"Jesus came to give the Law and the testimonies of the Prophets true significance, true meaning, and true completeness."
[This sermon is one of a series entitled "Sermon on the Mount, Concentrating on the Beatitudes," which is being preached on Sunday mornings by Pastor Tim Senter.]
What a glorious day is our day of independence. I pray we can continue to celebrate that splendid event. We have reason, though, to see this great country fading away as faith fades and evil prevails. This does not paint a very pleasant picture, as we have already considered the fear manifested by all our national leaders. A lack of principles truly eliminates any courage. Today, though, we return to our normal study in the Sermon on the Mount.
When last we opened to the Lord’s sermon, we found that we are encouraged to be the light of the world. Not just in deed and action, but in our hearts. We need to be that light, and that light must emanate from us to draw others to Christ. In the introduction to this sermon, the Beatitudes, the Lord tells us how this light is developed within each Christian. We develop this light by cultivating those things, which produce contentedness in our spirit and in our lives. Our contented poor spirit shines a light of self-recognition and submission. Our mourning is the light of motivation to evangelize. It is a spirit content in knowing that the salvation of the Lord is undeserved and unearned, and that all souls need this salvation equally. The Christian is content in their gentle spirit, which shines the light of humility on all who are present. Contentedness is encouraged and matures as the Christian hungers and thirsts for righteousness, as they continually find satisfaction. This illuminates the lack of purity and satisfaction in life from which the world suffers. All of these elements combine within the contented Christian to emanate the light of mercy, for which they receive mercy. Christian purity provides contentedness as God is always kept in focus while simultaneously illuminating the impure things of Satan. Finally, the peacemaker is contented in all relationships and shows the darkness that is insincerity.
All of these elements build upon themselves and construct a Christian that is increasingly content with their life in Christ, and for Christ. Many people divorce these Beatitudes from the Christian, and do so out of a sense of guilt, knowing they will never achieve the level of perfection that is identified. The true Christian knows that this is the exact point – we are imperfect and need a Savior who alone is perfect and capable of providing salvation. Therefore, contentedness is not contentedness in sin, but contentedness in the Savior and His provision to forgive sin. The Christian knows sin, knows they will sin, and hates this aspect of their life. Equally, they know that a life focused upon serving Christ, seeking God, and implementing these Beatitudes will result in less sin in their life. This creates great contentedness, and its light exposes the world’s sin.
Jesus is opening the scriptures in this section. He is teaching that it will not only be fulfilled, but also fulfilled completely. His purpose is to do that very thing – completely fulfill the law – and nothing less. The two verses we will look at this week and next have been the subject of much discussion, controversy, and consternation for the past 2,000 years. Consider, first, Matthew 5:17.
We should know the background by now; however, reviews (even short ones) can be useful. Jesus is preaching the Sermon on the Mount. He has just finished teaching in synagogues and preaching the New Testament gospel, that He is the Christ. His fame spread wildly throughout Syria. Many people gathered about Him, many followed from many cities near and far. Jesus seeing there were so many took a high point and positioned Himself to preach to the people. He opened with stunning revelations of meekness and mercy, and purity of heart. He told the people that Christians are to suffer persecution and rejoice in it. In this way, and many others, we are to be shinning beacons for Christ.
The question asked repeatedly since the day the Lord finished ministering is, “We live in the New Testament now, don’t we?” With this comes another question: “If we live in the New Testament, why are we concerned about what laws are fulfilled in the Old Testament – they are all to be fulfilled by Christ and are inconsequential to us?” People actually consider the Old Testament unworthy of their time. They want to be dominated by the New Testament and its teachings. Jesus Himself quoted from a minimum of 24 books in the Old Testament. The New Testament as a whole records at least 27 Old Testament books from which quotes are taken. Excerpts from the Psalms are found frequently. Jesus thought the Old Testament important enough to use Himself in defeating Satan. He quoted Deuteronomy three times for that purpose.
The disconnect inherent in any question concerning the viability of the Old Testament and its applicability to the New Testament Christian is realized when we read the scripture for today. Jesus says, “Do not think.”
