Matt 5.17 “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. 18 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. 19 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. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven."
I get this passage thrown at me a lot by Christians who want to promote the Law of Moses as still applicable. I got it thrown at me by a Jewish guy over 10 years ago who wanted to prove that Jesus did not advocate for NT Christianity, but rather, for the Law of Moses. And I'm getting it now from Sabbath Day advocates who even deny that Sabbath Law is associated with the Law of Moses! So what is this all about?
Jesus spoke these words about the Law of Moses while Israel was still under the Law of Moses. NT Christianity says that the Church is no longer under the Law, but instead under Christ alone. We are not under the Law of Moses. We are not under Sabbath Law. So did Jesus say that the Law of Moses was irrevocable in this passage?
I would say that Jesus was indicating that there were no loopholes for the Law of Moses, that it was irrevocable as long as it was in effect. Once the agreement, or covenant, was broken, it could not be applied as an agreement any longer, obviously. But Jesus was only talking about the Law as a current covenant, and as such was irrevocable under those terms.
So did God's word fail? Did the failure of the Law as a covenant agreement with Israel fail? Well, certainly the agreement failed, but the Law had been both a curse and a hope. It was a curse because it upheld the curse of death imposed since the garden of Eden. No matter how much good Israel did, no matter the fact they were in a covenant relationship with God, they would still die.
At the same time, the word of God in the Law promised something better as a fulfillment, a way to overcome death, and a way to redeem from sin forever. As such, the Law was the hope of final redemption, even though it confirmed the curse of death. As Jesus said, the seed must go into the earth and die before it can bear fruit. Jesus had to die on our behalf so that we could join him in his death in order to be reborn through his resurrection from the dead. Jesus had to suffer death for sinners in order to forgive them and give them a 2nd chance.
So as irrevocable as the Law was, as sure as it confirmed human death, as sure as it confirmed Israel's failure to obtain final redemption, so also it was a guarantee that death would be overcome and that Israel would be saved. Jesus would die for sinners and forgive them for all the sins they committed against God. Then he could grant them his spiritual life again, this time in the form of resurrection and eternal life.
The Law did not fail. It succeeded not through its own form, but in the form of its projection of Christ, who was its object all along. The Law was a seed planted so that through the resurrection of Christ we could grow and bear fruit for eternal life. We no longer live by the Law, but we live by the life of Christ, who died for us that we might live for him.
I get this passage thrown at me a lot by Christians who want to promote the Law of Moses as still applicable. I got it thrown at me by a Jewish guy over 10 years ago who wanted to prove that Jesus did not advocate for NT Christianity, but rather, for the Law of Moses. And I'm getting it now from Sabbath Day advocates who even deny that Sabbath Law is associated with the Law of Moses! So what is this all about?
Jesus spoke these words about the Law of Moses while Israel was still under the Law of Moses. NT Christianity says that the Church is no longer under the Law, but instead under Christ alone. We are not under the Law of Moses. We are not under Sabbath Law. So did Jesus say that the Law of Moses was irrevocable in this passage?
I would say that Jesus was indicating that there were no loopholes for the Law of Moses, that it was irrevocable as long as it was in effect. Once the agreement, or covenant, was broken, it could not be applied as an agreement any longer, obviously. But Jesus was only talking about the Law as a current covenant, and as such was irrevocable under those terms.
So did God's word fail? Did the failure of the Law as a covenant agreement with Israel fail? Well, certainly the agreement failed, but the Law had been both a curse and a hope. It was a curse because it upheld the curse of death imposed since the garden of Eden. No matter how much good Israel did, no matter the fact they were in a covenant relationship with God, they would still die.
At the same time, the word of God in the Law promised something better as a fulfillment, a way to overcome death, and a way to redeem from sin forever. As such, the Law was the hope of final redemption, even though it confirmed the curse of death. As Jesus said, the seed must go into the earth and die before it can bear fruit. Jesus had to die on our behalf so that we could join him in his death in order to be reborn through his resurrection from the dead. Jesus had to suffer death for sinners in order to forgive them and give them a 2nd chance.
So as irrevocable as the Law was, as sure as it confirmed human death, as sure as it confirmed Israel's failure to obtain final redemption, so also it was a guarantee that death would be overcome and that Israel would be saved. Jesus would die for sinners and forgive them for all the sins they committed against God. Then he could grant them his spiritual life again, this time in the form of resurrection and eternal life.
The Law did not fail. It succeeded not through its own form, but in the form of its projection of Christ, who was its object all along. The Law was a seed planted so that through the resurrection of Christ we could grow and bear fruit for eternal life. We no longer live by the Law, but we live by the life of Christ, who died for us that we might live for him.
