Gavin Howe
Jesus is often depicted as a rebel, breaking with Old Testament law. For example, he rejects the Old Testament's ban on eating certain foods, declaring all foods clean. He also healed a man on the Sabbath, which was forbidden by the Oral Law or Mishnah. However, Jesus did not see himself as a lawbreaker. Instead, he taught that the purpose of the law is to lead people to love, and that a person's faithfulness should be defined by acts of love and goodness, not outward signs such as diet or dress.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Jesus' view on breaking the law | Jesus taught that the purpose of the law is to lead people to love, and consequently he is willing to break Old Testament laws in order to prioritise love |
| Jesus' view on the Sabbath | Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, which was against the law. He did this to provoke the Jewish religious leaders |
| Jesus' view on food | Jesus rejects the Old Testament laws that forbid eating certain foods, declaring all foods clean |
| Jesus' view on cleanliness | Jesus re-defined what makes a person unclean or defiled, focusing on a person's faithfulness not being defined by outward signs (diet, circumcision, dress, Sabbath) but on acts of love and goodness |
| Jesus' view on sin | Jesus taught that breaking God's laws or the government's laws is a sin, unless the government violates God's law |
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What You'll Learn
Jesus broke the Old Testament law by rejecting food restrictions
Jesus is said to have broken the Old Testament law by rejecting food restrictions. The Old Testament forbids eating certain foods, but Jesus rejects these laws, declaring all foods clean.
Jesus's focus was on a person's faithfulness not being defined by outward signs such as diet, circumcision, dress, or the Sabbath, but on acts of love and goodness. He taught that the purpose of the law is to lead people to love, and consequently, he was willing to break Old Testament laws in order to prioritise love.
Jesus also healed a man on the Sabbath, which was forbidden by the Oral Law or Mishnah. Jesus defended his actions by saying, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working."
However, some scholars disagree with the interpretation that Jesus rejected the Torah's dietary laws. According to Dr Matthew Thiessen, "Nothing suggests that the Gospel writers intended to portray Jesus rejecting the Jewish dietary laws."
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Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath
Jesus was accused of breaking the law by healing people on the Sabbath. On one occasion, Jesus healed a man with a hand deformity in a synagogue. He asked the man to stand before him, putting his disability on full view, and then asked: "Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to destroy?" (Luke 6:9). Jesus was challenging the idea that healing on the Sabbath was a sin.
Jesus also healed a man who had been paralysed for 38 years. He told the man to "Get up! Pick up your mat and walk" (John 5:8). The Jewish leaders told the man: "It is the Sabbath; the law forbids you to carry your mat" (v 10). Jesus was aware that telling the man to carry his mat was a violation of the law. He did it to provoke and to redefine the definition of what makes a person unclean or defiled. Jesus taught that the purpose of the law is to lead people to love, and he was willing to break Old Testament laws in order to prioritise love.
Jesus also healed a woman with a severe spine condition. He called her to him, laid hands on her, and healed her spine, allowing her to stand straight and walk normally. The synagogue leader was indignant, saying that healing should only be done on the six working days of the week. Jesus demonstrated that as "Lord of the Sabbath", he held the ultimate authority to define proper Sabbath observance.
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Jesus prioritised love over the law
Jesus's focus was on a person's faithfulness not being defined by outward signs (such as diet, circumcision, dress, or Sabbath practices) but on acts of love and goodness. He consistently taught that the purpose of the law is to lead people to love.
However, Jesus's actions did not mean that he was unaware of or indifferent to the law. In fact, he often provoked and challenged the law in order to make a point. For example, when he healed the paralysed man on the Sabbath, he could have easily waited one day to heal the man. Instead, he chose to heal him immediately, knowing that it would provoke a response from the Jewish religious leaders.
Jesus's priority on love over the law is a reminder that the ultimate purpose of the law is to lead people to love and faithfulness.
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Jesus redefined what made a person unclean
Jesus was aware of the laws of the Old Testament and the Oral Law, or Mishnah, which defined how the Sabbath was to be practised. However, he was willing to break these laws to prioritise love and provoke his followers. For example, Jesus healed a man on the Sabbath, which was forbidden. He also rejected the Old Testament laws on eating certain foods, declaring all foods clean.
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Jesus broke the law to provoke
Jesus would not agree that this makes him a lawbreaker. He teaches that the purpose of the law is to lead people to love. However, when we break God's laws or the government's laws, we are sinning. But there is one time God does not want us to obey our government: when a government violates God's law, he wants us to obey him instead.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Jesus broke Old Testament law. For example, he healed a man on the Sabbath.
No, Jesus did not think he was a lawbreaker. He believed that the purpose of the law was to lead people to love, and so he was willing to break Old Testament laws to prioritise love.
Jesus said, "My Father is always at his work to this very day, and I too am working".
Yes, it is a sin to break God's laws or the government's laws. However, God does not want us to obey the government when it violates God's law.
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