“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.” Matthew 5:17 A good teacher always anticipates misunderstanding, and here, Jesus corrects a false assumption about why He came into the world. Perhaps you have thought the message of the Bible is that we are all sinners, but Jesus paid the price of our sins, so now we can get on with our lives much as we did before. This would be a complete misunderstanding. Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets.” Then He says, “Truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (5:18). One day, heaven and earth will pass away, and God will create a new heaven and a new earth. This old planet will finally be released from its pain and its groaning. When that day comes, the law will pass away because its work will be done. The righteous will be declared “not guilty,” and the wicked will be condemned. When that day comes, the prophets will pass away because all that they predicted will be accomplished. Faith will be turned to sight: God will be with His people, and He will wipe away our tears (Rev. 21:3–4). When “all is accomplished” (Mat. 5:18), the law and the prophets will pass away, but until that day, the law and the prophets remain . The law stands as God’s definition of righteousness. God tells us what a good life looks like, and it would be a complete misunderstanding to think that because Jesus came, we have no more duty towards the law of God. How have you been thinking about the role of the law in your life?
