““Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished. “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:17–19, NASB95)
Again, the meaning of “the Law”, or the Torah, is teaching.
Torah is derived from the Hebrew root meaning “to reveal” or “to instruct.” In reality, it has little to do with the traditional English translation of the term as “law.” It is much more closely connected to God’s revelation of Himself with mercy and compassion than a legal code. So Torah means “revelation” or “instruction.” The Torahincludes the Ten Commandments, ethical teachings, and proper conduct. Depending on the context, Torah can refer to the first five books of Moses in the Bible, but may also refer to oral tradition.[1]
Jesus did not come to abolish the Law, the Torah, he came to reveal and instruct the way to relate to the Father by becoming a servant. He gave his life as an example for each one of us to do the same. The problem that he faced and that we also face is that it is so easy to take the “Law” and turn it into a religion and a way to bring in new ways of applying it to control, manipulate, include, and exclude people. And that is exactly what Jesus came to stop.
The word torah, often translated “law,” means guidance, direction, instruction, or teaching. That is why Israel rejoiced in the Torah. They rejoiced that God had not left them to figure out life by trial and error; he had given them guidance and direction for the path of life.[2]
Paul is very clear about it in his epistle to the Galatians. Even after everything that Jesus came to do as the fulfillment of the Torah, people were trying to lead others back into traditions that were created by men and not by God. There will always be someone willing to create a religion out of what God has done. Instead of religion, Jesus came to offer us a relationship, not based on works but based on his grace, a free gift, but based on works and merit. Nothing we can do to earn this gift.
“It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery. Behold I, Paul, say to you that if you receive circumcision, Christ will be of no benefit to you. And I testify again to every man who receives circumcision, that he is under obligation to keep the whole Law.” (Galatians 5:1–3, NASB95)
“You foolish Galatians, who has bewitched you, before whose eyes Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified? This is the only thing I want to find out from you: did you receive the Spirit by the works of the Law, or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh?” (Galatians 3:1–3, NASB95)
[1] Brad H. Young, Meet the Rabbis: Rabbinic Thought and the Teachings of Jesus (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2007), 233.
[2] Marvin R. Wilson, Exploring Our Hebraic Heritage: A Christian Theology of Roots and Renewal (Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 2014), 46–47.