15. Christ Fulfilled The Law (Mt. 5:17-20) - Bible Lessons from Jeff Gulleson

REVIEW

FLIP CHART: SOM’S KEY VERSE, GOAL, MOTTO

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness ….” (Mt. 6:33a).

The law sends us to Christ for justification; Christ sends us back to the law for sanctification.

FLIP CHART: Show new “Perfect Righteousness” chart explaining steps to coming to Christ (As a worm, mourning, meek, spiritual hunger/thirst with the result of legal righteousness). Explain moral righteousness, immediate moral change at conversion, gradual change through life’s challenges and speeding up moral change via CCRC (Concentration, Choice, Reflection and Confession/Thanksgiving).

FLIP CHART: Go over John Stott’s outline of SOM.

INTRODUCTION:

OUTLINE FOR TODAY:

1. Why Jesus Made the Declaration in Mt. 5:17

2. An Overview of “Law” as Referred to in Matthew 5:17

3. Six views on the meaning of “fulfill” in Matthew 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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who 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 practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Mt. 5:17-20).

CHRIST FULFILLED THE LAW

I. WHY JESUS MADE THE DECLARATION IN 5:17-18

“The structure of the Sermon on the Mount is remarkably beautiful. It begins in Matthew 5:1-12 with the Beatitudes, which give us a penetrating description of the inner character or righteousness of those who are members of the kingdom of heaven. Next, in verses 13-16 the Lord gives two brilliant metaphors – “salt and light” — indelibly impressing upon us the effects of such inner righteousness upon humanity. Then in verses 17-20 Jesus gives a summary description of radical righteousness of the kingdom, also introducing six great examples of how this righteousness is in continuity with Christ’s formula, “You have heard that it was said … but I tell you.” (Hughes, 91)

Martin Lloyd-Jones writes, “What is this righteousness which we have to manifest, what is its character?” Verses 17-20 in this fifth chapter are kind of a general introduction to that subject. …. Righteousness …. This is the one word that sums up Christian living (MLJ, 180).

ILL: The word the Lord gave me from Gen. 17 when confronting a problem. The text is about Abraham, who, prior to being given all of the promises of God, was given just one command, “… walk before me and be blameless”.

FLIP CHART: Go over John Stott’s outline of SOM.

QUESTION: Why did Jesus make the statement, “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”. (Mt. 5:17).

(1) Christ set himself up as an authority, challenging the popular teaching of the law. He says here and will say again and again “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago …. but I tell you …” (5:21-22).

“No scribe or rabbi ever talked like this. They typically spoke in the second or third person, ‘Rabbi Abin said in the name of Rabbi Elai in Rabbi Jochanan’s name …’” (Hughes, 91).

“He loved to use a formula no ancient prophet or modern scribe had ever used. He would introduce some of his most impressive utterances with ‘Truly I say to you’, speaking in his own name and with his own authority’. What was this authority of his? Was he setting himself up as an authority over against the sacred law, the word of God?” (Stott, 70).

In the Beatitudes Jesus speaks in the third person, “Blessed are the poor in spirit …” Then he shifts to the second person, “You are the salt of the earth … you are the light of the world”. In Mt. 5:17 he switches to the first person, “I tell you…”.

(2) He was not a Pharisee and had not been trained as a Pharisee. He had not been to the customary schools so they thought, “How can he make these dogmatic pronouncements?”

(3) Jesus deliberately criticized the Scribes and the Pharisees and their teaching. They were the leading religious people of the day and here Jesus denounces them.

(4) He did not spend his time expounding the law. Instead, he focused on grace, e.g. the Prodigal Son.

(5) He mixed with tax collectors and sinners, the rabble and rubble of society.

(6) Because Jesus did not follow all of the traditions people they automatically thought He trying to abolish the law.

II. AN OVERVIEW OF “LAW” AS REFERRED TO IN 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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

In the widest sense “the law and the prophets” means the whole OT. In a narrower sense “the law” referred to the first five books of the OT which is often called the Pentateuch (which literally means “the five rolls” or Torah or Taurat. To the Jews this was by far the most important part of the OT. In a very narrow sense “the law” meant the ten commandments. In the time of Jesus “the law” included the Oral and Scribal Law and this is what both Jesus and Paul condemned (Barclay, 127).

The law can be divided into three distinct components, the civil or judicial law, the ceremonial or religious law and the moral law.

QUESTION: Give some examples of Civil Law in the OT.

CIVIL / JUDICIAL LAW – – Property rights, civil liability, inheritance etc. This law governed the nation of Israel but passed away when the last king of Judah was deposed and when Israel was taken into exile and was no longer a unified and free country. After this they were always vassals of the Persians, Greeks or Romans.

“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.” (Mt. 21:43).

“But you are a chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people belonging to God, that you may declare the praises of him who called you out of darkness into his wonderful light. Once you were not a people, but now you are the people of God; once you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.” (I Peter 2:9-10).

QUESTION: Give some examples of ceremonial law in the OT.

CEREMONIAL / RELIGIOUS LAW – – The construction of the tabernacle, the various offerings made in the tabernacle, the priests garments, organization of holy days, circumcision etc. Exodus and Leviticus give detailed explanation of the ceremonial law.

The ceremonial law ended at the cross and the destruction of the temple. We read that the veil in the temple was ripped in half (Matthew 27:51). Heb. 10:20 speaks of a new and living way to approach God, that is through the death of Christ.

“Therefore, brothers, since we have confidence to enter the Most Holy Place by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way opened for us through the curtain, that is, his body ….” (Heb. 10:19-20).

QUESTION: Give some examples of moral law in the OT.

THE MORAL LAW – – The moral principles that are eternal, for example, as found in the Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt not kill … steal …commit adultery … etc.” Love God, love your neighbor.

