Christ’s Authority: Fulfilling the Scriptures

- Introduction

Good morning, everyone. Once upon a time, I was volunteering at a small church in Kissimmee, FL. My family and I used to church hop a lot, volunteering at multiple churches since my mom was friends with many pastors. This particular church however happened to have a space where my family, my parents my sister and I, could all not only serve but also lead. I had an admiration and respect for the pastor of this small church, and had many desires to be seen by him. There was a season where I was taken under his wing, and I began to increase in maturity, leadership ability, and had a lot of favor with every one. I made myself always available, I participated as much as I could with my youth group, the worship team, in Bible studies and leadership school. In everyone’s eyes, I was the good kid who loved God, who loved the church, who loved to serve in ministry. However, though those things were not entirely untrue, that is what was observable on the outside. I may have given the impression of what an active and healthy church member looked like, but what most people didn’t know is that, for a time, my motivation in doing all those things was to catch the eyes of a girl who was close to the pastors. She was a close family friend and babysat their kids often. Perhaps if I did enough things right to prove my worth, she might notice me. Well, long story short, eventually she did notice, but things didn’t last. And sadly, came to find out, the underlying culture of that church produced many surface level Christians that on the outside they looked great, but on the inside lacked Gospel-centered transformation instead of performance motivation.

Today, we are going to delve into a profound teaching from Jesus found in Matthew 5:17-20. In this passage, Jesus speaks about the Law and the Prophets and His relationship to them. He challenges us to rethink our understanding of what true righteousness is, and in so doing will call us to a higher standard of living, but not in the way we think. As we explore these verses, we'll see how Jesus fulfills the Law, why it's important for us, and what it means for our daily lives. Let's open our hearts and minds to receive His word today.

Prayer

Big Idea: We fulfill all the words of God when we obey the One who fulfilled the Word of God.

Matthew 5:17-20

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished. Therefore, whoever breaks 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.”

This is the word of the Lord, thanks be to God.

Fulfilling the Law (5:17)

Common Misconceptions

This is a passage that perhaps many of us have heard before, and maybe for some will be hearing it new for the first time or first time in a long time. I’m guessing that maybe you’re like me and you had some conception what Jesus meant when we read those words. Allow me to do the hard thing and share some misconceptions about the phrase Fulfilling the Law.

· The first Misconception 1: “Fulfillment only means the completion of Future Telling Prophecies”

The problem with that, not every command is a prophecy, and not every prophecy is about Jesus; some are about the Jewish people and God’s future restoration of the land. The worry that came to many Jewish Christians was that if Jesus fulfillment was only all the commands and prophecies, did God forget his promises to them? Simply put, fulfillment in Jesus assures that all of God’s promises to the Jews, to the world, will still come to pass.[1]

· The second Misconception 2: Jesus fulfilling the law means he accomplished and fully obeyed all 613 commandments of the Torah, (the teachings of Moses which would be Genesis to Deuteronomy).

Maybe you’ve heard this before: “God gave humans the law and no one could follow the law to the letter because we’re rotten sinners, so Jesus came and did what no other human could: he obeyed every single law.”

The problem with that? That’s not possible, because since some laws couldn’t be obeyed by Jesus. What about the parts of the law that deal with women and their menstrual cycles? What about all the laws that dealt with agriculture and communal living in the Promised Land? Under Roman oppression and rule in the land of Palestine Israel during the days of Jesus, it would be impossible to follow through on those commands.

· And The third Misconception 3: We don’t need to follow the law since Jesus fulfilled it.

I’ll say more about this in a moment, but as David Stern says, “… there is no logic to the suggestion that Jesus’ obeying the Torah does away with our need to obey it. In fact, we’ll see how Paul, in his letter to the Romans, teaches the church that we have “the obedience [God calls for] when we trust in Jesus. [In Romans 3], he will teach that such trusting in Jesus does not abolish Torah but confirms it.”[2]

Original Meaning

With that being said, then what did Jesus mean by what he said?

Perhaps, some context would help. In Matthew 3, starting at verse 7, “…when [John the Baptist] saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming to watch him baptize, he denounced them. “You brood of snakes!” he exclaimed. “Who warned you to flee the coming wrath? Prove by the way you live that you have repented of your sins and turned to God. Don’t just say to each other, ‘We’re safe, for we are descendants of Abraham.’ That means nothing, for I tell you, God can create children of Abraham from these very stones.”