We will consider the fact that Jesus fulfills, and expects us to fulfill, the tenor of the law. The fact is that “Jesus will fulfill every iota of scriptural law.” Our problem is that “we attempt to limit the applicably of any scripture on us and we will use anything, including the Savior, for an excuse to do so.”
Today, then, we will consider the focus of these passages on the Israelites who were present at its delivery. In this, we can glean what it should indicate for us. Jesus was calling for the implementation and fulfillment of the Law, but at the same time a separation from the false spiritual leadership of the day. In this, He was unique.
I. Unique
Christ is saying that we should not consider Him in the customary way you see others. We have noted before that man attempts to make man subservient to himself. Many attempt to make life easier to be seen as a great person – they appear to be giving you something you want. This is a common satanic tactic and temptation which says, “Follow me,–I will not judge you.”
Scripture demands perfection in person, attitude, worship, and life. No human being can attain perfection in these things. Because we know we have this incapacity, we attempt to find an “out.” In our hearts, we look for the easiest and simplest route to success. “If we can get rid of all these convicting laws, life would be much easier.” As it is represented here in Matthew 5:17, at the time of this statement, the people of Israel (and the disciples specifically) still had no idea who this great Preacher was. The disciples heard of His personal bodily sacrifice, the call for His crucifixion to take place, and they advised Jesus to run, get away, or just escape as if to say, “You are going to be our King– how can you say such things?”
Amid the turmoil and reactions Jesus is receiving as a result of His preaching and ministry; He is healing many, dealing with delicate life situations, and bringing people to a new level of spiritual life on earth. The Pharisees consider Him lax in His practices. They want Him to be more “legalistic,” if we can use that term here. The word used here for “think” is a subjunctive. Although the Greek word implies a request that is not to be reckoned with, it is suggestive in nature. It carries in it a command, an inherent unquestionableness. However, Jesus uses the word to present a recommendation, as if to say, “You should not think at any moment that I have come to destroy the law or the words of the prophets; further, neither am I here to replace the law or the teaching of the prophets.” Many who spoke against the Pharisee’s and their laws were attempting to circumvent the actual laws of the Old Testament. Jesus states specifically that this is not His purpose. Even amid these challenges and accusations of sin as He sat with publicans and taxpayers, and threats of stoning while He ministered in Nazareth and read from Isaiah 61:1-2, Jesus shows compassion to all His accusers.
This is a request to be identified as one who is set apart. Jesus said He had not come to “destroy,” (meaning to dissolve, disunite, or overthrow) either their religion, their rules, or those men they respected in the past who walked with God. Jesus is saying, “I am not the normal individual who wants to disrupt your spiritual life and the things in which you believe to get you to follow me.” Jesus did not want to separate the Jews from the Spirit they worshipped. On the contrary, God was standing right in front of them inviting their worship and participation.
Jesus is not just unique in His preaching, teaching, and ministry. He will uniquely fulfill the things of the Law, and some of these coming fulfillments are known by the Israelites.
II. Law
Jesus was the perfect Jew. He fulfilled the moral law in his life and the ceremonial law in His death. He lived out and died for the burnt, trespass, meal, peace, and sin offerings placed upon His body. He took upon Himself the scapegoat sins.
Jesus specifically speaks of the “law” which is the normal term for the Old Testament Pentateuchal books. To the Jew the word meant anything established, a custom, a law, or command. The word is used 197 times, most with qualifiers such as “Law of Moses” or “law of the Lord.” It is commonly understood that without such a qualifier, the word for “law” probably referred to the entire Old Testament, the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the other writings that guided Israel’s lives morally and socially. This law was their sin meter, for lack of a better term. They gauged their livelihood and godliness; whether they were considered a “good man” or a “heathen” by this law. Jesus was saying that He had not come to destroy this meter. What they believed was indeed good, just, and right. He was not there to give them new ethics or standards. He was also conveying a positive – you need to follow those guideposts, continue in your current understandings of moral and ethical existence. The difference Jesus exemplified in His teachings was living out these principles in your life, and doing it in faithful obedience. One needed to be the light of the world from the inside out, not just on the outside. Jesus then would show the Israelites just what loving obedience to the Laws of Moses and the prophets looked like, because He was internally, spiritually perfect.
