- Notes from Nathan
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- Matthew 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
John Calvin pointed out “three uses” for the Ten Commandments:
to expose our sin and need,
a civic function for life together,
a lamp to light the way of those who live from grace received in Jesus Christ.
While we’re used to gravitating to the first two, the third invites us to ponder the abundant life Jesus brought.
When we read we’re to have no other gods before our Heavenly Father, we’re reminded of the Son’s ‘with you always’ promise, and his sending of the Spirit. Therefore, we want no other gods because we have an all-sufficient one, faithful in his love to us.
When we read the commandment to observe the sabbath day, we're reminded of Jesus, who not only observed and prioritized rest, but gave us a heart at rest in him.
When we read we shall not murder, commit adultery, steal, bear false witness, or covet, we’re reminded that Jesus gets at the inward root of those external acts. He deals with the underlying causes, reminding us that such acts begin at the heart level…and then supplies us at that level.
We encounter Jesus’ abundant life in having our hearts transformed to not merely meet the original commandments, but desire to live in a way that far surpasses them.