A Reflection on Matthew 5:17-19
When Jesus declared, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill," He wasn't just making a theological statement - He was revealing the most beautiful love story ever told. Imagine the Old Testament as a magnificent symphony with hundreds of instruments playing their parts, building toward one crescendo. Every prophecy, every promise, every prefiguring was like a musical note waiting for its resolution. Then Jesus steps onto the stage of history, and suddenly every melody finds its harmony. He is the Lamb that Abraham saw in the thicket, the suffering servant Isaiah described, the shepherd-king David foreshadowed. In Christ, God's ancient promises don't become obsolete; they become gloriously complete.
The beauty of Jesus as fulfillment means we're not dealing with a cosmic game of "gotcha" where God changes the rules halfway through. Instead, we discover that the law was always about love - it was a patient teacher preparing humanity's heart for the Ultimate Teacher. When Christ healed on the Sabbath, He wasn't breaking the law; He was showing us what Sabbath rest truly means: freedom from the bondage of sin and suffering. When He touched lepers and ate with tax collectors, He wasn't abandoning purity laws; He was demonstrating that He is the source of all purity, capable of making the unclean clean rather than being contaminated by contact with brokenness. The law pointed to holiness, and Jesus is holiness incarnate.
This fulfillment isn't just ancient history - it's our daily invitation to abundant life. Jesus didn't check off the prophecy list so we could coast; He opened the door so we could walk through it. Every time we choose mercy over judgment, we're following the One who fulfilled "I desire mercy, not sacrifice." When we feed the hungry or visit the imprisoned, we're walking in the footsteps of Him who declared, "The Spirit of the Lord is upon me to bring good news to the poor." The same Jesus who perfectly kept every jot and tittle of the law now empowers us through His Spirit to live not by mere rule-keeping, but by the love that fulfills all rules. We're not trying to earn our way to God - we're learning to live like the family members we've already become.
Here's the thrilling truth: following Jesus isn't about white-knuckling our way through a spiritual obstacle course. It's about discovering that the One who fulfilled all righteousness now shares that righteousness with us. When we stumble (and we will), we don't face a disappointed teacher tapping His foot - we encounter a loving Savior who has already walked our path perfectly and invites us to try again. The law reveals our need; Jesus meets our need. The prophets painted the picture; Jesus stepped out of the frame into our world. And now, incredibly, He invites us to be part of the ongoing story of fulfillment, as His Body in the world continues His mission of bringing heaven to earth, one act of love at a time.
©2025 James Dacey Jr.
