Christ the Fulfillment of the Law

Hebrews 1:1-9; Romans 10:4-10

GOLDEN TEXT: “God … hath in these last days spoken unto us by His Son.”—Hebrews 1:1,2

THE LAW given to Israel offered life as a reward to those who should fully meet all the requirements. The apostle stresses this point when, in our lesson he tells us that “Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. For Moses describeth the righteousness which is of the law, that the man which doeth those things shall live by them.” The proof that no Jew had been able to meet the righteous requirements of the law is evidenced by the fact that none gained life under it—they all died.

Jesus, however, who was born under the Law, and who was “holy, harmless, undefiled, and separate from sinners,” did keep the Law inviolate and thereby gained the right to live forever upon the earth as a perfect man. He died, therefore, not because He was condemned to death by the Law, but because He gave up His life in sacrifice as the world’s Redeemer. Jesus explained that He had power, or authority, to lay down His life, and power to take it; that in dying it was not because His life was being wrested from Him, but because He was surrendering it as a sacrifice.—John 10:17,18

The Law given to Israel did not specifically call for sacrifice on behalf of others. The supreme love for God and love for fellow men which it enjoined was the essence of its spirit, certainly would have led to the laying down of life itself if such a course were revealed as being the divine will. But when the Israelites said, “All these things will we do,” they evidently had little or no thought of sacrifice in mind, but were thinking rather of the blessings they hoped to attain for themselves in obeying the Law. They assuredly were blinded by self-interest from discerning the full intent and spirit of their Law which was love and they came short of its full requirements right from the start.

Jesus, in His perfection of heart, mind and body, was not only able to perfectly obey the Thou shalts and Thou shalt nots of the Law, but He grasped the deeper, fuller meaning of the covenant; namely that fulfilling its requirements involved such supreme love for God that His will and His glory and the interests of others must come ahead of self. Seemingly, then, those most pleasing to God, whether in the Jewish age, the Gospel age or the Millennial age, are those who put self-interest last. So then, whoever tried to keep the Law, inspired in his effort only by what he hoped to receive in return for his obedience, was, in his heart, failing to measure up to the spirit of the Law, even though he might have to a considerable extent kept its letter.

Jesus, the One who fulfilled the righteousness of the Law, explained to Peter that he who seeks to save his life will lose it, while he who is willing to sacrifice his life will, in the end, obtain life. (Matthew 10:39; 16:25) It was because Jesus had this viewpoint, and lived up to it, that He fulfilled the Law. This true righteousness of the Law is fulfilled in all those who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit. (Romans 8:4) This doesn’t mean, of course, that we can actually obey the Law perfectly any more than the Israelites could. The merit of Christ is needed to cover our unwilling imperfections, else, in spite of our heart intentions, we would be condemned in God’s sight. Thus we have a glimpse of this higher meaning of the Law, this one thing that was lacking in the case of the Israelites, as Jesus pointed out to the rich young ruler.—Luke 18:18-25; Mark 10:17-25

This noble young Jew had tried hard to keep the commandments, and doubtless was respected by his fellows as a man of integrity and character, but his viewpoint was not entirely unselfish. His approach to the Master indicates this. “What shall I do to inherit eternal life?” he asked. He had tried hard to keep the Law, but was not self-interest largely his motive? Jesus set the matter squarely before him, saying, “One thing thou lackest,” that is, you have failed in one point, “Go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor.”—Matthew 19:21

From this it is clear that what the young man lacked was the spirit of sacrifice that would prompt him to consider the interests of others as coming ahead of his own. This instruction was given, of course, at the turn of the age. The opportunity of gaining earthly life by keeping the Laws was about to end. A new age was opening up, and with it a new hope of life; namely, heavenly life. To the rich, young ruler Jesus alluded to it as “treasure in heaven.”

Jesus’ supreme love for righteousness—God’s righteousness—which is the essence of unselfishness, proved Him worthy of high exaltation. As our lesson puts it, He was “anointed with the oil of gladness above His fellows.”—Hebrews 1:9

The message of our Golden Text is important. The same God, the Creator of the universe, who spoke unto the fathers of Israel through the prophets, is now speaking to His people through His Son.

So the same theme song of the prophets, the blessing of all the families of the earth through a coming Messiah, is still our theme song today, for Jesus came to make those promises come true. We may share with Him in this if we follow Him in self-sacrifice into death. Thus we may gain life by losing life, and with Jesus, be exalted to the divine nature, and to the glory of God.—Rom. 5:2; Heb. 2:10-12; II Pet. 1:4

QUESTIONS:

What did the Jews hope to obtain by keeping the Law?

What was the one thing the rich, young ruler lacked in his effort to keep the Law?

Howe is the righteousness of the Law fulfilled in Christians?

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