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Jesus said to his disciples: “Do not think that I have come to
abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to
fulfill. Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not
the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from
the law, until all things have taken place.” Matthew 5:17–18
Sometimes it can be challenging to reconcile the Old Testament with
the New Testament. In addition to the Ten Commandments, the Old
Testament is filled with countless other commandments. The
Pharisees, in their attempt to preserve and interpret the Law of
Moses, identified 613 specific commandments. While the Pharisees
sought to preserve the Law through detailed commandments, the
prophets continually called Israel back to a deeper fidelity to the
covenant. Many of the prophets also spoke of the coming of the
Messiah and foretold a new spiritual law that would be written on
the heart.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus proclaims that He has not come to abolish
the Law or the Prophets, but to fulfill them. To “fulfill” means
that Jesus brings the Law and the Prophets to completion,
perfecting them and elevating them into the New Covenant of grace.
This fulfillment achieves the true meaning of the Law, moving
beyond external observance to the interior transformation of the
heart. Jesus fulfills the moral demands of the Law by addressing
not only external actions but also the interior dispositions of the
heart. For example, in this same Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
transforms the commandment “You shall not kill” into a call to
avoid even anger or hatred (cf. Matthew 5:21–22). In doing so, He
reveals the fullness of God’s justice, which calls for not only
outward obedience but also inward holiness rooted in love.
The sacrificial system of the Old Covenant centered on Temple
worship, where animal sacrifices were ritually offered as atonement
for sins. Those Old Testament sacrifices find completion in Jesus’
perfect sacrifice on the Cross. He became the new High Priest and
offered Himself as the Lamb of God on the Altar of the Cross, a
sacrifice that is perpetuated in the Eucharist. Once Christ offered
Himself on the Cross, the animal sacrifices and other ceremonial
aspects were fulfilled and are no longer required, having given way
to the new and perfect worship in the perpetual Eucharistic
Sacrifice.
The Law and the Prophets also pointed toward the coming of the
Messiah and the establishment of the New Covenant. Jesus, as the
Messiah, fulfills these prophecies. In Him, God’s plan to gather
all nations into His family is accomplished, fulfilling the
promises made to Abraham and proclaimed by the prophets. The
symbols and foreshadowings of the Old Testament, such as the
Passover lamb, find their ultimate meaning in Christ.
Through Him, the promises of salvation are no longer future hopes
but present realities. Through this threefold fulfillment—moral, in
transforming our hearts; liturgical, in perfecting worship; and
prophetic, in realizing God’s promises—Jesus not only completes the
Old Covenant but elevates it into something far greater. He reveals
its true purpose: to lead humanity into a deeper relationship with
God through love, grace, and truth.
Reflect today on Jesus as the fulfillment of all that God has
revealed from the foundation of the world. Because the Old
Testament is fulfilled in Christ, we turn our gaze upon Him as the
full revelation of the Father and the only way to salvation. The
study of the Old Testament reveals the unfolding of Salvation
History, but in the Eucharist, we encounter its fulfillment and
completion. Turn to Him in the Sacrifice of the Mass, where every
promise made throughout salvation history is fulfilled and made
present to you in the most precious gift of Christ Himself. In this
perpetual Eucharistic Sacrifice, we are drawn into the mystery of
divine love and receive a foretaste of the heavenly banquet, where
God’s promises will one day be fully realized.
My Eucharistic Lord, You are the fulfillment of every promise
made throughout salvation history. In the Sacrifice of the Mass,
the final and perfect atonement for sins, those promises are made
present to us today. Draw me deeper into worship, filling my heart
with a profound love for You in the Eucharist. Transform me by this
New Covenant of grace. Jesus, I trust in You.
Image: Listen to Him by Lawrence OP, license CC BY-NC-ND 2.0.
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