Deeper Reflection
Jesus’ parents, Mary and Joseph, carefully observed the stipulations of the Jewish Law. They circumcised their son after eight days and named him “Jesus” as instructed by the angel Gabriel. They fulfilled the purification obligations and dedicated Jesus according to the Law of Moses. The Gospel writer, Luke, emphasised their obedience to the Law – three times it was mentioned that Jesus’ parents observed the Law of Moses/the Lord (vv.22-24).³⁵In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus taught that He had come to fulfil the Mosaic Law, not to abolish it, and that His followers are to strictly obey God’s commandments and teach others to do so. Jesus said, “…unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven”. This is bewildering – for who more strictly observed the Law than the scribes and Pharisees? How would it be possible for one’s righteousness to exceed theirs? The answer: We must be found in Jesus Christ, the One who alone has perfectly fulfilled and obeyed God’s Law. Christ was without sin, yet He bore all our sins on the cross and died as our atoning sacrifice. If we believe in Christ, our sins are fully forgiven by God on Christ’s account. We can have a right relationship with God, not based on our own obedience, but by trusting in Christ’s perfect obedience (1 Jn 5:3-5). In trying our best to obey God’s commandments, we are to be motivated by love for Jesus our Saviour,³⁶ and not by a desire to earn a righteous standing before God. For salvation is by grace through faith in Christ.³⁷

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³⁴ Borrowing from the title of Eugene H. Peterson’s book, A Long Obedience in the Same Direction: Discipleship in an Instant Society (IVP, 1980). ³⁵ See also Luke 2:27, 39. ³⁶ See John 14:15, 21, 23-24. ³⁷ Ephesians 2:8-9.