Why do we need Jesus? I believe we all know that the basic answer to that is simply—sin. This week I read a psalm of David that teaches us the answer without fully knowing it himself.
“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent?
Who may live on your holy mountain?
The one whose walk is blameless,
who does what is righteous,
who speaks the truth from their heart;
whose tongue utters no slander,
who does no wrong to a neighbor,
and casts no slur on others;
who despises a vile person
but honors those who fear the Lord;
who keeps an oath even when it hurts,
and does not change their mind;
who lends money to the poor without interest;
who does not accept a bribe against the innocent.
Whoever does these things
will never be shaken.”
(Psalm 15, NIV)
David was living under the old covenant and was taught that the only way to please God was successfully living according to the Law. David is looking toward eternity here (“Lord, who may dwell in your sacred tent? Who may live on your holy mountain?”). He answers according to his understanding in the next verse: “The one whose walk is blameless, who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from their heart;”.
I believe David’s answer was based on honest recognition of what God requires to be in His presence. He knew he needed to strive for that as a follower of God. The next few verses elaborate on behaviors that would be seen in a blameless, righteous, truthful person. I believe that without being able to realize it with his own knowledge, David pointed us to the reason we need Jesus. David could not live a life that was blameless, righteous, and truthful. Neither can we. Jesus was the only one who had a walk that was completely blameless, was truly righteous, and always spoke the truth from His heart. We have the benefit of knowing that God sent Him for us to meet the requirements that we simply cannot. Only because of His perfect life and sacrifice as a sinless offering will we be able to live with God in His tent on His holy mountain for eternity.
David was blessed as a king and leader for God. His heart was after God. We are blessed even more to see the fulfillment of God’s plan for our salvation. We are not perfect on our own, but Christ is more than perfect enough to stand for us!
Take heart and be encouraged!
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