Naturally, the religious leaders did not like that message. The Gospels all show us that Jesus, similar to John, takes up the same message of Repentance as he also critiques the religious establishment. He also begins teaching something that seems new and radical to the people of Israel. They did not like that. Jesus sounds like he is telling the people to turn away from Torah to listen to him.

Jesus' declaration “that I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” is a response to the religious leaders' suspicions about His adherence, or rather the lack-thereof, to the Old Testament. His mission was to fulfill, not abolish, the Law and the Prophets. Well then, if that is the case, and since that word “fulfill” has some misconceptions tied to it, what does it mean? And why is this statement so significant?

In Matthew’s Gospel, the word “fulfill” is a key significant term. The Greek lexicon dictionaries agree that the word, πληρόω, which most transaltions use the word “Fulfill,” means to bring to completion, to fill full, to finish fully. Now I find that very interesting, and every commentator says this statement is just as bold as declaring “I am the Son of God.” One author, Douglas O’Donnell had this to say:

“It would have been bold if Jesus said, “I have come to adhere perfectly, as no man has ever done, to the Law,” or if he said, “I have come to give the best and final authoritative teaching on the Law.” Both of those would have been enough for the religious crowd first to scratch their heads and then to rend their garments. But to say what Jesus actually said will get one crucified.”[3]

Why? My gut reaction was to think that Jesus’ statement implies there is something empty about the Old Testament. My conviction is knowing and believing that the Word of God is more than enough to satisfy and sustain us. Elsewhere, Jesus and the New Testament writers will affirm that. I believe Jesus is saying, “All the promises of God, all the words of God, find their fulfillment in me.” To say that he is fulfilling the Law and Prophets, a phrase that refers to the whole of the Old Testament, Jesus is claiming to be “the inerrant expositor of the Word who has come to tell everyone what the Law really teaches.” Jesus is declaring, with great authority, that the entirety of the Old Testament, all its teachings, all its commands, all its ethics and principles, is being fulfilled in his life, teachings, and ministry. This is radical and dangerous because within the crowds of people listening to his words, every religious group that the Jewish people revered were represented. The implication is that these religious groups have not been teaching the fullness of what the Word of God intended to instill in us. No other teacher of the law would ever come close to saying what Jesus said. In essence, all their teaching and interpretations and traditions they came up with so that the people would follow the law accurately, Jesus is saying that his teaching and interpretation supersede them all and is the only right way to look at the Word of God.

The implication for believers then and now is that as we look at the entirety of the Old Testament, we are to look at it through the lens of Jesus and his teachings. Everything that has been written must now be funneled and filtered through the teachings, ministry, and life of Jesus Christ. This is very important for us to understand because it is the core of the teachings of Christ, which will follow in the Sermon on the Mount and in all the Gospels. Jesus is the culmination of God’s work throughout history. To fulfill the Law and the Prophets means that “he came to complete our understanding of the Law and the Prophets,… [Jesus] completes, makes fuller, the understanding of his [disciples] concerning the Torah and the Prophets, so that they can more fully express what being God’s people is all about.” [4]

The Lasting Validity Of The Old Testament (5:18)

Matthew 5:18, “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.”

This is a bold statement! Jesus insists that the Law is still in effect until everything is accomplished. The phrase “until heaven and earth pass away” is a Hebrew idiom meaning that God’s Word is eternal and unchanging. In other words, the Old Testament, with its laws and prophecies, remains valid until all that is prophesied is fulfilled. To this today, the Jewish people uphold the Old Testament as sacred and unalterable. Jesus is saying that the Old Testament will remain relevant and authoritative until God’s purposes are completely fulfilled. For the Christian, our view of the Law is based on the foundation that Jesus fulfills the Law in his life, death, and resurrection. The sacrificial system for example is fulfilled in Jesus’ atonement on the cross, yet the principle of atonement remains valid. The difference between the orthodox Jewish people and Christian believers is that the Jews still uphold the Law, but Christians understand that Jesus is the fulfillment of its ultimate purpose and in him we learn and live into the true meaning of the Law.

Doing and Teaching the Commandments (5:19)

Matthew 5:19 “Therefore, whoever breaks 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.”

