The Gospels Matthew

Fulfillment of the Law

Discover Jesus as: King Matthew 5 Read on Bible Gateway (HCSB)

Day 115 of 730
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INTRO

In Matthew 4, we looked at a different perspective of how Jesus was getting ready for ministry as He had to deal with the temptations. After Jesus dealt with the temptations, His ministry was off and running. At the end of Matthew 4, Jesus was teaching, preaching, and healing, and people were flocking to Him.

TEACHING

Matthew 5:1: This is the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount, which is found in Matthew 5–7. Jesus said, “Don’t assume that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill” (v. 17). Notice that the word “destroy” was used twice in this verse. God is not wiping out everything; through Jesus, He’s fulfilling it. In this discussion about the Law and the Prophets, I am not using any oral traditions that the Jews elevated to the status of the Mosaic teachings or of Jeremiah or even the Psalms.

Matthew 5:17: With regard to the Law, Nelson’s Commentary says this, “As a covenant system with Israel, it ended at the cross when the temple veil was rent and a new priesthood was established; as a set of spiritual and moral principles, it is eternal.”1I want to consider the Law, temporarily and eternally, and how Jesus fits into this. The Law is still applicable today (Galatians 3:19; Ephesians 2:15; 1 Timothy 1:9; Hebrews 7:12). The moral ethics of the Law have not been removed. So part of the Law was temporary. At the same time, part of the Law is eternal. If Jesus had come to destroy the Law, then there would be nothing eternal about it.

Matthew 5:18: There are certain things in the Law that haven’t been accomplished yet (Romans 3:31; 8:4). Jesus didn’t come to destroy the Law, but to remove the temporary parts of it. Luke 24:25-27 is about the road to Emmaus; Jesus’ conversation with two of the disciples, after His resurrection. What Jesus did was take all the Laws and the Prophets and told His disciples that these were all about Him. In the New Testament, the writers repeatedly reference the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 7:12; 11:13; Luke 24:44; Acts 13:15).

The word “fulfill” simply means “to fill out, to expand or complete.” It does not mean to bring to an end. How does Christ fulfill the Old Testament? According to Nelson’s Commentary, Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament in these ways. First, “He obeyed

it perfectly and he taught its correct meaning.”2means that Jesus obeyed and walked it out (Matthew 3:17; 17:5; Galatians 4:4). If Jesus wasn’t teaching what the Law accurately said, God would never have said this.

Second, “He will one day fulfill all of the Old Testament types and prophecies.”3Yesterday, we talked about the belief the Jews hold that the Messiah will one day come back to the temple. That hasn’t happened yet. That means that Jesus is still working out the fulfillment of the Old Testament. He’s completing the prophecies that haven’t taken place yet (Galatians 3:13; Hebrews 9:23; 10:8). This shows that Jesus bore the curse of the law and established a second. Some of these Old Testament prophecies have already happened . . . the temple is no longer there, and Jesus is the temple. There are other prophetic words that have not yet come to fruition. For example, when Jesus returns, He will split the Mount of Olives in half. That obviously hasn’t happened yet.

Third, “He provided a way of salvation that meets all Old Testament requirements and demands”4(Romans 3:20-21). of us can keep up with the works required of us. No one will be justified by work. We can’t keep up the pace of praying enough, or studying the Scriptures enough, or doing all that God calls us to do. But we can find righteousness through Christ. That part, our salvation through Jesus, is done. But other prophecies in the Old Testament are not done yet.

Wiersbe uses the acorn theory to explain that many think the Old Testament is no longer relevant and would smash it with a hammer to get rid of it. God, however, chose not to destroy the acorn, but to “plant it in the ground and let it fulfill itself by becoming an oak tree.”5Prophetically speaking, eventually the desert of Israel will become a garden (Isaiah 35:1). Sixty percent of the land mass of Israel is wilderness; but one day, it will become a garden. If we destroy this land, we destroy the prophetic word that Isaiah gave. Jesus said that He came to fulfill that whole process.

Here are four academic viewpoints that some hold:

  • One view is that “Jesus came to fulfill (keep) the moral law (the Ten Commandments), but that He abolished Israel’s civil and ceremonial law.”6
  • Another view is that “Jesus came to fill out its meaning, to expand its full significance that until then remained obscure.”7
  • A third view is that Jesus came to extend the demands of Old Testament law to new lengths.8
  • Probably, “Jesus meant that He came to establish the Old Testament fully, to add His authoritative approval to it.”9 This seems to be what we’ve been proving here.

These are different perspectives in how this passage can be interpreted (Ephesians 2:11-13; Hebrews 10:19). The path to God has been opened to us through Jesus. To fulfill the Old Testament, Jesus opened the way for us to God. He also broke down the wall that separated Jews and Gentiles, so part of fulfilling the Law and the Prophets was to actually break down these barriers. He’s allowed us to come beyond the wall (Ephesians 2:11-13), and there are no more temples made with hands. Acts 7:48 says, “However, the Most High does not dwell in sanctuaries made with hands, as the prophet says.”

