I am a Jesus pusher!! “You have heard it said to those of old, . . . But I say to you” (Matthew 5:21, 22). This statement (“But I say to you”) is more substantial than it appears! In the Greek text, it reads as, “I (ego) But (de) say (lego) to you (humin).” The pronoun “I” is found at the ending of the indicative verb “say” (lego). However, Jesus was not satisfied with saying this once. He gave the pronoun “I” (ego) alone! A literal translation is, “I Myself say to you” or “I, I say to you.” In the Greek language, this is strong. “Say” is a translation of the Greek word “lego,” used to focus on the content of a statement. The emphasis is not on the speech style or the speaker’s posture but flows the authority of the Speaker to the content of His speaking.
Jesus does not add or undermine the authority of the Scriptures. He does not complement the Scriptures as if they were not adequate. He brings us back to the truth of the Scriptures and will not let us slip into the trap of discarding the Scriptures. He cried, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets, I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17). The introduction to these six illustrations established the authority of the Scriptures. Jesus equated His speaking with the speaking of the Scriptures. The Spirit of God speaking through Jesus is also the Author of the Scriptures. This Author fills us and wants to verify and apply the Scriptures to our lives. Will we listen to the Spirit of Jesus who wants to live within us? I am a Jesus pusher!!!