What Does God Require?

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David Gayle Woods

The Troy Holiness Church

Sermon • Submitted 5 months ago • Presented 5 months ago • 24:01

Matthew 5:17–20

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Matthew 5:17–20 ESV

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

What does God require? What does God expect of us?

This is the simple question that drives our passage of scripture and this message today.

What does God expect of me, and of you?

(pause)

Of course, there are many in the world today who have totally rejected any concern for what God requires. There are many who spurn God's voice and live any way they want.

Yet there are many others who truly are concerned about what God requires of them. This concern is expressed in different ways, especially by those who do not know who God is.

Many sincere people who don't even necessarily believe in God, who may think we descended from apes, are still honestly concerned about how to live a good life and make the world a better place.

Those who recognize some higher power, regardless of who they think God is, are also concerned about pleasing God.

Those who see the utter depravity of this world… and are honest with themselves about their own wickedness… may be even desperate about how to please God.

Jesus preached this sermon originally to his disciples. There were others listening in. But those who first heard this message were people who wanted to live for God, who were committed to Jesus and believed Him to be their Messiah.

These Jews, the people of God, were definitely concerned about pleasing God with their lives.

(pause)

Now, this prophet had appeared who seemed to be the long-awaited Messiah. This man Jesus spoke with great authority. Jesus explained to them in this very sermon about what it meant to be part of God's kingdom.

The people had been taught all their lives to live by the Torah, the Law. They had been indoctrinated with various rules the scribes and Pharisees had developed to help them obey the Law and the Prophets.

As the people listened to Jesus, it appears like one question kept coming to the forefront: was Jesus teaching them a different way to please God?

(pause)

In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus taught four important truths about the Law in response to this question. Notice, firstly, what Jesus said about…

1. The End of the Law, v. 17.

Matthew 5:17 ESV

“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.

In Jesus' day, when the people talked about the Law and the Prophets, they were talking about the entirety of what we call the "Old Testament."

There has been much misunderstanding among Christians over the years about the relationship of the Old Testament to the New Testament.

Some have suggested that the Old Testament does not apply to us today. They say that we live in the New Covenant and therefore the Old Covenant is extraneous.

Some have even argued that we should not preach from the Old Testament. They say the Old Testament does not apply to our lives as Christians.

John Stott writes…

The famous second-century heretic Marcion, who rewrote the New Testament by eliminating its references to the Old, naturally erased this passage. Some of his followers went further.

They dared even to reverse its meaning by exchanging the verbs so that the sentence then read: ‘I have come not to fulfil the law and the prophets, but to abolish them’!

Their counterparts today seem to be those who have embraced the so-called ‘new morality’, for they declare that the very category of law is abolished for the Christian (though Christ said he had not come to abolish it), that no law any longer binds Christian people except the law of love, and in fact that the command to love is the only absolute there is.

… according to this verse (17) the attitude of Jesus to the Old Testament was not one of destruction and of discontinuity, but rather of a constructive, organic continuity. He summed up his position in a single word, not ‘abolition’ but ‘fulfilment’. (John Stott)

(pause)

What did Jesus say?

(pause)

I am not come to abolish, but to fulfil.

(pause)

What does it mean, though, for Jesus to fulfill the Law?

To fulfill is to "fill full" - the same Greek word is used for both. Jesus filled up to the full the meaning of the Old Testament.

When read in the light of His person and work, it sparkles with new meaning. Christ is the Key, the only Key, that unlocks the Scriptures. (BBC, p. 73)

Consider three ways that Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets.

First, Jesus fulfilled the doctrinal teaching of the Old Testament by bringing it to completion by his person, teaching, and work. All the doctrine of the Old Testament finds its fulfillment and meaning in Jesus.

Secondly, Jesus fulfilled the predictive prophecy of the Old Testament because what was predicted came to pass in him.

Thirdly, Jesus fulfilled the ethical precepts of the Law by obeying them and explaining what obedience means for his disciples. Jesus provided the true interpretation of what the Law means and requires.

Jesus did not come to do away with the Law or to establish a new law. Please note: the law of love is NOT a new law. Rather, it is the essence of God's Law as revealed in the Old Testament.

John the apostle wrote in 1 John 2:7

1 John 2:7 ESV

Beloved, I am writing you no new commandment, but an old commandment that you had from the beginning. The old commandment is the word that you have heard.

The command to love one another was not new. Yet John continued in verse 8 …

1 John 2:8 ESV

At the same time, it is a new commandment that I am writing to you, which is true in him and in you, because the darkness is passing away and the true light is already shining.

