Fulfillment of the Law (Matt 5:17-20)

As most people know, the Bible is made up of two parts… the Old Testament and the New Testament.  In most people’s understanding, the Old Testament covers when man was under the Law.  It was the time before Christ arrived on earth, and the New Testament covers the time beginning with Christ’s arrival.  Also, many people believe that the New Testament replaces the Old Testament… and that the Law no longer applies to us.  This understanding is not quite right.  We are going to look, today, at how these two parts fit together.

The first five books of the Old Testament, or the Torah, are known as the Law.  In the Old Testament, there are also books of history, poetry, and the prophets.  Until Christ’s arrival on earth, these were the Scriptures and the Jews lived under their teaching.  Read our text today from Matt 5:17-20.

Verse 17 tells us right off that His arrival does not replace the Law or the prophets.  The Old Testament is still pertinent.  Never think that the New Testament replaces the Old Testament and that the Old Testament is now irrelevant.  Jesus makes that point clear.  Jesus says that His arrival is meant to do just the opposite.  He has come to fulfill the Old Testament.  How does He do that?

The book of Genesis is about God establishing His chosen people, Israel.  God gives the patriarchs (Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob), a covenant promise that He will bless the world through their descendants (Israel) by sending a Messiah (Gen 12:2-3, 26:3-4, 28:13-14).  Jesus is that Messiah.  The prophets continue to tell of it as do the books of poetry.  These books speak of His first coming and His return in the end times.  Jesus has come once and will come again.

So, what has changed?  Sin has not changed.  What was considered sin in the Old Testament is still considered sin today.  If you shouldn’t do it before, you still shouldn’t do it now.  What has changed is how we deal with that sin.  A blood sacrifice was always required for the atonement of sin and is still required today (Heb 9:22).  That is not different.  What is different is that, in the Old Testament, man had to bring livestock and sacrifice them on an altar in the Temple, but in the New Testament, Jesus’ blood on the cross is the sacrifice for our sin.  There is still shedding of blood, there is still a blood sacrifice, but the sacrifice has changed.  Now, God provides the sacrifice for us (John 3:16, Rom 5:8).

This was a momentous change.  People in the Old Testament were looking forward to a Messiah that would come.  Animal sacrifices were symbolic of what the Messiah would do when He came.  But at one historic moment, when Jesus died, everything changed.  The Bible tells us that the veil in the Temple was rent in two (Matt 27:51) .  In the Temple, there was a place called the Holy of Holies that man could not enter or He would die.  This was the place where God’s presence dwelled and man was separated from God’s presence by this veil preventing his entrance.  It was a very thick, heavy veil, and it’s tearing in two at the time of His death was miraculous, to say the least.  At the very moment of Jesus’ death, this veil rent in two, symbolizing man’s new ability to enter into God’s presence.  He no longer needed a priest to offer his sacrifices for him, but he could go directly into God’s presence and seek forgiveness for his sins.  The sacrifice had already been made.

I want you to understand that some things have not changed.  There is still a blood sacrifice required for the redemption from sin.  Salvation, also, has always been dependent on faith, not works.  Sacrificing animals was an act of obedience, but man was still justified by his faith (Rom 3:28, Gal 2:16).  We see in Hebrews 11 that the heroes of old were justified by their faith. 

In verse 18 of today’s text, Jesus says that, until everything in Heaven and earth are gone, nothing will disappear from the Law.  The Law was given so that man may understand his sin (Rom 3:20, 7:7). The Law is not going anywhere.  It is God’s truth.

Verse 19 warns about the lowering of status to anyone who detracts from the Law.  God’s Word is sacred and we must not detract from it nor teach others that it is not sacred.  This verse also promises rewards to those who practice and teach God’s principles.  Jesus put great importance on the Old Testament teachings.

Verse 20 of our text is interesting.  Jesus said that our righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees and scribes in order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven.  Remember, in our lessons so far, we have seen the Pharisees and scribes teaching a very legalistic and ritualistic approach to obeying the Law.  They did not have that mercy and sacrifice God called for in Hosea 6:6 which resulted in showing God’s love to others.  What Jesus is alluding to here is a life that has been changed through a relationship with Him.  When we enter into a relationship with the God of the universe, it changes us.  Faith that does not produce good works is dead faith (James 2:20-26).  The scribes and Pharisees had a dead faith, but Jesus says that we must not.  In order to enter the Kingdom of Heaven, we must have a faith which changes our lives.  Our faith should be one which allows God to be a real game changer for us.

Read Romans 3:21-31.

Responding to God:  Worship God in His holiness.  Thank Him for the Holy Scriptures.  Ask Him for better understanding of His Word.  Praise and thank Him for Jesus’ sacrificial death on the cross and for redemption from sin.  Seek to live a life changed by faith.