Jesus & The Law

What does the fulfillment of the Law of Moses mean for us today?

Photo by niko photos on Unsplash

(See part 1 here and part 2 here.)

“For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.” Romans 10:4

The teachings of Jesus regarding the Law of Moses were transformative for both the Jewish people and the Gentiles of the world that would accept him as Lord. There is a reason, after all, that we are called “Christians” and not “Messianic Jews,” (no offense to our Jewish brothers and sisters). Even the Jewish of today do not follow the Law of Moses, though, since it is not possible to follow all of the statues with the Temple destroyed and the people scattered. As Paul went into in depth in Galatians 3—as previously covered—those who are under the Law must follow all of the Law.

It is rather strange then that many Christians of today ignore Paul’s explicit and emphatic rejection of the Law of Moses as a curse that brings only death; commemorating the ten commandments (itself a misnomer) and even trying to force them on others. Some go so far as to claim Jesus taught adherence to the Law or that he taught salvation by works. It is more than a little silly to claim that his own disciples so thoroughly misunderstood his teachings that they proclaimed salvation by faith through grace, while Jesus truly meant for us to have a rigid set of requirements. If such a disconnect were true, we would have no reason to believe any of their words, including that Jesus of Nazareth is the Christ.

Just as there is no real contradiction between the words of James concerning faith shown through works and those of Peter or Paul proclaiming salvation by grace, there is no contradiction in the teachings of Jesus with his disciples. Jesus taught that both faith and action were important. He taught that the Law was not enough and that God truly wanted mercy over sacrifice (Matt 9:13). In Matthew 5 he teaches over and again that they did not understand the true intent of the Law. He quotes the Law and the traditions of the religious leaders, “you have heard it said,” but then he gives them a new teaching, “but I say to you...”

This was not Jesus proposing new, more stringent requirements under the Law, but a revelation that they could not be made righteous by following it. The Pharisee kept trying to catch Jesus or his disciples breaking the Law, but every time Jesus refuted them with a greater understanding—one which they had no answer for. Jesus set new goals; to act with peace and love even towards one’s enemies; to hold to a faith that came from a personal relationship with “Abba” God our Father; to be heavenly minded rather than earthly minded. This is why, in the middle of his teachings in Matthew 5, he announces that he is not abolishing the Law, but fulfilling it. He gave new purpose to the Word of God. He was the new purpose of the Word of God.

Truly, this was what every one of his teachings did. The man hardly opened his mouth that he wasn’t quoting Scripture. Perhaps there was good reason John called him the Word of God made manifest. Just as mercy over sacrifice was quoting Hosea, his new commandments of the new covenant made at the last supper (John 13:34) and the great commission (Matt 28:19) are based on the two “greatest commandments” of the Law (Matt 22:37-40).

And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’ “This is the great and foremost commandment. “The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’ “On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

Yet these two greatest commandments were not part of the commands of the Law as the people of the time saw it. Nor us today, judging by their absence in the “10 Commandments” that have been cobbled together since that time. The first, to “love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your strength,” comes at the end of the normal commandments of the first five chapters of Deuteronomy (Deut 6:5). In chapter 6, Moses admonishes the people to keep the commandments and to love God, for by doing the later we will accomplish the former. The second, to “love your neighbor as yourself,” is almost a side note in a commandment not to hate your fellows or take vengeance for wrongs done (Levi 19:18).

Yet Jesus says that all of the Law and the words of the Prophets hang upon these two. The Sadducee who originally asked him the question replies that his answer is good, for these are “more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” It is rather simple, when you consider it; if you love God, you will not sin against him; if you love people, you will not sin against them. If you do, then you will repent, apologize, and do your best to do better in the future. This is the new covenant that Jesus offers us—to live by faith instead of by the Law.

As he himself said, this is not an abolishment of God’s commandments, but a recognition of something greater. Alone, we could not do this, but with the Holy Spirit we are able to live by faith through the gift of grace. We are able to love our enemies, to pray for those who persecute us, to give generously even when we have little. We live not as citizens of an earthly kingdom, but of a greater heavenly one (John 18:36). This does not mean we abandon the world, for we must still do well to steward it and to care for others. We must do well to reject sin within ourselves, so that we can grow in sanctification, ever entering a closer orbit to the Holy of Holies.

Righteousness is not gained through works or adherence to a law, which is why Jesus refuted time and again the religious leader’s attempts to justify themselves by the Law. To attempt to go back to that Law and hold it over the heads of Christians is a subversion of Christ’s true teachings and our relationship with the Holy Spirit. None can be made righteous by observing the law.

Yet neither does the righteous sit back and meditate themselves into a higher state of being while they forget the rest of the world. Such a thing would be exceedingly selfish and prone to arrogance. Instead, Jesus tells his people to bear their cross, be humble, speak the gospel, make disciples, and to do all of it through the love of God and the love of people. This was not possible for humans, but anything is possible for God. Thus Jesus gave his disciples the Holy Spirit; an advocate for their own sins and redemption (John 14:26), as well as a guide in our ministry (John 20:22).

The disciples broke and fled when Jesus went to the cross, but after they received the Holy Spirit, they proclaimed the gospel even to their own persecution and death. This is why in John 13:34 Jesus tells them he is giving them a new commandment, even though Leviticus 19:18 already commanded the people to love one another. The love that Jesus showed and provided through the Holy Spirit was far greater and more transformative than anything that was available to humankind before. The Law could not provide this, only a direct connection to God could provide this; only Jesus.