Matthew 5:17-20 The Fulfilment of the Law and the Prophets
Every August the news programmes and newspapers are full of criticisms about how the standard of our national exams, whether GCSE, A levels or university degrees are lower than in ‘our generation’.
Yet nearly everyone expects God to remain fair, pure and righteous. There are many people today, who although not Christians, recognise that there has to be a mind behind our creation. They recognise that this God must be concerned about right and wrong. How many try to justify their own decisions by saying:
“How can God allow such evil things to occur?”
By asking this question people assume that God is good. The problem of evil is only a problem if God is good. If God were fickle, capricious or if his moral standards were constantly changing we would never know what is right, or in other words, what he likes or dislikes. Any relationship with a fickle god, much as the gods of ancient Greece and Rome were, would be uncertain. A god who changes his standards according to the pressures or temptations exerted on him would not be the absolute creator God who can demand our obedience.
The Law and the Prophets are fulfilled
It is often said that Jesus came to fulfil the Law. He did much more than that. He is not just saying that he has kept the Law. To ‘fulfil’ means to ‘fill it to the full’.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” Matthew 5:17
‘The Law and the Prophets’ was a traditional phrase that refers to the whole of the Hebrew Scriptures, our Old Testament. How does Jesus fulfil the Scriptures?
Firstly, Jesus ‘fills to the full’ the message of the Scriptures by being the last piece of the jig-saw. The Law and the Prophets look forward to a time when God would send his Messiah into his world and would draw people of every nation to himself. Matthew recognised that Jesus completes the Law and the Prophets by being God’s chosen king, God’s Messiah.
Secondly, He fulfils the 330 or so prophecies about God’s Messiah in the Old Testament. He will be the Son of God, the descendent of king David, he will be born in Bethlehem, he will perform remarkable miracles, he will visit the temple in Jerusalem, he will die by crucifixion to pay for the sin that separates us from God and then he will rise from the dead.
Thirdly he fulfils the parables in the Old Testament. These literal stories have a figurative interpretation in Jesus’ ministry. In the Garden of Eden man turned his back on living as God wants and is expelled from the garden and God’s presence. Just as Pharaoh of Egypt ordered the execution of male infants of the Jews so King Herod’s jealousy drove him to murder the male babies in the area of Bethlehem. Just as Moses had to return from exile to lead God’s people out of Egypt so Jesus came out of exile in Egypt where he and his parents had had to flee to deliver God’s people. Moses was given God’s law on tablets of stone Jesus came as the Word of God to write his commands in his people’s hearts. The people of Israel were tested in the 40 years they spent in the wilderness and they repeatedly failed. God wanted to see that they kept trusting and obeying him. Moses wrote about this:
“Remember how the Lord your God led you all the way in the wilderness these forty years, to humble and test you in order to know what was in your heart, whether or not you would keep his commands.” Deuteronomy 8:2
Jesus was similarly tested for 40 days when he was in the desert. Moses tried to lead God’s people back to the Promised Land but their sin prevented this. Jesus however came to solve the problem of our sin separating us from God so that we can enter God’s Promised Land, heaven. God’s people were led through the divided waters of the Red Sea and the Jordan so Jesus insisted on being baptised in the river Jordan. The reason Jesus gave to an objecting John the Baptist are significant,
“It is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” Matthew 3:15
These and many other parallels given in the Old Testament strongly point to Jesus being the fulfilment of the prophecies about the Messiah but also confirm that the Scriptures are the Word of God.
Jesus demands perfection
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus is reminding everyone how far short we fall of the glory of God - the character of man is tarnished. This was the message of the Old Testament:
“But your iniquities have separated you from your God; your sins have hidden his face from you, so that he will not hear.” Isaiah 59:2
The Psalms describe the ‘fool’ as someone who denies God. This is followed by the realisation that this is a universal problem:
“They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good. The Lord looks down from heaven on all mankind to see if there are any who understand, any who seek God. All have turned away, all have become corrupt; there is no one who does good, not even one.” Psalm 14:1-3 (and Psalm 53:1-3)
“Indeed, there is no one on earth who is righteous, no one who does what is right and never sins”, Ecclesiastes 7:20
The Old Testament Scriptures also contains glorious truths about the character of God. He is pure and unchanging. When Moses confronted God on Mount Sinai, the Lord described himself and his character:
“And he passed in front of Moses, proclaiming, “The Lord, the Lord, the compassionate and gracious God, slow to anger, abounding in love and faithfulness, maintaining love to thousands, and forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin. Yet he does not leave the guilty unpunished; he punishes the children and their children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation.” Exodus 34:6-7
Some like the idea of the first half of this description but object to God’s unchanging holiness which eventually will lead to judgment. He hates sin and no sinner can ever enter his presence.
