Early in my Christian walk, the Lord gave me a beautiful analogy of what the
blood of Jesus does for us. This was especially meaningful to me coming from a
medical background. As a former laboratory technician, one of my primary duties
in the lab was to examine and analyze patients’ blood samples. The revelation
the Lord gave me makes a comparison between human blood and the blood of Jesus.
The function of human blood in the body is to keep it healthy and alive. The
same is true of the blood of Jesus. His blood keeps the body of Christ healthy and alive.
Another of the main functions of the blood in the human body is to facilitate
cleansing of the system. This is also one of the main purposes the blood of
Jesus does for us. As members of the body of Christ, we are in need of cleansing
when we come to the Lord. This cleansing process is an ongoing operation, as we
walk in the Lord, so that we will remain free from sin.
But if we walk in the light, as he is in the light, we have fellowship one
with another, and the blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us
from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:7-9).
The blood in the human body brings carbon dioxide to the lungs to be exhaled
and exchanged for the oxygen needed for the body. This is done through the
action of the heart beat that pumps the blood through arteries to the entire
system. The veins are the blood vessels that return the blood to the heart and lungs, while the
arteries carry it back to the body. The majority of people from whom I would
take blood samples with a needle and syringe would comment on how dark their
blood was as I removed it. I would always explain that the blood was taken from
a vein. Consequently, it was full of impurities and depleted of oxygen.
Therefore it was dark since it lacked oxygen that gives blood its bright red
color. In accidents in which a blood vessel has been severed, one can determine
whether it is a vein or artery by the color of the blood and by the flow at the
point of injury. If an artery has been severed, it will be bright red and
spurting out with each beat of the heart; a severed vein will ooze dark red (blackish in color) blood.
Jesus’ Blood Cleanses
Just as the body needs cleansing, we also need that cleansing work in our
spirits and souls. When the Holy Spirit points out sin to us, we need to repent
and confess that sin so that we can be cleansed of it. The above Scripture says
that if we walk in the light, as He is in the light, we will be in fellowship
one with another. As Christians, if we have broken fellowship with any member in
the body of Christ, one or both of us will be walking in darkness and sin. God never divides and separates His body. We should always
strive to walk in peace and harmony with all of our brothers and sisters in
Christ. Of course, if there are those who refuse to fellowship with us, then we
must leave them in the hands of the Lord and pray for them. However, we should
be very sure that there is nothing at our end of the relationship that is
preventing fellowship, lest we be guilty of "walking in the dark."
If there are those who are rebellious and refuse to "walk in the light," then
the church leadership should seek the Lord as to how to handle the problem.
Perhaps the Lord would have the fellowship fast and pray for those individuals.
The Spirit of Christ always seeks to reconcile any division. He requires those
that are strong to bear the burdens of those that are weak. The Lord would have
those that are mature to pray for and love those that are immature. If those involved in conflict would put on the nature of Christ
during those times, the Lord would bring forth victory each time.
We are not to defend our position, but are to trust God to defend us even if
we have been unduly wronged. Fighting back with words and hostile feelings only
compounds the problem. We must ask for God’s grace and love for those who oppose
us. We must recognize it is the enemy at work against our marriages, homes,
friendships and churches. Dependence upon God and His tools is the only way for our victory to come. If
we are to be cleansed and purged by the Lord, we must yield completely to Him
and His working in conflicting situations.
If a man therefore purge himself from these, he shall be a vessel unto
honour, sanctified, and meet for the master’s use, and prepared unto every good
work. Flee from youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace,
with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. But foolish and unlearned
questions avoid, knowing that they do gender strifes. And the servant of the
Lord must not strive; but be gentle unto all men, apt to teach, patient, In
meekness instructing those that oppose themselves; if God peradventure will give
them repentance to the acknowledging of the truth; And that they may recover
themselves out of the snare of the devil, who are taken captive by him at his
will (2 Timothy
2:21-26).
