The Law #1

Read this featured blog post by Pastor Jeremy Vines

Introduction

The Law #1


This week we are in one of the most interesting and tricky passages in the this sermon on the Mount. 


Jesus has listed the beatitudes and basically turned the idea of what it means to be blessed upside down.

He tells us that persecution is good and that we should be really glad when it happens because it means we have a great reward in heaven.


Then he goes in to an analogy about how what we do matters. We studied the idea of Salt and Light and learned that Jesus was talking about the usefulness of what we do. Our works.


Then he jumps into this talk about The Law. And what is crazy is we can tell from the text that people were excited about the idea of getting rid of the law. And that is where most of the people hearing me right now are - they are excited about hearing how we are no longer subject to the law. And there are a few out there who are like - finally we are going show people that we are REALLY still under the law. 



Matthew 5:17-20

So let’s jump into our key text which is


Matthew 5:17–20 (ESV)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


Now, this is a very deep passage and is confusing to many. I would be willing to bet you have not heard many teachings on this (many references but not a lot of teaching) because the easiest way for a preacher to deal with this passage is to avoid it.


But we are not going to avoid it - we are going to learn it.

Unreachable Standard

This section is what I would call the unreachable standard. Really it is chapter 5:17-48. This whole section is Jesus raising the bar not just to higher morality but to an unreachable one. And I believe that is the really point. He is saying to them - when you attain the greatest level of righteousness - you’re still not even close. 


Remember that Jesus is changing expectations here. He started with changing the idea of blessing. That is very important because that is why they are there, for the most part. 


So, Jesus changes the idea of what it means to be blessed. 

Now he is radically altering the idea of what it means to be righteous. And it is RADICAL to say the least!


Let’s go back to the top and study this verse by verse.

Abolish the Law?

Matthew 5:17 (ESV)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets…


He is setting them for clarity. The people obviously are getting the idea that Jesus is removing the law, most likely because he healed people on the Sabbath and kind of flaunted it in front of the Teachers of Religious Law. He has a reputation for being very different than what the people recognize as religious authority.


Matthew 5:17 (ESV)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. 


Now some people - legalist - will use this passage to teach that we are in fact still under the Law. You see (that say) - Jesus did not come to abolish it. That leads to a huge debate: Are we under the Law or not? Let’s keep reading…


Matthew 5:18-19 (ESV)

18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 


I mean it does sound like - Jesus is saying we are not doing away with the law - in fact you need to do much better about following it. And the truth - that IS what He is saying.


?Pastor Jeremy - are you saying that we are still under the Law?

Well, what I am saying is that is what Jesus is saying RIGHT HERE. And not just under it or subject to it. But that we subject to every “iota, and dot.”


Iota - means the smallest letter.

The iota was the smallest letter of the Greek alphabet


Dot - is from the greek word Keraia - which means the smallest part of the letter.


Jesus was known for exaggeration for effect - and this is a good example of it. 


He was saying that even the smallest letter of the law would be upheld - and not only that but the smallest part of the letter.


He saying there is NO wiggle room. 

Are we still under the Law?

So back to the question 

are we still under the law?


The answer to that actually depends - YOU might be.

You see, the law represents God’s perfect standard of righteousness. To be right before God we either have to keep the smallest letter of the law and the smallest part of the letter… OR find another way.


I don’t know about you - but if my plan is to keep the smallest part of the letter of the law - I am failing miserably. I hope there is another option. 


So if you’re looking for right standing with God through the law - you better get it ALL right! Jesus solidifies this with this next line…


Matthew 5:20 (ESV)

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


So if you were hearing this they way would have heard this - you would have to think this is hopeless.


The Law or the Prophets

So what does Jesus mean by the Law or the Prophets. Some people try to split hairs here and say that He was only referring to the levitical law not the moral law. I don’t really understand that augment - because it doesn’t help much. I don’t know anyone who can say they keep the smallest letter and the smallest part of the letter of the moral law any more than the levitical law. So even if that is what we think it means - it doesn’t help.


The phrase the Law or the Prophets - actually would be a reference to the old testament. It was all of it. It was not just the law - it was the prophets too. The more you dig into this you realize it was so much less attainable than you think. 

What will Jesus will not do & what He WILL do.

So Jesus will NOT abolish the law. As long as the law is your path to righteousness or salvation you are subject to the whole law. And you better keep it, right down to the smallest letter and the smallest part of the letter. 


What Jesus will do - or we can say now did do - is He will fulfill the Law and the Prophets. When you see what this means it just rocks your world. 


Jesus fulfills the Law AND the Prophets to the smallest letter - to the smallest part of the letter. 


So if our hope is Jesus we can experience the law fulfilled where in through the law we can only expect the righteous judgment of God.


Matthew 5:17 (ESV)

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.


The law was not abolished - but it was fulfilled. 


We are either under the law - or we are under Jesus.

Our Righteousness

Our Righteousness


Matthew 5:20 (ESV)

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


Your righteousness??? That is a trick phrase - there is no such thing as your righteousness.

And therein lies the point - as long as you are the source of your righteousness your only hope is keeping the to the letter of the law. Which is hopeless.


Currently the law has not been abolished and will be abolished “until heaven and earth pass away” which means until ALL is accomplished.


But the law is fulfilled. In Jesus. 


Galatians 3:24–25 (ESV)

24 So then, the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. 25 But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian,

Title Screen


FALSE Dichotomy - well then is ok to sin…


Jesus fulfilled all that the prophets said of him - and by His death He fulfilled the just requirement of the law.


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