ONE GREATER THAN GOD'S WORD

At the beginning of His ministry, in what is known as "The Sermon on the Mount," Jesus made it quite clear that He not only knew God's Word, but that His words were greater than the Old Testament Scriptures. In Matthew Five alone, Jesus corrected the religious leaders six times, using the phrases "you have heard it said," followed by "but I say unto you" (Mt. 5:21-22; 27-28; 31-32; 33-34; 38-39; 43-44)!  Matthew ends the Lord's "sermon," by saying:  "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at His doctrine:  for He taught them as One having authority, and not as the scribes" (Mt. 7:28-29)!

Is it any wonder why the leaders of the Jews saw Him as a threat?  They ruled over Israel by using, and abusing, God's Word (Mt. 23:1-39)!  And yet, knowing men's hearts (Jn. 2:24-25), Jesus still declared that it was not the "letter of the Law" which had the final say in the matters of men, but it was His own interpretation of the Law that mattered!

Here are some more examples from the Gospel of Matthew:

"Or have ye not read in the Law, how that on the Sabbath days the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath, and are blameless?  But I say unto you, that in this place is One greater than the temple.  But if ye had known what this meaneth, 'I will have mercy, and not sacrifice,' ye would not have condemned the guiltless.  For the Son of man is Lord even of the Sabbath day" (Mt. 12:5-8).

"O generation of vipers, how can ye, being evil, speak good things?  For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaketh.  A good man out of the good treasure of the heart bringeth forth good things: and an evil man out of the evil treasure bringeth forth evil things.  But I say unto you, That every idle word that men shall speak, they shall give account thereof in the day of judgment.  For by thy words thou shalt be justified, and by thy words thou shalt be condemned" (Mt. 12:34-37).

"And His disciples asked Him, saying, 'Why then say the scribes that Elias must first come?'  And Jesus answered and said unto them, 'Elias truly shall first come, and restore all things.  But I say unto you, that Elias is come already, and they knew him not, but have done unto him whatsoever they listed.  Likewise shall also the Son of man suffer of them.'  Then the disciples understood that He spake unto them of John the Baptist" (Mt. 17:10-13).

If you have reverence for God's Word, good!  Jesus is God's Word!