Not only does the blood of Jesus bring cleansing to the body, but the
Scripture says in Hebrews 9:14 that it will ...purge your conscience
from dead works to serve the living God. The Lord desires that all the evil
in our hearts and minds and consciences be purged so that we can have the mind of Christ. This cleansing process is
accomplished by applying the Word of God to our lives. Now ye are clean
through the word which I have spoken unto you (John 15:3). By fellowshipping with the Word
(Jesus) and reading the Word (the Bible), we shall be made clean. The more of
His Word that we know and apply, the cleaner our vessel shall be. The Word of
God cleanses and the blood of Jesus cleanses. When Jesus offered up His blood,
He did it so that you and I could become clean, holy vessels.
Life Is in the Blood
The blood of Jesus also brings life to us, just as the blood in the physical
body carries the life. But flesh with the life thereof, which is the blood
thereof, shall ye not eat (Genesis 9:4). Those who do not know the Lord
Jesus are dead and have no life in them. Also, those who refuse to accept Christ will never have any life in
them.
Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily I say unto you, Except ye eat the
flesh of the Son of man, and drink his blood, ye have no life in you...He that
eateth my flesh, and drinketh my blood, dwelleth in me, and I in him (John 6:53
and 56).
Anything that is not life is not from the Lord. Death and sickness are the
enemies of man.
Jesus said in John 10:10, The thief cometh not, but for to steal,
and to kill, and to destroy: I am come that they might have life, and that they
might have it more abundantly.
If we do not accept the life of Christ, eternal death will result. Just as
life leaves when the blood flows out of the natural body, so it is true with
those who have not the divine flow within their veins.
Sin Requires Shedding of Blood
Under the Old Testament law, the penalty for men’s sins (that were not
punishable by death) was the sacrifice of an animal’s life. The shedding of blood
was required to atone for their sin. We might wonder why such a terrible thing
was required by God. Why were innocent little lambs and doves slain and their
blood sprinkled on the altar? Perhaps we can understand this if we place
ourselves in the situation of being instructed to kill an animal for telling a lie or committing some other sin. When one must kill an innocent
animal because of his sin, it illustrates the awfulness of sin. God wanted man
to understand that when he sinned, it meant death for something or someone.
If we were still under the Old Testament law today, we would be required to
take a little lamb and kill it for our sins. This would be difficult for most of
us because we would cringe at the thought of slaying anything innocent. The Lord
wanted us to realize that the penalty of sin would cause a life to be taken.
When people had to take a little dove and bring it to be slain upon an altar as
an offering for their sins, the impact of sin became real to them. Sin always requires a sacrifice.
Today, we have the Spirit of God that cleanses us from our sins as we confess
them. Jesus was the lamb slain from the foundation of the world, and His death
and shed blood paid the price for sin once and for all. No longer does an animal
need to be offered for our sins.
In burnt offerings and sacrifices for sin thou hast had no pleasure. Then
said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy
will, O God. Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and
offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are
offered by the law; Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh
away the first, that he may establish the second. By the which will we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all
(Hebrews 10:6-9).
Jesus’ Blood Gives Health and Strength
Another function of the human blood is its capacity to bring healing to the
physical body. Human blood is composed of more than just red blood cells. In
fact, over half (55 percent) of our blood is not red at all. It is a clear
liquid, known as plasma, that is 92 percent water. The other 8 percent includes
many essential substances necessary to keep our bodies healthy. These are
proteins, hormones, vitamins, enzymes and salts. Should the body become ill, the blood alters its normals to adjust and promote healing. The
white blood cells (leucocytes) are the body’s first line of defense against
bacterial invaders. When bacteria enter the body, white blood cells are produced
in great numbers. They travel to the infection and engulf the invaders. The blood of Jesus spiritually does
the same for the body of Christ. When Satan invades, the Holy Spirit stands
ready to come to our aid and bring the needed healing. The Lord desires that we
walk in divine health. If we stay in close communion with Him, we will find our
spiritual man will not become sick and depleted, needing continual healing.
Satan tries to drain us of our spiritual strength and weaken us to the point
where we have no resistance against His attacks. Staying in the flow of God’s
Spirit prevents this, as we then have His strength to overcome and walk
victoriously.
