This week we continue to look at what was accomplished when Jesus said, “It is finished.” And then died on the cross. Jesus fulfilled the Law! But He didn’t fulfill it until he gave His life on the cross.
Therefore, when Jesus was teaching many times He was pointing out to us the requirements of the Law – not so we would suck it up and try harder, but so that we would see our need for Him.
Let’s look at the Sermon on the Mount. Most Biblical scholars would concur that this was the greatest teaching of Jesus. Many times we look at the Old Testament law as external requirements and look at Jesus teaching as if He was showing us how to deal with the heart. There is some truth in that but one of the primary things that Jesus was going after again was the belief that we could fulfill the Law’s requirements. He was trying to show everyone that no one is qualified by the Law. . .that God’s/His requirements disqualify all of us!
In Matthew 5:20 Jesus says, “Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Then in verse 48 He says, “You shall be perfect, even as your Father in heaven is perfect.” How is that going to happen? It’s not in our own strength and sinful identity. But when we surrender our sinful identity to Jesus we receive the righteous and perfect identity of Jesus!
Let’s also take a brief look at Matthew 22:36-40 where it says, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. . .And you shall love your neighbor as yourself.” Is this a new covenant command? No, it is a summation of the law. We gloss right over verse 36 which says, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” (emphasis mine) and at the end of Jesus answer in verse 40 Jesus confirms He is answering in the context of the Law when He says, “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
Will you and I ever be able to love God will all of our heart, or soul, or mind? We can’t do it in any of these categories, much less all of them! Does that mean we should just give up and not do anything? No! We need to rest in the finished work of Jesus and from that place of rest and abiding in Christ walk in His power.
So, whether it is the 10 commandments or the two commandments summing up the Law, guess who fulfilled them for us? Jesus! This week let’s thank Jesus that He loved the Father with all his heart, soul, and mind, and perfectly loved all His neighbors and therefore we get to receive salvation because He fulfilled the Law.