“Because Matthew does not qualify his use of law, we are safe to say that is was God’s whole law – – the commandments, statutes, and judgments; the moral, judicial, and ceremonial – – that Jesus is referring to here.” (MacArthur, 255).

In verses 17-20 Jesus is talking about all of the law. But from verse 21 onward in the Sermon, Jesus is focusing on the moral law. The focus of SOM is on the moral law.

The ceremonial law and the judicial law in “the law and the prophets” was temporary. The moral pronouncements of the OT are permanent.

QUESTION: According to Paul, as stated in Galatians, what is the main purpose of the law?

It is important to remember the main purpose of the law, and that is to be a schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

“Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith. But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.” (Galatians 3:24-25, KJV).

“So the law was put in charge to lead us to Christ that we might be justified by faith. Now that faith has come, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.” (Gal. 3:24-25, NIV).

“The law must be laid upon those that are to be justified, that they may be shut up in the prison thereof, until the righteousness of faith comes – – that, when they are cast down and humbled by the Law, they should fly to Christ. The Law humbles them, not to their destruction, but to their salvation. For God woundeth that He may heal again. He killeth that he may quicken again.” (Hughes quoting Martin Luther, 95).

The law was given to show that we can never justify ourselves before God.

To run and work the law commands,
Yet gives me neither feet nor hands;
But better news the gospel brings:
It bids me fly and gives me wings. (FF Bruce, 48)

III. SIX VIEWS ON THE MEANING OF “FULFILL” IN MT. 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. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

5:17 – A DISCLAIMER: “After presenting the radical Beatitudes and the two metaphors, Jesus evidently sensed that some of his listeners thought he was advocating an overthrow of the Old Testament Law. So he gave his unforgettable disclaimer, which set down his relationship to the Law.” (Hughes, 92).

The statement in these two verses is so strong that some have taught that Jesus was a teacher of the law and that the real founder of Christianity was Paul with the doctrine of grace and stance against legalism.

They have taught that Matthew put these words in the mouth of Jesus, especially since this is the most Jewish of the Gospels. Matthew wanted to convince the Jews to follow Jesus.

The second century heretic Marcion rewrote the NT by eliminating its OT references and simply removed this passage. And some of his disciples even went further by exchanging the verbs in the sentence so it read, “I have come not to fulfill the law and the prophets but to abolish them!” (Hughes, 92; Stott, 72)

PAUL’S ANTI-LAW STATEMENTS IN GALATIANS:

No one will be justified by the law (2:16); I am dead to the law (2:19); righteousness does not come by the law (2:21); we do not receive the Spirit of God by keeping the law (3:2); miracles are not done because of obedience to the law (3:5); if you live according to the law you are under a curse (3:10); no one is justified by the law in the sight of God (3:11); the law is not of faith (3:12); the law cannot give life (3:21).

QUESTION: In spite of this verse, did Jesus focus on “law” or “grace?” What proof do you have?

“For the law was given through Moses; grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” (John 1:17).

Story of the Prodigal Son

“For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.” (Romans 3:23-26).

DEFINITIONS OF ‘FULFILL”

Lexicon Definition: To carry into effect, bring to realization, realize, 1) of matters of duty: to perform, execute, 2) of sayings, promises, prophecies, to bring to pass, ratify, accomplish, 3) to fulfill, i.e. to cause God’s will (as made known in the law) to be obeyed as it should be, and God’s promises (given through the prophets) to receive fulfillment.

“The real meaning of the word ‘fulfill’ is to carry out, to fulfill in the sense of giving full obedience to it, literally carrying out everything that has been said and stated in the law and in the prophets.” (MLJ, 186).

SO HOW DID JESUS ‘FULFILL’ THE OT LAW?

1. Jesus provided the full, intended meaning of the law.

2. Jesus confirmed and established the law and the prophets.

3. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies and ceremonial law that point to him.

4. Jesus deepened our meaning of the law.

5. Jesus kept the law perfectly.

6. Jesus, by suffering, fulfilled the law’s penalty for sin.

“I believe that without being grossly misleading, there is only one sense in which we can say that Jesus fulfilled the law.” … all other views of Christ’s fulfilling the law are misleading in terms of this great purpose, even though they may be quite true in themselves.” (Boice, 79).

ILL: How can something be true and still misleading? Suppose someone should ask you, “Why was it that George Washington crossed the Delaware on the night of 3 January, 1777?” Well, if you are a humorous, you might answer, it as you do the question about the chicken crossing the street – – “He crossed it to get to the other side”. That would be true, but it would be misleading. You might also say, “The troops were restless and dispirited; and they were in need of some successful action”. That, too, would be true, but it also would be misleading. The real reason that Washington crossed the Delaware was to get the British troops that were in Trenton and defeat them by this unexpected maneuver. And he did it as part of a general strategy for the American War of Independence. To give any other reason, even if it were true, would be to cloud that primary purpose. (Boice, 79-80)

TABLE ACTIVITY WITH FLIP CHART: Discuss the six possibilities and choose the one you think mostly closely explains how Jesus “fulfilled” the Law. After sufficient time, take a vote and list the vote on the Flip Chart.

SO WHAT!!!

The main goal of the Sermon on the Mount is to teach us how to live a righteous life.

Jesus was an unbelievably unique and courageous teacher that really challenged the status quo and ideals of his generation.

Although the ceremonial and civil law of the OT is no longer in force we are still responsible to follow the moral law. This moral law is like a schoolmaster, that drives us to Christ for grace.

Jesus and Paul both honored the law and focused on grace. The NT contains one message. The Law drives us to Christ for grace but we are also to submit our lives to the Moral Law of the OT.

FLIP CHART: Go through again the “righteousness” chart that shows salvation by grace but the gradual process of pursuing a life of holiness.