Check out this word study of "heart" in Deuteronomy!
He isn't abolishing the law.
Or contradicting the law.
Or adding to the law.
Or even teaching "hidden" things from the law.
Jesus taught the true "heart of the law." The Pharisees missed it completely. They focused on external obedience to rules and in doing so they misunderstood most important part of the law: the heart.
It really isn't difficult to see that the law focuses on the heart primarily. For instance, a quick word search for "heart" in Deuteronomy shows it's mentioned 43 times!
Notice the gospel in this word study:
- God has set His heart in love on His people
- God has required complete obedience of our hearts to Him. His word is to be hidden in our hearts, loved completely, and fully obeyed with joy.
- But our hearts have a severe problem. Our hearts are stubborn and hard and fearful and unloving and prideful and wayward and worship other gods. We need a changed heart.
- The solution? God promises that by His sovereign power He will change our hearts so that we can fully obey and love Him!
Deuteronomy gives us the good news of the promise of changed hearts, and Jesus fulfills this by being the man with the perfect heart that loved God and obeyed God fully. By His death for our sins He now changes our sinful hearts by giving us His heart, His Holy Spirit, and now we can live as the law always intended: out of genuine obedience from the heart.
