The New Torah #5

Matthew 5:17–18 ESV

“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.

So, clearly, as verse 17 begins, Jesus would not be coming to abolish or do away with something that teaches and guides the people on how to live right with God and with others. So why would the people be thinking this? Our first clue comes in verses 21-22 of chapter 5, the beginning of the “You have heard it said, but I say to you” section.

We talked yesterday about that huge, perfect, priceless glass window that represented God perfect and priceless standard, the Law.

Once broken, even in the slightest bit, it can never be repaired. That is our desperate situation before a God who requires perfection. Now we talked earlier about the sacrificial system within the Law, God’s way of temporarily covering over the sins of the people. This system never provided final and complete forgiveness, only temporary, because the people continued to fail, and so do we. So, what is the answer?

Jesus. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law in that He lived the perfect life we are completely unable to live, and then He became the embodiment of the sacrificial system, going to the cross to die the death we deserved because of our failure to keep the Law.