Moses is good, but Jesus is better!
Moses is good, but Jesus is better.
The Word of God tells me that the Law was given through Moses. Moses went on a hike up Mt. Sinai and the LORD spoke to him there. He returned from his journey with two tablets of stone inscribed by the very finger of God!
“When He had finished speaking with him upon Mount Sinai, He gave Moses the two tablets of the testimony, tablets of stone, written by the finger of God.” (Exodus 31:18)
What a fantastic thing to have happen! Is it any wonder that people make a big deal out of Moses and the Ten Commandments? Let’s face it- this is BIG stuff! A man goes up a mountain and comes down with words from God- written with God’s own finger!
So the world has never gotten over Moses. He looms large over spiritual and ethical matters. The Church has also never gotten over him, in fact, she trips over his feet and often lands in much confusion because she has often failed to embrace the truth that although Moses was good, Jesus is better.
How hard it is for the church, or the world, to understand the distinction between Jesus and Moses!
Every Easter that rolls around I find myself asking why the TV networks air the Ten Commandments. Am I the only one that doesn’t get this? Easter is NOT about Moses! Easter is NOT about the Ten Commandments! The greatest grace the world has ever seen is what Easter is about. Jesus brought forgiveness, love and healing to the world but network TV puts on a show about the Ten Commandments (which the New Testament calls “the ministry of condemnation”) See: 2nd Corinthians 3:9
I don’t know about you, but given the choice between being condemned or being forgiven, I’ll choose forgiveness any day of the week!
If you want to put Moses and the Ten Commandments on TV every Easter at least get it right…
“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)
Someone and something better has come along- goodbye Moses!
I can understand the secular world not comprehending the vast difference between what Moses brought and what Jesus came into the world to give- but God’s people? Surely Christians understand the difference between Moses and Jesus-or do we?
The purpose of the law
Many Christians are still under the assumption that God gave the world the Ten Commandments to teach us how to live a better life; they believe God gave us the law to follow to make us better people. Even when I’ve pointed out from the bible, that this is not the case, some of my Christian friends have refused to believe the real reason God gave the law through Moses.
“The Law came in so that the transgression would increase…” (Romans 5:20)
Did you catch that? God gave the law so that our transgression would increase!
God did not give the law to make you a better person, He gave it to show you how bad you really are!
Yes, you read that right. Let me try to explain it.
Let’s say you’ve got a lead foot- it’s your habit to speed down neighborhood streets like an out of control maniac. Is that a good thing to do? Probably not. But you’ve done nothing that you can be arrested for IF your city has no speed limit laws. So what does your city do? They post signs telling you the limit is 25mph. The trouble is, you LIKE going 55. The next time you fly through that neighborhood you’re busted! It wasn’t a problem for you before you had the law, but now that the law is in place, it is a problem- a BIG problem. You end up with a ticket and a nice fine, you lose points on your license, and your insurance goes up! Was the law bad then because you got a ticket and a big fine? No, you really shouldn’t have been driving like a maniac anyway. Was the law reasonable? Yes. Did it stop you from speeding? Apparently not! It did do one thing for you though- it pointed out your bad behavior; and once the law was enacted and you broke it, it made you a “lawbreaker”!
The bible says this about God’s law:
“So then, the Law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good.” (Romans 7:12)
There’s no problem with God’s law. God’s law is different in this respect than man-made laws. God’s law is not capricious and constantly changing like the laws of men. His law is perfect and always correct. (When I was in high school it was legal to drink alcohol in my home state at the age of 18, a few years later they made it illegal- suddenly you had to be 21!) God’s not changing things up like that; His law is always the same and always correct.
Men pass laws that many of us would consider stupid. For instance, I happen to think it’s stupid for the government to try to pass laws that tell me how big a soda I can buy. But you know what? If they do pass that law and I break it, they can fine me and punish me for breaking it. One thing that’s the same between men and God- if it’s the law and you break it, you’re guilty!
You broke the law!
Now it’s really that simple when it comes to why God gave us the Ten Commandments- His purpose was to show the whole world their guilt and make the whole world accountable to God.
“Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God. Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin.” (Romans 3:19-20)
So we see the purpose of the Ten Commandments- they were given to make us conscious of our sin, and to make us accountable to God!
So Moses was good (God’s law is perfect and true)- but Jesus is better.
Jesus- the better way!
I don’t know about you, but I don’t want to feel guilty all the time! God’s law does a great job of showing me how bad I am, but it makes me miserable! It points out all my weaknesses and accuses me when I fail, but it doesn’t help me be a better person- in fact, sin uses the law in a perverse way to cause me to want to sin more!
“I found that the very commandment that was intended to bring life actually brought death. For sin, seizing the opportunity afforded by the commandment, deceived me, and through the commandment put me to death.” (Romans 7:10-11)
Do you still think the Ten Commandments were given to you so that you could try to follow them, and by doing so, be more holy? They were not! They were given to show you that you don’t have the power to keep them, and that you need Jesus Christ!
Read it again…
“Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.” (Romans 3:20)
Now look at this…
“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Galatians 3:24-25)
God gave us the law to prove to us that we are lawbreakers; God gave us the law to lead us to Jesus Christ.
Yes, Moses is good (there’s nothing wrong with the law- it’s holy, just and good), but Jesus is better.
Why is Jesus better than Moses?
Moses brought us the law, but Jesus brought us grace and truth.
“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17)
Let’s make the difference really clear-Jesus is superior to Moses in every way; there’s that much difference between grace and law.
1. The law points out my sin; Jesus removes my sin and remembers it no more.
2. The law makes me feel guilty and ashamed of myself; Jesus removes my guilt and shame.
3. The law accuses me; Jesus defends me and gives me His righteousness.
4. The law is strict and unbending; Jesus perfectly fulfilled the law’s requirements for us (something that we could not do for ourselves) and in so doing, offers us GRACE (unmerited favor).
5. The Law punishes us; Jesus forgives and frees us.
6. The law shows us no mercy; Jesus is merciful, loving, and kind.
7. The law makes demands on us without giving us the ability to keep it; Jesus did what we could not do- He kept the law perfectly and freely gives us His righteousness.
The end of the law
“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)
Read it; let it sink in. Read it again.
“Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.” (Romans 10:4)
Now consider…
“When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having canceled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross…” (Colossians 2:13-14)
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.
Read,repeat…read it again- until you’ve totally got it.
Moses was good, but Jesus is better- by far! The Christian life is not about following Moses. May God give you eyes to see… you are not under law, but under grace, if you belong to Jesus Christ.
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