The natural body becomes weak when proper diet and rest are neglected. This
results in a condition commonly referred to as "tired blood." The medical name
for this is "anemia," and it is due to the lack of iron in the red blood cells.
The iron compound in the red blood cells is medically termed "hemoglobin." When
this is low, the body becomes weary and fatigued. The blood carries this
compound to all parts of the body to bring strength. We, as Christians, are
admonished to ...be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might
(Ephesians 6:10). Weakness is just another attack of the devil. We are to be
strong in our spirits, souls, and bodies.
Christians should not be spineless individuals, but strong in their witness
for the Lord. Timidity and shyness can be overcome through Jesus by asking Him
for His holy boldness. Many people suffer needlessly, unable to speak the things
in their hearts, because of fear and timidity. Jesus wants them free. We are to
be strong people, not weak individuals. Physically, we can also call upon the
Lord to strengthen us when we are weary. We are not to walk in weakness but in
the Lord’s strength. Strengthen ye the weak hands, and confirm the feeble
knees (Isaiah 35:3). Weakness is another area in which we must resist and
learn to claim the Lord’s strength. Of course, if we have been abusing our
bodies, we need to correct our habits and get the proper rest and diet. However,
if we have been doing this, sometimes the problem is a spiritual one and needs
to be dealt with through prayer. When we are about the Lord’s business, He gives
us the energy and vitality to accomplish those things that require our attention.
We must remember that when we give our lives to the Lord, all that we do
becomes His business. We do not have to serve the Lord in the capacity of a
minister to be in His service and claim His power. Average people become more
than average when they become children of God. What is normal for the children of this world is not
normal for the body of Christ. We have our values messed up because we have not
looked to God’s Word for our "norm" or standard. It is not normal for a
Christian to be weak, fearful, depressed, grieved, or sick. These things are
abnormal for God’s people. However, so many of God’s people have accepted the
world’s standards that they are walking far below their privileges.
Another thing that can cause people to be weak and sickly is for them to take
the communion of the Lord without first examining themselves to see if any sin
is present in their lives.
And when he had given thanks, he brake it, and said, Take, eat: this is my
body, which is broken for you: this do in remembrance of me. After the same
manner also he took the cup, when he had supped, saying, This cup is the new
testament in my blood: this do ye, as oft as ye drink it, in remembrance of me. For as
often as ye eat this bread, and drink this cup, ye do shew the Lord’s death till
he come. Wherefore whosoever shall eat this bread, and drink this cup of the
Lord, unworthily, shall be guilty of the body and blood of the Lord. But let a man
examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup. For he
that eateth and drinketh unworthily, eateth and drinketh damnation to himself,
not discerning the Lord’s body. For this cause many are weak and sickly among
you, and many sleep (1 Corinthians 11:24- 30).
The taking of communion is one of the church sacraments that represents the
spiritual communion with our Lord. The reason we are to examine ourselves before
we take the wine and the bread is so that there is nothing in our hearts that
would prevent our communion with God. If we do not have the proper relationship
with members of the Lord’s body, then we cannot have a proper relationship with
God.
If a man say, I love God, and hateth his brother, he is a liar: for he that
loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not
seen? And this commandment have we from him, That he who loveth God love his
brother also (1 John 4:20-21).
If we have been taking of Christ’s blood (abiding in His Spirit) and eating
his flesh (assimilating His Word), then we will have blessed communion with the
Father. We shall walk in health and strength for they are the Lord’s blessing
and promise. When we do not walk in the Lord we find our spiritual body becomes unhealthy, and we
begin to have problems.