CLOSING

Jesus did many things to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Yet, there are things He did destroy. He did tear down walls, He did tear down the veil, He did tear down sanctuaries made by hands––He did away with the buildings. But He didn’t tear down the Law and the Prophets, because those things pointed to the moment of Christ. How do we personally fulfill the Law? Two ways; to represent and replicate Jesus: We walk according to the Spirit (Romans 8:1-4), and we love others (Romans 13:10).

The Law is temporary, and it is also eternal. Jesus perfectly obeyed the Law, and He is going to fulfill everything written between Genesis and Malachi. Because He provided the way of salvation, He broke down the barriers and tore down the veil between us and God. This relationship allows us to walk in the Spirit and to love others and begin to embrace Matthew 5:17.

  1. Earl Radmacher, Ronald B. Allen, and H. Wayne House, eds. Nelson’s New Illustrated Bible Commentary(Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1999), p. 1148.

  2. Radmacher, Allen, and House, p. 1148.

  3. Radmacher, Allen, and House, p. 1148.

  4. Radmacher, Allen, and House, p. 1148.

  5. William W. Wiersbe, The Bible Exposition Commentary: Matthew-Galatians(Colorado Springs, CO: David C. Cook, 2001), p. 22.

  6. Craig L. Blomberg, Matthew, pp. 103-105; quoted in Thomas L. Constable, Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable: Matthew, 155–56, https://planobiblechapel.org/tcon/notes/pdf/matthew.pdf.

  7. Richard C. Lenski, pp. 205-207; quoted in Constable, 156.

  8. Wolfgang Trilling, Das wahre Israel: Studien zur Theologie des Matthaus-Evangeliums, pp. 174-179.

  9. Constable, 156.

Questions

  1. Matthew 5:1-12 is commonly referred to as The Beatitudes. What does “beatitude” mean? Name the different ways that God is willing to bless believers from Matthew 5. Do these blessings apply to you? How?
  2. Why do you think that God would bless you when people mock you or lie about you (Matthew 5:11-12)? Why does Scripture say that we should rejoice or be happy about that? (1 Peter 4:13-14)
  3. In Matthew 5:14, Jesus told the disciples, “You are the light of the world.” However, in John 8:12, Jesus said that He is the light of the world. Do you think this is a contradiction? Why or why not? What is Jesus saying to us in both of those passages? (Matthew 5:14-16; John 9:5; Philippians 2:15)
  4. Why do you think that Jesus was taking the Old Testament Law one step further than what they had always heard (i.e., adultery/lust, murder) (Proverbs 6:25; Matthew 5:21-45; Colossians 3:5; 1 John 3:15)? What was Jesus the most concerned about in these passages?
  5. If you bring a gift to the altar and remember that someone has something against you, what did Jesus say you must do first (Matthew 5:23-24)? Does this apply to you right now? If so, how do you plan on bringing about reconciliation to that relationship?
  6. What did the Holy Spirit highlight to you in Matthew 5 through the reading or the teaching?

Next: the Daily Word →

Daily Word

Laura Martin Matthew 5:44-45a

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of Your Father in heaven.”

Jesus sat down on a mountain with His disciples gathered around Him and poured out wisdom for everyday living as a disciple and follower of Christ. This sermon became known as the Sermon on the Mount, and in it, Jesus addressed issues of the heart. The disciples knew they were to love the Lord, but Jesus went further, teaching them to love their enemies, even pray for their enemies.

This may seem impossible. However, with Christ’s unconditional love covering you, He equips you to love others, even your greatest, meanest, most selfish enemy. Today, ask the Lord to give you a heart of compassion and love for those unloving people in your life. Maybe someone has said an unkind word to you or to your kids. Begin by praying for them. Then ask the Lord to bless their socks off and overwhelm their life with Jesus’ precious love! In praying for them, believe the Lord has a plan for their lives and will turn this difficult relationship around for good. As people observe you loving your enemy, you become a light on a hill and salt on the earth for Jesus. People will see something different in you—the love of Jesus. And maybe, just maybe, your love will draw someone to Jesus.

“But I tell you, love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of Your Father in heaven.”

— Matthew 5:44-45a

FURTHER SCRIPTURE

  • Proverbs 25:21 — “If your enemy is hungry, give him food to eat, and if he is thirsty, give him water to drink.”
  • Romans 12:9-10 — “Love must be without hypocrisy. Detest evil; cling to what is good. Show family affection to one another with brotherly love. Outdo one another in showing honor.”
  • 1 John 4:7 — “Dear friends, let us love one another, because love is from God, and everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God.”