SUNDAY February 23, 2020
The Law Fulfilled
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
Matthew 5:17-18
Jesus taught the Beatitudes––the characteristics that should be seen in the life of a disciple of Christ. He began with being poor in spirit, and ended with salt and light. Jesus declared that He fulfilled the Law. Whenever Jesus would say, “Assuredly,” He wanted people to listen and pay close attention to His words. Jesus came to fulfill the Law or the Prophets, not to destroy them. The “Law or the Prophets” referred to the entire Hebrew Scriptures, and a tittle referred to the smallest stroke of the Hebrew letters.
The Law was not given to Abraham; it was given to Moses. Abraham was not under the Law, but if you follow the footsteps of his life, he lived according to the law without even having it. This brings up a very good point. When we are born into this world, we grow to know what is right and wrong. Even if we had no biblical knowledge of the Scriptures, we know what is right and wrong. Yet God knows the human heart; it is wicked (Jeremiah 17:9).
Therefore, Jesus also gave us a new understanding of our relationship with God in relation to the Law. The Law is holy, but we fail to keep it. The Law points to our sinfulness; it shows us that we are all guilty––it condemns us. It points to our sin, but it also points to the Cross. Jesus fulfilled the Law. Therefore, the Law has become the schoolmaster to point us to Christ and the Cross. When we die, we no longer fear death and hell––heaven awaits us. Christians no longer have to live by the Law; their lives are lived under grace. That is what the Bible teaches. It is such great news!
The Law tells me how crooked I am. Grace comes along to straighten me out.
~D. L. Moody~
For more from Raul Ries, please visit SomebodyLovesYou.com!