Jesus furthered and fulfilled the Mosaic Law - Matthew 5:17

"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" (Matthew 5:17 NIV).

   In the spring of 2000, I was the Youth Minister for a special youth group in a church in Wheat Ridge, Colorado, and one Sunday I asked the students a question, a question which I had pondered as a young Christian, yet one which remained unanswered until I read about the topic in a book by John Stott. (1)  "Would it be a sin if you ate lobster at the neighborhood seafood restaurant after church?"  Right in the Bible it states in the Law given by God through Moses: “‘Of all the creatures living in the water of the seas and the streams you may eat any that have fins and scales.  But all creatures in the seas or streams that do not have fins and scales—whether among all the swarming things or among all the other living creatures in the water—you are to regard as unclean.  And since you are to regard them as unclean, you must not eat their meat; you must regard their carcasses as unclean.  Anything living in the water that does not have fins and scales is to be regarded as unclean by you'" (Leviticus 11:9-12 NIV).
   The purpose of this question was to get students thinking about the relationship of a Christian to what is often referred to as the Mosaic Law.  Was it only for the Hebrews?  The "Old Covenant," the Mosaic Covenant, the covenant made by God between Himself and the Hebrew people, with Moses as the mediator, only involved the Hebrew people, and no other humans.  Thus if the Mosaic Law was only for the ethnic group of Hebrews, then are other Christians exempt also from the Ten Commandments?  The answer comes from the teachings of Jesus.
   First of all, Jesus did teach the Mosaic Law, as is recorded in places like Matthew 19:18-19.  In fact, in what many term "The Sermon on the Mount," Jesus made the statement which is in the verse listed at the start of this piece: "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" (Matthew 5:17 NIV).  And after making this statement, Jesus proceeded to further the Mosaic Law.  For example: "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment.  Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin.  But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell" (Matthew 5:21-22 NIV).  What Jesus does in this teaching is get to the root of evils.  I remember driving down the road once real close to the neighborhood seafood restaurant by our church, and I had the car radio on to a lesson of Chuck Swindoll.  Pastor Chuck was talking about the Law, and his words bellowed out through the speakers of my little car, "The Law condemns!  The Law puts you behind bars and throws away the key!"  It was quite the graphic picture stated at a loud volume, yet he was correct.
   And from the top of the "Sermon on the Mount," the teaching was for all people, not only the Hebrews, thus Gentiles and Jewish people were put under the Mosaic Law by Jesus when He spoke of His mission to fulfill the Law, and then when He furthered the Mosaic Law.  Scripture reveals this in verses such as Romans 3:23, which states that all have sinned.  Hebrews were not the only ones condemned by the Law and in need of a Savior, since all were incorporated under the Law when Jesus taught what is termed the Sermon on the Mount.  All people have sinned, failing to obey God at some time.  All people need a Savior.  Thus we all were condemned, because Gentiles, just as much as Hebrews, were unable to perfectly obey the Law.   Praise be to God, Jesus also fulfilled the Law for all people, thus making it possible for all people to be saved.
   How did Jesus fulfill the Law?  He died as the substitutional atonement for the forgiveness of sins.  Much of the Mosaic Law involved animal sacrifice for the forgiveness of sins.  Jesus was the Lamb of God, the One who made the eternal sacrifice for the sins of people!  Jesus was the perfect atonement for the sins of all people.  I John 2:2 states: "He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world" (NIV).  This verse truly explains that Jesus died for all people, since all people were in need of salvation.  Now people have a choice to make.  If you want Jesus to be your Savior, you can believe in Jesus right now, and you will be saved from the hell which Jesus taught about - see Acts 16:30-31!
   I conclude by answering the original question.  My conviction is that those students who were followers of Jesus could have gone and eaten lobster after church without sinning, because when Jesus fulfilled the Law, His fulfillment negated certain laws of the Mosaic Law for those who are in Christ.  For example, the Hebrews needed to make animal sacrifices.  Jesus making the sacrifice as the Lamb of God made it so that His disciples are no longer in need of animal sacrifice.  Sacrificial laws have been fulfilled by Jesus!
   Jesus fulfilling the Mosaic Law made it possible for there to be freedom from sin in Christ.  As Dr. David Beckman, my mentor who was the president of Colorado Christian University, once taught in a sermon at Windsor Gardens Community church from his careful examination of Romans 7 through 8:17, people who have been saved by Jesus are no longer "under" the Law, rather they are "under" the Spirit.  Yet followers of Jesus still have a command from Jesus to obey Him, the One who taught people to love God and to love people as was commanded in the Mosaic Law, and the One who still commands moral laws, since to break a moral law is always the opposite of loving God and loving people.  In John 14:15, Jesus states: "If you love me, you will obey what I command" (NIV).  And this included His teaching of moral laws in the Sermon on the Mount.  Being disobedient to the moral commands, which Jesus furthered, is unloving!  The result is grieving the Holy Spirit and hurt of oneself and maybe other people.  Jesus is Holy.  The Father is Holy.  The Spirit of Christ is Holy.  The teachings of Jesus reveal He is calling His children to be holy.  Such is the journey a follower of Jesus begins by taking up his or her cross and following Jesus.  Success can only come as a follower of Jesus relies on the Holy Spirit.
   So moral laws are as much in effect as ever.  Says John Stott, "The moral laws of Moses, however, have not been abrogated.  On the contrary, they are still in force.  Christ died that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, and the Holy Spirit writes God's law in our hearts (Rom. 8:3,4; Jer. 31:33, cf. 2 Cor. 3:6-8)." (2)  Whereas certain laws such as what I would term sacrificial laws and civil laws, and which Dr. Stott calls "ceremonial rules" and "civil laws," are not applicable to followers of Jesus.  So you Christians can go and chow down on crabs and shrimp tonight if you so desire.  As for me, I might be having a bell pepper stuffed with a veggie burger :)
Hunter Irvine

(1) John Stott, Understanding the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), 180-181.
(2) John Stott, Understanding the Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1972), 180.