Why couldn't Jesus tell the Jews of His day to set the law aside?
Jesus could not tell the Jews of His day to set the law aside because Israel was not yet in a position where the law could be removed. That could not happen until He died, for the cross is where the law was finally crucified. He never told them to forget the law or that they were under grace.
Les explains that Jesus never once told the Jews of His day to forget keeping the law or that they were under grace. He could not say that because Israel was not yet in a place where the law could be set away, and that could not happen until He died. The cross is where the law was finally crucified. At the time of Christ's birth, the nation of Israel was under the law and could see nothing but their own self-righteousness, bragging about how they were law-keepers. The Pharisees, for example, bragged about how impeccably they had kept the law. It was under that law that Christ came.