What about the Law of Moses and Colossians 2:14?
Well, I say that Jesus came to nail the Law of Moses to the cross because of Colossians 2:14. In vs. 8 of that chapter, Paul tells the church to beware of the traditions of men, which Jesus had to deal with from the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 15:8-9). Vs. 11 speaks of the circumcision without hands which also points to something different than the Old Law. In vs. 14, it mentions wiping out the handwritten laws. Well, the New Testament was not written yet and the only law that was like this, “Handwritten,” during the first century, was the Law of Moses.
We further see proof of this in vs. 15-16 where Paul states that these people’s powers were stopped and that there would be no more laws concerning meat, drinks, holy days, new moons or Sabbaths. All of these laws were under the Law of Moses. So in Colossians 2:14, it does not apply to all demands that God has ever made for mankind. Now, it is true that the verse does not specifically, by name, identify the Mosaic Law as the “handwriting of ordinances” but it is undeniable that it is the law meant and, if the Law of Moses is not meant, then what law is meant that deals with holy days, Sabbaths and suchlike? In addition, this verse is parallel with Ephesians 2:14-15 which speaks of the law of commandments in ordinances being abolished. The statement in Ephesians two is clearly in reference to the Mosaic Law. And, Paul specifically called attention to the fact that the Ephesians were Gentiles, and had no part in the commonwealth of Israel and were strangers from the covenants of promise (vs. 12). Paul also said in the Ephesian passage that the Jews and Gentiles had now been brought together as one new spiritual man, since the “middle wall of partition” that separated the two peoples had been broken down by Christ when he died on the cross (Ephesians 2:12-13). Since the parallel passage has clear reference to the Mosaic Law, our text (Colossians 2:14) likewise has reference to this same law.
Now, as to the Law of Moses, it applied to all Jews before Jesus died (Exodus 6:4). Even Jesus was born under the Law of Moses (Galatians 4:4) as well as the thief on the cross, the Pharisees and scribes, the apostles and many others. Now, the question was given, “Why didn’t Jesus come to nail also then the works or conditions taught in the Gospel of God to the cross? Very simply, they did not exist. Take for instance the book of Colossians, it was not even written until 60-61AD and many other books were not written then either. Thus, if Jesus nailed the New Law to the cross, he was nailing a covenant that was not even written yet. The Scriptures teach us that, “For a testament is of force after men are dead: otherwise it is of no strength at all while the testator liveth” (Hebrews 9:17). So, it would make no sense to end a covenant that never began. Besides, it is in that New Covenant where one finds salvation.
Also, we need to understand that the whole Bible both Old and New Testaments is not called the Gospel or “good news.” Now I know that the word “glad tidings” is mentioned in Isa. 40:9; 41:27 and 52:7. But, these are prophecies referring to Acts 2, on the day of Pentecost, when the “Good News” went forth from Jerusalem. It was not given back in Isaiah’s day. Thus, the Gospel only refers to the New Testament. And, we know that Jesus made a new Covenant or Testament (Romans 11:27) where all can be baptized into the one body regardless if they are Jew or Gentile, bond or free (1 Corinthians 12:13). Thus, when Jesus died, he closed the Old Law, He ushered in the New and He died so that men could set themselves free from the bondage of sin through the blood of the precious Christ. Paul said in Romans 6:1-4, “What shall we say then? Shall we continue in sin, that grace may abound? God forbid. How shall we, that are dead to sin, live any longer therein? Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”