The Law Fulfilled

Tonight we return to Jesus’ sermon on the mount where he begins to proclaim the gospel of the Kingdom. It’s noteworthy to see here the parallels and the distinctions between Jesus and Moses. Moses gathers the covenant people of God to Mount Sinai and there receives the Law of God which becomes the covenant God has made with his people.

In the sermon on the mount Jesus gathers His followers on the mountain and He begins to proclaim to them the law of the New Covenant. The first mediator was Moses. The second was God Himself in the person of Jesus Christ.

Several weeks ago I taught through the beatitudes and Jesus’ teaching on His followers being salt and light. Next we come to His teaching on the law of Moses and on His six antitheses.

English Standard Version Chapter 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. 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.

This passage presents to us a challenge that we must not shy away from. Jesus is saying that the law is not to be set aside and whoever relaxes even the least commandment of the Law of Moses will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.

As someone who rather enjoys bacon with my breakfast and is wearing a shirt with different types of fabric woken together right now, I find this distressing. So is Jesus teaching here that under the New Covenant believers must follow the Mosaic Law?

In Acts 10:9-23, the Lord gives Peter a vision commanding him to rise, kill, and eat. The Lord then told Peter not to call unclean what God has called clean. This was to signify that Peter was to go under the roof of a gentile in order to proclaim the gospel to him. It was to signify that the gentiles would also become heirs of salvation under the New Covenant and children of Abraham, not by works of the law but by faith.

The Apostle Paul confirms this in Galatians 3:1-14

Galatians 3:1–14 ESV

O foolish Galatians! Who has bewitched you? It was before your eyes that Jesus Christ was publicly portrayed as crucified. Let me ask you only this: Did you receive the Spirit by works of the law or by hearing with faith? Are you so foolish? Having begun by the Spirit, are you now being perfected by the flesh? Did you suffer so many things in vain—if indeed it was in vain? Does he who supplies the Spirit to you and works miracles among you do so by works of the law, or by hearing with faith— just as Abraham “believed God, and it was counted to him as righteousness”? Know then that it is those of faith who are the sons of Abraham. And the Scripture, foreseeing that God would justify the Gentiles by faith, preached the gospel beforehand to Abraham, saying, “In you shall all the nations be blessed.” So then, those who are of faith are blessed along with Abraham, the man of faith. For all who rely on works of the law are under a curse; for it is written, “Cursed be everyone who does not abide by all things written in the Book of the Law, and do them.” Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for “The righteous shall live by faith.” But the law is not of faith, rather “The one who does them shall live by them.” Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree”— so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the Gentiles, so that we might receive the promised Spirit through faith.

So how do we understand Jesus’ teachings in light of the rest of the New Testament? If we are no longer bound to the Mosaic Law, why is Jesus saying that if we relax even the least of these commands that we will be called least in the kingdom of heaven?

Let’s zoom in on verse 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.

These words, “abolish” and “fulfill” are essential to helping us understand Jesus’ teachings here.

In the greek, to “abolish” in this context means to destroy, tear down, or to make invalid. To “fulfill” means come to an end, complete, finish, have a full degree, or to make total. Jesus is saying that