Topical Bible: The Law of Moses: The Jews: Accused Christ of Breaking

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Topical Encyclopedia

The Law of Moses, also known as the Mosaic Law, is a central element of the Old Testament, encompassing commandments and ordinances given by God to the people of Israel through Moses. It includes moral, ceremonial, and civil laws that governed the life and worship of the Jewish people. The Law was highly revered and strictly observed by the Jews, who saw it as the foundation of their covenant relationship with God.

During His earthly ministry, Jesus Christ was frequently accused by Jewish religious leaders of breaking the Law of Moses. These accusations were rooted in their misunderstanding of the Law's purpose and their failure to recognize Jesus as the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets.

Sabbath Observance

One of the primary accusations against Jesus was His approach to the Sabbath. The Pharisees, a sect known for their strict adherence to the Law, often confronted Jesus for performing healings on the Sabbath, which they considered a violation of the commandment to rest. In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus heals a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath, prompting the Pharisees to question His actions. Jesus responds by highlighting the Law's intent, saying, "If any of you has a sheep and it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will you not take hold of it and lift it out? How much more valuable is a man than a sheep! Therefore, it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath" (Matthew 12:11-12).

Ceremonial Purity

Another point of contention was Jesus' disregard for certain ceremonial purity laws. The Pharisees criticized His disciples for eating with unwashed hands, a tradition they held as essential for maintaining ritual cleanliness. Jesus challenged their focus on external rituals over internal righteousness, quoting Isaiah: "These people honor Me with their lips, but their hearts are far from Me. They worship Me in vain; they teach as doctrine the precepts of men" (Matthew 15:8-9).

Blasphemy and Authority

The Jewish leaders also accused Jesus of blasphemy, particularly when He claimed authority to forgive sins, a prerogative they believed belonged to God alone. In Mark 2:5-7, when Jesus forgives the sins of a paralytic, the scribes question, "Why does this man speak like this? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?" . Jesus, aware of their thoughts, demonstrates His divine authority by healing the man, thus affirming His identity as the Son of God.

Fulfillment of the Law

Despite these accusations, Jesus consistently affirmed the validity and divine origin of the Law. In the Sermon on the Mount, He declares, "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" (Matthew 5:17). Jesus' life and teachings revealed the true spirit of the Law, emphasizing love, mercy, and justice over mere legalistic observance.

Conclusion

The accusations against Jesus for breaking the Law of Moses were rooted in a misinterpretation of the Law's purpose and a failure to recognize Jesus as the Messiah. Through His actions and teachings, Jesus demonstrated that He was the fulfillment of the Law, embodying its true intent and revealing the heart of God to humanity.

Torrey's Topical Textbook

John 19:7
The Jews answered him, We have a law, and by our law he ought to die, because he made himself the Son of God.
Torrey's Topical Textbook

Library

The Adulterous Woman.
... the Scribes." The phrase, "Scribes and Pharisees," has almost the same meaning as
"the Jews," so frequently ... Before the judgment of the law of Moses could be ...
/.../johnson/the new testament commentary vol iii john/the adulterous woman.htm

Faustus Willing to Believe not Only that the Jewish but that all ...
... The reason why the Jews did not believe in Christ ... did not observe even the plain
literal precepts of Moses. ... and omit the weightier matters of the law, mercy and ...
/.../faustus willing to believe not.htm

Among Snares
... Many are deceived today in the same way as were the Jews. ... Should He acquit the
woman, He might be charged with despising the law of Moses. ...
//christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 50 among snares.htm

The Good Samaritan
... Among the Jews this question caused endless dispute. ... The message had been given them
through Moses that the ... bearing testimony to the fact that "the law of the ...
/.../white/the desire of ages/chapter 54 the good samaritan.htm

Do are Then Make Void the Law through Faith? God Forbid; Yea, we ...
... doctrine so generally entertained by the Jews, that they ... The apostle says, "He that
despised Moses' law, died without ... The law drove the devils to hell, and it ...
/.../finney/lectures to professing christians/do are then make void.htm

B. The Second Period. Chs. 5:1 to 6:11
... to observe the fasts which had become so prominent in the system of legalism taught
by the religious leaders of the Jews. The Law of Moses prescribed no ...
/.../erdman/the gospel of luke an exposition/b the second period chs.htm

Ahab and Naboth
... For you must understand, that these Jews were a free ... He found that though he forgot
Moses' law, God had ... his own, and that God's everlasting Law stood between ...
/.../kingsley/sermons for the times/sermon xi ahab and naboth.htm

The Greatest Trial on Record
... teachings of their great law-giver Moses"and whether ... days, that he might not touch
these blessed Jews. ... they have slighted the weightier matters of the law. ...
/.../spurgeon/spurgeons sermons volume 9 1863/the greatest trial on record.htm

Index.
... 181, 198, 219, 220, 264, 271, 290, 326, 355, 411; carnal conceptions of Jews and
disciples ... Moses, forerunner of Messiah, 222. ... Murder, Christian law of, 232. ...
/.../neander/the life of jesus christ in its historical connexion/index 2.htm

Bethesda and the Sanhedrin
... The whole nation of the Jews called God their Father ... was shown them in the mount
when the law was given ... and when the Lord passed by before Moses and proclaimed ...
/.../christianbookshelf.org/white/the desire of ages/chapter 21 bethesda and the.htm