In the days that Jesus was ministering to the people, they were very attentive and sensitive to the Law of Moses and implementing those laws. The Pharisees and Scribes were the givers and guardians of the Laws, but many of them had so distorted the law, and given up on implementing the things of God in their hearts, where it really counts. Yet there were other priests who were greatly distressed over the pervasive sin in Israel. However, here there was a multitude of people seeking God and the things of God. They did not stone Jesus when He said He was not there to abolish the law, but to fulfill it. They probably did not see the laws of Moses as such a problem. It was many of the extra added precautions that were thrown in to make sure you did not break a certain law that Jesus spoke against. These were the very things that the Pharisees and Scribes were not willing themselves to submit to – their own additions to the law (over 400 of them).
Therefore, Jesus came to fully implement the Law and the prophets in the fashion it is supposed to have been implemented. In this process, He was going to show all those who are with Him how exactly this is done as a perfect priest. This pure testimony shines light upon the superficiality of those who do not seek to serve God, but instead to serve man, or domineer man. Some Pharisees, Nicodemus specifically, sought out the truth of this testimony and were not afraid of it, but saw some of the truths in it, and knew the problems of their peers. This was a light shed upon them that they recognized, and this is the light that we are admonished to shed upon those false teachers and unrepentant hearts in this world. Those who are sensitive and seeking God will, as Nicodemus did, seek more information and search for more truth.
We should note that Jesus is not identifying any specific law He will fulfill. The spirit of the law is an operation of life and executing the law actively in that life. I call this a proactive Christianity. Many seek ways they can get around the law, but true Christians actually look for the laws of God in His Word and seek ways to implement them in their lives. This is a proactive approach. This is why we are so frequently admonished to study the Word of God for ourselves – because we are individually responsible for it. Ignorance of the law does not excuse one from guilt. Jesus says He is going to fulfill the laws and the prophets. He expects His followers to do as much too. However, instead of the Pharisaical approach, to hound the people into submission, Jesus will supply Himself to assist others in this implementation.
Implementing the law comes in many forms. There were apprehensions concerning extra requirements – because the Pharisees always came up with new things. There were apprehensions about relaxing any requirements, because the Jews had been taught repeatedly that they needed to obey God’s commandments, and what the Pharisees said and told them were supposed to be commandments of God. There were also apprehensions concerning their freedom. They were optimistic concerning a new world under the Messiah whom, they hoped, would rid them of the Roman rule, Roman laws, and Roman domination. This was a great and exciting expectation.
III. Expectations
Considering the period and the mindset of the Jewish people in bondage with Rome, we can see their excitement at the thought of a Messiah. Messiah means savior, one who would free the Jews from bondage. They had visions of Moses and the Israelites coming out of Egypt. They thought of their freedom from other kingdoms and times of captivity. They could again worship God for God, not as regulated by their captors. Thoughts of release from Chaldeans, and Babylon were probably the talk of the town. Did the Jew’s expect a revolution? Embodied in the person of a Messiah, they had aspirations for literal, physical, political, societal, and spiritual freedom.
Some of those who knew the scriptures and were expecting the Messiah therefore expected a complete political, societal, and spiritual revision. They expected this new King who is specifically sent by God, to wipe out the blasphemous Romans, clean out the temple, and set up a God-honoring Kingdom that was all-powerful, perfectly ruled and greatly prosperous. Imagine their amazement when this man, Jesus of Nazareth, was performing miracles, changing lives, and telling the Israelites He was going to do that very thing – free them forever.
However, as man often does in trying to make the gospel about himself, once again they are focused temporally, whereas Christ was speaking of the Kingdom of heaven and His perfect rule, which was still in the future. The Israelites were thinking right now, where they lived, in their towns, on their streets, and in their houses. Jesus was also saying that, but with a different focus in mind, and in a different operation of the term freedom. Jesus thought of the complex lives they could live in heaven in their resurrected bodies.There is nothing simple, nothing temporal, and nothing elementary in the beatitudes. They all deal with a spiritual life in Christ and with the Father, by an indwelling Holy Spirit who completely changes a person from a sinner to a saint. God does all the work. The person lives here on earth as God works on their soul. This is the freedom and rescue that Jesus is talking about – salvation of the soul from a world of physical evil. The law, therefore, was to be the basis for conviction of the soul for the purpose of bringing a sinner to the understanding that salvation is required. In this, Jesus was to fulfill the whole law as a Savior.
