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Why Did Jesus Take Away The Law? Introduction: One area people are divided is what law of God we are under today. Recently I wrote an article for the newspaper in which I compared changing time to people wanting to change which law they are under. We can only be under one law, Romans 7.1-4. So we must look to the Bible to see which or what law we are under today . Even the casual Bible reader knows that it is divided into two sections, the Old Testament and the New Testament. Many seem to be unaware that the Old Testament has been taken away, abrogated, or made void. This lesson will deal with three points: 1. Some law was take away. The Bible plainly states there have been a change of law. 2. The identity of that law. Was it the Law of Moses or some other law? 3. Why was it taken away? Why would God replace one law with another law? I) The Bible Plainly States That Some Law Was Taken Away A) Notice the following scriptures: 1. Colossians 2.14 "Blotted out" and "Nailed to the cross" gets the point across that it is no longer in effect or valid. 2. Hebrews 7.12 "change of the law was necessary" for there to be a change in the priesthood. The Old Law's priesthood was the Levitical Priesthood; Jesus was not of the tribe of Levi, yet He is our High Priest today, therefore, there had to be a change in the law. 3. Hebrews 10.9 "takes away the first" whatever the first law was, it was taken away. 4. 2 Corinthians 3.5-11 "its glory to be done away", v. 7 "that which is done away", v. 1. 5. Ephesians 2.14 the middle wall of division was broken down. B) The prophet Jeremiah predicted the "Day would come when the Lord would make a New Covenant with his people, Jeremiah 31.31. 1. One cannot believe the Bible without believing what it says. 2. One cannot believe we are still under the same law and believe what the Bible says about a New Law being established. II) What Law Was Taken Away? A) Notice the following scriptures 1. 2 Corinthians 3.7 describes the law as the one written and engraved on stones. a. Moses received the law written on stones on Mount Sinai. Exodus 31.18. b. The shining of Moses' face is mentioned in Exodus 34.29-33. 2. Hebrews 8.8,9 identifies the Law as the one God made with Israel when He brought them out of Egypt. Jeremiah 31.31. 3. Romans 7.4-7 we are delivered from the law that says "Thou shalt not covet" B) It is evident from these scriptures that the Law that was taken away is the Law given on Mount Sinai, called the Law of Moses, or the Law of God. 1. The New Testament makes the point that one cannot say that part of the Law of Moses was done away with and part of it is still in effect today. 2. There are some people today who want to say that the dietary or the ceremonial part of the law was done away with but the 10 commandments still in force today. Others want to appeal to the Psalms to justify instrumental music, others to justify Sabbath Day keeping. 3. The Law of Moses cannot be divided into parts like that. It all was taken out of the way or none of it was taken out of the way. Galatians 5.3-4. III) Why Did Christ Take Away The Old Testament Law? A) It was faulty, Hebrews 8.7,8 1. Specifically it could not take away sin. 2. Not possible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sin, Hebrews 10.1-4. 3. For that reason it was a yoke of bondage, Acts 15.10. Able to condemn but not pardon. B) It was to last till the seed should come, Galatians 3.19-25. 1. Also described as a schoolmaster or tutor which has a limited purpose. To train the child until he is ready for the father. 2. The Law of Moses was never intended to be everlasting. C) It was only to the Jews, Deut. 5. 1. Who were at Mount Sinai? The children of Israel. 2. Ephesians 2.12 states that the Gentiles were alien from the commonwealth of Israel. D) Jesus came to fulfill the law, Matthew 5.17,18 1. To fulfill means to bring to completion, to its end purpose. 2. Only when the Law of Moses was fulfilled could the Law of Christ be put in place. We can only be under one law at a time, Romans 7.1-4. Conclusion: We are blessed to live under the perfect Law of Liberty (James 1.25), the law of the spirit of life, (Romans 8.2) as opposed to the Law of sin and death.
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