[Jesus said] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
Matthew 5:17
Jesus Is the Real Deal
Daily Devotion – February 8, 2023
Devotion based on Matthew 5:17
See series: Devotions
Purchasing something that is 100% genuine is generally preferable. For instance, there’s a big difference between buying a new living room recliner made from genuine leather and one made with cheap imitation material. In most cases, you can feel and smell the difference. The real deal is better.
What’s true of leather is also true of saviors from sin. There are plenty of cheap imitations, people and things that promise to be just as good as the real thing but also end up being what they are: cheap imitations that don’t add up and never really satisfy. When it comes to the work of salvation, there is only one real deal, and his name is Jesus, the world’s one and only genuine Savior.
But what did Jesus have to do to prove that he and he alone is the real deal? First and foremost, he couldn’t cut any corners. In other words, he had to be all-in, 100%, no holds barred.
That meant, as he tells us today, he didn’t come into this world “to abolish the Law or the Prophets.” In other words, he didn’t claim to be above the law of God. He didn’t say, “God’s Word doesn’t apply to me, so I don’t have to follow the rules.” No, just the opposite! He came to obey and fulfill God’s Word perfectly. He came to live a life that sinners like you and me cannot. Perfect love. Perfect sacrifice.
But never for himself. For us, yes, for everyone. For you. Because, you see, fulfilling God’s law perfectly required more of Jesus than simply scoring 100% on some test measuring his genuineness. It also means that he fulfilled his Father’s perfect will—through all the pain and suffering he endured in doing so—to win a place in heaven, not for himself, but for you and me. And not because we deserved it or he owed it to us. He did it because he loves us, no strings attached.
That’s what makes Jesus the real deal, the Savior.
Prayer:
Dear Jesus, help me to believe through your Word and Spirit that you are the only genuine Savior from sin and death forever. Amen.
Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.
