11/22/24 Word Count – 487 Reading Time – 2.2 minutes

In Matthew 5:17 Jesus tells us ; “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the propjets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill.” When Jesus says He came to “fulfill” the law one could understand that to mean the law was incomplete prior to Him, perhaps even insufficient. I don’t see it that way. Beginning as children we are on a lifetime journey. Much of this journey involves learning and growing into adulthood, that point in time when we are the freest to engage our free will. As toddlers we are given a simple set of rules by our parents or caregivers. As infants, because we are kept close to our caregivers at first, we don’t need many rules. Our free will is kept in check by physical boundaries. Plus, we aren’t mature enough to process rules psychologically. When we become toddlers we are able to explore a broader environment and have the mental capacity to understand verbal communication. With this maturity comes a larger set of rules; hold my hand when we cross the street, don’t touch the stove, etc. Our increased mobility, broader awareness and increased curiosity compels us to engage our free will to a greater degree and the need for more complex restrictions becomes necessary to protect us and guide our thinking as we develop.  With each stage of growth comes a broader spectrum of rules. Our first day at school, our first party, our time driving, all elicit rules and advice from our parents. When we are released into society on our own recognizance we learn of guidelines, rules and laws that keep us safe and respectful of others. Laws can be many things. They protect us, guide our behavior, inform us as to what is socially acceptable, as well as defining and safeguarding our rights as determined by the governing authorities.

When Jesus said He came to fulfill the law I don’t believe He was saying the law had been incomplete up to that point, but that there was a new spiritual environment ahead of us that necessitated an expansion of the guidelines to accommodate the upcoming challenges and opportunities we were going to encounter.  The ministry of Jesus Christ involved a lot of clarification of the intent of the existing laws and teachings on how the existing laws aligned with the new law that would be fulfilled by His ministry.  Additionally, Jesus provided a living example of the love, kindness and mercy that would set the standard for the next spiritual level. With His act of overcoming the finality of death He showed us that we had within us the ability to overcome what we understood as death and to continue on towards fulfillment of God’s purpose for us. The introduction of the Holy Spirit gave us access to the knowledge of God and a conduit to the information we need to grow spiritually.