Christ: The Fulfillment of Law and Promise

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Fulfills the Law and the Prophets

Jesus did not come to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them, giving every command and prophecy its true meaning and purpose. When Jesus steps onto the scene, He is not dismantling what came before, but filling it with Himself—He is both the dictionary and the encyclopedia of the law, defining and embodying its intent. Every detail, every command, every prophecy finds its completion in Him, and apart from Christ, the law is like a beautiful house without furniture—full of potential but empty. When you look to Jesus, you see the One who gives substance and life to what was only a shadow before. [03:51]

Matthew 5:17-18 (ESV)
“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. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Reflection: In what area of your life have you been trying to live by rules or expectations without inviting Jesus to fill them with His presence and meaning? How can you invite Him to furnish that area today?

Day 2: Every Scripture Points to Jesus

All of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation, is ultimately about Jesus—He is the fulfillment and embodiment of every promise, prophecy, and story. When you read the Bible looking for Christ, even the smallest details come alive with meaning; what once felt empty or confusing becomes vibrant and purposeful. The Old Testament is not just a collection of ancient stories, but a house waiting to be furnished by the presence of Jesus. If your Bible reading feels dry or lifeless, ask the Holy Spirit to help you see Jesus on every page, and watch as the Word comes alive in your heart. [47:59]

John 5:39 (ESV)
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.”

Reflection: As you read your Bible this week, choose one Old Testament book and, on every page, ask yourself: “How is this speaking of Jesus?” What new insights or connections do you discover?

Day 3: Jesus Fulfills Both the Letter and the Spirit of the Law

Jesus not only fulfills the law by obeying its commands, but also by taking upon Himself the consequences and curses for our failure to keep it. His baptism, death, and resurrection are the ultimate fulfillment of all the Old Testament pictures—He is the true Israel passing through the waters, the true ark in the flood, the One who drowns in judgment so we can rise to new life. In Christ, you are not just called to keep the letter of the law, but to be filled with His Spirit so that you can live out its true intent from the inside out. [01:10:01]

Romans 8:3-4 (ESV)
“For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do. By sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh and for sin, he condemned sin in the flesh, in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us, who walk not according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.”

Reflection: Where do you find yourself striving to meet God’s standards in your own strength? How can you rely on the Spirit of Jesus to fulfill the law in and through you today?

Day 4: Only Christ Can Fill Your Emptiness

Apart from Christ, you are like a beautiful car with no fuel or air—full of potential but unable to move. Jesus went to the cross to provide the fuel of His blood and rose from the dead to give you the breath of the Spirit, so that you can be filled and empowered to live for His glory. If you feel empty, dry, or stuck, know that only Jesus can truly fill you up and make you whole. He offers you fullness, not just potential, and invites you to receive His life today. [01:15:18]

Ephesians 3:19 (ESV)
“…and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”

Reflection: Is there an area in your life where you feel empty or running on “E”? What would it look like to ask Jesus to fill you with His Spirit and love in that specific area?

Day 5: You Are Called to Display Christ’s Fulfillment to the World

Now that you have been filled by Christ, you are called to go out and show off His glory—filling the world with the knowledge of Jesus and the hope of the gospel. Just as Jesus furnished the law and the Scriptures with meaning, He wants to furnish the world with His holy people, shining as light and living as salt. You are not meant to keep this fullness to yourself, but to let it overflow into your relationships, your community, and every place you go, until the day when Christ returns and all is finally fulfilled. [01:17:55]

Matthew 28:18-20 (ESV)
“And Jesus came and said to them, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.’”

Reflection: Who in your life needs to see or hear about the fullness of Christ today? What is one specific way you can display or share the hope and glory of Jesus with them this week?

Sermon Summary

The resurrection of Jesus Christ is not just a historical event—it is the completion of his baptism and the ultimate fulfillment of God’s law and promises. Just as a beautiful car is useless without fuel and air, so too is the law empty without Christ. Jesus came not to abolish the law or the prophets, but to fulfill them, to give them their true meaning and purpose. Every word, every commandment, every prophecy in Scripture finds its definition and completion in him. Like a house that becomes a home only when it is furnished, the law becomes alive and meaningful only when Christ fills it with his presence.

Jesus is not merely a prophet or a moral example; he is the very Word of God, the one who embodies and interprets the law perfectly. He is both the dictionary and the encyclopedia of the commandments—he defines them and lives them out. For example, “do not murder” is not just about refraining from physical violence, but about the state of our hearts. Jesus shows us that anger and hatred are seeds of murder, and he himself models perfect love and forgiveness, even toward his enemies.

The fulfillment Jesus brings is multi-layered. In the Sermon on the Mount, he redefines the commandments, exposing their true intent. In the Gospel of Matthew, he is shown as the one who fills up (pleō) all the prophecies and promises of the Old Testament. But it goes even deeper: Jesus is the embodiment of everything God intended and hoped for in Scripture. Every story, every law, every prophecy points to him. When we read the Bible looking for Christ, the Scriptures come alive, transforming from empty words into a living encounter with the Savior.

Apart from Christ, we are like an empty house or a car with no fuel—full of potential but lacking purpose and power. But when Jesus fills us with his Spirit and his life, we are empowered to live out the true intent of God’s law—not just in outward actions, but in transformed hearts. The call is to be filled with Christ, to let him furnish our lives, and to go out into the world displaying his glory. For those who feel empty, Jesus offers fullness—his blood to cleanse, his Spirit to empower, and his presence to make us truly alive.

