2.5.9 1.26.2025 Matthew 5.17-20 A New Standard

Matthew 5:17–20 ESV

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. 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. 19 Therefore whoever 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. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

     Start:

         Entice: The OT makes up more than half of our Bibles. For us as Christians the question is not whether the OT is authoritative, but how. How do we understand it and apply it. We are not Jewish. We do not offer animal sacrifice. The New Testament is clear that we, are ourselves the temple God inhabits through the Holy Spirit. We understand from the NT that Jesus has fulfilled the law on our behalf. Yet since the beginning, Christians have struggled with the OT in general and the Law particular. Without the Old the NT lacks context.

         Engage: My guess is that for many of you the OT had a role to play in your Christian growth. It contains memorable, picturesque stories, Noah’s Ark, David & Goliath, Samson & Delilah.  It is easy to memorize and quote. (The Lord is My Shepherd…) Many OT passages are well-loved, yet we don’t always have a good plan for reading it and using it in forming Christian character. Today we will consider some relevant questions and hopefully find some answers. But we do need to keep some issues in mind.

              First, we are Gentile believers. We are Christians. We submit to the Lordship of Jesus regarding everything.

              Next, keep in mind that the goal is not so much “What do people think?” Or even, “What do you think?” Rather the right question is, “What does Jesus think?”

         Expand: Jesus accepted the validity of the OT law.

God with us is the source of the Law and the key for understanding it.

His authority is personal, and He claims the central place in explaining its meaning to us.

         Excite:  Understanding really begins with Jesus!

     Explore:

Jesus unlocks the Law for us.

     Expand: Four principles from Jesus’ interpretation of the Law that should guide our understanding.

     Body of Sermon: First is the principle of

         1 Fulfilment.

Matthew 5:17 ESV

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.

              1.1 Complete.

              1.2 Finish.

              1.3 Bring to a designed end.

              1.4 Jesus fully and finally expresses the law.

Next is the principle of

         2 Accomplishment.

Matthew 5:18 ESV

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.

What does the law accomplish? What does it do? How does it do it?

              2.1 Jesus accepts the expression of the Law.

                  2.1.1 Written.

We must read or hear and understand

                  2.1.2 Provided by God.

Reading and understanding scripture is an act of devotion.

              2.2 Jesus is interested in the nature of the Law.

                  2.2.1 It is dynamic.

                  2.2.2 It is goal focused.

Next Jesus discusses the principle of

         3 Endorsement.

Matthew 5:19 ESV

19 Therefore whoever 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.

              3.1 We endorse the law by our behavior.

              3.2 We endorse the law by belief.

              3.3 We endorse the law by our example.

Positive teaching and negative teaching,

Finally, Jesus considers the principle of

         4 Practice.

Matthew 5:20 ESV

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

              4.1 Righteousness as a quality.

              4.2 Righteousness as a sign of the Kingdom.

     Shut Down

         Keeping the law is not a ceremonial responsibility. It is a form of Kingdom-obedience. For the Christian keeping the law primarily means obeying Jesus. Throughout the Gospel of Matthew God with us experiences constant friction with those for whom “keeping the law” was a duty, or those who saw it as a way to see themselves as superior to others.

         For Jesus, He is Himself the key, and the Kingdom is the environment. His interpretation of the Law, in the rest of the Sermon on the Mount and throughout

         Matthew will create conflict with those who were more concerned about the appearance of godliness than in being godly.

         And though we might shake the finger at those “ol’ Pharisees” most of us know and some of us have used the “law”, the rules, the regulations—not to proclaim the presence of the Kingdom, but to threaten, punish, mock, or marginalize others. Jesus doesn’t discard the law…He raises the bar.

         He kept what we could not and provides grace to enable broken people like us to not only please God but to touch others with His grace.