17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 5:17-20)
The Lord Jesus came to the world and the New Testament era started. He said that He did not come to abolish the laws and prophets of the Old Testament, but to fulfill them. The Lord Jesus went on to say that if a person sets aside the least of the commandments and teaches others, he is the least in the kingdom of heaven; but if a person keeps the commandments and teaches others to obey them, he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. The Pharisees were a sect at that time. They were self-righteous people. The Pharisees kept the small things of the law, but they failed to obey the more important things in the law, namely, justice, mercy, and faithfulness. The Lord Jesus told them that they should keep the more important things of the commandments while without neglecting the small ones. The Lord Jesus taught us that our righteousness must surpass the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees in order to enter the kingdom of heaven, that is, we must obey both the important and the least of the commandments.
37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” (Matthew 22:37-40)
Here the Lord Jesus talked about two great commandments, one is to love God, and the other is to love people, which is the summary of all the teachings of the law and the prophets.
8 Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. 9 The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” 10 Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. (Romans 13:8-10)
The essence of the law is the Ten Commandments. Here the Lord Jesus said that the Ten Commandments are all included in loving others as yourself. Love others as yourself fulfills the Ten Commandments, and love fulfills the law.
May God bless you and your family. 🙏😊
