I wrote this for another forum a while ago. I probably would phrase some parts a little differently if I were to re-write it, but the general idea is the same: Christ is not less than the Law, but More. I'd like to say clearly here that I do not think that Jews of Christ's day or ours did not realize that the Law is about Love. The Pharisee is in each of us when we lose sight of the love of God and try to bludgeon each other with laws. Laws are an imperfect way of helping us love one another, but humans being what we are, they are still a gift when followed in the Spirit.
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17From that time on Jesus began to preach, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near." (Matt 4:17).
This is the heart of Christs Gospel, the Good News. Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near. And large portions of Jesus teachings were to tell us what the kingdom of heaven is like. What is it like? Its unlike what we expect it to be. It is like a mustard seed. It is like yeast. Like treasure hidden in a field. Does it belong to the most powerful? To those who work the hardest? To the rich?
No. It belongs to the poor in spirit, to those who mourn, to the meek, to those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, to the merciful, to the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and to those who are persecuted for righteousness.
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17"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. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matt 5: 17-20)
So, Jesus, the Christ, did not come to abolish the law, not by one single stroke. What then are we to make of His teachings, which transformed nearly every one of the ten commandments as well as many of the purity laws that were subsequently revealed to Moses?
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52He said to them, "Therefore every teacher of the law who has been instructed about the kingdom of heaven is like the owner of a house who brings out of his storeroom new treasures as well as old." (Matt 13:52)
The law is clearly valued as treasure, and we are assured that Jesus did not come to abolish the law. But, there is new treasure, and this treasure is linked to the Kingdom of Heaven. The new teachings show the law in a new way, a way that leads from life to eternal life. This is very clearly stated in the story of the rich young man.
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16Now a man came up to Jesus and asked, "Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?" 17"Why do you ask me about what is good?" Jesus replied. "There is only One who is good. If you want to enter life, obey the commandments." 18"Which ones?" the man inquired. Jesus replied, " 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, 19honor your father and mother,'[d] and 'love your neighbor as yourself.'[e]"
20"All these I have kept," the young man said. "What do I still lack?"
21Jesus answered, "If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."
22When the young man heard this, he went away sad, because he had great wealth.
23Then Jesus said to his disciples, "I tell you the truth, it is hard for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven. 24Again I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God."
25When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astonished and asked, "Who then can be saved?"
26Jesus looked at them and said, "With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible." (Matt 19:16-26)
The young man went away sad because it is so very hard to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, to have eternal life. Note there is no indication that Jesus is talking about the afterlife here. There is the life given through the law; and then there is Something More.
In the Gospel of John we hear quite a lot about eternal life, and usually it is linked to belief in Jesus.
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that everyone who believes in him may have eternal life. (John 3:16)
So, this may mean that eternal life belongs to one who accepts Jesus as the Son of God. But, there is also something more. John shares what Jesus has to say about believing in Him:
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44Then Jesus cried out, "When a man believes in me, he does not believe in me only, but in the one who sent me. 45When he looks at me, he sees the one who sent me. 46I have come into the world as a light, so that no one who believes in me should stay in darkness.
47"As for the person who hears my words but does not keep them, I do not judge him. For I did not come to judge the world, but to save it. 48There is a judge for the one who rejects me and does not accept my words; that very word which I spoke will condemn him at the last day. 49For I did not speak of my own accord, but the Father who sent me commanded me what to say and how to say it. 50I know that his command leads to eternal life. So whatever I say is just what the Father has told me to say." (John 12: 44-50)
Gods command leads to eternal life. And what is that command?
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12My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. (John 15:12)
And in case we didnt get it the first time:
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17This is my command: Love each other. (John 15:17)
So, eternal life requires something more than the law. It requires belief in Jesus as the Son of God, which in turn means to obey Gods command to love each other. Pretty simple. So, what were all those teachings about in the Sermon on the Mount, and as recorded elsewhere in the Gospels? Was Jesus going against His word and changing the law?
No.
He was explaining how the law is about love. He was explaining how to achieve the Kingdom of heaven here on earth. Wide is the gate that leads to destruction, but the narrow gate of love leads to the Kingdom.
Dont murder? Dont even think bad thoughts about your brother.
Dont commit adultery? Dont even look at a woman in lust.
Youre allowed an eye for an eye? Yet you can choose to turn the other cheek. Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. Forgive.
The points most often brought up to illustrate that Jesus really did change the laws are his teachings about divorce and his healing on the Sabbath. But did He really change those laws, or did He just explain them in the light of compassion? By Hebrew law a man could divorce his wife if he became displeased with her (Deut 24:1). The life of a divorced woman on her own would be very harsh if she was not able to remarry. So Jesus explains, dont choose that option unless there has been a serious breach in trust.
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So they are no longer two, but one. Therefore what God has joined together, let man not separate."
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7"Why then," they asked, "did Moses command that a man give his wife a certificate of divorce and send her away?"
8Jesus replied, "Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. But it was not this way from the beginning. (Matt 19:6-8)
Keeping the Sabbath might easily be considered the most important of the commandments after the commandments to love God and neighbor. Did Jesus really break the Sabbath? No, on at least two accounts. First, and most straightforward, when Jesus and his disciples are picking grain to eat on the Sabbath, He compares Himself to the temple priests who desecrate the day and yet are innocent because they are obligated to perform the Sabbath sacrifice. Jesus refers his critics to the words of the prophet Hosea 6:6 For I desire mercy, not sacrifice. Thus, if mercy is even more desired by God than sacrifice, the healings performed by Jesus on the Sabbath are delightful to Him, and further Jesus is the priest. The teaching is again about love and compassion; the Spirit of the law which gives life as Paul would say.
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