Transcript: Understanding the Old Testament and New Testament in Christianity

Before I begin, I'm going to share an exclusive sneak peek at an animated gospel series we're producing here at A Voice in the Desert. You can only view this little teaser here at the end of this video, so be sure to stick around. Now, onto the topic of this video. Someone posted a comment on one of our videos. Here is what he wrote, and it is followed by what I wrote to him in reply. I thought it was important enough to make this exchange into a video by itself. He wrote, What do y'all think about Matthew 5.18? Can someone please convince me? I'm tending to believe in Christians who follow both the Old Testament and the New Testament. I started my reply by quoting the passage that was causing him concern. In Matthew 5 verse 18, spoken by Jesus and taken from the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says, Until heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law until all be fulfilled. Take note that the word until appears twice in this verse. So either of two things can alter the role of the law. One condition says, until heaven and earth pass away. So, when heaven and earth pass away, the Old Testament law too may pass away. And the other condition is, until all the law has been fulfilled. So, the Old Testament law will pass away when it has all been fulfilled. Now, let's look at each of these conditions for change separately. First, in relation to heaven and earth, Jesus also said, Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away. You can read that in Matthew 24, verse 35, Mark 13, verse 31, and Luke 21, verse 33. Despite many differences between those three Gospels, each of them, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, says it word for word exactly the same. Heaven and earth will pass away but My words will never pass away This is a very strong statement not only by Jesus but by the Holy Spirit who reminded Matthew Mark and Luke to all say it so precisely the same God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit all want us to know, beyond every shadow of doubt, that His words, Jesus' words, will last longer than anything that God ever delivered to Moses. Now, look at the second condition under which the law will pass away, and that is when the law has been fulfilled. If something is full, it cannot be filled. So, the law, which was waiting to be fulfilled, was, by Jesus' own mouth, not yet full. It was not empty, but neither was it full. It was waiting for something better, the fulfillment. And when that fulfillment came, it would be the end of the imperfect. The Old Testament would be replaced by the New Testament. the fulfillment would be in Jesus. Much of the law had to do with providing sacrifices for sins. Now, ask yourself if Jesus has fulfilled the demand for a sacrifice for sins. In the Old Testament, you needed to offer sacrifices over and over again, year after year. But Christians have stopped doing that. Why have we stopped making sacrifices for sins? We have done it because Jesus fulfilled the requirement. He is the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world. Do you or don't you believe that? Where is your faith? Is it in the blood of goats and doves and bullocks and sheep? Or is it in the Lamb of God for whom those animals were only shadowy images of what was to come. God went so far as to force the Jews themselves to stop sacrificing animals after they crucified Jesus. He let the armies of the Antichrist destroy their temple, just as Jesus had predicted would happen. Ask yourself what Jesus meant on the cross when he said It is finished just before he died Ask yourself why God himself miraculously ripped the very thick very heavy, very tall curtain that hung in front of the Holy of Holies in the temple from top to bottom just as Jesus died and just as Jesus said, It is finished! It was because Jesus had fulfilled it. He had fulfilled every jot and tittle of the law. It was finished. Don't let anyone tell you that Jesus only partially fulfilled it. It cannot be partially fulfilled. Jesus said so himself. He said it is an all-or-nothing situation. every jot and tittle would remain until every jot and tittle had been fulfilled. If Jesus has not fulfilled it, then you must continue offering animal sacrifices, year after year, until the day you die. For 1950 years, it has been impossible to offer animal sacrifices, because the temple where the sacrifices were to be made was destroyed in 70 AD. Now please take very sober note of what is happening at the moment in the world in which we live, because all of that is going to change, and the significance of that is vital to your eternal salvation. We are quickly approaching a time when that temple over there in Jerusalem is going to be rebuilt. It is extremely important for followers of Jesus everywhere to get it clear in our heads as to whether Jesus has fulfilled the laws regarding animal sacrifices, or whether his death means nothing. We need to listen to Jesus and get it very clear what it was that he came to build. Did he come to build an earthly kingdom? Did he come to establish a new world order with a human leader? Did he come to rule from a visible temple, one made with bricks and mortar? Jesus Himself specifically warned His disciples to give special attention to a prediction spoken by Daniel the prophet. A prediction about the Antichrist the leader of the coming New World Order Daniel predicted that this coming world ruler will one day move into the same temple in which so many Old Testament believers are placing their hope at the moment. He will be instrumental in getting it built, and three and a half years after he has made an agreement to build it, He will move into it and desecrate it in the most horrible ways possible. That moment in all human history has been prophetically called the abomination of desolation. Jesus said to watch for it. God is calling on his people everywhere to decide right now, before you head down that path, where your faith lies. Is it in the Old Testament laws? Is it in the earthly kingdom of Israel? Is it in the temple which godless non-believers in Christ will build with their own hands over there in earthly Jerusalem? Or is your faith in the new Jerusalem, the one that comes down out of heaven? Is it in the God whose true temple exists right now in the hearts of believers in Jesus everywhere on earth? Have you discovered the heavenly kingdom of God, which comes quietly and peaceably without observation, as Jesus taught? Have you met the King of kings and Lord of lords, who is soon to return to earth, bringing with him a host of his heavenly angels? This is the most important choice you will ever make in your life. Your eternal destiny is resting on it. So choose where you are going to put your faith, whether in the stunted, imperfect revelation of God through Moses in the Old Testament, or whether in the total revelation of grace and truth which has come through God's Son, the one the Bible calls the Word of God, the Jesus of the New Testament. And what better way to get acquainted with the Jesus of the New Testament than to listen to His teachings in the four Gospels? On the screen now is a link to an exclusive preview of an animated series on the Gospel of Mark, which we are producing ourselves. Please check it out, and let me know what you think in the comments below. .