Jesus fulfilled the law – sermon on the mount

Jesus stated that He did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. Law keeping “Christians” latch on to this as they attempt to impose their bondage on other Christians. They tell you that Christians are supposed to keep the Old Testament law otherwise you are not genuinely following Christ. Is that true? Or is that the same legalizing doctrine that Paul fought so hard against in the early church?

This article investigates those claims.

Main Points

1. 1. Mt 5:17 is better translated “Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law.”
   2. True righteousness does not come from the Law.
   3. We fulfill the righteousness requirements of the Law through Christ.

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Matthew 5:17-18

Matthew 5:17-18:
17 Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill (Gr. Plerosai).
18 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 (Gr. Genetai).

There are three parts to these verses:

1. Jesus came to fulfill the law.
2. The law will not pass away until it is fulfilled.
3. Therefore, it will pass away after it is fulfilled.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law

Matthew 5:17 uses the Greek word, plerosai. This word is used to indicate the fulfillment of prophecy. Consider the following examples from the book of Matthew:

Extended Context of Matthew 5

Vs 13-16:
You are salt and light, do good works so others will see and glorify God

Vs 17-18:
I came to fulfill the law so it can be fulfilled

Vs 19-20:
You are not to break even the smallest commandment, your righteousness must exceed the Pharisees (the ultimate law keepers)

Vs 21-48:
Examples of true righteousness. It’s not just outward keeping of the law, but your inward attitude and heart condition must be right.

It may appear that in Matthew 5:19, Jesus is saying that we must keep all the commandments. But that is based on a superficial reading of one verse without studying the context. True righteousness is NOT merely keeping the commandments. Jesus’ righteousness goes beyond that. True righteousness is inward. Your heart must be right. If however, you want to accomplish righteousness like the Pharisees (through keeping the law), then you must keep all of it – every last dot. True righteousness goes beyond the righteousness of the Pharisees.

Extent of Matthew 5

Some law keepers say that Jesus only fulfilled part of the law – namely the animal sacrifices. But the rest of the law remains intact, and we must keep the 10 commandments, the food laws, the feast days, the Sabbath. Can you feel the bondage coming on you as you read that?

Let me ask you this question: if Jesus wanted to limit the scope of His statements, why did He use broad terminology like “The law and the prophets” (Matthew 5)? Why didn’t Jesus say, “The ceremonial law”? It’s because He never intended to limit the scope of His atonement. He came to free us from the bondage of the entire law.

Jesus has already fulfilled the law

Here is a partial list of the ways in which Jesus fulfilled the law:

The Sabbath day?

Jesus provides a rest for His people – a salvation where we cease from our labor (Hebrews 4).

The feast days?

Jesus is our passover lamb. He is the firstfruits of our resurrection.

The blood sacrifices?

He shed His blood for the remission of our sins.

The 10 commandments or the moral law?

The righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled in Christ (Romans 8:3).

 

Matthew 5 lines up perfectly with Romans

This interpretation of Matthew 5:17 ties in perfectly with what Paul wrote in the book of Romans.

Romans 8:3-4:
3 For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh,
4 that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

Romans 10:4 for Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

The righteous requirements of the law are fulfilled through Christ in us who believe. And this happens apart from the law. Notice how the term “Law and the Prophets” show up just like in Matthew 5:17.

Romans 3:21-22

But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe. 

But what about Romans 3:31?

Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

We who are in Christ do establish the law. But this does not mean that we must keep every line and precept of it. It means that the righteousness of the law is fulfilled in us through Christ. We establish the true purpose of the law – the true way to keep the law (through Christ).

So in the end, a Christian who is walking in the Spirit will live righteously. But that righteousness is not defined by Old Testament laws. That righteousness goes beyond that of the Pharisees. It goes beyond the Laws.

Analogy

My favorite car is a Mercedes Benz SLK convertible. The new models use gasoline, but older models use diesel. If you take a gasoline car and a diesel car and put them next to each other, they would look almost identical. They would both take you from A to B, and both would feel extremely luxurious. The difference is HOW they take you from A to B. One burns gas, the other burns diesel.

Law keepers attempt to keep the law as a means of displaying their righteousness. Jesus said they are required to keep every dot of the law. If they could keep it perfectly, they will attain righteousness, otherwise they are just fooling themselves. Grace believers on the other hand meet the righteous requirements of the law by living in Christ and walking in the Spirit. One is burdensome, the other is easy and liberating. You decide which one you want.

Conclusion

If you are genuinely in Christ, you will achieve righteousness apart from the law (Romans 3:21-22). You no longer have to try to keep the ten commandments. Neither do you have to keep the Sabbath, feast days and food laws. You will automatically live out God’s righteousness from your heart without trying.

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