Jesus: Lawbreaker Or Lawful?

Jesus of Nazareth, a dynamic, controversial, and inspirational figure, has been the topic of endless debates and the subject of countless stories. But did he break the law? This question is more complicated than it seems. Jesus was frequently accused of breaking the law by the religious leaders of his time, particularly the Pharisees and scribes, who interpreted the laws differently from him. They accused him of breaking laws concerning the Sabbath, touching a leper, and going against Roman rule. However, Jesus did not actually break any religious or civil laws. He merely offered a different interpretation of the laws, prioritising human well-being, love, and mercy.

Did Jesus break Roman law?

The question of whether Jesus broke Roman law is a complex one, and the answer depends on how one interprets the law and the actions of Jesus.

Jesus was a Jew living in Roman-occupied Judea, and the Jewish authorities accused him of blasphemy, which was a violation of Jewish law. They petitioned the Roman governor, Pontius Pilate, to take action and execute Jesus. However, from the Roman perspective, the Jewish allegations alone would not have been sufficient to warrant execution.

In the Gospel of Luke, the Jewish leaders bring Jesus to Pilate and accuse him of three crimes: misleading the nation, opposing the payment of taxes to Caesar, and claiming to be the Messiah, a king. Pilate, however, declares Jesus innocent and finds no grounds for the charges.

The charge of blasphemy against Jesus would fall under Hebrew law, and the Romans did not consider it a crime punishable by death. The second charge, opposing taxes, could not be substantiated, as Pilate himself notes.

The main concern of the Romans was maintaining order and preventing uprisings. They would have been wary of anyone claiming to be a king, as this could be seen as a challenge to Roman rule and a potential incitement to rebellion. When Pilate asks Jesus about his kingship, Jesus replies that his kingdom is "not of this world" (John 18:36), indicating that he does not pose a threat to Roman authority. Pilate concludes that Jesus has committed no crime deserving of death and even attempts to release him.

Ultimately, it was the Jewish leaders who insisted on Jesus' execution, and Pilate, fearing a riot and wanting to appease the crowd, reluctantly agrees to crucify Jesus. Crucifixion was a Roman form of punishment, and only the Romans had the power to carry out death sentences in Judea.

While Jesus may have technically broken Roman law by claiming to be a king, it is important to note that the Romans were more concerned with maintaining order and preventing potential uprisings. The decision to execute Jesus was influenced by the political and social context of the time, as well as the pressure exerted by the Jewish authorities.

Did Jesus break Jewish law?

Jesus was accused by the Jewish religious leaders of his day of being a sinner and a lawbreaker. However, the answer to the question of whether Jesus broke Jewish law is complicated.

Jesus was certainly seen to break the Jewish religious laws of his day. He was accused of breaking laws concerning the Sabbath on multiple occasions. For example, he healed people on the Sabbath, which was forbidden. He also did not ritually wash his hands before eating, and he overturned the money tables at the temple.

However, Jesus did not see himself as breaking the law. He saw the religious laws as a complex set of rules that burdened ordinary people and omitted more important matters, such as caring for others and promoting justice and mercy. He denounced the religious rulers, deliberately setting himself against them so he could teach and demonstrate a better way.

Jesus did not break any Old Testament commands, but he did violate the interpretations that religious leaders had developed around the biblical commands of keeping the Sabbath day holy. He also rejected the biblical teaching of uncleanliness, declaring all foods clean.

Jesus did not see himself as a lawbreaker, and he would not have been seen as sinful by his followers. Scripture repeatedly affirms that Jesus was sinless. If he had broken the law, he would not have been the Messiah.

Therefore, while Jesus did break the Jewish religious laws of his day, he did not break God's law.

Did Jesus break Sabbath law?

The Gospels record several instances when Jesus healed people on the Sabbath. For example, he healed Simon Peter's mother-in-law in Peter's home (Mark 1:29–31), a man with a withered hand in the synagogue (Mark 3:1–6), and a man born blind in Jerusalem (John 9:1–16). Whenever Jesus publicly healed someone on the Sabbath, the Pharisees accused him of breaking the Sabbath law (Matthew 12:10; Mark 3:2; John 5:14; 9:14–16).

Jesus responded to these accusations by saying that he was working just as his Father was working. This answer did not appease the religious leaders, who tried all the more to kill him, as they believed he was not only breaking the Sabbath but also making himself equal with God (John 5:18).

However, Jesus did not break the Sabbath law as outlined by God under the Old Covenant. He stated, "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). The Pharisees had conflated their own standard of holiness with God's, and it was only their Sabbath law that Jesus did not keep.

Jesus kept God's law and did nothing to violate the Sabbath. He proclaimed that he was greater than the law and had authority over the laws that governed the Sabbath day. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus showed God's goodness, revealed the Pharisees' hardness of heart, and gave a glimpse of the full healing from sin that would be made possible by his sacrifice on the cross.

In conclusion, Jesus did not break the Sabbath law, although he did act against the Pharisees' interpretation of the law. He broke the Pharisees' laws, which were based on their own ideas and not on what God's law said.

Did Jesus break the law by touching a leper?

The Bible describes an encounter between Jesus and a man with leprosy in the Gospel of Matthew, Mark, and Luke. In all three accounts, the man with leprosy asks Jesus to heal him, and Jesus reaches out and touches the man, healing him instantly.

Leprosy was considered a curse from God and profoundly impure. Those with leprosy were declared ritually "unclean" and were forced to live outside the camp, ostracized from the community. According to Levitical law, anyone who touched a leper would also be considered unclean.

Some have argued that Jesus broke the law by touching the leper. However, others claim that while Jesus technically violated Mosaic law, this infraction was justified or superseded by the compassion that the violation enabled him to show to the diseased man. It has also been argued that Jesus, as a priest, was not subject to the restriction against touching lepers.

Jesus himself stated that he did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it (Matthew 5:17).

Did Jesus break the law by healing the sick?

Jesus was known to have healed the sick during his earthly life. The gospels are littered with examples of him curing the ill, including the blind, the deaf, and the leper.

However, the question of whether Jesus broke the law by healing the sick is a complex one and depends on how the law is interpreted. The Pharisees, who were the guardians of the law, accused Jesus of breaking the Sabbath law by healing people on that day. They believed that healing on the Sabbath was a violation of their codification of the law.

However, Jesus himself argued that he was not breaking the law, but rather fulfilling it. He stated that the Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath, and that it was lawful to do good on the Sabbath. He also pointed out that there were other activities, such as circumcision, that were allowed on the Sabbath, even though they involved manual labor.

Ultimately, it seems that Jesus did not break the law as outlined by God under the Old Covenant. Instead, he broke the Pharisees' interpretation of the law, which had become burdensome and legalistic. By healing on the Sabbath, Jesus showed God's goodness and gave a glimpse of the full healing from sin that would be made possible by his sacrifice on the cross.

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