What does Jesus fulfilling the Law and the Prophets mean? Jesus obeyed the Law perfectly, fulfilled all of the Old Testament prophecies and He provides a way of salvation that meets all the requirements of the Law. The Pharisees would accuse Jesus of nullifying the law but they didn't have an accurate understanding of who He was, what His purpose was and what He was going to do. Jesus brought a new meaning to the Law when He came and died. He brought on grace instead of the chains of the Law.
Romans 6:14 says, "For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under the law but under grace." Romans 7:6 says, "But now we have been delivered from the law, having died to what we were held by, so that we should serve in the newness of the Spirit and not in the oldness of the letter." Jesus sent the Holy Spirit after He died to dwell in us once we're saved. We are delivered from the Law because Jesus fulfilled it when He came and died.
I think that a big point that Jesus is making here is that the Law still stands even though He came. He wrote the Law. If He undermined the Law then He would be undermining Himself. He fulfilled it. He helped us to understand it. I think that a lot of Christians might think that they don't have to follow the Law because Jesus came and there is grace. I know that I struggled with this mindset for a while. "I can do whatever I want because God is going to forgive me." But now I'm realizing that I follow the Law because there is grace. Romans 6:15 says, "What then? Shall we sin because we are not under law but under grace? Certainly not!" I am following the Law because of the Spirit that is in me not because of the requirement. I follow out of love not out of compulsion.
Application:
I am going to write "fulfilled" on my left arm to remember that the Law is fulfilled through Christ and what that means for me.
No comments:
Post a Comment