Jesus and the Law: Fulfilling Not Abolishing
He didn’t come to cancel the commandments — He came to complete them in you.
Maybe you’ve grown up around religion. Maybe you’ve heard the commandments — don’t lie, don’t steal, love your neighbor — but they’ve always felt more like a burden than a blessing. Maybe you’ve tried to live right, follow the rules, check all the boxes… and still felt distant from God. Empty. Tired. Unsure if you’re doing enough.
Or maybe you’ve gone the other way. Maybe you’ve run from religion because all you ever heard were “don’ts” and “shoulds” and “God’s watching.” The Law felt like a cage, not a guide. And Jesus? You’re not sure where He fits in the mix of rules and rituals.
Here’s the truth: Jesus didn’t come to throw away the Law. He came to fulfill it — perfectly, completely, and eternally — not just in Himself, but in you.
In this article, True Jesus Way will explore one central truth: Jesus fulfills the Law so that we may live in the freedom and power of His righteousness, not the fear and failure of our own.
This truth matters eternally — because if you misunderstand why Jesus came, you’ll either fall into despair trying to be good enough, or walk away thinking grace means anything goes. But the real Jesus offers something far better: a heart transformed from the inside out.
✨ One Central Truth: Jesus Fulfills the Law — Not Abolishes It
What Did Jesus Actually Say?
Let’s begin with His own words. In Matthew 5:17–18, Jesus said:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”
This is stunning.
Jesus directly addresses a common misconception — that His coming somehow rendered the Old Testament Law irrelevant. But He says the opposite. He came not to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.
But what does that mean?
📖 Fulfilling the Law: More Than Obeying Rules
To “fulfill” the Law means more than just obeying all the commandments. It means completing their purpose — bringing them to their intended goal. Jesus didn’t merely check off boxes of behavior. He embodied the very heart behind the Law.
1. He Perfectly Kept the Law
Jesus was the only human being to live in complete obedience to God’s Law — not just outwardly, but inwardly. Every thought, every motive, every action was holy, pure, and loving. Hebrews 4:15 says:
“He was tempted in every way, just as we are — yet He did not sin.”
He didn’t just refrain from sin; He actively fulfilled righteousness.
He didn’t just avoid murder — He loved His enemies.
He didn’t just avoid adultery — He honored the image of God in every woman.
He didn’t just keep the Sabbath — He became our ultimate rest.
Jesus lived the Law from the heart, showing us what it truly looks like when love fulfills the commandments (Romans 13:10).
2. He Took the Law’s Judgment on Himself
The Law not only shows us how to live — it also exposes how we fail to live that way. Romans 3:20 says:
“Through the Law we become conscious of our sin.”
And the penalty for sin is death (Romans 6:23). The Law is like a mirror — it shows us our dirt, but it cannot clean us.
But here is the Gospel: Jesus, who had no sin, took upon Himself the punishment the Law demanded for our sins. Galatians 3:13 says:
“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us.”
On the cross, He fulfilled the Law’s justice so He could offer us mercy.
3. He Writes the Law on Our Hearts
In the Old Covenant, the Law was written on stone tablets. But in the New Covenant, something miraculous happens. God promises in Jeremiah 31:33:
“I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts.”
Jesus makes this possible. Through His Spirit, He doesn’t just tell us what to do — He gives us the desire and power to do it (Philippians 2:13).
You’re not just forgiven — you’re being transformed.
🪞 What the Law Couldn’t Do — Jesus Did
Romans 8:3–4 says it clearly:
“For what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own Son… in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fully met in us.”
The Law is good — but it can’t save us. It can show us right and wrong, but it can’t make us righteous.
Only Jesus can.
And He doesn’t just forgive you — He lives in you. The righteous requirements of the Law are fulfilled in us — not by our striving, but by His Spirit dwelling within.
🌍 Why This Matters in Real Life
1. For the Guilty and Ashamed
If you’ve broken God’s commandments — and we all have — you may feel condemned. The Law has done its job: it has shown your need. But don’t stop there.
Run to Jesus. He didn’t come to condemn you — He came to save you (John 3:17). He fulfilled the Law so that you could be made clean, not crushed.
2. For the Religious and Rule-Keepers
Maybe you pride yourself in being a “good person.” You try hard to do what’s right. But deep down, you know: even your best isn’t perfect.
Don’t trust in your obedience — trust in His. The Gospel is not “try harder” — it’s “trust deeper.” His fulfillment of the Law is your only hope of righteousness.
3. For the Weary and Defeated
Maybe you’ve failed again and again. You want to follow Jesus, but you keep falling. The Law keeps reminding you that you’re not enough.
That’s exactly where grace begins.
Jesus not only fulfilled the Law for you — He now fulfills it in you. As you surrender to Him daily, the Spirit changes your desires, your habits, your heart.
You’re not under law — you’re under grace (Romans 6:14).
But grace isn’t permission to sin. It’s power to obey — from the inside out.
🔥 Jesus Redefines Righteousness — From Rules to Relationship
In Matthew 5, Jesus gives what we now call the Sermon on the Mount. He didn’t lower the Law’s standard — He raised it.
“You have heard it said, ‘Do not murder,’ but I say to you, anyone who is angry…”
“You have heard it said, ‘Do not commit adultery,’ but I say to you, anyone who looks with lust…”
He moves from external compliance to internal transformation.
And then He says something shocking in Matthew 5:20:
“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”
How could anyone be more righteous than the most religious people?
Only one way: Receive the righteousness of Christ.
2 Corinthians 5:21 says:
“God made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God.”
That’s the heart of the Gospel.
🕊 Living in the Freedom of Fulfillment
When Jesus fulfills the Law in you:
- You don’t obey to earn love — you obey because you’re loved.
- You’re not trying to climb up to God — God came down to you.
- You’re not a slave to rules — you’re a child of the King.
Romans 13:8–10 sums it up:
“Love is the fulfillment of the law.”
When Jesus lives in you, love becomes your new law. Not the cheap kind of love that winks at sin, but the holy, costly, cross-shaped love that changes everything.
✝️ Come to Jesus
You were never meant to carry the burden of the Law alone. You were never meant to try to earn God’s approval by rule-keeping. That path leads to pride, guilt, or despair.
Jesus fulfilled the Law — every command, every requirement, every judgment. And now He offers you:
- Forgiveness for every failure
- Righteousness not your own
- A heart that truly loves what God loves
But you must come to Him.
Repent of your sins. Lay down your self-righteousness. Surrender your brokenness. Trust in His finished work on the cross.
He’s not asking for your perfection — He’s offering you His.
“Come to Me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.” (Matthew 11:28)
That rest is yours — not because the Law doesn’t matter, but because Jesus fulfilled it all.
Would you pray this today?
“Jesus, I can’t keep the Law on my own. I’ve failed, and I need You. Thank You for fulfilling every command I couldn’t. Thank You for dying in my place and rising again. I surrender to You — my life, my sin, my heart. Come and live in me. Write Your law on my heart. Fill me with Your Spirit. Make me new. Amen.”
Next Steps:
- Read the Gospel of Matthew — start with chapters 5–7.
- Find a church that preaches grace and truth.
- Memorize Romans 8:1 — “There is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.”
Jesus fulfilled the Law — so you can live in the freedom of His love.