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The Gospels- Matthew 5:17-19
INTRODUCTION
• SLIDE #1
• Today as we continue our Binge Reading the Bible series by turning to an exciting section of the Bible, the Gospels!
• In this series, we have been examining how God speaks to us through the various sections of the Bible.
• The Gospels consist of the books Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. Each book showcases the progression of Jesus's life, relationships, and ministry while on earth, up until his death and resurrection.
• The emphasis is on Christ and his ministry, and this provides the basis of the gospel message of salvation and the kingdom of God.
• Therefore, when reading the Gospels, there is an overall stress on how history reaches its climax in the coming of Jesus Christ and his kingdom.
• Since the Gospels serve as a bridge between Old Testament theology and New Testament teaching, this section of the Bible can be viewed with the Old Testament hope in mind.
• God reveals to humanity that there is one way to the Father, and that is through Jesus Christ, the One who would take away the sins of the world.
• Once we enter the Gospels, we see something special, we start to see God reveal Himself through Jesus!
• When we start into the New Testament, if we are not careful, we can make a couple of mistakes with the Old Testament if we do not apprehend why Jesus came to earth for us.
• As we dig into the message this morning, we identify these mistakes and hopefully avoid them.
• The gospels were written before 100 AD.
• The Aramaic version of Matthew was written around 45-50 AD
• This was followed by the Gospel of Luke in 60 A.D.
• Mark's Gospel was written after Matthew and Luke, as we know this because the Gospels with the genealogies were written first according to history. Mark is dated 68 A.D., the year that Peter died.
• Then John batted clean up, he wrote his Gospel before 100 A.D., many years after the other three.
• The John Ryland manuscript P52 has been dated to about 100 A.D. Some date the fragment as late as 130 A.D. This fragment contains part of the Gospel of John, so we know the Gospel of John was written before 100. We date John at 85-90 A.D.
• I offer these dates to you so that the next time you see the annual, I DO NOT BELIEVE IN THE BIBLE shows on T.V., you will know when the gospels were written so that when liberal "scholars" state the gospels were written in the second century or later, you will know the truth.
• On top of that, you need to know that you can trust the authenticity of the Bible.
• The Gospels are meant to showcase the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the reason for his coming.
• Let's begin by turning to the Gospel of Matthew, 5:17-19, we will start with verse 17.
• SLIDE #2
• Matthew 5:17 (CSB) — 17 "Don't think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
• SLIDE #3
SERMON
1. The mission.
• The passage we are examining is a part of the Sermon on the Mount.
• Throughout the ministry of Jesus, the Pharisees' accused Jesus of violating the Law of Moses or trying to nullify or minimize the Law of Moses.
• In verse 17, Jesus refutes those charges.
• What does that matter to us today?
• The way we deal with this question will determine how we look at the Old Testament today as well as the role it plays in your life.
• The first response to the Old Testament that can happen if we do not understand why Jesus came is that we ignore it.
• Have you ever heard anyone say, "We don't need the Old Testament anymore, because the New Testament is all that matters in the modern age"?
• In Matthew 5:17–19, Jesus rejects the Pharisees' charge that he is trying to nullify the Law.
• The issue of the relationship between Jesus and the Law is vital to our understanding of how we are called to live, what we are called to live up to as well as our view of the Old Testament.
• Jesus did not come to ABOLISH the Law, but rather to FULFILL the Law.
• Jesus tells us that He is the fulfillment of the Law, not a destroyer of it.
• This passage serves as an example of the bridge that the Old Testament has to the New.
• There is no discontinuity between the two; the Old Testament is still valid and needed, when understood and practiced correctly.
• This passage shows us that Old Testament theology is at the heart of the New Testament, and the Bible needs to be read as a whole to understand the story of God, his people, and his plan.
• The other extreme we can take concerning the Old Testament is to think we are still under the jurisdiction of the Old Testament law.
• The way this extreme plays itself out is when you ask someone how they think they are going to heaven.
• The response is, "WELL, I KEEP THE 10 COMMANDMENTS."
• WHICH, by the way, no one except Jesus has!
• To clarify something that may be confusing.
• This does not mean that the principles of the Old Testament are not valid.
• For instance, the 10 Commandments tells us not to murder, or steal.
• Those principles are still valid today; however, the LAW that we are under, or are LAW that we are to follow is the Law of Christ. The New Testament.
• Think of it this way. When Arizona was a territory, before it became a state, murder was against Territorial Law. When Arizona became a state, State law dictates the same.
