Mt. 5:17-20 “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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen (not one jot or tittle-nkjv), will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone 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. For I tell you unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

What exactly are “the Law and the Prophets”? It was a way of referring to what was then the entirety of God’s revealed will. The Law consists of the first five books of our Old Testament. It is in these books that we find the initial revelation of God’s nature and His revelation concerning the life He desired for His people. The Prophets consisted of the books we term “history” books (Joshua-2 Kings) as well as the books of “wisdom” (Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Solomon) and the books of the prophets – Isaiah, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Ezekiel, Daniel, and the twelve shorter prophets (Hosea-Malachi). The Prophets were viewed as commentary on the Law…an explanation of how to live out the life God desired.

What does it mean to fulfill something? Webster defines fulfill as “to carry out something promised; to do something required; to satisfy a condition; to complete.” To fulfill also means to bring to a state of completeness or to an intended goal. Jesus did all those things and more when He came to this earth over 2,000 years ago. When Jesus said He came to fulfill the law and the prophets He was not just talking about the prophecies concerning His birth, life and death that were fulfilled just as predicted. Jesus was also confirming that the whole of the law and prophets had one aim and that was to point to Him.

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets and also that you and I would find our fulfillment in Him. We can make all the outward changes we want, but, if we are still the same on the inside we will never find fulfillment in this life and will miss out on finding eternal life as well. This need in our life can only be fulfilled through a relationship with Jesus Christ. What you and I need is a change on the inside. This needed change is described in 2 Cor. 5:17 “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation, the old is gone, the new has come.” A few verses later Paul wrote in 2 Cor. 5:21 “God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.” This is how our righteousness will exceed that of the Pharisees. Have you allowed Christ to make you into a new creation? I hope you have. If not, I pray today would be the day you place your hope and trust in Jesus Christ.

Tim