These multitudes looked at their current situation under Roman Rule as a bleak time, which it was; but they believed it was to vanish when Messiah took His place on the throne. Though they saw their time as bleak, they also knew that it could be worse. They had captive periods before this that were stifling concerning their mode of worship, and they knew it.
IV. History
Historically, new kings in Israel or Judea could greatly differ from one another. Those who were spiritually sensitive to Jehovah would be concerned about God’s influence on a new King. Thinking temporally as they would, if Jesus was a new King, where did He stand with the Lord God? Whether He sounded great or not, they were concerned as their history was very poor with respect to their leadership. Only a couple of kings actually stayed out of what can be called “severe” sin in their reigns (Asa, Manasseh, and Uzziah mostly). Of 23 that are well-documented, 20 fell into sin and left their kingdom in that condition at the end of their reign. Some (David for example) brought themselves back from those depths. Manasseh brought the nation out of sin. Rehoboam, Jehoram, Ahaziah, Athaliah, Joash, Ahaz, Amon, and four other kings inherited Judah in sin, and kept it there. Of the others, 11 (Saul, David, Solomon, Abaih, Jehoshaphat, and others) found their kingdoms in righteousness, or began at a point outside of sin, then drove them deep into darkness. Placed on a scale, probably the ones to fall deepest into sin were Hezekiah, and Solomon. This Israelite history was bleak. What did that mean about this new king? This is why Samuel knew that God was the best King regardless of what the people wanted (1 Samuel 8:4-7).
The Messiah, Jesus Christ of Nazareth, was far and away different from all of these other Kings though. This is early in His ministry, and the people would not fully understand these differences. Many did not comprehend the future Kingdom governed by a perfect Messiah, even after His crucifixion. They did not comprehend that He was God, the Son of God. They concerned themselves with the just judgment of God for the sins of their leaders, such as was suffered under many Kings in the past. They thought that Jesus was being judged for His own sins on the cross. For once, they could take out their vengeance upon a king that would be judged and bring judgment upon them. They had the freedom to mock Him, spit upon Him, and do with Him what they wished. They could deny Him and berate Him. All of this is pent up rage at their having to stay in captivity, not believing or understanding Jesus’ ministry, and denying that they want anything to do with this man because Jesus was not going to free them. In their estimation, He certainly was no king.
This new King, Jesus, was speaking against what they currently knew to be good – the rules the Pharisees, added to the Law of Moses. To be just and right and good was to follow the laws of the Pharisees, as they were the spiritual experts of the day. Would He then bring judgment upon them, because He chose not to walk with God the way the Pharisees taught them? There may have been another thought associated with their knowledge of history. The Israelites, and especially those sensitive to God (particularly those following Jesus and seeking God), wanted desperately to get back to God’s good graces, so to speak. They knew their captivity would end when they sought the road of righteousness before God. Knowing that the law called for them stone a blasphemer, and knowing that it would please God if they obeyed Him and took action against iniquity, the Israelites attitude toward false teachers would be aggravated. They would want to show God that they would not tolerate false teachers. He was not a false teacher – in fact, He was the Messiah. Considering Him false though, they would endeavor to eliminate this teacher. Eventually, they would call for His crucifixion in order to remove Him. They had enough troubles already with Roman soldiers regularly beating them and abusing them. They did not want God to be mad at them too.
There may have been others in the audience that had considered all four of these aspects and evaluated whether there was truth to what He was saying. The word translated “fulfill” gives us insight.
V. Fulfillment
We should begin with a definition that is fitting for this passage. Fulfillment – to bring to fruition scripture’s complete meaning.[1] It is likely that there were individuals in this multitude that thought about all four of these things (Jesus’ uniqueness, the law, their expectations, and Israel’s history), when they listened to this sermon. The most prominent beliefs were probably the first three, but fulfilling the Law would certainly point most specifically to the third – their expectation for deliverance from bondage. We should consider the Lord’s use of this word, and the implications on the audience listening.
