Some of those in the crowd were experts at telling others what to do, but they themselves missed the central point of God’s laws. Jesus did not speak against the law itself but against the abuses and excesses to which it had been subjected (see John 1:17). When Jesus talked about a new way to understand God’s law, he was actually trying to bring people back to its original purpose. By Jesus’ time, religious leaders had turned the laws into a confusing mass of rules. Throughout Israel’s history, however, these laws had often been misquoted and misapplied. God gave His laws to help people love God with all their hearts and minds. The moral law reveals the nature and will of God, and it still applies today. The moral law (such as the Ten Commandments) is the direct command of God, and it requires strict obedience (see Exod 20:13, for example). Jesus demonstrated these principles by example. But the principles behind the commands are timeless and should guide our conduct. Because modern society and culture are so radically different from that time and setting, all of these guidelines cannot be followed specifically. The civil law applied to daily living in Israel (see Deut 24:10-11, for example). The Pharisees often accused Jesus of violating ceremonial law. While ceremonial law no longer binds us, the principles behind them-to worship and love a holy God-still apply. Its primary purpose was to point forward to Jesus Christ these laws, therefore, were no longer necessary after Jesus’ death and resurrection. The ceremonial law related specifically to Israel’s worship (see Lev 1:2-3, for example). If Jesus did not come to abolish the law, does that mean all the Old Testament laws still apply to us today? In the Old Testament, the law has three dimensions: ceremonial, civil, and moral. But I warn you-unless your righteousness is better than the righteousness of the teachers of religious law and the Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven!” - MATTHEW 5:17-20 DOES THE OLD TESTAMENT LAW STILL APPLY? But anyone who obeys God’s laws and teaches them will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven. So if you ignore the least commandment and teach others to do the same, you will be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not even the smallest detail of God’s law will disappear until its purpose is achieved. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. It is often referred to in Scripture as the “Law of Moses,” the “tablets of the covenant,” or just “Law”. The Old Testament Law is found in Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.
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