Christ Fulfilled the Law and the Prophets
Matthew 5:17-20
Harry Stoliker
June 1, 2008 EBC
Christ Fulfilled the Law and the Prophets
This section of Scripture has been the focus of enormous debate as to its
interpretation. Part of the reason there is such a debate is because some
don't fully grasp what Matthew is trying to do in writing his gospel. A key
to understanding any book is to know the author's reason for writing
that book. Each gospel writer chose and arranged his biographic material
of Jesus' life to stress some aspect of Jesus' nature and role as Messiah.
"Matthew writes his gospel for a community of predominately Jewish believers
who is deeply concerned about the relationship of the Law to Jesus' teaching
and shows that as Messiah and Son of God, Jesus stands superior to the Law."
(Moo) It is no surprise then that we see more than 60 quotes from
OT prophetic passages which emphasize the fulfillment of Christ as Messiah
and King of Israel. (MacArthur). The one who fulfills is greater than that
which He fulfills.
How did Jesus think of the OT law? Scholar, Douglas Moo, put it this
way: "What impact did the coming of Jesus the Messiah and the establishment through
him of the kingdom of God have on the authority and applicability of the Mosaic
Law?" Is Jesus presented to us in Matthew as a sort of 'new Moses';
'a new law-giver'? Or does Jesus have superior authority to
give the ultimate and even a new interpretation of the law? The way
Jesus treats the law seems to indicate that he is more than just a rabbi trying
to interpret the law. He seems to handle it like he is superior
to the law. Is He the Lord of the Sabbath law, and Lord of all the Mosaic
law code? Is this an important question to ask? Listen to Moo again:
"The question is at the heart of the Gospels. It played a critical role
not only in Jesus' disputes with various Jewish groups but also in the development
of the early church's self-understanding, as followers of Jesus sought to define
the relationship between the church and Israel." (DJG p.450)
Remember, Jesus was a Jew, born during the time of the OC which was
defined, controlled and regulated by the law of Moses. However, he lived during
the overlap between the end of the OC and the beginning of the NC. So, although
Jesus is generally obedient to the OC , he at the same time makes
clear that he has sovereign rights both to interpret and to set aside
the Mosaic law (Moo). The NT makes it clear that Jesus was "Lord of the Sabbath."
That means that Jesus is greater than, master of, fulfillment and completion of all
that the Sabbath pointed to.
The epicenter of all the debate over interpreting Jesus view of the law
is certainly the main word we have chosen for the entire book of Matthew:
FULFILLMENT. Jesus inaugurated the age of fulfillment. We live
in the age of fulfillment. There was a radical change of eras
when Jesus Christ came to earth. What does all this mean to us believers
today? It means that we live at a point in history that is like the last chapter
in a very large book and long story of redemption. The whole story
of what God has been engineering all through redemptive history is coming to its
climax in our era. How should that affect the way we live? It should
heighten our obedience, and heighten our excitement about the return
of Christ. It should make us marvel at the Bible as we view the whole picture
of God's love story of redemption played out in His Son Jesus Christ. It
should make us marvel at who Jesus Christ is.
When we boil down these debates and arguments to their main point, it certainly
seems to me that we are talking about the awesome supremacy of Jesus Christ.
This theme of Jesus being greater than all that came before him comes out clearly
in chapter 12. Turn there. Matthew 12:6 "I tell you, something greater
than the temple is here."
Matthew 12:41 "The men of Nineveh will rise up at the judgment with this generation
and condemn it, for they repented at the preaching of Jonah, and behold, something
greater than Jonah is here."
Matthew 12:42 "The queen of the South will rise up at the judgment with this
generation and condemn it, for she came from the ends of the earth to hear the wisdom
of Solomon, and behold, something greater than Solomon is here."
Jesus is greater than Moses, greater than the law, greater than the
temple, greater than the sacrifices, greater than the angels,
greater than the prophets, greater than anyone or anything in the OT that
pointed forward to him! If you get this point, you get the main point!
If you get this point, you will realize with fresh clarity that you need
to submit every area of your life to Him. Scripture calls us to submission
of our lives by showing us the superiority of Christ.
Let's wrestle with Jesus' words and seek to find the right and legitimate
application of them to our lives. Matthew 5:17 "Do not think that I have
come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to
fulfill them."
A. Fulfillment theme in full brilliance! V.17 "fulfill" V.18 "accomplished"
V.19, 20 "kingdom of heaven."
1. Jesus is explaining his relationship to all OT prophecy and law. He is
saying that he doesn't oppose the Mosaic code. It all pointed to Him at every
turn. It all cried out for someone to come and fulfill their requirements
and promises. The prophecies and the laws were designed and given to be fulfilled,
not ignored or thrown aside as empty promises.
2. Something had to be "accomplished" V.18 All the righteous
requirements of the law had to be perfectly accomplished and all
the promises of God had to be perfectly accomplished. For Jesus to say he
fulfilled the Law and the Prophets was a magnificent claim to deity! That
is exactly what we find spoken of Jesus in the NT. Romans 10:4 "For
Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes."
End of the law means that it has reached its fulfillment or
completion. 2 Corinthians 1:20 "For all the promises of God find their
Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his
glory."
3. Jesus never ignored God's law or disregarded God's promises. His entire
life was to bring both to their zenith of fulfillment. Jesus said: "I have
come to do your will, O God." (Heb. 10:9) This was the dominating mission
that burned in Jesus' heart. "Not my will but yours be done!" How many times
did he say: "This happened so that the Scriptures might be fulfilled…" When
John protested at His baptism, Jesus said: "It is fitting for us to fulfill
all righteousness…" Jesus was greater than everything in the OC because
He was the fulfillment of it ALL!
