The law is only a shadow of the good things that are coming—not the realities themselves. For this reason it can never, by the same sacrifices repeated endlessly year after year, make perfect those who draw near to worship. Otherwise, would they not have stopped being offered? For the worshipers would have been cleansed once for all, and would no longer have felt guilty for their sins. But those sacrifices are an annual reminder of sins. It is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins. Therefore, when Christ came into the world, he said: “Sacrifice and offering you did not desire, but a body you prepared for me; with burnt offerings and sin offerings you were not pleased. Then I said, ‘Here I am—it is written about me in the scroll— I have come to do your will, my God.’ ” First he said, “Sacrifices and offerings, burnt offerings and sin offerings you did not desire, nor were you pleased with them”—though they were offered in accordance with the law. Then he said, “Here I am, I have come to do your will.” He sets aside the first to establish the second. And by that will, we have been made holy through the sacrifice of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.

For people living under the law in Jesus’ time, it had grown to have so many particularities that it was truly impossible to keep, even if one was able to devote full-time to its adherence. Some examples of this are: tithing a tenth of one’s spices, not doing any work on the Sabbath (and they defined what was and was not work), not becoming unclean by touching blood, etc.

The law was designed to show the impossibility of trying to measure up to God’s standard of perfection on our own. And it did a really good job of this. But, in an effort to try and appear somewhat righteous compared to others, the Jewish leaders made more and more rules to follow. And it was tougher for many people, especially the poor, the unemployed, and the uneducated, to follow them. So an elite class of people was created, called the Pharisees.

This was never God’s intent with the law. It was to be a shadow of the good things to come. This is why the end game or goal of the law was never sacrifices and burnt offerings. It always was and always will be — heart change. So Jesus came and brought a greater path to God, through him and by his blood shed for us.

Praise be to our amazing Savior and Lord. Now we are free to follow him, powered by his Holy Spirit, and motivated by love to obey his commands.

Thank you, Father God, for the law which showed me trying harder on my own would get me nowhere with you. You desire complete sacrifice and surrender of my life, my ambitions, my will, my mind, and my heart to you. This is where truly fulfilling life is found. In you I can be light to a dark world.