This is a profound statement. Jesus emphasizes that the commandments of God are not to be taken lightly. He warns against breaking even the least of these commandments. This is a direct challenge to the religious leaders of his time. They had a way of building hierarchies of the laws and commandments so that there were greater laws that demanded greater adherence while labeling other commandments to be least and not at important to follow; (I highly recommend you see Jesus’ reaction to this sort of thinking in Matthew 22:33). These were the leaders who often focused on the external observance of the law, letting others see their righteousness, and teaching others to behave as they behave while neglecting teaching the law’s spirit and intent. Jesus calls for a righteousness that goes beyond mere compliance with the law. It is not just about doing the right things but also about teaching and living out the commandments with the right heart attitude.

I wonder if almost in a sarcastic but also serious tone, Jesus points to the Pharisees and scribes, the most righteous people of his day, and says, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” This is a shocking statement because the scribes and Pharisees were known for their meticulous observance of the law. They were the religious elite, and their righteousness was considered the gold standard. But Jesus says that true righteousness goes beyond outward conformity. It requires an inner transformation of the heart. This inner righteousness is what Jesus calls us to. It’s a righteousness that is rooted in love, compassion, and humility.

The Christian’s Relation to the Law

1. **The Law Reveals God’s Will**: The law is a revelation of God’s will for humanity. It shows us how to live in a way that honors God and benefits others.

2. **The Law Points Out Sin**: The law serves as a mirror, showing us our sin and our need for a Savior. It drives us to Jesus, who fulfills the law on our behalf.

3. **Jesus Objected to Misinterpretation, Not the Law**: Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to correct its misinterpretation. He restores the true intent of the law, teaching us how to live according to God’s will.

4. **Jesus’ Fulfillment of the Law Means Salvation Through Him**: Our salvation is not through our obedience to the law but through faith in Jesus, who perfectly fulfilled the law for us. We are saved by grace through faith, not by works.

5. **Jesus is the Ultimate Interpreter of the Law**: Jesus is the final authority on the interpretation of the law. He clarifies its true meaning and application, guiding us in how to live as God’s people.

6. **Love for God and Neighbor Fullfills the Law**: The essence of the law is love for God and neighbor. Jesus summarizes the entire law with this principle. All the commandments hang on these two commandments, demonstrating that true righteousness is a matter of the heart.

Inside-Out Righteousness (5:20)

Matthew 5:20 “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.”

· The Beatitudes serve as an introduction to inside-out transformation

The Beatitudes have introduced the transformation Jesus seeks— the good life is all about a righteousness that is internal and genuine. As a reminder, the biblical definition for righteousness, in Hebrew (tsedeka) and in Greek (dikaiosune), is living rightly with God and man. This righteousness is exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, who focused on outward appearance and legalistic observance. Jesus calls us to a deeper, heart-felt righteousness that only He can produce in us through the Holy Spirit. This inside-out transformation is the essence of the Christian life.

· The Sermon is the body and meat of what that transformation looks like

It is what Jesus introduces here and will flesh out in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. Inside-out transformation is what Jesus is looking for, it is the essence of the Christian life, what the Scriptures were always intended to do.

- Conclusion/Application

o Jesus’ Teaching and Torah

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and Prophets, showing us the true intention of the Old Testament: transforming our inner beings to reflect the heart of God. As we follow Jesus' teachings, we are fulfilling the Word of God. To follow Christ is to truly follow the Word of God.

**To follow Christ is to truly follow the Word of God**

Paul, once a faultless Pharisee, realized that righteousness through the law was worthless compared to righteousness through faith in Christ. In Philippians 3:8-9, he says. ““ …For [the] sake [of Jesus Christ] I have discarded everything else, counting it all as garbage, so that I could gain Christ and become one with him. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith.”

Let us commit to living out His teachings with sincerity and faithfulness, embodying the righteousness He calls us to. As we embrace His grace and live according to His teachings, we fulfill all the words of God through the One who fulfilled the Word of God.

Amen?

#### Closing Prayer

[1] Stern, David H. 1996. Jewish New Testament Commentary : A Companion Volume to the Jewish New Testament. Electronic ed. Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications. [2] Stern, David H. 1996. Jewish New Testament Commentary : A Companion Volume to the Jewish New Testament. Electronic ed. Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications. [3] O’Donnell, Douglas Sean. 2013. Matthew: All Authority in Heaven and on Earth. Edited by R. Kent Hughes. Preaching the Word. Wheaton, IL: Crossway. [4] Stern, David H. 1996. Jewish New Testament Commentary : A Companion Volume to the Jewish New Testament. Electronic ed. Clarksville: Jewish New Testament Publications.