Everything Jesus Said and Did Was Under the Law

by Jamie Pantastico | May 28, 2025 | Daily Encouragement | 0 comments

For Your Edification and Encouragement

‘Now I say that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers:’

Romans 15:8

“But when the fullness of the time had come, God sent forth His Son, born of a woman, born under the law,
to redeem those who were under the law, that we might receive the adoption as sons.”
— Galatians 4:4–5

Let that sink in: Jesus was born under the law. He lived under the law. He taught under the law. He died under the law.

Everything the Lord Jesus did during His earthly ministry—from His sermons to His miracles to His commandments—was done under the authority and framework of the Mosaic Law. That was the covenant in effect. He came, not to do away with it, but to fulfill it.

Jesus Came to Israel Under the Law

“But He answered and said, ‘I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.’”
— Matthew 15:24

The Lord made it plain: His earthly mission was not to the Gentiles. He was sent to Israel alone, to confirm the promises made to the fathers (Romans 15:8). He was presenting Himself as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah and King.

Jesus Taught Law-Based Righteousness

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.
For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.
Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven;
but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.”
— Matthew 5:17–20

This is not grace. Jesus wasn’t preaching the gospel of grace—He was upholding the righteous requirements of the law. His audience was Israel, still under the covenant given at Mount Sinai.

He Instructed Obedience to the Law for Salvation

“Now behold, one came and said to Him, ‘Good Teacher, what good thing shall I do that I may have eternal life?’
So He said to him, ‘Why do you call Me good? No one is good but One, that is, God.
But if you want to enter into life, keep the commandments.’”
— Matthew 19:16–17

When asked how to inherit eternal life, Jesus didn’t say “just believe.” He said, keep the commandments. Why? Because the cross hadn’t happened yet. The gospel of grace had not been revealed. Israel was still under the law.

He Affirmed the Levitical Priesthood and Temple Law

“And He charged him to tell no one,
‘But go and show yourself to the priest, and make an offering for your cleansing,
as a testimony to them, just as Moses commanded.’”
— Luke 5:14

Even in healing, Jesus directed people back to the Mosaic system. The law was still in effect. The Levitical priesthood was still functioning. The free gift of salvation by grace had not yet been ratified by the blood of the cross.

Most of the Church Misses This

The vast majority of Christendom builds its doctrine and practices on Jesus’ earthly ministry, without rightly dividing the Word of truth (2 Timothy 2:15). But Jesus’ earthly teachings were:

• Spoken before the cross
• Directed to Israel—On Covenant Ground
• Within the framework of the Mosaic Law
• Focused on the promised kingdom

And this continued into the early chapters of Acts. Peter’s sermons were directed to “Ye men of Israel” (Acts 2:22), offering the return of Christ and the establishment of the kingdom if the nation would repent (Acts 3:19–21). Even after the cross the biblical record is God dealing with Israel on covenant ground. The mystery of the Body of Christ was still hidden (Ephesians 3:5). The Church, which is His body is 7-8 years ahead in time when God calls Saul to be the apostle to the Gentiles Acts 9:15-16.

Yet today, most churches—each and every Sunday—preach from the four Gospels. And of those, 95% preach from the Sermon on the Mount.

There is nothing wrong with preaching and teaching the Sermon on the Mount. We must teach it and know everything about the Lord’s earthly ministry—it is for our learning (Romans 15:4), and it has beautiful truths we can apply to our daily lives. But let’s be absolutely clear:

The Sermon on the Mount is not doctrine for the Body of Christ.

It is the constitution for the coming earthly kingdom. Jesus was speaking to Jews, under the law, preparing them for the Messianic Kingdom. Gentiles were not included in that message, except as curious onlookers. The Church had not yet been revealed, and grace was not being preached.

This confusion—of taking kingdom truth for Israel and applying it to the Body of Christ—has led to massive doctrinal error. It blends law with grace, burdens believers, and obscures the clear gospel of salvation.

“We Wish to See Jesus”—But Not Yet

“Now there were certain Greeks among those who came up to worship at the feast.
Then they came to Philip, who was from Bethsaida of Galilee, and asked him, saying, ‘Sir, we wish to see Jesus.’
Philip came and told Andrew, and in turn Andrew and Philip told Jesus.
But Jesus answered them, saying,
‘The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.
Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain.’”
— John 12:20–24

This moment is loaded with prophetic and theological meaning.

Gentiles—referred to here as “Greeks”—had heard about Jesus. No doubt they had witnessed or heard of His miracles, His wisdom, and His power. Their request was simple: “We want to see Jesus.”

But notice the hesitation. Philip doesn’t go directly to Jesus. He seeks out Andrew first—perhaps needing backup, perhaps remembering the Lord’s earlier instruction not to go to the Gentiles (Matthew 10:5–6). Together, they go to Jesus.

And how does the Lord respond?
He does not say, “Bring them to Me.”
He doesn’t say, “Let them come.”

Instead, He says: “The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified.”

What does that mean?

Jesus is pointing to the cross. His death, burial, and resurrection were still ahead—and until that work was complete, He could not be the object of faith for the whole world. His ministry, up to this point, had been to Israel alone, under the law, on covenant ground. Gentiles were on the outside looking in.

“Unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone;
but if it dies, it produces much grain.”
— John 12:24

This is the key. Jesus is saying, “Unless I go to the cross and die, My mission remains limited. But once I die and rise again, I can bring forth a great harvest—Jew and Gentile alike.”

This is a stunning visual and theological bridge between the Gospels and Paul’s later message of grace.

The Gospel of Grace Came Through Paul

“For I neither received it from man, nor was I taught it, but it came through the revelation of Jesus Christ.”
— Galatians 1:12

“If indeed you have heard of the dispensation of the grace of God which was given to me for you,
how that by revelation He made known to me the mystery (as I have briefly written already),
by which, when you read, you may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ),
which in other ages was not made known to the sons of men, as it has now been revealed by the Spirit to His holy apostles and prophets:”
— Ephesians 3:2–5

The risen and glorified Christ gave the gospel of grace to Paul. This gospel is for Jew and Gentile alike. It is not based on covenants, law, or earthly kingdom promises. It is based solely on Christ’s finished work on the cross.

Rightly Divide the Word

“Be diligent to present yourself approved to God, a worker who does not need to be ashamed,
rightly dividing the word of truth.”
— 2 Timothy 2:15

We don’t divide truth from error—we divide truth from truth. There is truth for Israel under the law, and there is truth for the Body of Christ under grace. Both are from God. But mixing them leads to error and confusion.

In Summary

Jesus’ earthly ministry was perfect, powerful, and prophetic. But it was under the Law, on covenant ground, directed to Israel, and focused on the promised kingdom. The Church today must get its doctrine from the risen Christ, revealed through Paul.

✅We are not under law.
✅We are not waiting for a kingdom.
✅We are saved by grace, members of the Body of Christ, already seated in heavenly places.

Truth over Tradition