ABOVE THE LAW

A common remark we hear is, ‘No one is above the Law.’ Many say that, and not too many always believe that. This, of course, is often in reference to civil law.

Another remark that is common is that we are ‘no longer under the Law.’ That’s another way in religious thinking to say, ‘Grace, grace, at my own pace, at my own race, at my own place…’ or something like that. Jesus had a different view:

“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. I 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. So, 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. 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!” (Matthew 5:17-19)

The Law and the Prophets are the authority and principles of the Old Testament. Jesus did not come to destroy and throw out those principles and abuse that authority. Jesus said, “No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” Other versions say ‘to fulfill them.’ One way to see this is that the Law was a shadow and Christ is the substance. The substance fulfills the shadow. The purpose of the Law is to reveal sin and our helplessness to fulfill it. It is to lead us to Christ who has fulfilled it completely and now by grace and his righteousness it is imputed to us. We are forgiven and made whole by the life, teaching and work of the cross.
No one is above the Law.

“Anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.” Jesus