The Law, Jesus and the Law
In this final installment of our series on the law, Pastor Tim Carpenter explores how we are to understand and relate to the 613 Old Testament laws in light of Jesus. While we are no longer obligated to keep these laws because Jesus fulfilled them perfectly on our behalf, we are called to a deeper standard: the law of love. Discover how transitioning from the guardian of the law to the freedom of grace shifts our focus from mere external performance to genuine, inside-out heart transformation. Join us as we learn what it means to live out this law of love daily and walk in the grace made possible through Christ's perfect sacrifice.
Deep Dive Podcast
Chapters:
0:00 - The Law and Jesus Today
1:35 - Do We Follow Old Testament Laws?
3:00 - Jesus Summarizes the Law
6:35 - Jesus Fulfilled, Not Abolished, the Law
12:00 - The Law as Our Guardian Until Christ
17:19 - Ceremonial & Civil Laws Addressed
23:25 - The New Testament Law of Love
28:28 - Love is the Fulfillment of the Law
30:09 - Summary and Call to Transformation
Understanding the Law in Light of Jesus: A Study Guide
This study guide examines the relationship between the Old Testament law and the life of faith following the ministry of Jesus. It explores the transition from being under the law as a "guardian" to living under grace through the "law of love."
Short-Answer Quiz
Instructions: Answer the following questions in two to three sentences based on the provided text.
What is the "Torah," and how is it defined in the source?
According to the transcript, why are modern believers no longer obligated to follow the 613 laws of the Old Testament?
How did Jesus summarize the entire Old Testament law and the prophets in Matthew 22?
What is the significance of Jesus saying he came to "fulfill" the law rather than "abolish" it?
Explain the metaphor of the "guardian" as used in the book of Galatians regarding the law.
Why was it necessary for Jesus to keep the law perfectly before his sacrifice on the cross?
How does the source distinguish between the Old Testament ceremonial law and the work of Jesus?
What is the "civil law" mentioned in the text, and why does it not apply to modern believers in the same way it did to ancient Israel?
According to the Sermon on the Mount, how does Jesus' "law of love" change the requirement for a commandment like "thou shalt not murder"?
Why does the source suggest that a person must be "reborn" to truly live out the law of love?
Answer Key
The Torah refers to the first five books of the Old Testament. The term itself is translated as "the teaching," serving as the foundational instruction for the people of Israel.
Believers do not have to follow these laws because Jesus followed them perfectly in their place. He acted as a representative who fulfilled the legal obligations that humanity could not meet.
Jesus stated that the entire law hangs on two commandments: loving God with all one's heart, soul, and mind, and loving one's neighbor as oneself. He presented these as the lens through which all other laws should be understood and applied.
Jesus did not come to cancel or get rid of the law, but to complete its requirements. He affirmed that every "jot and tittle"—even the smallest stroke of a pen—remains significant until everything is accomplished through his life and sacrifice.
The law acted as a guardian that held people in custody and watched over them until the "coming of faith." Once faith in Christ arrived, the period of being under this protective but restrictive guardian ended.
If Jesus had sinned by breaking the law, he would not have been a "perfect sacrifice" and could not have stood in the place of others. By keeping the law perfectly, he became the only person qualified to pay for the sins of those who broke the law.
Ceremonial law involved animal sacrifices to atone for sins, which were merely a "shadow" of things to come. Jesus became the final, once-and-for-all sacrifice, rendering the old system of animal offerings unnecessary.
Civil law dictated how the specific nation of ancient Israel operated as a political entity. Since modern believers are not citizens of that ancient national system, they are not bound by its specific legal codes, though they may still find helpful truths within them.
Jesus shifts the focus from external performance to internal posture, stating that even being angry or calling someone a "fool" is subject to judgment. The law of love requires addressing the hatred in the heart, not just refraining from the physical act of murder.
The text argues that humans are incapable of living out the law of love through their own effort or external performance. A "transformation from the inside out" is required so that the law of love can be implanted and flow naturally out of a person.
Essay Questions
The Evolution of the Law: Analyze the transcript's argument that the law is understood differently "depending on where they are in the story." Use the examples of parenting and marriage provided in the text to explain how the underlying purpose of the law remains constant while its application shifts.
Shadow vs. Reality: Using the Book of Hebrews as referenced in the source, discuss the concept of the law being a "shadow of the good things that are coming." Explain why the blood of bulls and goats was ultimately insufficient for the permanent removal of sin.
The Internalization of Commandments: Explore the distinction between "external performance" and "internal motivation" as presented in the Sermon on the Mount. How does Jesus "ramp up" the requirements of the Ten Commandments, and why does this make "grace" more necessary?
The Law of Love as Fulfillment: Based on Romans 13, discuss how love acts as the fulfillment of the law. Explain the logic that a person who truly loves their neighbor has already met the requirements of commands such as "do not steal" or "do not covet."
Freedom and Stewardship: Using the discussion of tattoos and the anecdote about cleaning the duplex, discuss the relationship between Christian freedom and motivation. How does the source suggest a believer should make decisions when they are "not under the law" but are called to "love God and love others"?
Glossary of Key Terms
Term
Definition
Abolish
To cancel, get rid of, or completely do away with a set of rules or laws.
Atonement
The act of making amends or reparation for sin, historically through the sacrificial system.
Ceremonial Law
Laws pertaining to the Israelite sacrificial system and religious rituals used to deal with sin.
Civil Law
The legal system and regulations governing the ancient nation of Israel as a political body.
Fulfill
To complete or carry out a requirement perfectly; in the text, it refers to Jesus meeting every demand of the law.
Grace
The state of being under God's favor and forgiveness rather than being judged by the strict performance of the law.
Guardian
A metaphor for the law's role in watching over and "locking up" people until the arrival of faith in Christ.
Jot and Tittle
References to the smallest letters and tiny strokes of a pen in the Hebrew language, signifying the absolute detail of the law.
Moral Law
The code of conduct regarding right and wrong behavior that reflects God’s standard for human character.
Sin
Defined in the source as the act of breaking the law of God.
Torah
The first five books of the Old Testament, literally meaning "the teaching."
