CODES AND PARABLES | 2005-06-01
A lot of people seem to think that when Christ came to earth, the First Amendment to the United States Constitution was in full force in Roman Palestine.
So naturally Jesus said exactly what He meant. So when someone asked Him if He meant to replace the Law and Prophets, He said, "No." Jesus said He was there to FULFILL the Law and the Prophets. When He reduced the ten commandments to two, he said that his two commandments were what the Law and Prophets were about.
And when one of His disciples said Jesus was the Messiah, Jesus did not say he was wrong. He told him not to mention that to anybody else.
No, I'm afraid the First Amendment guaranteeing free speech was not in force in Roman Palestine.
So two thousand years of preachers have made their livings on the Old Testament, quoting Jesus as saying he would not change "a jot or tittle" of it.
The Magi didn't know anything about the Old Testament and they were saved, but the High Priest, who knew every word of the Old Testament and genuinely lived up to it, was specifically damned by Christ.
I don't know much theology, but I do know all about the code language you have to use in a society which does not have free speech. What Jesus said is as clear as a bell to me.