The message of the Old Testament is uncompromising, there is only one God and he will not be trifled with:
‘Turn to me and be saved, all you ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other. By myself I have sworn, my mouth has uttered in all integrity a word that will not be revoked:before me every knee will bow; by me every tongue will swear. They will say of me, “In the Lord alone are deliverance and strength.”’ All who have raged against him will come to him and be put to shame.” Isaiah 45:22-35
Note that God speaks to us through his word.
The words used in verse 17 is very important.
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them.” Matthew 5:17
Up to this point, in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus has taught that heaven is for those who know how far short they have fallen from God’s standards and who long for God to do something and save them. The word ‘abolish’ literally means ‘to throw out’ or ‘destroy’. It is a word used for the destruction of the temple building. Jesus is saying he has not come to tear down the Law and the Prophets. Their teaching that God is holy and demands perfection still stands. The ethical teachings in the Old Testament are to teach God’s people how they should live when they are in a relationship with him. They show that when a person enters into a relationship with the one true holy God through God accepting the animal sacrifices and their having faith in the promises of God, then God demands a new way of living. It is exactly the same for God’s people today:
“ Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!” 2 Corinthians 5:17
"Be holy as I am holy" is a direct Biblical command from God, found in Leviticus 11:44-45, 19:2, 20:7. Moses was told:
‘Speak to the entire assembly of Israel and say to them: “Be holy because I, the Lord your God, am holy.” Leviticus 19:2
This is echoed in the New Testament:
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’” 1 Peter 1:15-16
It means that Christians set apart to be pure, and reflect God's perfect character in all aspects of life, not just specific rituals, by living very differently from worldly patterns through an inner transformation and obedience. Jesus has certainly not come to abolish the demands of the Law and the Prophets but to fill their message to the full. When we have entered into a relationship with this holy God through Christ we must be the sort of people God made us to be. It bears saying again, Jesus has not come to overthrow the demands of the Old Testament. This demand for perfection that the Old testament teaches is repeated later in the Sermon:
“Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect.” Matthew 5:48
This is why our churches must teach the Old Testament alongside the New. The essential message is the same. Jesus goes on to say:
“For truly I tell you, 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.” Matthew 5:18
Don’t forget, Jesus is talking to people who have come to follow him. They are already members of God’s kingdom, they are the salt and the light. But those followers needed to be reminded, much as we do, that the demands of God’s perfect character is unchanged. When Jesus says, ‘I tell you the truth’ it is always to emphasise a point. The Law and the Prophets are just as relevant to us today. The smallest letter in Greek is ‘iota’ and the smallest sign in Hebrew is ‘yod’, the mark used to distinguish different letters. It has great significance in Hebrew as the name of God, Jahweh, begins with a ‘yod’.
Far from overcoming the Old Testament, Jesus came to drive home the demand for perfection amongst God’s people. If we are to be in a living relationship with the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, we have to realise that God will not lower his standards so we can casually strolling on our terms. His demands are still perfection.
God is not interested in ritual, he wants our hearts. Jesus goes on to say:
“Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly 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.”
This is a major difference between the God of the Bible and that of the Qur’an. The Qur'an identifies ‘marriageable age’ as being linked to the capacity for sound judgment, particularly regarding financial and personal responsibilities.
“Test the orphans until they reach (the age of) marriage. If you perceive right judgment in them, hand over their property to them. Do not consume it wantonly or hastily before they are grown up.” Surah 4:6
Islamic scholars interpret this verse as requiring both physical (puberty) and intellectual maturity for marriage, as the same standard is used to entrust orphans with their wealth.
The Qur’an describes the purpose of marriage as finding ‘comfort,’’affection,’ and ‘mercy’ between spouses, which modern scholars argue requires two consenting adults capable of forming such a bond.
“(Another) of His signs is that He created spouses for you for yourselves, so that you may live with them, and he has established love and mercy between you.” Surah 30:21
In view of this teaching many have puzzled why Muhammad went against this teaching in his personal life. Al-Bukhari tells us in his Hadith about his marriage to Aisha:
“. . . that the Prophet married her when she was six years old and he consummated his marriage when she was nine years old. Hisham said: I have been informed that `Aisha remained with the Prophet for nine years (i.e. till his death).” Al-Bukhari 67:70
This inconsistency is a real concern.
The Old Testament teaches us about the character, the holiness of God and this is what Jesus emphasised both in his teaching and in the way he himself embodied this. The Old Testament teaches us about the demands of God and Jesus emphasises that these have not changed. A pure perfect God demands purity from his people.
Jesus exposes pretence
Jesus recognises that all people are morally flawed and can never be good enough for God. Matthew 5:20-48 stress this. There always have been religious people who try their hardest to be godly, The Pharisees were such people, as were the ascetic monks in the early church.
