When reading the Gospels, most Christians have the perception that if Christ said something it automatically applies to them. Jesus said it, so I have to adhere to it. Jesus said it, so it’s also directed towards me. Jesus said it, so it must be truth.

Yes, everything that Jesus said was truth at the time he said it and in the context it was said. But when we look at Jesus’ words we have to look at who he was interacting with and what the context of the conversation was. Who was he talking to? What were the circumstances? What were the times? Does that truth really apply in the same manner to us today?

In order to correctly understand and discern the Gospel of Jesus Christ we need to ask ourselves these questions. We need to understand that Jesus’ time on earth had different seasons. If we take every word of Christ as truth for us today, we will end up confused and will never fully comprehend the simplicity of the Gospel.

Most of what Jesus said or rather what is recorded in the Gospels (primarily Matthew, Mark and Luke) was spoken to people who were under the Old Covenant (the mosaic law). People who were trying to gain righteousness by human efforts, by their actions, by what THEY do.

But in the New Covenant we are righteous because of what CHRIST DID.

The only reason why Jesus had to come into this world was because the Old Covenant could not solve our problem: Separation between God and man. If there would have been a way for man to gain righteousness based on his doings, Christ would not have had to come into the world (into human form). However, there was no other way. Nothing that man did could bring God’s Spirit back to humanity. God had to send His Spirit into the world. And the only way it could happen was for Jesus Christ to become flesh. The Spirit of God once again living in humanity.

A lot of the recordings of events found in Matthew, Mark and Luke are focused on interactions Christ had with people that were still living under the Old Covenant. People that were seeking to gain righteousness by their own works, their own actions, their own lifestyle.

We cannot make the mistake and take the interactions that Jesus had with people who were under the law and take them at face value for our lives today. It would be like a tennis player trying to win his game in a hockey arena. He will fall because he is playing in the wrong arena and with the wrong equipment. In the same way, the Old Covenant is totally different from the New Covenant.

If we continue to try to win with old concepts and methodologies in the new arena of SPIRITUAL LIFE, we will most certainly fail.

When you are sick and go to the doctor and he prescribes you a certain medication, after you are well you will no longer take that medication. Why not? Because you are no longer sick! If we properly discern and understand the Gospel and what Christ’s finished work means for us, we will realize that we HAVE BEEN made whole and are no longer sick. Since we have been made whole, a lot of the Old Covenant concepts no longer apply to us. We no longer need a human mediator because we have a spiritual mediator. Christ is our mediator and restored us to perfect union with the Father. We no longer need a written law because His law is written on our hearts. The kingdom of God is not going to come some day, it has come. It is now, it is within us!

In the same manner we need to understand that a lot of the things that were recorded about Jesus no longer apply to us today. Jesus was communicating with people who were living under the law, people who were still trying to get whole. But we already have been made whole and are no longer sick. Because of Christ’s all redeeming work on the cross, we have been restored to a perfect spiritual being. There is nothing we have to do to gain anything (other than believe and accept Christ) since we already have received everything (spiritual life). We possess spiritual life because of His sacrifice. Yes, we possess it now.

The Gospel of John is a little different because John recorded some of the last interactions of Jesus with his followers. The majority of John’s writings were written about events that took place in the last few days of Jesus’ life on earth. A time when Christ knew that he was about to leave this world. Therefore he tried to foreshadow the New Covenant to His apostles. You could say it was the last testament to his followers. That’s why there is a lot more in John’s writings that will help us gain a better understanding of our true identity, our new nature, of who we are in Christ based on His finished work on the cross. If we focus on those interactions and these last words of Christ, we will get a clearer understanding of the Gospel which in turn will affect our life on this earth.