Do we now, therefore, throw off the Old Testament because it is herein fulfilled in Christ? This thinking says that because it is fulfilled, we therefore only live in and for the New Testament and the precepts and doctrines therein. Truly, every Old Testament text must be viewed in light of Jesus fulfilling through His life the very laws and precepts within it. He died to fulfill these texts, and we must acknowledge and recognize this. No – we cannot throw away the Old Testament because He abode in and showed the true meaning of these things. We too are admonished to do this very thing as we become more Christlike. We are to show obedience and fulfillment of the laws of Moses and live a life focused upon studying the prophets to know them. Jesus did; we should too.
The Greek word for fulfill implies the law and the testimony of the prophets were not yet fulfilled. The word indicates a cause for fulfillment, or a purpose in the fulfillment. It also means to give a true or complete meaning to something, to give it real significance.[2] Jesus came to give the Law and the testimonies of the Prophets true significance, true meaning, and true completeness. Jesus would live the truth of the law and the Prophets before their very eyes.
This testimony was concerning the Messiah, the anointed one of the line of David. Those who were scripturally astute and understood all the prophecies would know this; but the multitudes that followed Him were not normally highly educated, but the meek of the earth. Most would understand fulfillment or completion of the law and the prophets. G. Campbell Morgan wrote,
“He had come to fulfill the law personally, communicatively, universally.”[3] Broadus notes that the “majority of expositors understand the word as denoting to fulfill by performing what the law required.”[4]
With the level of education represented in the multitude, this was probably not the entire thrust of their understanding. Part of what Christ was saying was a testimony to Himself and who He was (Psalm 19:7 – The law of the Lord is perfect); Christ needed them to understand that. However, He was also conveying a more simplified idea – that the scriptures of the law and prophets also told of Him, and His coming specifically as the Messiah.
Think of the prophets in Heaven. Consider Isaiah’s excitement as he watches Jesus on earth and sees the very prophecies that he did not understand being lived out by the Savior. Consider Jeremiah, or Joel, or even David in heaven watching as the Messiah lives out the prophecies that they wrote but knew nothing about (1 Pet 1:12).
His work to heal the sick, lame, and blind, and raise the dead in the name of God and for His glory showed this very fact to be true. Christ would fulfill the prophecies of the Messiah completely – as we count about 140 of them. He also meant to remove the old kingdom and install a new one. This kingdom would be established at His return, not in this temporal life. The people in His kingdom would have a soul worthy of entrance – a soul cleansed by His own blood. His promises to the small and weak in the Beatitudes testified to this very Kingdom, the requirements to be in this kingdom, and the life exhibited by the Kingdom inhabitants. He was telling the Israelites He would fulfill all of this law and make possible their entry into the perfect Kingdom of God.
When we see this passage then, we should not just look at it academically and understand its individual grammatical parts. We should not look at it antiseptically and consider the historicity of the Jews and their attitudes. We should see this in light of Christ Himself as He is presenting Himself to the Jews.
The kingdom of the Messiah is unique. It will be unlike anything that anyone at the time of Christ envisioned, and unlike anything we can imagine. This kingdom will be the perfect embodiment of the Law in the Messiah Himself. The expectations that we have for it are all quite misplaced today, just as they were for the Jews yesterday. Looking at the history, there is no king to which Christ can be compared. Every King fell into sin at some point, and only the perfect Messiah can therefore represent the perfect Kingdom of God. This is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets that Jesus is talking about. This fulfillment begins with faith, a faith that Jesus will embody these laws, the prophetical speaking of the men of God. This is how Jesus fulfills the law and the prophets.
[1] Craig L. Blomberg, Matthew, The New American Commentary, New International Version, (Broadman: Nashville, 1992), 103.
[2] Johannes P. Louw and Eugene A. Nida, Editors, Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament Based on Semantic Domains, United Bible Societies: New York 1989 2nd ed. Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc. ver. 3.6.
[3] G. Campbell Morgan, The Gospel According to Matthew, (1929).
[4] John A. Broadus, Commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, (Kregel: Grand Rapids, 1886), 99.
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