03 May The 10 Commandments, Part 6: God’s Law Is All About Jesus!
So how should we interpret and study the law? Jesus said, “Everything written about me in the Law of Moses . . . must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). And, “The law is about me.”
The Old Testament is about Jesus. The New Testament is about Jesus. Everything foreshadows his coming, explains his victory, or prepares us for his coming again. The whole Bible is about Jesus. That’s what Jesus said.
The law shows us our sin and our need for a Savior. As we read the law, we realize God is holy, perfect, and good, and he has demands for us. We have fallen short of them, and we have failed him. Our sin is transgression of the law. But Jesus came as our Savior, and he fulfilled the law—all of it. He lived with complete obedience to the law; he died in our place; he absorbed the wrath of God, allowing it to pass over us; and he blesses us and sets us free as children of God to live new lives in freedom.
This is what the Bible calls “good news.” The people of Israel could not save themselves. They were set free. Their entire story shows us how Jesus saves.
Jesus is the greater Moses and the One who alone fulfills the law. Jesus is the greater leader; he did not kill his enemies like Moses did but allowed us to kill him. Jesus is the greater Passover Lamb who was slain to remove God’s wrath from us. Jesus is the greater firstborn Son who died for our sin and none of his own. Jesus is the greater pillar of cloud who walks with us day and night (see Exodus 14:19). Jesus is the greater victor who defeated the greatest Pharaoh ever, Satan. Jesus is the great Savior who redeems not millions from one nation but billions from every nation. Jesus is the greater Redeemer, taking us to a greater Promised Land, the eternal kingdom of God. And Jesus is the greater Lawgiver, not only writing his law on stone but also on the new hearts that he gives us, hearts that want to obey his law. That’s our Jesus.
When we go to the law, we need to understand what we have failed to do, what Jesus has done, what Jesus wants to do for us, what Jesus can do in us, and what Jesus can do through us. We will still be tempted to sin, but when we are tempted, we need to understand the Father’s heart.
When your Father says, “Don’t do that,” remember the heart of your Father. Don’t just look at the law, but look in the face of the Lawgiver.
