Jesus ~ The Law with Flesh On
Pastor Glenn Newton 7-28-02
"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 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. 19 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. 20 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.” Matt. 5: 17-20
Can I ask you the same question that I asked the kids earlier? What is it that makes you
a Really Good Christian? Some one word answers if you will....
It seems like all of life for some reason can become like a competition, a game of sorts,
where everyone seems to be keeping score.
Do you keep track of who is driving the newest car in your neighborhood? I have
a neighbor who has a $100,000 motorhome with a garage that is designed specifically to
house it. His motorhome is worth more than the parsonage. But you know, I’m not
keeping track!
We don’t keep track of who wears the nicest clothes to church do we? You know
what, I don’t think we do for the majority of us, and I think that’s great! Don’t get caught
up in that.
Our human nature makes us competitors, or comparers, or score keepers. If you
can tell me how many services the person sitting across the room has missed in the last
three months...... your a score keeper. If you dare and watch to see who puts money in
the offering plate and who doesn’t, your a score keeper, and shame on you....
Pastor’s can get into this game easily enough. I have to give reports every month,
and at the end of the year. I happen to love working with numbers and tracking
attendance and setting goals and that kind of thing. But I could spend way too much time
comparing how we are doing this month compared to last year at this time, and two years
ago, et. Pastor’s also find themselves when they get together always finding a way to ask
the other guy how many did they have in church last Sunday....... It’s almost funny just
watching the creative ways they come up with to get that information.
I want to talk to you today about a very important teaching of Jesus that we find in
Matthew chapter 5. Jesus is speaking to the common crowd of his day, with some of the
teachers of law sprinkled in for sure, because they were always listening, trying to catch
him saying something that would go against God’s Word, which at that time was the O.T.
You need to understand that the common man and women who were there that day
listening to Jesus couldn’t read Hebrew, which by the way was what the OT was written
in. So these people were at the mercy, if you will, of the interpreters and the scribes of the
day. They had to trust what the Teachers of the Law was saying was really the Truth.
You can see the power the Pharasees had over the common people of the day.
One of the Things that I love about Jesus was that when He came, it was like He turned
on the Lights, so all the people who had been living in this darkness, all the sudden they
could see the truth for themselves.... Aren’t you glad that Jesus is the Light of the World,
and that He turned the lights on in your heart, so you could see the truth?
These Pharasees and the Teachers of the Law were continually accusing Jesus of breaking
God’s Law. Sometimes they accused Him of doing away with it altogether... Listen to
John 5:16-18 So, because Jesus was doing these things on the Sabbath, the Jews
persecuted him. 17 Jesus said to them, "My Father is always at his work to this very
day, and I, too, am working." 18 For this reason the Jews tried all the harder to kill
him; not only was he breaking the Sabbath, but he was even calling God his own
Father, making himself equal with God.
These Jews hated Jesus, why? Because He was turning the Light on to their little
man-made traditions and Powergame. He was exposing them as men who only cared
about keeping score and staying in power.
Let’s look at what Jesus says to their argument about Him doing away with the OT law.
Read v. 17-18 “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 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.”
Jesus was making it clear that they misunderstood what he was doing, and even if they did
understand, they didn’t like it because it was exposing their sinful hearts.
There is no contradiction between what Jesus teaches in the New Testament and
what the Old Testament teaches. Jesus came to fulfill the law perfectly, and fulfilled it’s
intention completely.
You see, the OT law was given to point the people to God. It was given so they
could know God. The Laws were given for the people protection. Don’t you know that
everything God does for us, or asks from us is for our own Good?
Jesus makes it clear that the Law that God gave Moses wern’t all the sudden
invalid, God didn’t change his mind in anyway, Jesus has just enhanced what was written
on stone now lives with us and today lives in us as Christians. Jesus is the Living Word of
God. Amen?
In verse 19 Jesus makes it clear that what God puts in place and says is good, man better
not mess with and change.
“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.”
In verse 20, the Jews were exposed to their first taste of Baseball, did you know that?
Why? Because Jesus just threw them a curveball.
For the common man to hear Jesus tell them that their Righteousness must surpass that of
the Pharesses and the Teachers of the Law.... they had to be stunned, because these were
the suppossedly Righteous ones of Israel.
Jesus had their attention. Guess what? I think he had the Pharess’s attention too.
We need to understand the Problem that Jesus was dealing with so we can understand His
solution in the next few passages as he exposes the teachers of the Law for what they
were, Hypocrites.
This kind of brings us to our opening Question. What is it that makes you a Great
Christian? The Pharisee’s would say, I kept all the rules, I followed all the traditions, I did
this , and I did that..... I am just such a great person......I.....I.....I.... have it all figured out.
How would Jesus answer the question, What makes you a Great Christian?
I think Jesus would say, Love God with all your heart, with all your sould, and
with all your mind, and love your neighbor as yourself. If you will do those things, you
will be called Great in the kindom of heaven.
You see the Pharisee’s took the law and they obeyed the letter of the law, but they missed
the Biblical principle behind the law. Jesus uses the next six illustrations to show that
keeping the letter of the law isn’t good enough, that we have to keep the law with our
hearts as well as with our actions and minds.
