The relationship between Jesus and the Old Testament laws is a significant theme in the New Testament. Jesus did not explicitly tell his followers to abandon the Old Testament but rather to understand it through the lens of his teachings and fulfillment of the law. The New Testament provides several key passages that illuminate this relationship.
Jesus' Fulfillment of the Law
Matthew 5:17-18: In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus clearly states that he came not to abolish the Law or the Prophets but to fulfill them:
"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 pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished."
Romans 10:4: Paul reinforces this idea, explaining that Christ is the culmination of the law:
"For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
Jesus as the New Lawgiver
Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28: Jesus reinterprets the Mosaic Law, emphasizing the spirit rather than the letter of the law. For instance, he expands the commandment against murder to include anger and against adultery to include lust:
"You have heard that it was said to those of old, 'You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.' But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment."
"You have heard that it was said, 'You shall not commit adultery.' But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."
John 13:34: Jesus provides a new commandment that surpasses the old:
"A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another."
The Law's Fulfillment in Christ
Galatians 3:23-25: Paul explains that the law served as a guardian until Christ came, but now that faith has come, believers are no longer under this guardian:
"Now before faith came, we were held captive under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith would be revealed. So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian."
Hebrews 8:6-13: The author of Hebrews discusses the establishment of a new covenant through Jesus, which makes the first one obsolete:
"But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises. For if that first covenant had been faultless, there would have been no occasion to look for a second."
"In speaking of a new covenant, he makes the first one obsolete. And what is becoming obsolete and growing old is ready to vanish away."
Conclusion
While Jesus did not instruct his followers to abandon the Old Testament, he did fulfill and reinterpret the Mosaic Law, emphasizing a new covenant centered on love and faith in him. This transition from the old covenant to the new is a key theme in the New Testament, highlighting Jesus as the fulfillment and culmination of the law. Through his teachings, life, and sacrificial death, Jesus established a new way of understanding and living out God's commandments.
Citations:
- Matthew 5:17-18
- Romans 10:4
- Matthew 5:21-22, 27-28
- John 13:34
- Galatians 3:23-25
- Hebrews 8:6-13
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