When I was growing up we didn’t have a lot of rules. There were a couple rules about the pool: one person on the diving board at a time and don’t jump or dive toward the side. I may have benefited from having a few more rules. But if Mom or Dad got on the diving board with one of us, or if one of them told us to get on the diving board with someone else, then we would do that. That’s because the ruler is greater than the rules. When Jesus came to us, the ruler stood in the place of the rules. In Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount he said that he came not to abolish the law and the prophets but to fulfill them.
The Israelites had 613 God-given rules to live by. Jesus came and said, in this sermon, that the rules have a different meaning now that he was there. Jesus said that he came not to abolish the law (like crossing something off your to do list) but to fulfill the law (he checked it off the to list). He was perfect in keeping all 613 laws, and the prophets were telling of the time he would come.
There is more to it. Jesus is the author of the law and the one who revealed prophecies about himself to the prophets. Jesus is even the words that were revealed to the people who wrote them. He created the minds that were able to understand his speech and the ears that could hear him speaking. How amazing is Jesus? The Apostle Paul said that Jesus “is over all and through all and in all.” I am thankful to be ruled by Jesus.
