I received a comment this week from a reader making the following statement: "The law of God exists, but has been fulfilled." This person was referring to Matthew 5:17 which says, "Do not think that I came to abolish the Law (destroy it) or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill." Most Christians have been taught that this means Christ has fulfilled the Law of God. (Past tense.) However, the very next verse will set this false teaching straight and show that Christ was referring to a future time.
Matthew 5:18 says, "For assuredly I (Jesus) say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled." Is heaven and earth still here? Yes, they are. So what? Well, Jesus just said that if heaven and earth are still here - then He has not fulfilled the Law of God, yet. Jesus has not yet fulfilled the Law of God and the proof of that statement is in the fact that heaven and earth are still here!
The answer to the question in the title of this post is this: Yes - Jesus came to fulfill the Law of God! He just hasn't done it yet - contrary to what most of us have been taught through our preachers, Bible colleges, or even our own families. So, when is Jesus going to "fulfill" the Law of God? When He comes back again to set up the Kingdom of God here on earth. The Kingdom of God will also have His "Kingdom Law". How do I know that? Because the above verses in Matthew are part of the Beatitudes, which Jesus gave describing His "Kingdom Law".
Throughout the book of Matthew, Jesus gives parables (stories) about "a king" and "a kingdom". In these stories, He is talking about Himself, His Kingship and His Kingdom. When we put our trust in Jesus Christ - that He is Almighty God in the flesh, Who came to earth to become the sacrifice for our sins, and that He rose again and will be coming back for us - we become His children and citizens of His Kingdom. As a citizen of the U.S., I have laws I must obey. Likewise, the above verses are part of His discourse to the crowds about His "Kingdom Law". It has not been abolished, destroyed, or even fulfilled!
The Lawgiver and His Law cannot be separated. If you throw out one, you are throwing out the other as well. Law and Grace do go together, contrary to the false teaching in many of our churches. Isaiah 42:21 says, "He (Jesus, the Messiah) will exalt the law and make it honorable." Throughout the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke and John), you see Jesus exalting His law and making it honorable. That is what the Pharisees were constantly fighting against - and it is what the false teachers of today are fighting against as well. (Just a hint: I think I know Who wins out in the end!)
Go out today and enjoy the heaven and the earth that God has so graciously bestowed on you, and remember His promise in Matthew 5:18.
