[The text below is an edited transcript of this Tomorrow’s World whiteboard.]

What Are the Ten Commandments?

Have you ever heard of the 10 Commandments—the ten big rules written by God on tablets of stone that Moses brought down from a mountain?

They were obviously pretty important. But those were only for ancient Israel, right? Christians today don’t need to worry about the Ten Commandments—or do they?

Well, what did Jesus say? Did He teach His followers to keep them?

In this video, we’ll answer that question straight from the pages of the Bible.

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The Ten Commandments in Order—with Jesus’ Teaching on Each

Some today say the 10 Commandments are not something Christians need to worry about. But Jesus taught something very different.

Let’s look at specific examples regarding all 10 commandments.

The First Commandment

The first commandment says:

You shall have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3).

When asked which is the great commandment in the law, Jesus said:

“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37).

(See also: Mark 12:28–30 and Luke 10:25–28).

And when Satan tried to tempt Jesus into worshiping him, Jesus replied:

“You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve” (Matthew 4:8–10).

Clearly, Jesus wants His followers to keep the first commandment and have no other gods before the true God (Exodus 20:3).

The Second Commandment

The second commandment explains:

You shall not worship or serve a carved image, or an idol of any kind (see Exodus 20:4–6).

Jesus warned His followers of idolatry, of both physical and spiritual idols, by saying:

“No one can serve two masters…. You cannot serve God and mammon” (Matthew 6:24).

Spending too much time, focus, and energy on gaining material wealth is like serving a false god. Riches and great possessions can become idols in a person’s heart.

Likewise, anything that takes the place of God or takes priority over God becomes an idol. This is something Jesus warned against. Jesus said:

“He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow after Me is not worthy of Me” (Matthew 10:37–38).

And in the Book of Revelation, which is the revelation of Jesus Christ (Revelation 1:1), idolaters are included in the list of those who will not receive eternal life.

The cowardly, unbelieving, abominable, murderers, sexually immoral, sorcerers, idolaters, and all liars shall have their part in the lake which burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death (Revelation 21:8).

The Third Commandment

Next, the third commandment says:

You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain (Exodus 20:7).

Well, Jesus taught His followers to revere God and His name by saying:

“Do not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is God’s throne; nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King” (Matthew 5:33–35).

When teaching them to pray, He instructed them to begin by saying:

“Our Father in heaven, hallowed be Your name” (Matthew 6:9).

And He told them to be mindful of their words in prayer, saying:

“And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions” (Matthew 6:7).

This would include not thoughtlessly using God’s name in a repetitious or empty manner.

The Fourth Commandment

The Fourth Commandment says:

Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8).

The Bible shows it was Jesus’ custom to observe the Sabbath (Luke 4:16).

In Mark 2:28 and Luke 6:5, Jesus said He is the Lord of the Sabbath.

He also taught His followers how to keep the Sabbath more faithfully or accurately. For example, He showed that:

“The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath” (Mark 2:27).

Therefore, it is lawful to heal and do good on the Sabbath (Matthew 12:11–13, Luke 6:9–11).

He also told His disciples to:

“Pray that your flight may not be in the winter or on the Sabbath” (Matthew 24:20).

This shows that His followers should keep the Sabbath even at the end of the age, just before His return.

The Fifth, Sixth, Seventh, Eighth, and Ninth Commandments

And regarding the fifth through ninth commandments (Exodus 20:12–16):

When Jesus was approached by a young ruler who asked Him how to obtain eternal life, this is what He said:

“If you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.”
[The young man] said to Him, “Which ones?”
Jesus said, “‘You shall not murder,’ ‘You shall not commit adultery,’ ‘You shall not steal,’ ‘You shall not bear false witness,’ ‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself’” (Matthew 19:17–19).

In this one passage, Jesus clearly taught obedience to commandments five through nine.

The Tenth Commandment

And for the Tenth Commandment, which says:

You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17).

Luke 12:13–15 records an incident when Jesus instructs a man to beware of breaking the tenth commandment.

Then one from the crowd said to Him, “Teacher, tell my brother to divide the inheritance with me.”
But He said to him, “Man, who made Me a judge or an arbitrator over you?” And He said to them, “Take heed and beware of covetousness, for one’s life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses.”

Ten Commandments List (With Scriptures Cited)

These examples, and others listed here, clearly show Jesus teaching obedience to all 10 commandments.

1. The first commandment: You shall have no other gods before Me (Exodus 20:3; Matthew 4:8–10; Matthew 22:37; Mark 12:28–30; Luke 10:25–28).
2. The second commandment: You shall not worship or serve a carved image, or an idol of any kind (Exodus 20:4–6; Matthew 6:24; Matthew 10:37–38; Revelation 21:8).
3. The third commandment: You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain (Exodus 20:7; Matthew 5:33–35; Matthew 6:7-9).
4. The fourth commandment: Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exodus 20:8; Matthew 12:11–13; Matthew 24:20; Mark 2:28; Mark 2:27; Luke 4:16; Luke 6:5; Luke 6:9–11).
5. The fifth commandment: Honor your father and your mother (Exodus 20:12; Mark 7:9–13; Matthew 15:3–6).
6. The sixth commandment: You shall not murder (Exodus 20:13; John 8:44; Matthew 5:21–22).
7. The seventh commandment: You shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14; John 8:3–11; Matthew 5:27–28; Matthew 19:9).
8. The eighth commandment: You shall not steal (Exodus 20:15; John 10:10; Mark 10:19; Mark 11:15–18).
9. The ninth commandment: You shall not lie (Exodus 20:16; Matthew 15:19–20; John 8:32, 44).
10. The tenth commandment: You shall not covet (Exodus 20:17; Luke 12:13–15).

“If You Love Me, Keep My Commandments” | John 14:15

Now, Jesus Himself did fulfill the law when He was here on earth by teaching and exemplifying the keeping of both the letter and the spirit of the Ten Commandments.

He kept the law perfectly. And because He did so, He was able to pay the penalty for our sins (John 3:16; Romans 5:8; Ephesians 1:7; 1 Peter 2:24).

We can be pardoned from the death penalty for sin through Jesus’ perfect sacrifice.

Salvation is God’s gift by grace through faith in Jesus Christ (Titus 3:5; 2 Corinthians 2:15; Romans 5:10). We cannot earn salvation with obedience.

Yet, in any civilized society, a person pardoned of a crime is to return to society as a law-abiding citizen. In a similar way, Christians today are still expected to obey God’s Ten Commandments.

As Jesus said:

“If you love Me, keep My commandments” (John 14:15).

And as the Apostle Paul explained:

Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law (Romans 3:31).

And as the Apostle John also concludes:

For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome (1 John 5:3).

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To learn more about what Jesus taught regarding the Sabbath, check out our video 4 Lessons Jesus Taught About the Sabbath.