There is a blood disease called leukemia that attacks some people. This
occurs when the white blood cells begin to multiply too rapidly. Under normal
conditions man has only around 5,000 white blood cells for every 5,000,000 red
blood cells per cubic millimeter of blood. When this condition changes
drastically, it indicates sickness in the body. The disease of leukemia is
caused by runaway cells that are cancerous and in rebellion. When we become rebellious toward God, we cause the same condition to occur in
our spiritual lives. We find that spiritual cancer will eat away our life. We
must ask the Lord to deliver us from all rebellion and submit to His will in
order to remain healthy. The Bible says in 1 Samuel 15:23, For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft,
and stubborness is as iniquity and idolatry. Because thou hast rejected the word
of the Lord, he hath also rejected thee... We must yield to the Lord to
remain spiritually and physically healthy. The Lord will minister to us the
things we need to stay in proper spiritual condition.
Fed Through the Blood
Another purpose of the blood is to distribute the needed nutrients to all
parts of the body. Because of what Jesus’ blood purchased for us, we also
receive spiritual nutrients. The plasma of the blood carries the proteins,
hormones, vitamins, enzymes and salts throughout the body. God feeds us through
the Word by quickening (making alive) the right word to us. If we have need of
comfort, He will show us the Scriptures in His Word that bring comfort. And,
because the Holy Spirit is the Comforter, He will bring that to our spirits.
When we are submitted to Him, we will be fed the proper word so that we may grow
in Him. If we are not submitted, we can become imbalanced in our spiritual
lives. The same is true in the physical body. If diabetes is present, too much
blood sugar is produced and the body suffers because of this condition. The
written Word of God must be balanced by the Spirit of God. The letter of the law
will kill and bring death, but the Spirit brings life.
2 Corinthians 3:6 says, Who also hath made us able ministers of the
new testament; not of the letter, but of the spirit: for the letter killeth, but
the spirit giveth life.
When we get out of balance, we become spiritually ill. We must continually
rely on Jesus to bring us the truth and the life. In the spiritual as well as
the natural, we must not only have the proper diet, but the proper exercise
also. Just knowing the Word is not enough; we must apply the Word for it to work.
Many people become spiritual gluttons as they listen to good teachings over and
over, but they do not apply the truth to their own lives. We must use what we
hear. We are instructed not only to be hearers of the Word, but doers of the
Word.
So then faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God (Romans
10:17).
But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves
(James 1:22).
By applying the blood of Jesus to our lives, we shall have His life.
Protection Through the Blood
Protection is another benefit of the blood. This does not mean that if we
chant "the blood of Jesus" repeatedly we will not be harmed. Some people have
made a fetish of Jesus’ blood by pleading the blood over themselves, over their
houses, and sprinkling the blood here and there. It is not the chanting of "the
blood of Jesus" that brings protection, but rather faith in what the blood of
Jesus has done for us. Expressions such as "the devil cannot cross the blood line" are futile unless one’s faith is in the protection secured by
the shed blood of Jesus on Calvary. It is what is behind the blood, not the mere
speaking of the blood that brings protection. Of course, we can voice our faith in Jesus’ blood, and as we do so there is
power in those words. We should, however, understand that mere speaking is not
sufficient unless our words are backed by real faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
A beautiful type of this is found in Exodus 12:13, And the blood shall be
to you for a token upon the houses where ye are: and when I see the blood, I
will pass over you, and the plague shall not be upon you to destroy you, when I
smite the land of Egypt.
When the Lord sent the plague to destroy the Egyptians because of their
refusal to release Israel, He instructed His people to slay a lamb and place the
blood on the upper and side doorposts of their houses, so that the death angel would not come into
that house. Because they had faith in God and obeyed His command, all that were
in those houses were spared.
Blood Covenant For Your Household
Today, our faith in the Lord's blood can bring salvation to
our households too. If we have unsaved loved ones, we must remember to claim
their souls and believe for their salvation, just as the first Passover was
followed in Egypt. It was "a lamb for a house." One member of that household
sprinkled the blood on the door and all beneath the roof were safe, for God's
covenant was with them. That covenant is still good today.
Rahab is another beautiful type of the Lord saving an entire
family by one woman's faith. By faith, Rahab put out the scarlet thread, which
is a type of the blood of Christ, and saved all of her family (Joshua 2:18).
