He Defines His Relationship to the Law

["Click here for Matthew's account"]

The third teaching in this Sermon on the Mount, defines Christs relation to the Law. Matthew, writing to the Jews, makes a point to establish the fact that Christ did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets, but rather to fulfill them. This is a difficult passage of scripture.

Lets break it down into several statements that we can understand:

  1. The Scriptures of the Old Testament (the Law and the Prophets) as rules of faith and practice, are right.
  2. The example set by the Scribes and Pharisees as to the intent and practice of these scriptures, was wrong.
  3. The rules which Christ came to establish agreed with the scriptures.
  4. Christ did not come to weaken or destroy the scriptures. Matthew emphasizes this to ensure the devout Jew that the mission of Christ did not abolish the scriptures but rather, fulfilled them.

Matthew Henry puts it this way, "The Savior of souls is the destroyer of nothing that comes from God", and we believe the Law and the Prophets to be the inspired Word of God.

Actually, we see that Christ came to fulfill them, that is:

  1. To obey the commandments of the Law.
  2. To make good the promise of the Law.
  3. To explain and enlarge on the Law.
  4. To fill in the voids and imperfections of the Law.
  5. To continue where the Law left off.

He not only came to fulfill the Law but He also came to perpetuate it. "Truly, I say to you, not one iota, not one dot, will past from the Law until all of it is fulfilled." (iota or jot = the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet, dot or title = a dot or other small mark such as a period.)

The preserving of the "word" is in the hands of God even to its smallest detail. Many have used this and the last verses in the Book of Revelation as their objection to resent translations of the Bible.

Notice what place the Law now has in the Christian's life. "Whoever attempts to nullify or relax the importance of one of the "least" of these commandments, shall be called least in the Kingdom of Heaven. What is Christ saying here?

  1. Among the commandments there are, apparently, some "less'" than others.
  2. It is a dangerous thing to break even the least of these commandments.
  3. Notice also that it bad enough to break or downplay a commandment but of worse consequence to teach or preach it.

"He that does this shall be called the least in the Kingdom of Heaven." There is a judgement here that does not effect our salvation, as some think, but suggests that some of out actions as Christian teachers and preachers in this world, effect our place in the next. I read two things in this:

  1. For the Christian, breaking the Law will not result in the loosing of Salvation.
  2. There appears degrees of reward or accomplishment within the Kingdom of Heaven.

Another measurement relative to the importance of the Law in a Christians life is given us in verse 20. "Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the Kingdom of Heaven." Now this was a difficult statement to accept for those who thought that the Scribes and Pharisees had obtained a high plane of religious endeavor. How could they possibly exceed these efforts. But lets compare their efforts with what God expected:

GOD'S EXPECTATIONS

  1. Inside godliness
  2. Acceptance of God

THEIR EFFORTS

  1. Outside appearances
  2. Acceptance of men

How can we accomplish this if the Scribes and Pharisees couldn't? We must rely on the strength and support of the Holy Spirit. Only through Christ can we be any different that they.


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