Is Jesus the Law of Moses? Did Jesus say He is the Law of Moses?

WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?

The statement "I am the law of Moses" does not originate from the Bible. It appears in the television series The Chosen , where Jesus says this phrase in one of the episodes. The series takes creative liberties for storytelling because this particular phrase is not found in the Bible. In Scripture, Jesus never directly calls Himself “the law of Moses.” Instead, He speaks of fulfilling the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). The law of Moses revealed God's holiness and established guidelines for righteous living, as emphasized in Leviticus 19:2, which calls His people to be holy. While Jesus did not claim to be the law of Moses, He affirmed its significance, stating in Matthew 5:17 that He came to fulfill it, demonstrating the deeper heart behind the Law through His teachings and actions. The Law served as a guardian leading to Christ, highlighting humanity's need for salvation through faith (Galatians 3:24). With the establishment of the new covenant through Jesus' sacrifice, believers are no longer bound by the Law but are empowered by the Holy Spirit to fulfill the law of Christ, which centers on loving God and others (John 13:34). Ultimately, Jesus invites us into a transformative relationship with God, encouraging us to reflect His glory by living out the heart of the Law.

FROM THE OLD TESTAMENT

• The law of Moses, given to the Israelites through Moses, revealed God’s holiness, providing guidelines for righteous living. Leviticus 19:2 emphasizes this by stating, “You shall be holy, for I the LORD your God am holy.”
• The Law established how God called His people to live, so they would thrive and reflect Him to the world (Deuteronomy 4:6; 10:12–13).
• God promised a new covenant where His law will be internalized within His people rather than merely written on tablets (Jeremiah 31:33–34). This new covenant would emphasize a personal and intimate knowledge of God, along with the assurance of forgiveness for sins, signifying a shift from the old covenant's external adherence to laws to Christ fulfilling the Law and making it possible to live according to His ways by His Spirit in us.

FROM THE NEW TESTAMENT

• The Bible tells us that the Law convicts us of sin, showing our sinfulness and inability to achieve righteousness through our own efforts. Romans 3:20 says, “For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin.”
• The Law served as preparation for the Messiah, pointing to our need for a Savior. Galatians 3:24 describes the Law as a “guardian” that leads us to Christ: “So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith.”
• In Matthew 5:17 Jesus said, "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." Jesus never said “I am the law of Moses,” but He completes and fulfills the requirements and purpose of the Law through His life and ministry.
• Jesus did not come to remove the Law. He perfectly lived it out and fulfilled the heart behind the Law. After saying that He did not come to abolish the Law but fulfill it, Jesus explained the deeper, heart-focused intentions of the Law through teachings on anger, lust, and loving enemies (Matthew 5:21–48). Jesus clarified that righteousness goes beyond outward actions to include inner motives and attitudes, reflecting the true spirit of the Law.
• Jesus demonstrated the heart and purposes of the Law through His teachings and actions. As stated in John 1:14, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us.” His life exemplified what it means to live in accordance with God’s desires, in accordance with the Law.
• While Jesus fulfilled the Law, He also established a new covenant through His sacrificial death and resurrection, where people’s relationship to the Law changed. Jesus made the way for all people to have direct access to God, breaking down barriers that the Law could not remove. Ephesians 2:14–16 expresses this beautifully: “For he himself is our peace, who has made us both one and has broken down in his flesh the dividing wall of hostility… that he might … reconcile us both to God in one body through the cross.”
• The Law never saved anyone. Salvation was always through faith in God’s promise of a Messiah and then through faith in the fulfillment of that promise when Christ came (Romans 4:3; Galatians 2:16; Hebrews 10:1–4).
• The Bible teaches that the Mosaic law is no longer binding for believers because Christ fulfilled its purpose (Romans 10:4).
• Through faith in Jesus, believers are no longer under the Law’s authority but are guided by the new covenant (Galatians 3:24–25; Hebrews 8:13). This new covenant, promised in Jeremiah 31:33–34, was established through Jesus’ death and resurrection, offers forgiveness of sins, and transforms our hearts by the Holy Spirit (Luke 22:20).
• The new covenant enables us to fulfill the law of Christ by empowering us to love God and others as He has loved us (John 13:34; Romans 8:4).

IMPLICATIONS FOR TODAY

Jesus taught that the Law is summed up by two commandments: “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind... and... You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (Matthew 22:37–40). The Law is helpful to show us specifics of how to do this, but it goes much farther than just following rules. Jesus provides the means for forgiveness and the Holy Spirit provides the empowerment to live according to God’s will. Romans 8:1–2 reassures believers: “There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus. For the law of the Spirit of life has set you free in Christ Jesus from the law of sin and death.” Jesus fulfilled the law of Moses and showed us what its purpose is. He invites us into a relationship with God that goes beyond the limitations of the Law. As believers, we are called to respond to this grace by loving God and loving others, empowered by the Holy Spirit to reflect God’s glory in our lives.

UNDERSTAND

• "I am the law of Moses" is not found in the Bible.
• Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.
• Jesus established a new covenant that empowers believers to live out the law of Christ, able to live the heart of the Law through the power of the Holy Spirit.

REFLECT

• How does understanding that Jesus fulfilled the Law rather than being the Law itself impact your view of your relationship with Him?
• How do you see the heart of the Law reflected in your daily actions and attitudes toward others?
• How can living by the new covenant in Christ (only possible for believers) change the way you approach spiritual growth and obedience?

ENGAGE

• What implications does the fulfillment of the Law by Jesus have for our understanding of righteousness and salvation?
• How do the teachings of Jesus in Matthew 22:37–40 provide clarity on the purpose of the Law?
• In what ways can the concept of the Law as a "guardian" (Galatians 3:24) inform our understanding of our spiritual journey before and after coming to faith in Christ?