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In Matthew 5.18–19, Jesus seems to answer yes, “I tell you the truth, 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. Anyone who breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

And yet, we know from a variety of passages in the New Testament that Christians are not required to keep all the commandments. Whereas Old Testament believers were commanded to circumcise male infants (Gen. 17.11, Lev. 12.3), for example, New Testament believers are not (Gal. 5.6). Whereas certain foods were considered “unclean” by Old Testament believers (Lev. 11.1–47), all foods are considered “clean” by New Testament believers (Mark 7.19, Acts 10,9–23). And while the Israelites kept the Sabbath, or seventh day, as a day of rest (Ex. 20.8–11), Christians worship God on the Lord’s Day, i.e. Sunday (Acts 20.7, 1 Cor. 16.2, Col. 2.16–17).

How do we resolve this apparent discrepancy between the teaching of Jesus and the practice of his disciples? There is no other way than by paying close attention to what Jesus actually said. Focus your attention on Matthew 5.17: ““I tell you the truth, 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.”

At first glance, Jesus seems to be teaching that even the smallest Old Testament laws will always remain in force. But a second look shows that he attaches two conditions to the permanence of the Law: “until heaven and earth disappear” and “until everything is accomplished.” Both of these phrases reappear in Matthew 24.34–35, where Jesus says, “I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.”

To Jesus’ way of thinking, “heaven and earth” describe the way things currently are. But “the kingdom of God/heaven” describes the way things should be. That is why the essence of his gospel is, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near” (Matt. 4.17). When the kingdom of God comes, heaven and earth begin to pass away, and God brings about a new reality. Paul calls this “the new creation” (2 Cor. 5.17). John calls it “a new heaven and a new earth” (Rev. 21.1). Moses’ Law is part of “heaven and earth,” impermanent regulations for an impermanent reality.

The Permanent Reality is Jesus Christ, whose Permanent Regulations “will never pass away.”

For example, according to Matthew 12.1–14, certain Pharisees criticized Jesus for allowing his hungry disciples to pick small heads of grain on the Sabbath and for healing a man with a shriveled hand. They interpreted both actions as violations of the prohibition of work on the Sabbath. Jesus responded to their criticism by refuting their misreading of the law. But his response so angered them that they “plotted how they might kill Jesus.”

No wonder, then, Jesus felt it necessary to declare his intentions regarding the law. “Do not think,” he proclaimed, “that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them” (Matt. 5.17). What did Jesus’ words mean to his original hearers? And what do they mean to us?

To abolish the law meant to annul it or to set it aside. The Pharisees believed Jesus was annulling the Sabbath law by allowing his disciples to work on the Sabbath, or by working himself. Obviously, Jesus did not interpret his actions in the same way. He did not believe he was abolishing the law.

But what did he mean by saying that he fulfilled the law? Matthew uses the word “fulfill” sixteen times. Twelve of those times refer to how Jesus fulfilled various Old Testament prophecies (1.22; 2.15, 17, 23; 4.14; 8.17; 12.17; 13.35; 21.3; 26.54; 26.56; 27.9). That is the most likely meaning of the verb here. Jesus is saying that he fulfills Scripture (“the Law or the Prophets”). The entire Old Testament is, as it were, a prophecy about him.

Luke 24.27 makes this point explicit by relating a conversation between Jesus and two of his disciples: “And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the Scriptures concerning himself.” As St. Augustine puts it, “The New Testament is in the Old Testament concealed, the Old Testament is in the New Testament revealed.” And Jesus is the Revealer.

But what does Matthew 5.17 mean for us? If Jesus did not abolish the Law of Moses, are we Christians required to obey it? Yes and no. I will try to explain these answers in subsequent devotionals, but for now, I want to focus on a different question: Do you read the Old Testament?

I ask this because in my experience, too many Christians ignore the Law and the Prophets, which seem to be filled with what one British writer called “bore, gore, and folklore.” And yet, if Jesus fulfills the Old Testament Scriptures, to ignore them is to ignore him. A bumper sticker proclaims, “Jesus is the answer.” But without the Old Testament, we don’t even know what the question is. Let’s read it and find out!