Jesus brought end to Mosaic Law

Romans 10: 4 declares: “Christ ended the law so that everyone who believes in Him is made right with God.” The “Law” refers to the Mosaic Code. It comprised the Ten Commandments plus an additional 613 statutes. No one was able to meticulously uphold all the dictums of the Law, so they found themselves in endless cycles of seeking atonement through animal sacrifices. “In the fullness of time,” the Law, which proved impossible to keep, was superseded by the atoning death of Christ on the cross (Romans 3: 20-24 and Galatians 3:24-26). On His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus said, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets…but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17).   

When the sinless Son of God died on the cross, all the penalties of the Law were poured out on Him. Once Christ paid the ultimate price for sin, the Law no longer held any sway over mankind.

The daily animal blood sacrifices at the temple ceased because Christ fulfilled them all. He became the final, unrepeatable sacrifice for sins. Hebrews 9:12 states that “He entered once for all into the holy places, not by means of the blood of goats and calves but by means of his own blood, thus securing an eternal redemption.” Ephesians 2:14-15 declares that the “law of commandments contained in ordinances” was “abolished” by the death of Jesus upon the cross.

The atoning death of Jesus (1) discontinued the Mosaic Law which once ruled the Jewish nation, (2) shut down animal sacrifices, (3) made unnecessary the priesthood that once stood between the worshiper and God, (4) eliminated the Jerusalem temple as the designated center of worship, and (5) nullified the kosher food laws.

The scripture asks, “What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound?” It answers, “By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it?” The truth of the matter is that a person who possesses the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and walks with God has no desire to sin.

To summarize, the Mosaic Law stood from 1450 B.C. until Jesus’ atoning death on the cross in 30 A.D.   During these 15 centuries, keeping all the tenets of the Law proved impossible. For example, on the Sabbath, a man was forbidden to walk beyond the confines of his residence. Thus, the Israelites were hopeless enslaved to sin. The stranglehold of the Law ended when Jesus died on the cross for all mankind and arose from the dead.  From that time forth, we are saved by God’s grace through our faith in Jesus. Ephesians 2: 8 echoes this sentiment: “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God.”