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WHAT DOES IT MEAN THAT JESUS FULFILLED THE LAW? PERSONAL BLOG 04/01/2024
Matthew’s Gospel teaches that Jesus came not to abolish the law but to fulfill it. Surely, the law could not be abolished so it had to be fulfilled; yet, the only one able to fulfill it was Jesus Christ. Anyone who has been a Christian for any significant length of time has likely had discussions as to what Jesus’ fulfillment of the law implies and even responded to questions about why believers seemingly obey certain parts of the law and not others. Today begins the Easter season, a time to reflect not only on Christ’s finished work on the cross but also the implications of his resurrection and how his presence in the lives of believers impacts the world today. Christian worship hinges on worshiping a resurrected Christ not only through corporate gatherings but through individual lives. What then does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law? To answer this question, I intend for us to consider three items
The Purpose of the Law Is to Reveal Humanity’s Sinful Nature
A tempting thought might be that the law is wrong or even
sin. The Apostle Paul, however, contends, “By no means! Yet if it had not
been for the law, I would not have known sin…” (Rom 7:7). To speak
negatively of the law is to speak negatively of a tool which God himself
implemented to reveal sin to humans, for without the law, our sinful nature
would be left unchecked and subjectively considered. A primary step in severing
the root of sin, however, is understanding human nature: namely the nature of
sin. The rift between God and humankind is not because of sins (individual
actions), as many are tempted to think but rather because of sin (a nature). In
Psalm 51:5, David confesses that he is conceived in sin, i.e. people are not
sinners because they sin but rather sin because they are sinners. The law
excellently reveals such a sinful nature in a clear and emphatic manner because
no one is able to keep the law; the only person who has ever kept the law is
Jesus Christ himself who was not conceived in sin (a vitality to his atoning
sacrifice on the cross, for without it, his death does not accomplish sin’s
defeat).
The law, therefore, exists solely for the purpose of revealing sinful nature to humanity. That purpose does not negate the fact that breaking the law of God is sinful but instead highlights humanity’s inability to save themselves; a savior is needed. Jesus obtained a better way (Heb 8:6). Since humankind could not keep the law and were certainly as good as damned without another method, Jesus had to fulfill the law so he not only kept it but also gave himself as a sacrifice so that the law is unnecessary for God’s people.[1] Consider the law to be primal in humanity’s plan and Jesus’ grace then to be final; the law reveals sinful nature while the cross overcomes it; the law is temporary while the cross is eternal. To determine the meaning then of Jesus’ fulfillment of the law, it is crucial to understand the purpose of the law: namely to reveal humanity’s sinful nature.
Jesus’ Death on the Cross Totally Satisfies the Law’s Demands
Also, of utmost important when considering Christ’s fulfillment of the law is the contention that Jesus’ death on the cross is consummately adequate in paying the demands of the law. Nevertheless, the quintessential element is being found in Christ, i.e. a Christian, for only God’s people are eligible for atonement. The ultimatums of the law are surely too great for any human to satisfy so Christ satisfies them for his people and in an overwhelming way so that the law may never demand anything more. People of God should realize that strivings may ultimately cease because the pressures created by the law are obsolete. One who is a Christian is now found in the righteousness of Christ so it is unnecessary to do anything else, e.g. make feeble attempts to satisfy the law. Any obedience to the law of Christ comes as a direct result of being found in Christ rather than a toiling and striving for the impossibility of perfection. One who is in Christ is already seen as perfect by the Father because he or she is covered by the one who is eternally perfect. Christ’s death satisfies the law’s demands; believers should rejoice in such a truth and worship the King in freedom from the law.
Why Then Is Disobedience to the Law Sinful?
The trajectory of the discussion here lends itself to
assume, without hesitation, that even believers are no longer under the law or
any part thereof. Why then is it considered sinful to disobey the law, e.g.
explicit commands in Scripture, etc. To answer this question, three imperatives
must be recalled:
1)
the tripartite division
of the law,
2)
God’s moral laws are
transcendent through time, and
3)
the nature of believers
is changed.
Biblical
scholars will often discuss the threefold division of the law according to
Scripture: the moral law, the civil (or ceremonial) law, and the judicial law.
Each category applies to precisely what it seems. The judicial law set forth
requirements for legalities, especially in ancient Israel; the civil law dealt
primarily with actions partaken within the community, e.g. unclean animals,
bodily discharge, etc.; and the moral law handles standards connected to God’s
character and specific commands, e.g. the Ten Commandments among others in
Scripture. The concept is that there is a vast difference between the command
not to eat shellfish or wear mixed fabrics and the command for a man not to lie
with a man; these are in immensely disparate categories. The tripartite
division of the law is legitimate; yet, it is often difficult to determine into
which category some commands would fit. Another issue is that the law is the
law so if one breaks any part of the law, they are still not keeping the law
regardless of the part to which it belongs. Remembering the threefold division,
however, is helpful in determining why some biblical commands are rightfully
considered obsolete while others are not. Some may think believers pick and
choose, which is true; yet, it is important for people to know why they pick
and choose.
Another factor in the discussion is that what remains
relevant to the New Testament church is God’s law that is transcendent through
time as a part of his character. Said another way, Christians, being found in Christ,
are being conformed to his (God the Son’s) image so the way they live life and
the way they act should reflect God’s character. Thus, commands in Scripture
directly related to the character of God are still relevant, e.g. do not lie,
do not murder, etc.
To the
third imperative, it is not that Christians are under these laws but rather
that their lives now naturally conform to God’s character and, therefore,
reflect these standards. Paul says to walk in the Spirit and you will not
gratify the desires of the flesh (Gal 5:16). He then lists the works of the
flesh and subsequently the fruit of the Spirit (Gal 5:22-23) and says that
against those things (the elements of the Spirit’s fruit), there exists no law,
which is how believers live life not under the law but under grace. It is not
that God’s standards are irrelevant but that a life committed to Christ
naturally exudes the fruit of the Spirit, against which there subsists no law.
Disobedience to the moral law of God (transcendent through time because of his
character) is certainly sinful; nonetheless, one who is a Christian reflects
the holiness of God, i.e. the fruit of the Spirit.
Christians Are Not under the Law but Are under Christ
The final answer to the question is that Christians are not under the law but are under the grace of Christ. Such truth should cause believers to rejoice, to stop striving, and to rest in the holiness of Christ. Where time after time, many people have failed to live to God’s standards, Christ beckons his people to let go of their abilities and rest on his ability. Worship is contingent on the fact that God’s people may approach him boldly because they are found in Christ. Without Jesus’ covering, approaching the Father is impossible. Therefore, Christians should cease the trying, cease the pressing, and cease the feeble attempts to keep the law and simply allow Christ’s work in their lives to change them so that they reflect his righteousness.
[1] To
suggest this truth is not to suggest that breaking the law is not sin but is to
instead suggest that believers are no longer under the law but under the grace
of Christ. A life under Christ submits to him and his character, i.e. one who
belongs to Christ is changed by him and conforms to him: he or she reflects
God’s law.