The commandment itself was not new, yet its implications through the revelation of Christ are new! But this may be understood better as we continue looking at our next.

Secondly, notice…

2. The Endurance of the Law, v. 18.

Matthew 5:18 ESV

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.

The word "iota" here is referring to the Hebrew letter yodh.

The smallest letter (5:18) of the Hebrew alphabet was yodh, which was written much like an apostrophe. It is easy to miss a yodh when reading a handwritten Hebrew manuscript.

The least stroke of a pen (the “tittle” of the King James Version) was a tiny projection of the vertical line of a letter extending beyond the intersection with a horizontal stroke.

This horn, as it was sometimes called, was the only distinction between two otherwise identical letters.

Jesus’ statement that heaven and earth will disappear before these tiniest parts of the Law strongly affirms the importance of the Old Testament in all its details." BCitWT

The smallest letter or mark of God's Law will not pass away… until heaven and earth pass away!

When will heaven and earth pass away? After the Great Tribulation, after Armageddon, after the millennial reign of Christ on earth, and after the Great White Throne Judgment!

After all these things, Revelation 21:1 John says…

Revelation 21:1 ESV

Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and the sea was no more.

In other words, the Law - the Old Testament - is still very important for us today! The Law shows us our sinfulness and points us to our need of a Savior. Jesus did not come to do away with the Law; He came to fulfill it!

Understanding this leads us naturally to the third principle about the Law we find in our text.

3. The Evaluation of the Law, v. 19.

Matthew 5:19 ESV

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.

The principle we find here is simple: greatness in God's kingdom is measured by our conformity to God's Law.

If you want to be considered a godly person, a very spiritual man or woman, then you must be careful to do and teach God's Law… in its entirety!

In the kingdom of heaven, that is, in the kingdom of the Messiah, or in the church which he is about to establish (see Notes on Mat. 3:2), he that breaks the least of these commandments shall be in no esteem, or shall not be regarded as a proper religious teacher.

The Pharisees, by dividing the law into greater and lesser precepts, made [much of it] void by their traditions and divisions, Mat. 23:23; 15:3–6.

Jesus says that in his kingdom all this vain division and tradition would cease. Such divisions and distinctions would be a small matter.

He that attempted it should be the least of all. Men would be engaged in yielding obedience to all the law of God without any such vain distinctions.

Yes, in that day the religious leaders would categorize some laws of God as more important and others as less important.

(pause)

Even today, there are people who categorize some sins as more important or less so than other sins. Murder of its various kinds and sexual immorality, especially certain kinds, are considered heinous.

But hatred displayed through racism or prejudice or dishonesty practiced by white lies, gossip or slander are not "that" bad.

(pause)

So we think.

(pause)

But what does God say?

(pause)

Sin is sin. For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all, James 2:10 states.

Now, some might be thinking at this point, "Yes, this is true if you are trying to gain salvation by good works."

(pause)

The implication is, then, that we don't truly have to obey God's Law because of grace.

(pause)

This thought then makes Jesus' words mean nothing. Why?

(pause)

Jesus said that those who obey God's Law are great in God's kingdom, but those who disobey are not.

(pause)

Did you catch that? Let's go back… . Verse 17 - Jesus emphatically stated that He did NOT come to destroy or abolish the Law; He came to fulfill it.

(pause)

Verse 18 - Jesus emphasized even more the endurance of the Law, saying that the smallest markings will not pass away until the end of time when the new heavens and new earth are created.

(pause)

Verse 19 - Jesus said that those who break God's Laws and teach others to disregard God's Law will be held in very little esteem by God.

(pause)

The greatest person in God's kingdom is the one who does God's Law and teaches others to do so.

(pause)

Now, some would say, "Yes, this is all true if you want to gain salvation by perfect obedience to the Law."

(pause)

We know that we have all sinned.

Therefore… it is a fool's mission to go down the road of trying to be "great" in God's kingdom by perfect obedience to the Law.

(pause)

And so… some would say, "We are saved by grace through faith. We are not saved by the Law. We are not saved by how well we keep the Law."

In other words, they are saying, "You don't have to really pay attention to the Law because you are saved by grace."

(PAUSE)

It is true that we ARE saved by grace through faith. We are NOT saved by the Law. We do not STAY saved by how well we keep the Law.

(pause)

But that last statement… you don't have to pay attention to the Law because you are saved by grace… is NOT what Jesus said!

