Jesus was very explicit in Matthew 5:17, “ Think not that I came to destroy the law or the prophets: I came not to destroy, but to fulfil.” There is confusion over whether Jesus did away with the Law of Moses. We need to quickly discuss three important considerations.
First, there seems to be confusion in the area of time or timing. While Jesus walked upon this earth He kept the Laws of Moses. He did at times break some of the pharisaical (or false) traditions.[1] The time that Jesus fulfilled all the Law was after the Cross when, as Paul writes, “There can be neither Jew nor Greek, there can be neither bond nor free, there can be no male and female; for ye all are one man in Christ Jesus.” (Gal. 3:28 ASV).
Next we can consider the confusion of aspect. Some of the references (if not all of the New Testament references) to the law being done away with deal in the area of the Old Testament ceremonies and types. Jesus clearly did away with all the ceremonial and typological aspects of the Law by fulfilling them, not destroying them.
And finally, consider the confusion of context. In the Old Testament, the Law is set in a national and theocratic context. However when expressed in the New Testament, it is not national and theocratic, but one of a personal and universal context.
We understand that the moral principles embodied in the 10 Commandments reflect the unchanging nature of God is still binding on believers today. Every one of these principles is restated in the New Testament, except the command to worship and rest on Saturday.
Prayer: Spirit of the Living God, open my eyes to the truth of You Word. Jesus, the One who fulfilled all of the Law, while I fail so much. I am thankful that it is by Your Grace, Father, and only by Your Grace that I can stand before You clean and righteous. Not by what I can do, but what Jesus has done. Amen.
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[1] Look at Matt. 5:43 – 44; 26:19.
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