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Answer
Jesus said, “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 tell you, 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” (Matthew 5:17-18). This significant statement of our Lord provides us with insight into His mission and the nature of God’s Word.
Jesus’ declaration that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, not to abolish them, clearly encompasses two distinct statements. There is an action Jesus took and an action He refrained from. Simultaneously, Jesus underscored the timeless essence of the Word of God.
Jesus goes to great lengths to uphold the authority of the Law of God. He did not come to abolish the Law, despite the accusations leveled against Him by the Pharisees. In fact, Jesus follows His statement with praise for those who accurately teach the Law and hold it in reverence: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven” «Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. », (Matthew 5:19).
Take note of the attributes that Jesus ascribes to the Word of God, referring to its eternal nature.
In the Scriptures, referred to as “the Law and the Prophets”:
1) The Word is eternal; it will outlive the natural world.
2) The Word was written with purpose; it was intended to be fulfilled.
3) The Word holds complete authority; even the smallest letter of it is confirmed.
4) The Word is reliable and dependable; every word it utters will be carried out. No one who heard Jesus’ teachings in the Sermon on the Mount could question His dedication to the Scriptures.
Reflect on what Jesus refrained from doing in His ministry. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus states that He did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets. In essence, Jesus’ mission was not to revoke the Word, nullify it, or make it void. The prophecies of the Prophets will come to pass; the Law will continue to fulfill the purpose for which it was given (see Isaiah 55:10-11).
Furthermore, consider what Jesus accomplished. Jesus declares that He came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. In other words, Jesus’ aim was to establish the Word, to embody it, and to completely fulfill all that was written. “Christ is the culmination of the law” (For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone that believes.), (Romans 10:4). The prophecies of the Prophets regarding the Messiah would be fulfilled in Jesus; the righteous standards of the Law would be perfectly upheld by Christ, the stringent requirements personally obeyed, and the ceremonial practices ultimately and entirely satisfied.
Jesus Christ fulfilled the prophecies of the Prophets in His first coming alone, fulfilling hundreds of prophecies about Himself (e.g., Matthew 1:22; Matthew 13:35; John 19:36; Luke 24:44). Jesus Christ fulfilled the Law in at least two ways: as a teacher and as a practitioner. He instructed people to obey the Law.
Jesus came not to destroy the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them. In fact, the ceremonies, sacrifices, and other elements of the Old Covenant were “only a shadow of the good things that are coming— not the realities themselves” «For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect. », (Hebrews 10:1). The tabernacle and temple were “holy places made with hands,” but they were never meant to be permanent; they were but “copies of the true things” «For Christ is not entered into the holy places made with hands, which are the figures of the true; but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us: », (Hebrews 9:24, ESV). The Law had a built-in expiration date, being filled as it was with “external regulations applying until the time of the new order” «which stood only in meats and drinks, and divers washings, and carnal ordinances, imposed on them until the time of reformation. », (Hebrews 9:10).
In His fulfillment of the Law and Prophets, Jesus obtained our eternal salvation. No more were priests required to offer sacrifices and enter the holy place (Hebrews 9:25).
Visit the (Hebrews 10:8-14) section. Jesus accomplished this for us, once and for all. Through grace and faith, we are justified before God: “He forgave us all our sins, having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross” «blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross; », (Colossians 2:14).
Some argue that since Jesus did not “abolish” the Law, it is still in force—binding on New Testament Christians. However, Paul clarifies that believers in Christ are no longer under the Law: “We were confined under the Law, kept in custody until the coming faith would be revealed. So the Law became our tutor to lead us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Galatians 3:23-25;BSB). We are under “the law of Christ” as stated in Galatians 6:2.
If the Law still binds us today, then its purpose has not been fulfilled—it remains incomplete. If the Law, as a legal system, still binds us today, then Jesus was mistaken in fulfilling it, and His sacrifice on the cross was inadequate for salvation. Thankfully, Jesus fulfilled the entire Law and now imparts His righteousness to us as a free gift. “Know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law, because by the works of the law no one will be justified” «knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jes
“We know that a person is not justified by the works of the law, but by faith in Jesus Christ. So we, too, have put our faith in Christ Jesus that we may be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law because by the works of the law no one will be justified.” , (Galatians 2:16).
