11 Mar 26 | Fulfillment of the Law
Jesus claims not to abolish the law but to fulfill it, a statement that reframes the entire Old Testament as a story still in progress until he arrives.
The Gospel: Matthew 5:17-19
Jesus said to his disciples:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets.
I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.
Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter
will pass from the law,
until all things have taken place.
Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments
and teaches others to do so
will be called least in the Kingdom of heaven.
But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments
will be called greatest in the Kingdom of heaven.”
Today’s Focus
Jesus is not starting a new religion. He is completing an old promise. The law was never the destination. It was always a road pointing somewhere, and Jesus is declaring himself to be where it leads. The moral law remains fully binding because it reflects who God is. The ceremonial law reached its intended end in Christ. The early Church worked this out in real time, guided by the same authority Jesus gave the apostles. Nothing has been discarded. Everything has been fulfilled.
In the Margins
This section is the start of the “antithesis” part of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount that runs from 17-48. That is the part where Jesus says “You have heard it said... but I say to you.” What Jesus is doing here is a strong answer to accusations that He was a lawbreaker or revolutionary of some sort. By this point in His ministry, Jesus was already healing, seen associating with sinner, and teaching with personal authority that was not citing prior rabbis. This is teaching for those already following him about how to understand his relationship to the tradition they were raised in, it is directed at His disciples.
What Jesus is teaching is fulfillment of the law. This is the critical point of the entire passage before us. It does not mean simply to obey or keep. Matthew uses this word (plērosai) throughout when prophecies of the Old Testament are “fulfilled.” Jesus is saying that the law and prophets were always pointing somewhere, and He is that place. He contrasts this with the word katalysai, to abolish. He is claiming the one that brings it to its culmination is not dismantling it. The Old Testament teachings are not to be disregarded because of Jesus. Instead, they are of permanent value as Christ does not abolish them.
We know that it lives on with Jesus is saying not even a single pen stroke of the law will disappear before everything is accomplished. He claims that the smallest part of a decorative stroke to distinguish letters would not leave the law, showing the law was permanent. It was said to last “until heaven and earth pass away,” an idiom for never or not until the end of all things. Jesus is anchoring the law’s permanence to the permanence of creation itself. This is not a temporary arrangement. Then Jesus gives us a second parallel condition, “until all things have taken place.” This phrase points forward to the full completion of what Jesus came to accomplish, including the cross, resurrection, and final judgment.
When Jesus says he came to fulfill the law, he is making a claim that changes everything. The law given to Moses was never meant to be the final word. Jesus is revealing that it was always pointing somewhere, to Him. Changes began almost immediately. As early as 33 AD, Christians were gathering on Sunday instead of Saturday to commemorate the resurrection.
These changes continued to take place and were documented as the Church took form around the teachings of Jesus. Around 37 AD, Peter received a vision that reframed the dietary laws entirely. By 48 AD, Paul was confronting Peter directly over how Jewish and Gentile Christians ate together. In 49 AD, the apostles gathered in Jerusalem and formally ruled that Gentile Christians were not bound by the ceremonial law. This was not a bureaucratic decision. It was the apostles exercising the authority Jesus gave them, working out in real time what his fulfillment claim actually meant.
The moral law, rooted in the Ten Commandments, remains fully binding because it reflects the eternal character of God. The ceremonial law, the dietary rules, the sacrifices, the ritual prescriptions, reached their intended end when Christ arrived as the thing they were always anticipating.
This should still shape how we live our lives today. Jesus Himself made the point that those teaching others to live in sin would be last in the Kingdom. His death provides the means for the forgiveness of sins. It is how we reconcile with God, enabling us to partake in divine grace. It is not a license to sin or continue to live in sin. We are called to obey the commandments without the need for animal sacrifice. The distinction is in how we atone for our sins, not whether we should strive to follow the laws commanded by God.
Reflection Question
How often do I reflect on the ten commandments or examine how well I am living up to these?
A Small Invitation
If this reflection helped you, consider sharing it with someone who may benefit from hearing this message.