Question

59. I wonder since the prophecies of the second coming of Jesus have not been fulfilled yet. Then he did not fulfill the law and the prophets. Some say that would mean the law is still to be obeyed. How do we look at this matter?
Asked by: Male, 46-55, Europe, Christian on April 29, 2022 6:34:18 pm

Answer

Thanks for the excellent question.

When you refer to the "law and prophets," I think you may be referring to this passage:

Matthew 5:17-20 (NLT)
17 "Don't misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose. 18I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God's law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. 19So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. But anyone who obeys God's laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. 20 "But I warn you—unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!

When we look at the law portion, God's laws will never change (v. 18). That law (or set of laws) is that only a person cleansed of sin can draw near God. In the Old Testament, that had to do with following specific rituals and timings to be forgiven from sin. The ritualistic process was an imperfect way but the only way available until Jesus took care of the issue once and for all (see Hebrews 10:1-4+). Jesus' substitutionary atonement does away with the legal requirements of the continual imperfect sacrifice and takes away our sins entirely. Sinful people like us can be seen as perfect before God because of this perfect sacrifice. That is the legal part that Jesus fulfilled that enables us to be "better than the righteousness of the teachers of the religious law" (verse 20).

Now, let's talk about the prophets. Many prophecies were made about the time when the people of God will conquer the sin that pervaded the world. I'll point to just two because there are many:

Genesis 3:15 (NLT)
And I will cause hostility between you and the woman, and between your offspring and her offspring. He will strike your head, and you will strike his heel."

The verse above is considered the first promise about the coming of Jesus. Sin entered the world through the serpent's (Satan's) lie to turn people away from God. God promised that a child of the woman would step on Satan. Jesus's death and resurrection did that. Now we are conquerors against sin (See 1Corinthians 15:57).

Jeremiah 31:29-30 (NLT)
29 "The people will no longer quote this proverb: 'The parents have eaten sour grapes, but their children's mouths pucker at the taste.' 30All people will die for their own sins—those who eat the sour grapes will be the ones whose mouths will pucker.

I only picked the verses above because this was part of my reading today. It's interesting to think that the Old Testament punishments were the national rise and fall that would affect the generations after them. When the people of Israel loved and feared God, their nation would become more respected and influential, while they would be conquered by other nations when they turned to the cultures and gods of other nations. The promise is that when God provides, children will no longer suffer for the faults of their parents. Today, whoever believes in Jesus will have eternal life and have direct access to the Father (See John 3:16). We can draw close to God only because of what Jesus has done.

So then, Jesus came to fulfill the law and the prophets. All that was said about how God will save his people has been accomplished, and now we await the final judgment.

Yes, the law of God does not change, and it will still need to be obeyed. Yet, what is the law of God? Jesus summarizes it in a few words, and it is to love God and others (See Matthew 22:37-40). The law regarding sacrifices has been replaced with what Jesus has done (Hebrews 10). How can we love God and others with all our hearts? The ability to love God and others is another promise of God that is fulfilled through His providing us the Holy Spirit to dwell in us and walk with us.

Deuteronomy 30:6 (NLT)
"The LORD your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live!

God will enable our limited ability to fear God and care for others to love deeply.

Please write back if you have more questions. I love this interaction.

Many blessings!

Answered by Dr. Sang Sur

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