In the New Testament we also find an account of the
Philippian jailer who cried out, ...what must I do to be saved? Paul replied,
...Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house
(Acts 16:30-31). Our families are promised redemption if we believe. The angel
promised Cornelius that Peter would tell him words whereby he and all his house
should be saved. Who shall tell thee words, whereby thou and all thy house
shall be saved (Acts 11:14).
What are the conditions we must meet in order to make this
"Blood Covenant" effective for our loved ones? First, we must consecrate our
lives fully to God. Then we must take the matter to the Lord and put in a
definite claim for the salvation of our kindred. As we claim them, let the
Spirit of God lead in how we are to pray for each of them. Some are led "with
strong crying and tears" (travail), others by fasting since it will break
Satan's hold. For some a steady faith applied for their souls will bring them
into the kingdom. If we are claiming our children, remember we must first
...bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord (Ephesians 6:4).
We must lay a good foundation by teaching them God's Word. If the children are
grown and we have failed to do this because we were not walking in God's light
at the time, we need to repent and ask God in His mercy to save them. We should
not allow Satan to condemn us after we have repented, but trust the Lord to
redeem those lost years. He is able, no matter how deep in sin those rebellious
children have become.
Next, we must leave our loved ones in the hands of the Lord
and trust Him to bring them in. We must not allow doubt and unbelief to plague
us as we are trusting Jesus to bring them to salvation and deliverance. We must
never fear that the Lord will bring evil upon them to save them. Our prayers of
mercy, forgiveness and protection will keep them safe until they respond to the
Holy Spirit. No man can come to me, except the Father which hath sent
me draw him: and I will raise him up at the last day (John 6:44).
Another very
important step is to bind Satan away from our loved ones. We must command the
devil to release their hearts, minds, emotions and wills. We must exercise our
spiritual authority over the enemy for their souls. After we have done these things, then we must stand firm and
believe God through "thick and thin" until they come to Him. Our faith will not
fail as long as we look to God for the answer. If they seem to go farther away
from God after we have claimed them, we must keep our eyes off them and firmly
fixed on the God of the Covenant, believing and praising Him for their
salvation.
Here is a sample prayer that will give us an idea how to pray for loved ones
who are lost:
"Father, I come believing that Your Word is true; I
am claiming each and every member of my family for the kingdom of God. Lord, I
ask that You forgive their sins and be merciful to them. Lord, keep Your hand
over them and protect them from the enemy until they come to You. Father, 'woo
and draw' them by Your Holy Spirit and convict them of their sins. Send them the
right people to testify to them. Send the Word to them so that they will hear of
Your love and grace. Now Lord, I speak to Satan and command him to loose his
hold on their minds, hearts, wills and emotions. I declare he is a defeated foe
in their lives and their souls are now claimed for the Lord. Lord, I trust You
to deal with each of them in Your mercy, and believe that You will do a quick
work in their lives. By faith I now believe they are in the family of God.
Amen."
Now we must trust the goodness of God to lead them to
repentance. Never believe Satan's lies that it might take a tragedy to get them
to believe. Satan would like to destroy them with a tragedy so that they will
never be saved. The work of the Holy Spirit and the goodness of God is what
saves people, not tragedies. Or despiseth thou the riches of his goodness and
forbearance and longsuffering; not knowing that the goodness of God leadeth thee
to repentance? (Romans 2:4).
Overcoming Satan Through The Blood
We can overcome Satan in our lives and the lives of our loved
ones by claiming the atoning work of Christ and His blood shed for us.
Revelation 12:11 says, And they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb,
and by the word of their testimony; and they loved not their lives unto the
death.
Our faith in what the blood of Jesus does for us will bring us the victory. We
are never to walk in condemnation, but in the righteousness of Christ. When we
are "born again," we then have Christ's righteousness, so There is
therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not
after the flesh, but after the Spirit (Romans 8:1). We can boldly come before the Lord
washed clean in the blood of Jesus. We can have not only sweet fellowship, but
also access to the power and authority of Christ. We can now speak the Word and
it will come to pass because we ask in the name of Jesus. Revelation 12:11 says,
And they overcame him (the devil)....by the word of their testimony. This
does not mean our individual testimonies of what the Lord has done for us, but
rather our testimony of the Word of God. As we speak the words of the Old and
New Testaments, we overcome the devil. God's Word will overcome any situation.
