“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” Matthew 5:17
One of the false charges, it seems, that was brought against Jesus time and time again was that Jesus was trying to abolish the Law. The religious leaders spread rumours, even from the early days of His ministry, that He was trying to just throw the Law away, acting as if it never existed.
They did this because Jesus was presenting God in his true form; the God of all grace. Jesus preached, and lived a life full of grace and truth. His message and his actions were so focused on extending the grace of God to those who wanted and needed it, and this really annoyed the religious teachers of the Law.
And so the accusations were made. They probably made the charge along the lines that Jesus wanted to preach His own ideas about God, that He’s not interested in the Law of God, that He doesn’t like the law and simply wants to smash it to pieces and throw it away. It’s interesting to see in scripture that this was not something Jesus ever tried to do, but it is what Moses tried to do!
When Moses approached the camp and saw the calf and the dancing, his anger burned and he threw the tablets out of his hands, breaking them to pieces at the foot of the mountain. Exodus 32:19
Moses had just received the Law, written on two stone tablets, and as he returned to the camp he saw the whole camp openly sinning and indulging in idolatry. The first thing he did was try to abolish the Law! He threw it on the ground and smashed it to pieces! Moses saw first hand how the Law was powerless to bring a change of heart in the lives of the Israelites, and knowing that the Law he was holding would only be good to condemn the people, he tried to destroy it.
Now although Moses attempted to do this, God simply made him make another two tablets so he could write the Law down again.
The LORD said to Moses, “Chisel out two stone tablets like the first ones, and I will write on them the words that were on the first tablets, which you broke. Exodus34:1
Jesus however, never came to abolish the Law by simply smashing it to pieces, He came with greater intentions. Moses just wanted to get rid of the Law, but Jesus wanted to bring it to fulfilment! Moses knew neither himself nor any of God’s people could fulfil the Law he was holding in his hands, and so he looked for a quick solution. Jesus however, never looked for a quick fix, but He was focused on a permanent end to the Law by fulfilling it on behalf of all mankind!
But when the time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under law, to redeem those under law, that we might receive the full rights of sons. Galatians 4:4
What Moses failed to abolish by smashing it on the ground, Jesus accomplished by nailing it to the cross!
Jesus never sinned once! He was faithful; all the way to the cross he was perfect in his actions towards God. He did what no other man was capable of doing: He fulfilled the Law perfectly!
When you were dead in your sins and in the uncircumcision of your sinful nature, God made you alive with Christ. He forgave us all our sins, having cancelled the written code, with its regulations, that was against us and that stood opposed to us; he took it away, nailing it to the cross. Colossians 2:13-14
When we understand this, then we can understand with greater clarity what Jesus meant when he said:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” Matthew 5:17
Jesus did not come for a quick fix, he came to completely fulfil any obligation that the Law commanded, and through His perfect finished work He did exactly that: Jesus fulfilled the law, he brought it to an end so that now, we can be made righteous by our faith in Him, and we can gladly and freely accept the New Covenant of grace that is our rightful inheritance from God.
Christ is the end of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes. Romans 10:4
Jesus indeed came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfil it – and he has done exactly that! We have received our New Covenant of grace, because Jesus, in his goodness, fulfilled the Old Covenant in our place, so we could now live in union with God based on his glorious grace!
The Old Covenant of law was only ever going to be temporary, but the New Covenant of grace will last for eternity! Thank you Jesus!
Moses was smart to break the law. If he had brought the law into the camp, all the israelites would have died. There is no record Moses knew the law could not bring holiness but we all know that if he brought the law down, all the israelites would die!
I gotta ask the question and I hope nobody is offeneded. But how could the Israelites be sinning if Moses hadn’t presented them with the law yet? Was this not a new set of rules to live by? I agree that Jesus fulfilled it. I just don’t understand how the Israelites were sinning when they didn’t know. It seems that intent is a huge part of sin.
I love You Jesus! He simplified the law and put an end to it by nailing it on the cross. This is God’s Grace which we received by faith in Christ Jesus.
Very well said Bro. Mick. I’m beginning to love your site of “Searching for Grace”. I will recommend this site to my care group members. You are so blessed.