“Do not presume that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill.For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter shall pass from the Law, until all is accomplished!Therefore, whoever nullifies one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that unless your righteousness far surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20; all Scripture quotations are from the New American Standard Bible).

As we saw in the first part of this series, Jesus did not abolish or demolish the Old Testament. Instead, He brought it to completion. Whatever was lacking or insufficient was completed or fulfilled in Him.

Jesus became the complete revelation of God in human form:

“God, after He spoke long ago to the fathers in the prophets in many portions and in many ways,in these last days has spoken to us in His Son, whom He appointed heir of all things, through whom He also made the world. And He is the radiance of His glory and the exact representation of His nature, and upholds all things by the word of His power. When He had made purification of sins, He sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become so much better than the angels, to the extent that He has inherited a more excellent name than they” (Hebrews 1:1-4).

Humans are prone to associate faith in God with a set of abstract concepts or rituals. God brought us beyond these to a deeper, personal, intimate knowledge: He showed us what He is like by sending His Son, who became one of us. We do not need abstract concepts or empty rituals. The New Testament is the testimony about an actual Person Who was God. We can know what God is like because we can know Jesus, through His Word and His Holy Spirit dwelling in us. He lived a perfectly sinless life; therefore, we have a dynamic living example of godliness.

The Old Covenant, especially as practiced by the religious leaders of Jesus’ day, placed a greater emphasis on external living, which can lead to distorted faith, where one tries to look righteous without having a genuine internal relationship with God. External religion without internal spiritual transformation might lead people to place rules, traditions, or personal opinions ahead of love for God and people or inner spiritual renewal. It also tends to drive people to emphasize what they think others are doing wrong, instead of searching their own hearts to determine what God might want to change in them.

“Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness” (Matthew 23:27-28).

Jesus changes the focus from an external appearance of righteousness to an internal transformation. True disciples of Jesus do not simply try to force regulations or rituals onto their lives to look good. Instead, the Holy Spirit enters them, guides their thoughts and attitudes, and transforms them into children of God from within. When God does His work through the indwelling Holy Spirit, godliness flows out like a stream of living water emanating from a hidden source:

“Now on the last day, the great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, ‘If anyone is thirsty, let him come to Me and drink. The one who believes in Me, as the Scripture said, “From his innermost being will flow rivers of living water.”’ But this He said in reference to the Spirit, whom those who believed in Him were to receive; for the Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified” (John 7:37-39).

Jesus has fulfilled the Law of God. The perfect sacrifice has died for our sins. We no longer have to try to earn God’s love. When we surrender our lives to Jesus, He forgives us because Jesus died for our sins. Then, His Holy Spirit enters our lives and begins to work within, so that His likeness can grow inside us. Let us place our full trust in Him to complete His work in our lives.

Heavenly Father, thank You for completely revealing Yourself and Your will to us through Your Son, Jesus Christ. Forgive our sins, pour out Your Spirit upon and within us, and make us more like You. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

What are your thoughts about how Jesus came not to abolish, but to fulfill, God’s Law? How does it affect your relationship with Him? Share your thoughts below.

Copyright © 2023 Michael E. Lynch. All rights reserved.