This morning I am going to go through these six different subjects that Jesus brings up, I
want you to hear what the Pharasses say, and then what Jesus teaches. I will give you a
brief over view and we will move on.
In verse 21 Jesus says, "You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, `Do not
murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that
anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who
says to his brother, `Raca, ’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says,
`You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.”
The Pharisees viewpoint was, I haven’t physically killed anyone, so I have kept the Law,
so I’m righteous.
Jesus, no, you’ve missed the principle beneath the Law. It’s obvious that to physically kill
someone is sin, but Jesus points to our hearts. Jesus teaches that if you Hate your fellow
man, and you habor that hate, you make a willful choice to hate, to use words of hate,
you are willfully choosing murder in your heart. Sin always starts in our hearts. The
Principle that Jesus will teach throughout these six illustrations is that we must deal with
the temptation before it takes root in our heart, and then leads to action in our lives.
People who physically murder someone has already done it in their heart before
they ever committed the act. Be careful what you allow to take hold in your mind and
heart.
Jesus teaches that for the Christian, making peace with people we have wronged is
required for us, it is absolutely a priority if we are to live as Christians. It’s called
reconcilation. If there is anyone who you know you have willfully hurt in some way, it’s
your responsibility as a Christian to make things right..... maybe that means an apology,
maybe it means paying back a debt, maybe it means swallowing your pride and admitting
you were wrong.... I don’t know what it is, but God will let you know if there’s something
or someone you need to deal with.
Jesus deals with Adultery. Listen to verse 27-28 "You have heard that it was said, `Do
not commit adultery.’ 28 But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has
already committed adultery with her in his heart.”
Let me illustrate this with a story, and you tell me if this is adultery.
A single man meets a married women on the internet. They begin to talk and realize they
have alot in common, they have the same interests, and they really are able to be open with
each other and talk. The married woman begins to share her marriage problems, and her
unhappiness with her situation in life, the single man of coarse, promises her that if she will
leave her husband and marry him he will make her happy and things will be perfect. After
a few months of this, the married women files for divorce and now has a appointment to
meet her friend for the first time in the flesh.
My question, Have they committed adultery?
The Pharisees would say, NO. They would argue the Law is talking about the
actual sexaul act of adultery. What would you say?
Jesus says, plainly, “anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed
adultery with her in his heart.”
Jesus’ point is this, and we need to hear this in our day, Men and Women alike. If
you say in your heart, I sure would if I could, you’ve crossed the line. Adultery is lusting
after someone who your not married too. It can happen on the job, it can happen
watching the TV or Movies that take your mind and eyes to things that will trap you. It
can happen with Pornography on the Internet. It can happen anytime you allow Satan to
plant ideas and thoughts about someone into your mind.
Jesus is very clear, whatever it is that is causing “offense” the King James say, in the
Greek that word for offense means “to trap”. Whatever it is that is trapping you into a
place where evil desires take place, you need to cut it off, whatever the source is, cut it
off. Jesus uses the eye, gouge it out he says. He is not talking about literally gouge your
eye out, because you can still lust when your blind.
If the internet is a trap for you, then get off, your sould is at stake. If your eating
lunch with someone at work, and it’s causing you to think thoughts that are not right,
don’t eat with them and pray that God will strengthen your mind and your will. Flee from
those things that will pollute your mind with garbage.
I could spend alot of time here, but know this, the act of adultery happens way
before any sexaul act ever takes place. Sin always takes root in the heart first.
Listen to James 1:14,15 but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire,
he is dragged away and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to
sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.
Jesus wants us to understand how serious sin is, it will lead to death, if we don’t repent
and then live lives committed to him, and live in obedience to His Word.
I’m not going to be able to cover the rest of these this morning, Divorce, Oaths, Revenge,
Love for Enemies....... Everyone of these are relevent for today.
My question is this: Where does your Righteousness come from today? Is it because
your a SuperNazarene who has never broken a special rule found in the manual?
Our Righteousness doesn’t come from the black Manual does it? We are Righteous when
we are walking in Obedience to God in everyarea of our life. That is the Question, ARE
YOU WALKING IN TOTAL OBEDIENCE TO GOD TODAY? IF YOU NOT, THEN
YOUR STANDING BEFORE GOD IS THREATNED BY YOUR DISOBEDIENCE.
It’s kind of neat how God works things out. What I have found to be true is this. When I
give myself totally to God, when I listen and obey when he speaks to me, when I respond
when he calls me, when I trust Him when he asks me too, it’s amazing how in the process
I keep his Laws, and in His sight, I’m righteous.
As long as I’m righteous in His Sight thats all that matters. Are you? Have you allowed
things into your heart and mind that shouldn’t be there? Are there relationships that need
to be reconciled? Do you need to change the kind of things you are watching, looking at?
There may be someone in your life who your relationship with them is inappropriate, and
if you don’t cut it off, your going to find yourself in big trouble. Don’t allow sin to
destroy your marriage, your family, it will if you allow it.
Closing............Loving God with all your heart, with all your mind, with all you soul.....
does that describe your relationship, if not, come and pray and tell God that that is what
you want in your life. The Righteousness of God.....Let Jesus be your pilot.
