Thoughts on Jesus and “the law”

What did it mean to be a “faithful Jew”?

I think one part of the answer to this question would be that someone would’ve been done all the things that marked someone out as a Jew – “kept” the Torah, was circumcised, participated in festivals, etc. And, if someone “transgressed” the Torah, they would’ve utilized the means instituted to be forgiven of the offense – the sacrificial system. But, faithful did not mean perfection.

But, I think there was another element to this. For Israel to be faithful, as a whole, would’ve meant that the promise to Abraham would be fulfilled through them (as a whole). All nations would be blessed through Israel. How would this be done?

Deut. 4:5-8 – “I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?”

This was what it meant for Israel to not only itself be obedient and blessed, but for Israel to be faithful to God’s ultimate purpose for Israel – the blessing of the world. But, the history of Israel shows that the nation could not be faithful to this calling. Instead of the nations looking at Israel and asking these kinds of questions, Yahweh’s name was blasphemed among them because of Israel (Isa. 52:5, Rom. 2:24). This was why Israel was exiled (not because the nation as a whole wasn’t morally perfect).

So, how does this relate to the idea that Jesus came to “fulfill the Law” (Mt. 5:17), or that he was the “end/goal of the Law” (Rom. 10:4)? If being a faithful Jew did not mean “moral perfection,” then this does not necessarily imply that Jesus himself fulfilled the Law BY BEING morally perfect (though that is necessarily true). But, for Jesus to fulfill the Law meant that He actually came to accomplish the vocation/calling/mission of Israel – to bless all nations. The Messiah is the “goal” of the Law because Israel itself could not complete its task.

If we look at this from the angle of Jesus fulfilling the Law by being morally perfect, then we can easily imply that what it means to be faithful to God is to “earn” His favor by being morally perfect. But, Jesus didn’t “earn” God’s favor for us (he wasn’t a legalist!). Israel was given the Torah as a good gift – not to be used solely for its own good, but ultimately for the good of the world. The purpose of the Torah was never to make someone perfect or to earn God’s favor by obeying it. Its ultimate purpose was to cause Israel to be a light to the nations.

I think we have to be very careful here, because many times the language we use ends up sounding like “Jesus obeyed the Law because we couldn’t” – which to most people means that Jesus was morally perfect because we aren’t (or can’t be). This may be true, but it’s not the main point. Just like Israel, we are chosen by God to be the means by which God brings shalom to the whole world. We are never chosen primarily for ourselves. Jesus accomplished the vocation of Israel, and has given us the Spirit to continue that mission to the ends of the earth.