Not wanting to get into the arguments that go on "out there"... but do want to provide some logic to this verse..
This verse has all-too-often been twisted to suggest that "the law" and "grace" were opposed to one another. I would like to suggest an alternate interpretation here.
"The law," given through Moses, contained a detailed account of the punishment that would befall the nation of Israel for their disobedience to forsaking the commandments of God. (Also Deuteronomy 28-30) It also contains a promise of redemption for the nation of Israel to return to obedience to keeping God's commandments. (Also Deuteronomy 28-30) One of those punishments was that they would be banished from the land given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and scattered to every nation of the world.
Yeshua came for the lost sheep of the House of Israel. (Matthew 15:24) He came to for that same group to which "the law" had been given, and had been cast away for their disobedience. Hence, when it is said that Yeshua brought grace, it is not to say that He came to spite the law, or in opposition to the law- rather, he came because OF the law. He came to enact the grace clause that had been originally provided in the law from the very beginning.
In other words:
Moses said, "You break the rules, this is the punishment, and this is how you'll come back." Moses set the stage for Jesus to arrive and say, "It's time to come back."
Moses gave the legislation, Jesus enacted it. It's not about grace versus the law, or grace trumping the law; far from it. The law enabled grace, and grace can only exist because of the law. Nothing about grace negates the law; rather, grace returns us to the law."
John 1:17, "For the law was given through Moses. Grace and truth were realized through Jesus Christ."
This verse has all-too-often been twisted to suggest that "the law" and "grace" were opposed to one another. I would like to suggest an alternate interpretation here.
"The law," given through Moses, contained a detailed account of the punishment that would befall the nation of Israel for their disobedience to forsaking the commandments of God. (Also Deuteronomy 28-30) It also contains a promise of redemption for the nation of Israel to return to obedience to keeping God's commandments. (Also Deuteronomy 28-30) One of those punishments was that they would be banished from the land given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and scattered to every nation of the world.
Yeshua came for the lost sheep of the House of Israel. (Matthew 15:24) He came to for that same group to which "the law" had been given, and had been cast away for their disobedience. Hence, when it is said that Yeshua brought grace, it is not to say that He came to spite the law, or in opposition to the law- rather, he came because OF the law. He came to enact the grace clause that had been originally provided in the law from the very beginning.
In other words:
Moses said, "You break the rules, this is the punishment, and this is how you'll come back." Moses set the stage for Jesus to arrive and say, "It's time to come back."
Moses gave the legislation, Jesus enacted it. It's not about grace versus the law, or grace trumping the law; far from it. The law enabled grace, and grace can only exist because of the law. Nothing about grace negates the law; rather, grace returns us to the law."