The Gospels Series

1

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.