• So, if you murder someone today, you will be tried under Arizona state law, not Arizona Territorial Law.
• Jesus came to FULFILL the Law, to bring it to its conclusion, or purpose.
• SLIDE #4
• Colossians 2:14–16 (CSB) — 14 He erased the certificate of debt, with its obligations, that was against us and opposed to us, and has taken it away by nailing it to the cross. 15 He disarmed the rulers and authorities and disgraced them publicly; he triumphed over them in him. 16 Therefore, don't let anyone judge you in regard to food and drink or in the matter of a festival or a new moon or a Sabbath day.
• The goal of the Old Testament was to point us to Jesus!
• SLIDE #5
• Galatians 3:24–25 (CSB) — 24 The law, then, was our guardian until Christ, so that we could be justified by faith. 25 But since that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,
• All the Messianic prophecies were fulfilled through Jesus!
• Jesus fulfilled the requirements of Law by living a sinless, perfect life!
• Jesus also intensified the Law through the Gospel. Instead of simply not murdering folks. Jesus tells us we are not to HATE people.
• SLIDE #6
• Galatians 3:13 (CSB) — 13 Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us, because it is written, Cursed is everyone who is hung on a tree.
• Jesus fulfilled the Law so we could be saved!
• Let's look at verse 18
• SLIDE #7
• Matthew 5:18 (CSB) — 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the Law until all things are accomplished.
• SLIDE #8
1. The significance of the mission.
• The mission of that Jesus stated for Himself concerning His relationship to the Law is significant.
• SLIDE #9
• Part of the significance is that Jesus places a HIGH view on Scripture!
• Jesus proclaims that not one jot or tittle (smallest letter or one stroke) will pass away, which can be seen as an affirmation of the inerrancy of Scripture.
• He then goes on the explain the severity and importance of the Law and righteousness.
• Rather than rejecting the Law, Christ, throughout the Gospels, becomes the way individuals can meet the standard of righteousness through faith in him and becoming one with him.
• What this tells us that to be able to find our path to God, it has to come through Jesus, and we find Jesus in the Bible, both the Old (foreshadowing) and the New, (His life and teachings).
• Jesus also said that the small letter or stroke would not pass from the Law until all things were accomplished.
• When Jesus was on the Cross, He said it is finished!
• Plus, Colossians 2:14 tells us that Jesus NAILED IT TO THE CROSS!
• He ACED THE TEST! He fulfilled its purpose.
• What we have through Jesus is the greatest ever!
• SLIDE #10
• 2 Corinthians 3:10–11 (CSB) — 10 In fact, what had been glorious is not glorious now by comparison because of the glory that surpasses it. 11 For if what was set aside was glorious, what endures will be even more glorious.
• The significance is the fact that we can come to God through Jesus!
• Let's look at verse 19!
• SLIDE #11
• Matthew 5:19 (CSB) — 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
• SLIDE #12
1. The implications of the mission.
• The Pharisees took God's commands and placed weight on them. They made some out to be more critical than others.
• They put less emphasis on the control of One's thought life, or their desires, or the words they used.
• They were focused on external things, and Jesus chastised them on a few occasions for that sin.
• The leaders of Jesus day would try to get people as close to the line of sin as possible and would even excuse some things in God's Law as trivial. Then they would teach others to do the same.
• On the other hand, Jesus emphasizes in verse 19 that we are to do and then teach all that Jesus commands. This is part of the Great Commission in Matthew 28:18-20
• An implication of Jesus fulfilling the Law was that we are called to follow Jesus and work on doing all He and the Apostles taught us.
• We do this because He fulfilled the Law and we love Him for opening the gate to heaven to us!
• Disobedience is a habit, not easily set aside. Those who have been lacking reverence for parts of the Old Testament revelation, as the Pharisees did, will be lacking in reverence for the final revelation of God.
• However, right thinking and right doing concerning God's revelation will lead to reward!
• God loves our willingness to be obedient and not live life in such a way that we are always looking for loopholes!
CONCLUSION
• The Gospels are meant to showcase the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the reason for his coming.
• When we grasp this fact, it will help us to live a life that is pleasing to God!
• We can be confident in the gospel message because of Christ's fulfillment of the Law and his work on the cross.
• Christ has set us free from the curse of perfect, which the Law demanded!
• The Gospels did only what the Old Testament could dream of, they showed us Jesus!
