Christ: The Fulfillment Of The Law Series

Christ: The Fulfillment of the Law

Matthew 5: 17-20

As we continue our study in this powerful message Jesus preached, we come to a definite shift in His message. He has dealt with the blessedness of life in the Beatitudes and the responsibility of believers as the salt of the earth and the light of the world. Here Jesus began a discourse that deals with the righteousness of God and how humanity obtains such righteousness, as well as the effect it has on life.

Clearly one cannot have a right relationship with God apart from His righteousness and the only way we can obtain His righteousness is through the only begotten Son. Once that righteousness is obtained through salvation in Christ, we are obligated to live according to the standard that God’s righteousness demands. Yet again this is impossible without the help and guidance of the Lord. As I considered this passage, it became profoundly evident that we are dependent on the Lord to receive His righteousness and we remain dependent upon Him to live a life according to His righteousness.

Jesus was addressing an issue that was prominent in His day. Many of the Jews had a distorted view of how one was considered righteous in the eyes of God. The majority were depending on their lineage in Abraham and a strict adherence to the law of God to achieve righteousness. Many of them viewed Christ as a threat to the law; they felt as if He sought to destroy the law and annul it. Jesus reveals that He came as the fulfillment of the law. I want us to consider the elements of that fulfillment as we think on: Christ: The Fulfillment of the Law.

I. The Purpose of the Lord (17-18) – In these verses Jesus deals with His purpose for coming to this earth. First of all He addresses:

A. The Confusion about His Purpose (17a) – Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets. There was a great misconception about Christ that brought tragic results for the vast majority of Jews. As He came a man of meager existence, He did not fulfill the grand expectations of the Jews. They looked for Messiah to be one who came in royalty and great grandeur. They could not accept this Man who had no place to lay His head as the Christ.

We need to consider their standard of expectation for righteousness as well. The Pharisees held the Scriptures in high regard, as we all should. However, their view of Scripture was based upon the interpretation of the scribes. Anyone who held a view other than that which the scribes taught was thought to be an infidel. They held a strict adherence to tradition. They had developed an oral law that most revered on the same level as the Holy Scriptures. Anyone who disregarded these traditions or challenged them in anyway was thought to be a heathen.

As we study the ministry of Jesus we discover that He often challenged them on their traditions and even their interpretation of Scripture. Mat.15:3 – But he answered and said unto them, Why do ye also transgress the commandment of God by your tradition? Because of that, most viewed Him as one who sought to destroy all they held dear as the basis of life and practice.

B. The Confirmation of His Purpose (17b) – I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. Among the confusion Jesus declares that it was not His intention to destroy that which God had said. He had come to fulfill the plan of God, according to His Word, not contrary to it. Every prophecy that was given concerning His birth, life, and death, He would fulfill. He will fulfill every word concerning the second coming as well.

It would have been impossible for Him to have acted contrary to the Word because He is the embodiment of the Word. The Word became flesh and dwelt among us! He was God, living among sinful men. Sadly, many in that day thought they knew more about the Word than the Word Himself. We too see that in our day.

C. The Completion of His Purpose (18) – For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Jesus revealed He had come to fulfill the law and He would accomplish that. All that the Word proclaimed would come to pass; not one jot or tittle (the dotting of the i’s and crossing of the t’s) would fail. Let’s take a moment to consider all this reveals. It speaks much concerning the Word of God.

1. The Preservation of the Word – Jesus proclaimed that the Word would endure; God will preserve His Word. This is an entirely different study that we don’t have the time to adequately address, but rest assured that God’s Word will endure when all else is gone. The scoffers and naysayers will pass from this life; kings and kingdoms will come and go; economies will rise and fall; heaven and earth shall pass away, but the Word of God shall never pass away. It is forever settled in heaven and preserved for eternity! Mat.24:35 – Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away. Ps.12:6-7 – The words of the Lord are pure words: as silver tried in a furnace of earth, purified seven times. 7 Thou shalt keep them, O Lord, thou shalt preserve them from this generation for ever.