The Apostle Paul wrote to the Corinthian church: “Christ died for our sins according to the Scriptures.” Paul wasn’t referring to the four books known as the gospels, but the passages from the law which came through Moses, the Prophets, and the Psalms. The Old Testament is filled with many hundreds of references to Jesus Christ, subtly pointing the Jewish people to a coming Messiah who would provide an eternal deliverance for the world. Jesus revealed to His disciples what all of the old Scriptures meant, as they referenced Him and His mission.
Luke 24:44: “Then he said to them, ‘These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled.’”
Jesus Christ fulfilled the Scriptures, including the law, on our behalf.
641. Summarizing the Scripture (Part 12): The Psalms: They’re More About Jesus
It can change the way we see everything. Reading Old Testament passages from a New Covenant perspective, through the eyes of grace. There were those who recognized Jesus as the Messiah because of what they knew to look for in the Mosaic law, the Psalms, and the Prophets. After Jesus was resurrected, He opened the minds of the disciples to understand the (Old Testament) Scriptures, by revealing what they said about Him. “These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled” (Luke 24:44). Christians often see verses out of context when they are seeking a special Word from God within the Psalms for application in their personal life situation. While this can certainly occur, in reality, quite often it may be written from the perspective of someone who was trapped under the curse of the law, or looking forward to something better (Christ). We don’t live under that heavy requirement of those commands, but now abide in Christ. Instead of relying on some of these passages to figure out where we are supposed to go, we can look back and begin to see them as a road map that brought us to where we already are… in Jesus. That’s where we find wisdom, peace and comfort - while being led by the Spirit.
624. Christian Hypocrisy: Keeping Portions of the Law; Throwing Out the Rest
Chances are pretty good that your church denomination believes the “moral commands” found within the law of the Old Testament are meant to be considered a part of the Christian life. They will also declare other parts of the law have expired and do not apply today… such as animal sacrifices, various ceremonial laws, dietary laws, etc. The inconsistencies become very obvious when the old and new covenants are mixed together like this because the entire point of the entire law—all of it—was that nobody could live up to its perfect standard. Personal or moral improvement is a wonderful thing, but “trying your best” to follow a list of impossible commands will not improve your position with God. This is why all of the law was made to be abolished and obsolete… It’s all based upon God doing what the law could not do. Jesus fulfilled the law on our behalf and took the old law out of the way, freeing us from any and all condemnation.
599. The Lord’s Prayer Part 7: Forgive Us Only if We Forgive Others
Under the law from the Old Covenant, a temporary covering of forgiveness was provided to the Jews based upon certain conditions. In the New Covenant, we now have the revelation that forgiveness from God came unconditionally through the blood of Jesus Christ. God took away the sins of the world and declared He would remember them no more. We recommend resting in Christ’s finished work, rather than going back to an Old Covenant mindset that will put the responsibility upon you instead of Jesus. The Lord was showing His disciples they needed to pray for God’s Kingdom to come and His will to be done (the cross), because they were in a hopeless situation in having to depend on their ability instead of God’s. In the New Covenant, we forgive because we’re forgiven, not to get forgiveness. Finally, it’s important to recognize that not a single apostle from the New Testament instructed or encouraged believers to pray this prayer… Because Jesus already fulfilled what the prayer was seeking. It was given to His disciples to pray prior to the cross.