Introduction
The Mosaic law contains a number of prophecies about the birth and the life of the Christ. In this edition of our Newsletter, the claims of Jesus, that the prophecies in the Law are about Him, is discussed.
The Law Prophesied About Christ
“And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. And if ye will receive it, this is Elias, which was for to come. He that hath ears to hear, let him hear” (Mat 11:12-15).
According to Christ, the Law is an embodiment of prophecies concerning Himself. It is aimed at presenting Him to the audience. He, therefore, says that ” Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of me,) to do thy will, O God” (Psa 40:7, Heb 10:7). The entire volume of the Law is meant to reveal God´s salvific plan for humankind. It was against this background that Jesus challenged the Jews to carefully read the Law or the scriptures because in it they claim to have eternal life (Joh 5:39). Jesus adds that if the Jews had believed in Moses they would have believed in Him too because Moses did write about Him in his books (Joh 5:45-47).
In Paul´s submission, the Law was introduced to lead us to the Messiah. He thus writes that:
“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith or Christ has come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster” (Gal 3:24-25).
Jesus Fulfills the Law
“Think not that I am come to destroy the law or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill”(Mat 5:17).
Jesus who was born under the law (Gal 4:4), had issues with the Mosaic Law, but He did not reject it outright. He affirms that the Law predicted His incarnation, so His coming into the world is the fulfillment of the Law. Therefore, when He met the men on the way to Emmaus, He explained the Gospel unto them from the writings of Moses that concern Him (Lk 24:13-27).
Jesus unequivocally states that “Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled” (Mat 5:18) in Him. Again, Jesus reminds His disciples that “..all things must be fulfilled, which were written in the law of Moses ” (Lk 24:44). Jesus wants His followers to understand that everything that the Law says would happen in the life of the Messiah, would be perfected in Him. In other words, all the predictions that Moses wrote about concerning the Savior must be seen realized in Christ Jesus.
Conclusion
The Law contains prophecies that point to Christ, so all these prophecies must be fulfilled in the person of Christ Jesus, as the only true Savior of the world. The Law was to teach and lead us until the incarnation of the Savior, Jesus Christ.
Prayer: Lord God, may you enlighten us to comprehend your word as we read it. In the name of Christ Jesus. Amen.