that authority.
You have heard that the ancients were told, 'YOU SHALL NOT COMMIT MURDER' and 'Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, 'You good-for-nothing,' shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, 'You fool,' shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell. (Matthew 5:21-22) How often, in the Sermon on the Mount, does Jesus say, “I say to you…?” Here Jesus quotes Scripture and follows with “but I say to you.” Here again, He claims authority over the Scriptures. Would any of you or people you know step up to such a claim?
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell-and great was its fall." (Matthew 7:24-27)
To hear the words of Jesus and act on them is to build on the rock. Not the Law, not the Prophets, not the Proverbs—Jesus’ words.
Earlier in this sermon, Jesus said, “until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law” The suggestion here is that at the passing of heaven and earth, the Law and the Prophets will be of no consequence. All is fulfilled.
Jesus has this to say about His own words, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will not pass away.” (Matthew 24:35) His words will outlast the Law and the Prophets.
Jesus claimed authority over the Scriptures—what we call the Word of God. He claims that His words will endure while the Scriptures will not.
Jesus spoke as if He were God. His self-identity was that of being God.
Good teaching. Messiah did not need to proclaim He is G-d, because He is G-d. He wants us to make the proclamation.