Christ fulfilled the Law and the Prophets by living a perfect, sinless life. God was glorified through Jesus’ obedience.

2 to know wisdom and instruction, to understand words of insight,

Jesus Himself revealed this pearl in His priestly prayer, “I glorified You on the earth, having accomplished the work which You have given Me to do.” If we couple this verse with Matthew 5:17, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill,” we see that Jesus did what no other human could do, which is to live a perfect, sinless life. It is why He could be our Representative at the cross.

He also fulfilled the promise to Abraham that was made centuries before, “and in you all the families of the earth will be blessed” (Genesis 12:3). As He did so, Jesus cleared up some assumptions that had been made. One was the belief that the law was made to make us holy–NOT SO! It was made to get us by until Christ could come (Romans 3:25). Another was that the law reflected God’s holiness and so could be used as a hammer; Jesus agreed on the reflection, but objected to their conclusion. Jesus revealed the Father’s heart of love. As an example, let’s look at John 8:1-11,

But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. ² Early in the morning He came again into the temple, and all the people were coming to Him; and He sat down and began to teach them. ³ The scribes and the Pharisees *brought a woman caught in adultery, and having set her in the center of the court, ⁴ they said to Him, “Teacher, this woman has been caught in adultery, in the very act. ⁵ Now in the Law Moses commanded us to stone such women; what then do You say?” ⁶ They were saying this, testing Him, so that they might have grounds for accusing Him. But Jesus stooped down and with His finger wrote on the ground. ⁷ But when they persisted in asking Him, He straightened up, and said to them, “He who is without sin among you, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” ⁸ Again He stooped down and wrote on the ground. ⁹ When they heard it, they began to go out one by one, beginning with the older ones, and He was left alone, and the woman, where she was, in the center of the court. ¹⁰ Straightening up, Jesus said to her, “Woman, where are they? Did no one condemn you?” ¹¹ She said, “No one, Lord.” And Jesus said, “I do not condemn you, either. Go. From now on sin no more.”

Jesus did not condemn her. Remembering that Jesus is God (Emmanuel) and that He only does what He sees His Father doing (John 5:19), we can deduct that it is God who does not condemn the woman. Jesus had shown the world the Father’s heart: He loves us and does not condemn us. He died on the cross to forcibly take us back from Satan (Matthew 12:29). The curse of death has been lifted, and now anyone “who hears His word, and believes Him who sent Jesus (which was God the Father), has eternal life, and does not come into judgment, but has passed out of death into life” (John 5:24). Pretty simple, really–humanly impossible and completely unfathomable, but simple. God simply chooses not to condemn us and to forgive us in Christ. WOW!

Let’s thank Him for so great a salvation and look for someone with which to share this good news–if it’s a brother or sister in Christ, then rejoice together! If it’s a lost person, so much the better!!! Maybe soon, he won’t be lost anymore…

Abba, thank You for so great a salvation: for not condemning me, but forgiving me and pouring out Your grace upon me. You have given me what I need rather than what I deserve, and for that I will be forever grateful. Amen.