What does it mean for Jesus to fulfill the law and the prophets?

[tonychanyt]

After the resurrection, Jesus spoke to the disciples in Luke 24:

25 And he said to them, “O foolish ones, and slow of heart to believe all that the prophets have spoken! 26 Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things and enter into his glory?” 27 And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.

Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets in at least the following ways:

1. Jesus lived a sinless life under the Law.
2. The OT prophesied the Messiah-King. Jesus fulfilled that role. He came to open the Kingdom of God to everyone who believes. We (our spirits) now live in this kingdom.
3. By dying on the cross, Jesus fulfilled the temple sacrificial laws. We no longer need to offer animal sacrifices.
4. The law brings death. Christ fulfilled the law of death to bring us eternal life (Romans 7:4).

Jesus fulfilled and annulled the OT law but did not demolish it.

 

[Diamond7]

We no longer need to offer animal sacrifices.

Animal sacrifice's were a lesson that people were to learn from. The sacrifice itself did not please God.

Isaiah 1:11-17 (NIV): "The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me? says the Lord. I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats."

 

[Diamond7]

Jesus lived a sinless life under the Law.

There are people that think it is possible to live a life free from sin.

 

[Soyeong]

After the resurrection, Jesus spoke to the disciples in Luke 24:


Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets in at least the following ways:

1. Jesus lived a sinless life under the Law.
2. The OT prophesied the Messiah-King. Jesus fulfilled that role. He came to open the Kingdom of God to everyone who believes. We (our spirits) now live in this kingdom.
3. By dying on the cross, Jesus fulfilled the temple sacrificial laws. We no longer need to offer animal sacrifices.
4. The law brings death. Christ fulfilled the law of death to bring us eternal life (Romans 7:4).

Jesus fulfilled and annulled the OT law but did not demolish it.

In Matthew 5:17-19, Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law in contrast with saying that he came not to abolish it and he warned against relaxing the least part of it or teaching others to relax to lead to part of it, so you should not interpret fulfilling the law as referring to relaxing even the least part of it, and by claiming that Jesus annulled the OT law, you are calling him a liar and disregarding his warning. Likewise, in Romans 3:31, Paul said that our faith does not abolish God's law, but rather our faith upholds it, yet you seek to nullify God's eternal law rather than uphold it through faith.

"To fulfill the Law and the Prophets" means "to fulfil, i.e. to cause God's will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God's promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfilment" (NAS Greek Lexicon: pleroo). After Jesus said that he came to fulfill the law, he then proceeded to fulfill it six times throughout the rest of the chapter by teaching how to correctly obey it, and he did not mention anything about his death anyone in the passage. According to Galatians 5:14, everyone who has ever loved their neighbor has fulfilled the entire law, so it again refers to correctly obeying it as it should be, moreover, it refers to something that countless people have done, even though only Jesus fulfilled it sinlessly. In Galatians 6:2, bearing one another's burdens fulfills the Law of Christ, yet you do not consistently interpret that as nullifying the Law of Christ or as meaning that we no longer need to obey the Law of Christ.

The Bible is abundantly clear that obedience to it brings life and a blessing while disobedience to it is what brings death (Romans 10:5-8, Deuteronomy 30:11-20, Deuteronomy 32:46-47, Revelation 22:14, Proverbs 3:18, Proverbs 6:23, Luke 10:25-28, Matthew 19:17, Romans 2:6-7, Romans 6:19-23, Hebrews 5:9). In Romans 6:19-23, we are no longer to present ourselves as slaves to impurity, lawlessness, and sin, but are now to present ourselves as slaves to God and to righteousness leading to sanctification, and the goal of sanctification is eternal life in Christ, which is the gift of God, so living in obedience to God's law is the content of His gift of eternal life while nullifying His law would be nullifying His gift of eternal life.

 

[Soyeong]

Animal sacrifice's were a lesson that people were to learn from. The sacrifice itself did not please God.

Isaiah 1:11-17 (NIV): "The multitude of your sacrifices—what are they to me? says the Lord. I have more than enough of burnt offerings, of rams and the fat of fattened animals; I have no pleasure in the blood of bulls and lambs and goats."

Do you also think that in accordance with Isaiah 1:11-17 that prayer is not pleasing to God? The issue is not that those things are not pleasing to God, but rather the problem was that they were doing those things while their hands were full of blood and that they need to wash and make themselves clear, remove the evil of their deeds, learn to do good, seek justice, and correct oppression.

 

[Diamond7]

Do you also think that in accordance with Isaiah 1:11-17 that prayer is not pleasing to God?

Your missing the point. The Bible is symbolic. There are many words you can use for that. Allegory, metaphor, archetype, homiletics, paradigm, parables and so on. The literal bible is fine for fifth graders. As we grow and mature in the Lord we need to go beyond the milk and get into the meat of the word.

 

[Soyeong]

Your missing the point. The Bible is symbolic. There are many words you can use for that. Allegory, metaphor, archetype, homiletics, paradigm, parables and so on. The literal bible is fine for fifth graders. As we grow and mature in the Lord we need to go beyond the milk and get into the meat of the word.

While I agree that the Bible has a symbolic meaning, it also has a literal meaning in which we should remain firmly rooted. Here's another example:

Psalms 51:16-19
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.

These verse verses are not saying that God has no desire for offerings, but that what God wants is a broken and contrite heart and for us to do good, then He will delight in right sacrifices. If someone is offering a sacrifice without drawing close to God, then they are missing the whole point.