Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Foundational
Jesus is laying the groundwork for what He is about to discuss. He is going to talk about, as we’ve said, some very difficult issues like divorce and adultery, and also some very common struggles like insults and swearing oaths. Jesus first affirms the Law and Prophets, then elevates them to a whole new level as He handles issues individually. This affirmation is a great reminder for us, as well, of the validity and necessity of the Old Testament – and in these words, Jesus Christ is saying to us, you need the Old Testament, it matters, it is eternal, and it is my inspired and authoritative Word. Period.

The Difficulty
The challenge I have is that so much of the Law no longer applies to us in the same way as when it was given. There were three branches of law given in the Old Testament. Ceremonial, Civil, and Moral. You might think we only follow the Moral law, which is true in a sense, yet Jesus says here, “not an iota, not a dot.” He explicitly states that all the law is eternal – everything from shellfish to sacrifice.

The Solution
We follow the purpose of the law more than the letter.
Jesus not only healed on the Sabbath, He seemed to prefer to do it on that day. What’s the purpose of the Sabbath? For rest, relief, and general well being of the people. To heal on the Sabbath – accomplished these ends. What about shrimp? The purpose of that law was the general health of the people, and their being separate from the pagans. God still wants us to be generally healthy, and separate from pagans. This law gets elevated by Paul, who teaches us that our bodies are the temple of the Holy Spirit. The Old Testament law says nothing about smoking tobacco, but this principle gives us direction. The Old Testament says nothing about eating four King Size Snickers every day.

We make the law a matter of the heart.
Hebrews 8:10 says, “I will put my laws in their minds and write them on their hearts.” He says, in effect, instead of having to memorize 600 plus regulations and in your own power not only know them but do them, I’m going to give you a heart knowledge of my law. Who sits on the throne of a Christian’s heart? The Holy Spirit – Who will speak to you through the Word of God.

We always consult the Scriptures
If you want to know how to apply the sacrificial laws, read the book of Hebrews. It systematically shows how Jesus died once for all. If you need to know how to apply the food codes, look to Acts 10, and Peter’s vision. For Moral absolutes, we know these never pass away, but even they are often verified in the New Testament, like Romans 1 and Homosexuality.

The heart of the law endures forever, the application of the Law is only possible in the Spirit.

Galatians 5:25 – If we live by the Spirit, let us also walk by the Spirit.