Christ did not come to destroy the Law, but fulfill it. Jesus fulfilled the Law’s demands for us. By his Spirit, he also fulfills the Law in us.. Matthew 5:17-20
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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
Jesus came to do something new. The people knew that and so did the religious leaders who rejected him. Some wondered, "Is Jesus going to do away with the Old Testament?" Jesus’ clear answer is that he would not abolish, but fulfill the Law and Prophets.Jesus fulfilled the prophecy concerning the Messiah. At Christmas we like to look at all the passages that speak of the Messiah and we are amazed how they point to Jesus: where he was born, the places he lived, who was his mother, of what lineage he was born, and so on. In his life Jesus fulfilled all that was foretold about the Messiah.
Jesus also fulfilled the law by meeting its demands. The law demanded a sinless life and Jesus was sinless. The law condemns us because we are sinners. The Law holds the curse over us because we cannot live up to it. Jesus had no such curse. Jesus had fulfilled everything the Law demanded in his perfect life.
The Law also demanded a blood sacrifice for sin. The Book of Leviticus goes into great detail describing the sacrifices needed to atone for human sin. The sacrifice had to be perfect and meet the requirements. Yet the atonement of even perfect animal sacrifices did not last long. They had to be done over and over. They pointed forward to a sacrifice that would not need be done over and over.
Jesus fulfilled the Law by his death on the cross. In Christ we see the sacrifice that would be once and for all. It was perfect and never had to be repeated. Jesus’ death fulfilled the Law’s requirement of sacrifice, but it went farther; it fulfilled the need for any more sacrifice. It was enough. It is enough. There is no more sacrifice needed for sin because Jesus paid it all. Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.
There is another way that Jesus fulfills the law. The Law was given to direct our steps, to keep us from harm and to keep us righteous. But it could not make us be the kind of people God created us to be. The Law imposes restrictions and requirements from the outside. The Law tells us what to do and not do, but it does not give us the power to keep it.
This is our problem. We are unable to keep the Law. Even if we keep it externally, we fail to keep it internally (which is the point Matt. 5). Jesus fulfills the Law in that he changes our hearts to enable us to fulfill the Law of God. This process is called sanctification, by which the Holy Spirit works in us to make us more like Jesus. Those who are born again in Christ start to do the things the Law requires, not because of an outside threat, but because we want to. Jesus creates in us that which the law was after, but was unable to make happen in us
. The joyous news is that we see Christ in us changing our desires and our hearts.Sanctification is a process. It does not happen all at once. The Holy Spirit daily works in us to make us die unto sin (out with the bad) and live unto righteousness (in with the good). Christ fulfills the Prophecy; Christ fulfills the Law for us; Christ fulfills the Law in us. This is very exciting.
Verse 19 reminds us that knowing the Law is not enough—you have to put it into practice. In other words, don’t kid yourself into thinking that you have done all that is required because you have studied the Law and passed the test. The purpose of the law is not just that it be known. It is to be done.
I tell you the truth that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven
. (v 20). If your righteousness is only external, you will never be righteous enough for heaven. That is a strong and sobering statement, which should make you stop and consider your own heart.Jesus has come to fulfill the Law. If you trust in him as your Savior, you are justified in God’s sight. If you are in Christ, you have the righteousness of Christ. That is more righteousness than the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law had. Without that righteousness of Christ, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
If you trust in Christ as your Lord, then the Holy Spirit dwells within you. The Holy Spirit changes believers from the inside out—from the heart. If you are in Christ, you will see this righteousness at work in your life. Do you see your life changing to make you more like Jesus? Is your pride cracking and crumbling to the glory of God? Look to the Savior. Know his power. Christ has come to fulfill the Law. Christ has come to fulfill your life to the glory of God.
Pastor John Howard Dawson 02-22-04