B. We also see the PERMANENCE of the Word of God. V.18 "For truly,
I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass
from the Law until all is accomplished."
1. When God speaks, nothing can change what he says or what he intends.
Not the Egyptian empire, the Babylonian empire, the Persian empire, the Roman
empire, the United States empire, communism or Islam. Isaiah 55:10-11
"For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven and do not return there but
water the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and
bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not
return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed
in the thing for which I sent it." Changing public opinion doesn't change the
truth of God's word. If society says it is moral for two men
or two women to marry each other, that doesn't change God's condemnation
of such behavior. 2 Corinthians 13:8 "For we cannot do anything against
the truth, but only for the truth." 1 Peter 1:22-25 "Having
purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love,
love one another earnestly from a pure heart, since you have been born again, not
of perishable seed but of imperishable, through the living and abiding word of God;
for "All flesh is like grass and all its glory like the flower of grass. The grass
withers, and the flower falls, but the word of the Lord remains forever."
And this word is the good news that was preached to you."
2. Jesus made it clear that not even the smallest accent mark of God's word
will fail to be permanent and effective. Jesus stressed this by saying: "For
truly, I say to you…" This emphatic statement occurs 30 more times
in this gospel, 13 times in Mark, 6 times in Luke and 25 times
in John (France). It conveys again the AUTHORITY of Jesus Christ as the
ultimate, definitive, climatic and final Word of God. This clearly tells
us that we don't have the option to take one part of what God said and ignore
another. We can't say: "I won't murder anyone, but I'll lie if it's convenient!"
God's word is TOTALLY RELIABLE.
3. By the way… if God is going to make sure that even the smallest little
stroke of His word is fulfilled, that certainly implies that He controls all
human events that would attempt to change that Word. He is completely sovereign
over all things, people and events and stirs them to their final destiny!
C. Pharisaic righteousness is NOT enough to get into the Kingdom of God. Matthew
5:19-20 "Therefore whoever (breaks) relaxes one of the least of these
commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom
of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom
of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes
and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." What is Jesus getting
at here?
1. First, he is saying that the Word of God is and has always been authoritative
and any challenge to its final authority is deadly to the soul. The Word of
God cannot be ignored. You cannot be sloppy in obeying God's Word
and teach others that they too can be sloppy in obeying God's Word. For example:
Eph. 5:3-4 "But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality,
or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God's holy
people. Not should there be obscenity, foolish talk, or coarse joking, which are
out of place, but rather thanksgiving." If you or I get sloppy in obeying
this word of God by flirting with sexual immorality or telling lewd jokes
at work, or swearing like a pirate when we are among non-believers, then
God is not pleased and we are of little esteem in the Kingdom. On the other
hand, if we are pursuing godliness and holiness we are of great esteem
to God's glory and please Him much.
2. How do you surpass a Pharisee and scribe in righteousness! The scribes
were the professional students and teachers of the application of the law.
Someone called them the "bureaucrats and experts on Jewish life."
The Pharisees were a reform movement or school within Judaism to which individuals
voluntarily adhered and devoted themselves to the meticulous practice
of the law with special emphasis on ritual purity, tithing, and Sabbath observance.
(France). In practical terms there wasn't a whole lot of difference between
them. Many scribes were members of the Pharisaic movement.
3. To speak of a righteousness that went beyond the P/S would have seemed impossible
and even ridiculous! (France) The kind of 'righteousness' they practiced
is in view here. It was understood in terms of literal obedience to rules and regulations
and "it would be hard to find anyone who attempted it more rigorously
and more consistently than the P/S" (France).
4. So what is Jesus saying? Jesus is saying that if you want to truly be under
God's rule and God's pleasure – i.e. be in the kingdom of God,
your type of righteousness has to be of an entirely different quality and
nature than the Pharisees and scribes. God is not interested in scrupulous obedience
to the OT laws. God is not interested in slavish obedience to a set of man-made
regulations. God is not interested in external observance of religious rituals
that don't change the condition of your soul and love for the Savior! God
doesn't look favorably on a cold-hearted legalist, no matter how righteous
he thinks he is or pretends to be. It is not a "zeal for legal correctness"
that attracts the eye of God. It is not "attempting to be more rigorous and more
consistent than the scribes and Pharisees" that pleases God.
5. The righteousness that Jesus is talking about "penetrates beneath the
surface level of rules to be obeyed" to the heart and makes you love Father
so much that you are eager to do His will in every area of your life. Anglican,
John Stott said it well: "It was a new heart-righteousness which the prophets
foresaw as one of the blessings of the Messianic age. The Pharisees
thought an external conformity to the law would be righteousness enough.
Now it is this deep obedience which is a righteousness of the heart
and is possible only in those whom the HS has regenerated and now
indwells. This is why entry into God's kingdom is impossible without
a righteousness greater than that of the Pharisees. It is because such a righteousness
is evidence of the new birth, without which no one enters the kingdom."
APPLICATION: The rest of chapter 5 talks about how this heart-righteousness
is seen, how it lives, how it responds to the will of God
in situations of life – like murderous thoughts, adultery in the mind,
divorce, honesty, persecution and revenge, and love for your enemies.
What have I said today? What can you take home with you today? What is the
summary of this text?
Jesus Christ is the fulfillment of the entire OT law and prophets. He is
the ultimate law giver and He is to be obeyed as God's final Word
for His people. If I am truly saved by grace because of the Cross work of
Jesus, then I will obey His will with a joyful, submitted, willing, and steadfast
heart. Submitting to Him will become my greatest desire and my greatest satisfaction
and my greatest joy.
Can you honestly say that is the condition of your heart this morning? Is
not, I'll stay around after the service so that we can pray together
that the Spirit will do His work to where you need to be before God.
Let's pray,
H.