Was this guy Legit?

Matthew 5:17 (NLT)

17 “Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.

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We have better historical evidence for the existence of Jesus of Nazareth than we do for Alexander the Great. The question isn't, "Is Jesus real?" the question is "Was this guy legit?"

What was Jesus about? Was he really just a good teacher? Perhaps...the only problem with saying that he was a good teacher is what he actually taught. He didn't just say, "Now you make sure and behave nicely to other people, like you would want them to treat you," but rather he taught things like, "I am the Son of God, I am the resurrection and the life. Anyone who believes in me will live, even after dying." These claims are outrageous. So you have to come to the conclusion, this guy is either who he says he is, or he's a lying lunatic. Because of his teachings you can't say he's a good teacher, that wouldn't make sense. You are forced to pick a side.

So if we want to look into, "what if he is who he says he is," the question arrises, "What did he come here for?"

The culture of a first century Jew was obviously very different than our culture. Every culture has their distinctions that set them apart, for the Jews it was the law. There are over 600 laws given in the Hebrew Bible (our Old Testament). These laws govern all aspects of life. How to worship, how to do business, how to marry, how to divorce, how to...you name it. The guys in charge of government were also the same guys in charge of church affairs, the fancy word for it is "theocracy." This is the culture that Jesus was born into.

Jesus is extremely controversial because Jews believe there is only one God and this God gave them a law to keep, now here comes a carpenter from some hick town that is teaching people that he is the Son of God and he seems to be doing away with the law and teaching others to do the same.

To this end he says, "“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose."

Think of this, there are two ways to do away with an acorn. You can set it on a stone and smash it to pieces with a hammer. Or, you can plant it in the ground and let it fulfill itself and become a tree. By becoming a tree, it would give meaning and purpose to the acorn. This is similar to Jesus relationship to the law. By fulfilling the law of Moses he gives it purpose and meaning.

Notice he did NOT say, "I did not come to abolish the law, but I have come to give you a new set of rules to follow." 

It's not about being a good person, it's not about following rules, it's about Jesus. 

“For no one can ever be made right with God by doing what the law commands. The law simply shows us how sinful we are.” (Romans 3:20, NLT)

“I do not treat the grace of God as meaningless. For if keeping the law could make us right with God, then there was no need for Christ to die.” (Galatians 2:21, NLT)

“But now God has shown us a way to be made right with him without keeping the requirements of the law, as was promised in the writings of Moses and the prophets long ago. We are made right with God by placing our faith in Jesus Christ. And this is true for everyone who believes, no matter who we are.” (Romans 3:21–22, NLT)

So what do you think, is he legit? If so, what are you going to do next? Jesus' offer still stands,

“I tell you the truth, those who listen to my message and believe in God who sent me have eternal life. They will never be condemned for their sins, but they have already passed from death into life.” (John 5:24, NLT)