Jesus and the Law

In the last several years I have heard or heard of people saying “Jesus is the law.” Some works oriented religions make this claim. Some evangelicals who tend more to a legal approach also make this claim. Sometimes this claim is used as a crowbar to coerce people into complying with traditions that are portrayed as God’s law. 

There are several reasons why I believe claiming Jesus is the law is not accurate.

First, the Bible never says that Jesus is the law. It does say, “God is love” ( 1 John 4:8, 16). It does say, “God is light” (1 John 1:5). But the Bible does not directly say, “God is law.” Jesus never claimed that He was the law. To clarify, the Bible does say that Jesus is “the Word” (John 1:1), but “the Word” is much larger than the law and emphasizes the role of Jesus in expressing the revelation of the Father. 

Second, the letter of the law without the Spirit kills. Paul explained, “for the letter killeth, but the spirit giveth life” (2 Corinthians 3:6). Certainly, Jesus does not fit the law description of this passage. Jesus said, “For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved” (John 3:17). The law condemns, Jesus saves. 

Third, the law even arouses sin. “For when we were in the flesh, the motions of sins, which were by [aroused by] the law, did work in our members to bring forth fruit unto death” (Romans 7:5). Jesus does not arouse sin.

Fourth, the law does not remove sin, it reveals sin. “Moreover the law entered, that the offence might abound. But where sin abounded, grace did much more abound” (Romans 5:20). The law reveals sin. Although the law is holy, just, and good (Romans 7:12), the law has no power to enable you to obey it. That’s not its purpose. The law shows us when we disobey it and, thus, acts as a tutor to bring us to Christ. “Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith” (Galatians 3:24). “For the law was given by Moses, but grace  and truth came by Jesus Christ” (John 1:17). The law reveals sin to show us we need Jesus, so that we can be saved by grace through faith in Christ alone. 

Fifth, Jesus fulfilled the law, which is not equivalent to being the law. Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil” (Matthew 5:17). That Jesus claimed to fulfill the law implies Jesus is not the law itself, but rather fulfilled the law in its minute details. “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Romans 10:4). Christ is the end of the struggle to try to fulfill the law on our own. Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf that we might believe wholly in Him.

Sixth, in Christ, we died to the law in order to be joined to Christ Himself. “Wherefore, my brethren, ye also are become dead to the law by the body of Christ; that ye should be married to another, even to him who is raised from the dead, that we should bring forth fruit unto God” (Romans 7:4). Since we died to the law to be raised and joined to Jesus, Jesus is not the law. 

Seventh, Jesus delivers us from the law. “But now we are delivered from the law, that being dead wherein we were held; that we should serve in newness of spirit, and not in the oldness of the letter” (Romans 7:6). Jesus delivers us from the law and gives us His Spirit to lead us and empower us. Since Jesus delivers us from the law, He is not the law. 

Finally, the law is not the goal, Christ is. “O foolish Galatians, who hath bewitched you, that ye should not obey the truth, before whose eyes Jesus Christ hath been evidently set forth, crucified among you?” (Galatians 3:1). Paul essentially said, “Why did you take your eyes off Jesus?” Keep looking to Jesus, for Jesus is the object of faith for both salvation and spiritual growth (Galatians 3:2ff). When you look to Jesus, He authors faith (Hebrews 12:2). When you trust in Jesus, the fruit of the Spirit of Jesus is love (Galatians 5:22) and love fulfills the law (Galatians 5:14; Romans 13:10). 

In summary, the law is God’s law, but it is not the same as Jesus. Ultimately, the law pronounces death, but Jesus imparts life.