The Law

Hebrews 10:1 states that the Old Testament Law was only a “shadow,” a faint outline of the “good things to come” that would be fulfilled in the future through Christ. Because the Law was a shadow and not the complete reality, the sacrifices it prescribed were insufficient to make anyone “perfect” before God; they could not truly take away sin. The ceremonial law of the Old Testament (including the sacrifices, rituals, and feasts) is described as a shadow of the reality that was to come through Jesus.

The concept of Christ as the fulfillment of the Law is a central tenet in Christian theology, emphasizing that Jesus Christ completed and perfected the requirements and purposes of the Mosaic Law. This understanding is rooted in various passages of the New Testament, where Jesus Himself and the apostles speak of this fulfillment.

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus explicitly states His relationship to the Law: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matt. 5:17). This declaration underscores that Christ’s mission was not to negate the Law but to bring it to its intended completion. The term “fulfill” in this context tells us that Jesus embodies the Law’s ultimate purpose and meaning.

The Apostle Paul further clarifies the fulfillment of the Law in Christ when he writes in Romans 10:4, “For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes.” “End” can be understood as both the termination and the goal of the Law. Through faith in Christ, believers attain the righteousness that the Law aimed to produce but – because of human sinfulness – could not achieve.

Beloved, we have seen Christ’s relationship to moral, ceremonial, and civil law. When we say that Christ is the fulfillment of the Law, we are saying that He completes the Law’s purpose, establishes a new covenant, and provides a path to righteousness for us through faith.

All of these truths are basic to our understanding of salvation and to our own relationship to the Law. In Matthew 5:20, Jesus goes on to say, “…unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” How can our righteousness possibly exceed that of those scrupulous rule-keepers? The answer? Only by our receiving Christ’s own righteousness, which He offers to us through faith.

Let us rejoice in our salvation!