Jesus and the Law

Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. – Matthew 5.17-20

As we live in the age of grace we often have a hard time dealing with the Law. What does it mean to us? What is our relationship to it?

This is nothing new. Some of His opponents claimed that Jesus was ‘anti-Law.’ We know that is not the case because He says right here – ‘I am not come to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it. The Law will always be here, not one iota is going to be erased. If you cannot keep every aspect of the Law you can’t enter the Kingdom of Heaven. You have to be even more righteous than the scribes and Pharisees.’

We know something now that Jesus’ hearers did not know. We know the truth because of something Paul wrote later. Jesus hints at it when he talks about keeping the whole Law, but Paul makes it clear when he describes the purpose of the Law. ‘The Law was our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ. Now that Christ has come we are no longer bound to the Law. We are free from the Law.’

That does not negate the Law; it just has a different purpose than people thought. What a relief to know that no one can keep the Law, no one.  The Law is vital because it teaches us the absolute necessity of the gospel.

When I read the Law knowing this I am grateful for two things. I am grateful that my eternal fate is not contingent on keeping the Law. I would be hopeless. I am so grateful for my Saviour who completed, fulfilled, and satisfied the Law in my place.