We must allow the Word of the Lord to abide in us so that we can speak it forth
and overcome. If ye abide in me, and my words abide in you, ye shall ask what
ye will, and it shall be done unto you (John 15:7).
The last part of this verse in Revelation 12:11 says, ...and they
loved not their lives unto the death. Faith in the blood of Jesus, the
Lamb, and speaking the Word of God are not enough to get the victory over Satan.
We must also lay down our lives to the degree that we would be willing to die
for Christ's sake. If we do not have this kind of commitment, then somewhere
along the way we shall fail, no matter how strong we are in faith or the Word. A
total commitment is required if we are to be an overcomer. A half-hearted
commitment will fail us. We must be willing to go anywhere, do anything, and
give up anything for the cause of Christ. Some of us have never been overcomers
in the lesser issues of life, yet are claiming big things for God. The way to
get the victory is to daily crucify our flesh and obey the Lord in the little
things, then we will be able to overcome in bigger realms.
We may think we have made a total commitment and have
crucified our flesh. However, a good check to see if we have "died to self"
would be to read the following:
"Dying to Self"
When you are purposely set aside, rejected, forgotten, and
hurt with the insult of oversight -- but your spirit sings because you are being
counted worthy to suffer for Christ, that is "Dying to Self." When your advice
is disregarded, your opinions ridiculed, and all manner of evil is spoken
against you, and you refuse to let anger rise in your heart, or even defend
yourself, but take it all with patient, loving silence, that is "dying to
self." When you do not allow any disorder, irregularity or arrogance to come
against your peace, when you are face to face with filth, waste, stupidity or
spiritual pride, and endure it as Jesus endured it, that is "dying to self."
When you are content with the location you live, the climate, the society, the
solitude of the "backside of the desert," and are willing to have your plans
changed or interrupted by the will of God at any moment, that is "dying to
self." When you never care to have others know of your good works, and never
refer to yourself in conversation, or even care to have anyone commend you, when
you truly love to be the unknown, that is "dying to self." When you can see your
brother prosper and have his needs met, and can honestly rejoice with him in the
Spirit, and feel no envy, nor question God as to why your own needs are not
being met, that is "dying to self." When you can receive correction and
reproof, finding no rebellion or resentment rising up in your heart, that is
"dying to self."
Are you "dead to self?" At this hour, the Holy Spirit would
bring us to the cross. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed
unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord (Romans 6:11).
Dying to the flesh means making choices, dying to our ways
and living to the Lord's ways. The power of man's will can either make him an
overcomer or send him to hell. If we set our will with the will of God, we can
become that overcomer. We are promised many blessings as we follow the Lord, and
on the other side of the coin there are curses for going our own way. We must
choose. Isaiah 1:19-20 says, If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the
good of the land: But if ye refuse and rebel, ye shall be devoured with the
sword: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it. The Lord wants to heal us,
bless us and make us whole. The choice is ours. If my people, which are called
by my name, shall humble themselves, and pray, and seek my face, and turn from
their wicked ways; then will I hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin, and
will heal their land (II Chronicles 7:14).
God is always looking for a willing mind and a perfect heart.
He wants to use those who qualify, even as He used the great men and women of
the Bible. We must choose and obey, even as Solomon did when he built the
temple.
And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father,
and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the Lord searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the thoughts: if
thou seek him, he will be found of thee; but if thou forsake him, he will cast
thee off for ever. Take heed now; for the Lord hath chosen thee to build an
house for the sanctuary: be strong, and do it (I Chronicles 28:9-10).
Healing of the spirit, soul and body always begins with the
choice to follow Jesus and the subsequent choices to continue to walk with Him.
To receive complete wholeness, we must make a complete commitment, even as our
Lord spoke the greatest commandment of God.
Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with
all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first
and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy
neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the
prophets (Matthew 22:37-40).