Key Takeaways

1. Jesus is the Fulfillment and Interpreter of the Law Christ did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it, giving every commandment its true meaning and purpose. He is both the dictionary that defines the law and the encyclopedia that embodies it. Without Jesus, the law is like a blueprint or an empty house—beautiful but incomplete and unlivable. [13:47]
2. The Law’s True Demands Go Beyond Outward Actions Jesus exposes that the commandments are not just about external behavior but about the heart’s posture. For example, refraining from murder is not enough; harboring anger or hatred is equally condemned. Christ’s fulfillment of the law calls us to a deeper righteousness that transforms our inner life, not just our outward actions. [36:19]
3. All of Scripture Points to and Finds Its Meaning in Christ Every story, prophecy, and law in the Old Testament is ultimately about Jesus. When we read the Bible looking for Christ, even the smallest details—like a dove or a census—are infused with new meaning. This Christ-centered reading brings the Scriptures to life and turns empty words into a living encounter with God. [47:20]
4. Fulfillment in Christ Empowers Us to Live Out God’s Intent Being filled with Christ is not just about receiving forgiveness, but about being empowered to live out the true intent of God’s law. The Spirit of Christ enables us to exceed the righteousness of the Pharisees—not by mere rule-keeping, but by having hearts transformed to love, forgive, and serve as Jesus did. [58:25]
5. Apart from Christ, We Remain Empty—But in Him, We Are Made Full Without Jesus, we are like a car with no fuel or a house with no furniture—full of potential but lacking life and purpose. Christ’s death and resurrection provide the “fuel” and “air” we need: his blood cleanses us, and his Spirit fills us. In him, we find true fulfillment, hope, and the power to display his glory to the world. [74:43]

Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[00:29] - The Resurrection and Our Potential
[01:06] - Greeting and Encouragement
[03:09] - Jesus’ Words on Fulfilling the Law
[08:01] - The Constitution and the Need for Definition
[11:58] - Who Interprets the Law?
[13:47] - Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Law
[16:59] - House vs. Home: The Law Needs Furnishing
[20:06] - Misconceptions About Jesus’ Mission
[25:06] - Four Levels of Fulfillment
[26:17] - The Ten Commandments: Vertical and Horizontal
[30:45] - Guarding the Glory of Christ
[35:40] - Jesus as Dictionary and Encyclopedia of the Law
[39:34] - “Pleo”: Filling Up the Promises
[46:41] - Jesus Embodies All of Scripture
[47:59] - Christ-Centered Bible Reading
[53:22] - Every Book Preaches Jesus
[55:48] - Our Emptiness Without Christ
[57:45] - Fulfilling the Law by the Spirit
[59:39] - Every Detail Matters: The Word of God
[63:00] - Baptism: Old Testament and Jesus
[70:01] - Jesus Takes the Curse and Fulfills the Law
[74:43] - The Resurrection and Our Fulfillment
[77:16] - The Coming Glory and Our Calling
[78:35] - Invitation to Receive Christ

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 5:17-18 (ESV) — > “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. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.”

Observation Questions

According to Jesus in Matthew 5:17-18, what is his relationship to the Law and the Prophets? What does he say he came to do?
In the sermon, what examples did the pastor give to show that the law is “empty” or “incomplete” without Christ? ([19:29])
How does Jesus redefine the commandment “do not murder” in the Sermon on the Mount, according to the sermon? ([36:19])
What does the pastor mean when he says Jesus is both the “dictionary” and the “encyclopedia” of the commandments? ([35:40])

Interpretation Questions

Why is it important that Jesus did not come to abolish the law, but to fulfill it? What does “fulfill” mean in this context? ([13:47])
The sermon says that “every story, prophecy, and law in the Old Testament is ultimately about Jesus.” How does this change the way we read the Bible? ([47:20])
The pastor describes the law as a “house” that only becomes a “home” when Christ furnishes it. What does this analogy teach us about the purpose of God’s law? ([19:29])
According to the sermon, what is the difference between obeying the law outwardly and fulfilling its true intent? ([36:19])

Application Questions

The pastor said that apart from Christ, we are like a car with no fuel or a house with no furniture—full of potential but lacking life and purpose. In what areas of your life do you feel “empty” or lacking purpose? How might inviting Christ into those areas bring fullness? ([55:48])
Jesus redefines commandments like “do not murder” to include anger and hatred in our hearts. Is there someone you are holding anger or bitterness against? What would it look like to let Christ transform your heart in that relationship? ([36:19])
The sermon challenges us to read the Bible looking for Jesus in every story, law, and prophecy. How do you usually approach reading Scripture? What is one practical step you can take this week to look for Christ as you read? ([47:20])
The pastor said, “Being filled with Christ is not just about receiving forgiveness, but about being empowered to live out the true intent of God’s law.” What is one area where you need the Spirit’s help to go beyond outward obedience to true heart transformation? ([58:25])
The analogy of the house becoming a home was used to describe how Christ gives meaning and purpose to the law. What are some “rooms” in your life that need to be “furnished” by Jesus? ([19:29])
The sermon ended with an invitation to receive Christ’s fullness for those who feel empty. If you are feeling spiritually empty or distant, what is one step you can take this week to seek Christ’s presence and filling? ([01:14:43])
The pastor described how Jesus’ resurrection empowers us to “go out and show off the glory of the Jesus who has filled you up.” What is one way you can display Christ’s glory in your daily life this week? ([01:15:18])

Ask a question about this sermon

Chatbot

Transcript

What was the most surprising thing in this sermon?

Were there any personal stories shared?