This becomes more evident as we consider…

4. The Essence of the Law, v. 20.

Matthew 5:20 ESV

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

Simply stated, the truth of this verse is: entry into God's kingdom is impossible without a conformity to God's Law that is much better than that of the scribes and Pharisees.

(pause)

We must remember that the common perception of the Pharisees and scribes today is faulty. We look at these religious leaders and we see hyper-conservative hypocrites.

And it is true. These religious leaders were hyper-conservative. They had developed rules on top of rules in an attempt to adhere to God's Law in the most strictest, severe manner possible.

They were hypocrites. They tithed the increase of garden plants, such as dill and cumin, yet they failed to practice justice, love and mercy toward their fellow man.

But the truth is: these religious leaders were the most holiest of the people around. They rigorously sought to follow God's Law and live in a way they thought pleased Him.

The scribes and Pharisees "were the Billy Grahams, Chuck Swindolls, and Jack Hayfords—the spiritual giants of their day." (Courson's Commentary)

(pause)

They were the religious elite!

(pause)

But now Jesus told his disciples: not only is greatness in God's kingdom determined by how closely you adhere to God's Law, but you don't even have chance to get into God's kingdom unless you outdo the religious elite!

(pause)

Can you hear the air escape from the disciples' pursed lips, as their hopes to be part of God's kingdom were dashed?!

How could they ever hope to outdo the Pharisees' righteousness?! They came under the Pharisees' condemnation for simply grabbing a few kernels of grain as they walked through the field on the Sabbath.

They didn't even wash their hands right!

They had no hope to be righteous enough to be part of God's kingdom!

(PAUSE)

And that was the whole point!

No one could ever be righteous enough to gain salvation, entrance into God's kingdom, on their own!

Salvation, adoption into God's family, and naturalization as a citizen of the kingdom of God is only possible by the grace of Jesus Christ!

(pause)

Through the new birth in that experience we call salvation, we are made righteousness by the grace of God.

(pause)

But we must understand, righteousness, perfection, holiness is still God's standard, even though we are saved by grace through faith.

And so, we are compelled to live a righteous and holy life, which we do through the enabling of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 10:4 ESV

For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

Note what this verse says, and what it does not say. Christ is the end of the law… in other words, the Law points us to Christ. Christ is the fulfillment of the Law.

But does this verse merely say that Christ ends, abolishes, or destroys the Law? No, it does not!

(pause)

Rather, Christ is the end of the law for righteousness.

(pause)

The only way we can be made righteous and then live righteously is not by our own strength and goodness.

(pause)

No, we are made righteous and we live righteously … through Christ!

(pause)

Someone has written…

Pharisees were content with an external and formal obedience, a rigid conformity to the letter of the law; Jesus teaches us that God’s demands are far more radical than this.

The righteousness which is pleasing to him is an inward righteousness of mind and motive. For ‘The Lord looks on the heart’.

It was a new heart-righteousness which the prophets foresaw as one of the blessings of the Messianic age. ‘I will put my law within them, and I will write it upon their hearts,’ God promised through Jeremiah (31:33).

How would he do it? He told Ezekiel: ‘I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes’ (36:27). Thus God’s two promises to put his law within us and to put his Spirit within us coincide.

We must not imagine (as some do today) that when we have the Spirit we can dispense with the law, for what the Spirit does in our hearts is, precisely, to write God’s law there.

At this point in his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus began to quote different parts of the Law. He said, "You have heard that it was said to those of old". Then Jesus said, "But I say unto you."

(pause)

Six times Jesus compared and contrasted what they understood the Law to say with what God truly intended.

With these examples, Jesus was not attempting to give an exhaustive, complete reinterpretation of the Law's 613 commands.

Rather, Jesus illustrated through several vivid images the real heart of God's Law.

(pause)

For example, we condemn murder, because it violates God's Law. But Jesus said we are in danger of His judgment simply by being angry with one another.

We definitely come under God's condemnation when we insult each other or treat each other as less than a human being created in the image of God.

We condemn adultery, but Jesus said that you can commit adultery merely by how you look at others and the thoughts you harbor in your heart and mind.

We give ourselves "outs" on the most sacred of our vows. But Jesus said it doesn't matter what excuse you give, breaking your word is evil.

We appeal to God's Law to gain justice and vengeance on others who wrong us, but God says we should not fight back, but let others trample our rights.

We value our friends but hate our enemies, but Jesus said that the true child of God loves and is kind even to his enemy.

The religious elite of that day rigidly conformed outwardly to the decrees of the Law. But Jesus said, "God requires an inward conformity to the Law that is only possible by receiving grace."