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London Baptist Confession 8.4 Of Christ the Mediator

This office the Lord Jesus did most willingly undertake, which that He might discharge He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfill it, and underwent the punishment due to us, which we should have born and suffered, being made sin and a curse for us; enduring most grievous sorrows in His soul, and most painful sufferings in His body; was crucified, and died, yet saw no corruption: on the third day He arose from the dead with the same body in which He suffered, with which He also ascended into heaven, and there sits at the right hand of His Father making intercession, and shall return to judge men and angels at the end of the world.

Moses and Jesus Compared

Matthew’s construction of events in his Gospel unveil the astounding parallels between Moses’ giving of the Law on Sinai and Jesus’ teaching of the Law on Mount Eremos. Matthew begins unfolding these parallels in Matthew 2:19-21, when Jesus came out of Egypt (see Moses coming out of Egypt in Exodus 12:33-14:22). In Matthew 3:16, Jesus came up from the water following his baptism (see Moses crossing through the waters of the Red Sea in Exodus 14:21-22). In Matthew 4:1-2, Jesus enters the wilderness to endure 40 days of temptation (see Moses entering the wilderness to commence 40 years of wilderness wandering in Exodus 15:22). In Matthew 5:1, Jesus went up onto the mountain to teach the crowds (see Moses going up to Mount Sinai to receive and then teach the Ten Commandments to Israel in Exodus 19:3-20:21).[1] These observations lead to the conclusion that Jesus’ teachings in The Sermon on the Mount are not the cancellation of the Ten Commandments given by Moses but instead explain their fulfillment.

Man’s Dilemma

In Matthew 5:17, Jesus makes a revelatory statement connecting himself directly to Moses and the rest of the Old Testament, “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.” In this statement, Jesus reveals that he will perfectly keep the moral commands of the Law.[2] The remainder of his teaching in Matthew 5 poses quite a dilemma for his audience.

An outline of Matthew 5:17-47 is as follows:

1. Jesus taught that he came not to abolish the Law and Prophets but to fulfill them (vv.17-19)

2. Jesus explained the true intent and purpose of the Sixth Commandment (vv. 21-26)

3. Jesus explained the true intent and purpose of the Seventh Commandment (vv. 27-30)

4. Jesus explained the true intent and purpose of Deuteronomy 24:1 regarding divorce (vv. 31-32)

5. Jesus explained the true intent and purpose of Deuteronomy 23:21-23 regarding oaths (vv. 33-37)

6. Jesus explained the true intent and purpose of Deuteronomy 19:21 regarding vengeance (vv. 38-42)

7. Jesus explained the true intent and purpose of Leviticus 19:18 regarding love for others (vv. 43-47)

After clarifying various commands (not abolishing them), Jesus makes a statement that is a true dilemma for all of mankind: “You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matt. 5:48). For the people spread throughout the grassy slope of the mountain, gazing up at Jesus, this command must seem impossible to obey. Can you picture the sweat drip from their brow as they gulp in exasperation? Before Christ’s teaching in verses 17-47, most people probably thought that the sheer absence of physical murder was enough to keep the Sixth Commandment. Jesus’ teaching, however, displays that if one possesses the anger that motivates murder, even absent of the physical crime, he is guilty of violating the holy commandment. The same sentiment is applicable to Jesus’ teachings on adultery, divorce, oaths, vengeance, and love for others (vv. 27-47). Jesus clarifies that a holy disposition of the heart is vital for righteousness; an unholy motive, like an unholy action, equates to imperfection. Jesus’ teachings are a daunting mirror that exposes more than the outside of a man (his external behavior) but also reflects the deep-dwelling motives and intentions in his heart.

Like a full-length mirror, the moral law hangs, reflecting the image of all those obliged to stand before it. When humanity stands before this mirror (the moral law), he inevitably sees the reflection of imperfection (Rom. 3:10-23). Like a middle school adolescent preparing for the school day, we notice every unwanted blemish in our reflection: our lying tongue, our unfaithful adultery, our murderous anger, and our idol worship, and these all condemn us. The difference between our eternal soul’s stains and the blotches of the middle school student is that we cannot cover our imperfections with makeup, cologne, or hair gel. We cannot deceive God with an artificial image. The moral law causes us to stand exposed before God in need of help. Jesus revealed this need in Matthew 5:18-48 when he simultaneously commanded perfection while showing man that the demands of the moral law are such that he will never achieve perfection. This predicament presents quite the dilemma..

If I may borrow from the “Law is a mirror” metaphor again . . . What Jesus does in Matthew 5 is not a replacement of the mirror that Moses gave in Exodus 20. Instead, it is like Jesus took glass cleaner and removed anything on the mirror that prevented the people from understanding the full extent of the mirror’s function in their lives.[3] By the time Jesus finishes speaking in his Sermon on the Mount, the mirror’s reflection is crystal clear; Israel stands gazing into a full-length mirror that shows them the reflection of their heart, as well as their deeds that proceed from the heart.

The Dilemma Resolved

When we connect the teaching of verse 17 (“I will keep the law”) with the consequences of verse 48 (“keeping the law is perfection”), we understand that Jesus is revealing himself as the perfect one, superior to Moses at Sinai. Jesus is “The New Moses” (Deut. 18:15), leading his people out of slavery and into the Promised Land by virtue of his very own perfection - He is the spotless Passover Lamb (Ex. 12:5).

Thus, the writers of the confession rightfully say, “He was made under the law, and did perfectly fulfill it” (LBCF 8.4).

How is it that God accepts imperfect people but does not lower his standard of perfection? He credits Christ’s perfect life to those whom he effectually calls unto himself and declares them righteous. Christ’s fulfillment of the moral law is the very essence of justification, as though when a believer stands in front of the moral mirror, he beholds Christ’s reflection where he once beheld his own. Moreover, when God looks upon a believer, he sees Christ’s perfection on behalf of the imperfect person, made possible through Jesus’ perfect fulfillment of the moral law and his subsequent death, burial, and resurrection. Most assuredly, this is cause for worship of the sinless one.

[1] Credit for these observations is joyfully given to Dr. William Varner from The Master’s University in his lecture series titled, “Matthew’s Use of the Old Testament to Produce a Messianic Primer.”

[2] The civil and ceremonial aspects of the law will not be addressed in this article.

[3] To be sure, Paul wrote, “So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good” (Rom. 7:12). This verse shows us that the Law did not have any streaks or smudges as if it was imperfect. The point of the metaphor is to show that Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5:18-48 bring clarity to the people regarding the contents of the law.