Jesus and the Law in Matthew: Fulfillment, Interpretation, and the Gospel
Introduction
Jesus’ relationship to the Law was central to his ministry and is foundational to Christian theology. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus makes the powerful claim, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill” (Matthew 5:17).
What does it mean for Jesus to fulfill the law—and how does this connect to the idea of grace, the gospel, and Paul’s teachings on the Law?
This post explores these questions through the lens of Matthew’s Gospel, with important insights from Paul and Reformation theology.
The Law in Matthew’s Gospel
The Gospel of Matthew is structured in a way that mirrors the Torah, the first five books of the Hebrew Scriptures. Just as the Torah contains five books—Genesis through Deuteronomy—Matthew is organized around five major blocks of Jesus’ teaching. Each of these discourses ends with a phrase like “When Jesus had finished saying these things…” (cf. Matthew 7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1), suggesting intentional literary design.
These five sections are:
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) – ethical teaching, echoing Sinai.
The Mission Discourse (Matthew 10) – instructions to the disciples.
The Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13) – revealing the nature of the Kingdom of Heaven.
The Community Discourse (Matthew 18) – life and relationships within the church.
The Olivet Discourse (Matthew 24–25) – teaching about judgment and the end of the age.
Just as Moses delivered God’s law to the people of Israel in five books, Jesus delivers the new law—the fullness of God’s will—across five major teachings in Matthew.
This structure underscores Matthew’s portrayal of Jesus not only as Israel’s Messiah, but as the new and greater Moses, bringing the story of Israel to its fulfillment.
Jesus Fulfills, Not Abolishes
In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus states explicitly that he has not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17). The Greek word plēroō can mean to complete, to bring to fullness, or to accomplish. Jesus doesn’t discard the Torah—he deepens its meaning.
“Pleroo” was used to describe things like filling a net with fish, completing a contract, or bringing a ship to capacity. In Matthew’s gospel, the word is deployed to show how Jesus brings the Old Testament to fullness.
Jesus doesn’t discard the law, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17). Therefore, we learn that:
Jesus embodies the moral and prophetic arc of the Old Testament
Jesus reveals the deeper intent behind the law—internal transformation, not just external compliance
Raising the Bar, Not Lowering It
Throughout Matthew 5, Jesus uses the formula: “You have heard… but I say to you.” He intensifies the Law:
Not just avoiding murder, but avoiding anger.
Not just avoiding adultery, but rejecting lust.
Not just keeping oaths, but being truthful in every word.
This isn’t law-breaking—it’s law-revealing. Jesus exposes the heart behind the commandments.
Jesus as the New Moses
Matthew presents Jesus’ life in ways that mirror Moses:
A tyrant threatens Jesus at birth (Herod, like Pharaoh).
Jesus escapes to Egypt and returns (Matthew 2:13–15).
He goes up a mountain to deliver teaching, just like Moses at Sinai.
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7) becomes a kind of new Torah. But instead of stone tablets, it’s inscribed on the hearts of listeners. Jesus is not abolishing Moses; He is embodying and completing Moses’ mission.
What “Fulfill” Means—Law and Gospel
Theologically, the idea that Jesus “fulfilled the law” has huge implications. It ties directly to the Reformation concept of law and gospel:
The Law reveals our sin and God’s standards.
The Gospel reveals grace, forgiveness, and salvation through Christ.
Jesus lives a perfect life of obedience under the law, fulfilling its demands on our behalf. This is not a rejection of the law, but a gracious substitution—He fulfills it so that we don’t bear its curse.
This leads to the Christian view that:
“The law drives us to the gospel, and the gospel frees us to love the law.” as our friends in the Lutheran tradition explain to us in The Formula of Concord (1577), Article V.
This law-gospel framework answers many theological questions people search for:
What is the difference between law and gospel?
Did Jesus abolish the Old Testament law?
What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law and the prophets?
How Paul Addresses the Law and the Gospel
Paul, formerly a Pharisee, had an intimate knowledge of the Law. His letters (especially Romans and Galatians) explain the purpose of the Law and how it relates to faith in Christ.
Key Passages:
Romans 3:20: “For no human being will be justified in his sight by deeds prescribed by the law.”
Galatians 3:24: “The law was our disciplinarian until Christ came.”
Paul’s point is that the Law was never meant to save—it was meant to lead us to Christ. The law defines sin (Romans 7:7), but it cannot rescue us from it. That’s what the Gospel does.
So when Jesus says he “fulfills” the law, Paul agrees: Jesus embodies righteousness and offers it freely to us by grace.
Paul’s teaching on the Law and the Gospel flows directly from his own dramatic experience of grace. Once a zealous enforcer of the Law, Paul came to understand that the Law, while holy and good, was never intended as a means of salvation. Instead, it functions more like a mirror: it reveals the depth of our sin but it also offers no remedy for it (See Romans 7:7-12).
In Galatians 3, Paul explains that the Law was our paidagogos, a guardian or tutor meant to guide us until Christ came. The Law restrains and convicts, but it cannot transform the heart. That work belongs to the Gospel, which proclaims that righteousness is a gift from God through faith in Jesus Christ, because Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Law (Romans 3:21-22)
When Jesus declares in Matthew 5:17 that he came to “fulfill” the Law, Paul’s theology helps us see what that means. Jesus does not merely meet the Law’s requirements; He completes its deepest purpose—to point us to himself. In Christ, the Law’s demands are both satisfied and surpassed, not through our striving, but by grace. Paul’s testimony affirms that the Law drives us to the Gospel, and the Gospel frees us to love the Law—not as a ladder to heaven, but as a reflection of God’s good will now written on our hearts (Romans 2:15; Galatians 5:13–14).
Law and Gospel for Today
The church has long wrestled with how to apply the Law:
Are Christians still bound by the Old Testament?
What about Sabbath, dietary rules, or civil penalties?
Many theologians follow the threefold division:
Moral law (e.g. Ten Commandments) — still relevant.
Ceremonial law (sacrifices, festivals) — fulfilled in Christ.
Civil law (for Israel’s nationhood) — not binding for the church.
Jesus gives a summary of the entire law:
“Love the Lord your God… and love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:37–40).
This means Christians aren’t lawless—we’re guided by the spirit of the law, now written on our hearts (Jeremiah 31:33; Romans 8:3–4).
FAQ Section
What does it mean that Jesus fulfilled the law?
It means Jesus lived a perfectly obedient life under God’s law, fulfilling its demands and prophecies, and completed what the law pointed toward—righteousness, justice, and redemption.
Did Jesus abolish the law?
No. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus says he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. He deepened its meaning and embodied its true intent.
What is the relationship between law and gospel?
The law shows our need for salvation; the gospel announces that salvation is freely given in Jesus Christ. The law convicts; the gospel comforts.
How does Paul explain the law and gospel?
Paul teaches that the law reveals sin but cannot save. The gospel, through Jesus, offers justification by faith apart from the law (see Romans 3:28, Galatians 2:16).
Are Christians still under the Old Testament law?
Christians are not under the law for salvation, but the moral principles of the law still guide our lives. Jesus summarized the law as love for God and neighbor.
Conclusion
In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus doesn’t dismiss the Law—He fulfills it. He interprets it with authority, embodies it with love, and accomplishes it in a way that opens the door to grace. When we understand the balance of law and gospel, we see that Jesus didn’t loosen God’s commands—He brought them to their deepest meaning and carried their weight for us. That’s good news