“ 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.” Matthew 5:20
Even such costly religiosity that the Pharisees demonstrated is not good enough for God. The Pharisees were renowned for their meticulous observance of the minutiae of Old Testament rituals, to the extent that they had built fence around the Old Testament laws with 613 rules of their own. These additional were to ensure they did not inadvertently break the Law. They had 248 positive extra rules, ‘Thou shalt . . .’ and 365 negative rules, ‘Thou shalt not . . .”. But they had missed the point, God wants people’s hearts not just rule-keeping. The foundational statement of Judaism, the ‘Shema’ stresses this:
“Hear, O Israel: the Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. These commandments that I give you today are to be on your hearts.” Deuteronomy 6:4-6
The Pharisees had an external righteousness. Their dress identified them as being a holy group, they assiduously attended religious services and functions, they tithed everything, even the weeds in their gardens. They were widely respected and were able to rise up in the religious establishment. But Jesus teaches:
“. . . unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees . . , you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:20
These religious people have not entered into the Kingdom of God but there are some who have.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10
What qualifies them to be accepted into God’s kingdom, it is their relationship with Jesus. Remember how this goes on:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me.” Matthew 5:11
Those who love Jesus and are devoted to living with and for him are the salt of the earth, but we must remain in this relationship with Christ if we are to be saved. Outside of Christ there is no salvation.
Jesus realises that many religious people are phoney on the inside. This hypocrisy often overflows into immoral or other wrong actions. Jesus later elaborated on what he saw in the Pharisees hearts:
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to.” Matthew 23:13
This shows us, contrary to what the Pharisees taught, and contrary to what many modern theologians teach,
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices – mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law – justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practised the latter, without neglecting the former. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.” Matthew 23:23-24
There is only one way to be acceptable to God, to be a member of his kingdom and that is to become a devotee of Jesus, God’s son. Such people will be changed from the inside, he puts a new heart into his people. It is possible to be an active church person but for god to see us as hypocrites. We need the new heart that christ alone can give us.
“Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence.” Matthew 23:25
This warning is relevant to clergy and other senior people in the church. It is easy to assume that because we are recognised by church authorities, spend time preparing talks and services and even spend hours in prayer that this will induce God to accept us. Our attempts at being righteous all fall far short, our only hope is to receive the righteousness that only Christ can give.
John Berridge
John Berridge became the Vicar of Everton in Bedfordshire between 1755-1793. He also was a sincere man but he had not understood the Bible’s message. His tombstone in the Everton churchyard carries the epitaph that he himself wrote:
The story goes that Berridge had spent 8 years labouring in church ministry in various places and was totally ineffective yet still somehow managed to rely “proudly on faith and works for salvation”. At that time he thought that human merit and virtue was adequate to obtain salvation and his lively sermons exhorted his congregations to a life of good works. This is what he later wrote:
“ It was a doctrine every man will naturally hold while he continues in an unregenerate state, viz, that we are to be justified partly by faith and partly by works of our own. . . . It was some secret reliance on my own works for salvation.”
It wasn’t until he was 50 years old that he understood what the apostles taught, that it is Jesus alone who has won salvation for us. He now understood,
“For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this is not from yourselves, it is the gift of God - not by works, so that no one can boast. For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:8-10
“He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.” Titus 3:5
This doctrine that we can only be put right with God if he gives us the gift of being righteous is throughout Scripture:
“For in the gospel the righteousness of God is revealed - a righteousness that is by faith from first to last, just as it is written: “The righteous will live by faith.” Romans 1:17
The religious people in Jesus day, the Pharisees, also thought that God was satisfied firstly by their being admitted to Judaism through circumcision and then, by their keeping God’s laws. They thought is was by a combination of being admitted to God’s people by rite and then by trying to keep God’s rules that a person becomes acceptable to God.
This is very similar to much churchmanship today. Jesus however totally rejected this. The thief on the cross was saved simply because he believed in Jesus. Salvation is only given to those who have a personal faith in Jesus, to those who are committed to Jesus as their Lord and Saviour. It is this personal relationship with Jesus that is the door to being given the status of being righteous as a free gift.
Today it is possible to be a very intelligent theologian who knows much about Jesus and the Bible yet remain outside God’s kingdom. John Stott was a great Bible teacher who helped many come to faith in Jesus. He attended a conference at which there was radical theologian who disagreed with what the Bible teaches. As they were walking to breakfast together John wanted to get to the root issue so he asked the theologian a simple but far reaching question,
“May I ask you, do you worship Jesus.”
The is the purpose of Matthews gospel, to show us that our own efforts to please God are sure to fail unless we truly belong to Jesus. God is utterly consistent. He demands integrity in his people, he has given his people his standing of being righteous but he then expects us to devotedly follow him and become righteous. Remember that the angel of the Lord had appeared to Joseph and told him what his step son would become:
“She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[a] because he will save his people from their sins.’ All this took place to fulfil what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’[b] (which means ‘God with us’).” Matthew 1:21-22
The word ‘fulfil’ (or ‘fulfilled’) appears about 16 times in Matthew’s gospel, sixteen times with a specific formula like ‘that it might be fulfilled’ to link Jesus's life and actions directly to Old Testament prophecies. The Law and the prophets took people so far, but Jesus came so ‘our cup can be overflowing.
BVP
