#DailyDevotion Jesus Is The Fulfillment Of The Torah & Prophets

Matt. 5:17-19 ¹⁷“Don’t think that I came to set aside the Law or the prophets. I didn’t come to set them aside but to fulfill them. ¹⁸I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away, not an i or the dot of an i of the Law will pass away until everything is done. ¹⁹Anyone, then, who sets aside one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But anyone who does and teaches what they say will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

So, there is a great debate about what Jesus is talking about here. One is when Jesus refers to the Law and the prophets is he talking about the entire Torah with all of its commands, precepts, statutes, regulations, ceremonies, sacrifices, etc.? Well to those in the Church who insists that Christians need to keep certain aspects of the Torah either Sabbath regulations or food regulations yet say we don’t have to follow all the rest of the Torah and then they don’t even get into the prophets, I think we have an answer. They recognize with Jesus’ death and resurrection there has been a change. They simply want to keep certain aspects of the Torah. Some want to focus on only the “moral code.” They too recognized something has changed. What is for certain up to the point of the resurrection Jesus does not set aside any of the Law or the prophets. He came to fulfill them. Indeed, Jesus kept the Torah perfectly.

Jesus commends those who teach and do what the Torah commands. They will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. On the other hand, anyone who set aside one of the least of the commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom. I do believe Jesus is taking a shot at the Pharisees and Scribes here who in their traditions sometimes taught to do things to get around the severity of the Torah and sometimes made the Torah harder than it had to be.

Jesus said nothing of the Torah will pass away until everything is done. The Greek here isn’t particularly helpful. There are a number of ways you could translate it. But the overriding idea is completed or fulfillment. Everyone always focuses on the Torah here and very few focus that Jesus includes the prophets in this teaching. Where else does Jesus include the prophets with the Torah in his teaching? Jesus in Luke 16 says, ¹⁶“The Law and the prophets were until John. Since then the good news of God’s kingdom is told, and everyone tries to force his way into it.” In Luke 24 Jesus says, ⁴⁴“While I was still with you… I told you that everything written about Me in the Law of Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms must come true.” “Must come true” is a different word for fulfilled than “everything is done” but it means the same things. Jesus upon the cross said, “It is finished.”(John 19:30) He uses a third Greek word here. I do believe though these all belong together. The Torah and Prophets Jesus refers to in the text for the day go together. It is a united whole. Nothing can be separated apart from them. Jesus fulfilled, completed, and finished everything in the Law and the Prophets. He established a New Covenant in his blood on the cross. The first covenant is set aside in total. It is fulfilled. It is finished. In this New Covenant God forgives us our sins, forgets them, and gives us his Spirit so his Torah, the eternal will of God is fulfilled and completed in us. (Jer. 31:31ff)

Heavenly Father, you sent Jesus to fulfill the Law and Prophets for us so we may have a Savior in him from our sins and death. Give us your Holy Spirit so we may believe this and live our lives according to your will. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.