4. 18 For I assure you: Until
heaven and earth pass
away, not the smallest
letter or one stroke of a
letter will pass from the
law until all things are
accomplished.
5. 19 Therefore, whoever
breaks one of the least of
these commands and
teaches people to do so
will be called least in the
kingdom of heaven.
6. But whoever practices
and teaches these
commands will be called
great in the kingdom of
heaven.â
Matthew 5:17-19 HCSB
7. Because weâre saved by
grace and not by keeping the
Law, are we expected to
keep the Law?
8. Jesus warned that He did
not come to destroy the
Law or the Prophets
(meaning the Old
Testament Scriptures).
Jesus solidly affirmed the
authority of Old Testament
10. The overarching predictive
message of the OT relates to
humanityâs sin and Godâs
promise to bless all nations
through Abrahamâs
descendant (Jesus Christ).
11. Jesus fulfilled that promise
by coming as the Savior
through Whom God offers
the blessing of redemption to
all who will receive Him.
12. Hebrews 10:1
1 Since the law has only a
shadow of the good
things to come, and not
the actual form of those
realities, it can never
perfect the worshipers by
14. Hebrews 10:16-17
16Â âThis is the covenant I
will make with them
after those days,â
says the Lord:
âI will put My laws on
their hearts and write
15. them on their minds,â
17Â He adds:
âI will never again
remember their sins and
their lawless acts.â
Hebrews 10:16-17
16. Jeremiah 31:33-34
33Â âInstead, this is the
covenant I will make with
the house of Israel after
those daysââthe Lordâs
declaration. âI will put
My teaching within them
17. and write it on their
hearts. I will be their God,
and they will be My
people.Â
34Â No longer will one
teach his neighbor or his
brother, saying,
18. âKnow the Lord,â for they
will all know Me, from
the least to the greatest of
themââthis is the Lordâs
declaration.
âFor I will forgive their
wrongdoing and never
20. Christâs atoning death and
resurrection also fulfilled or
completed the purpose of
laws associated with animal
sacrifices and the priesthood,
which simply foreshadowed
Him (so we no longer need
21. to sacrifice animals or have
human priests to mediate
between God and us).
Furthermore, His
teachings did not displace
the Law but rather obeyed
or filled it full of its
31. Gen 6:16 tells us the ark
was designed with only
one means to enter.Â
Jesus Christ alone is the
way to the Father (John
14:6).
32. John 14:6
6 Jesus told him, âI am the
way, the truth, and the
life. No one comes to the
Father except through
Me.â
33. John 10:9 Â
9Â âI am the door. If
anyone enters by Me, he
will be saved âŠâ
34. The ark was a shadow of
Godâs plan of salvation
from the coming
judgment and it was
planned entirely by the
Father, not one element of
design was left for Noah.
35. Genesis 7:16 Â
16Â âThose that entered,
male and female of all
flesh, entered just as God
had commanded Noah.
Then the Lord shut him
in.â
36. The eternal security of the
believer.
Noah may have fallen
down in the ark but he
could never fall out of the
ark!
39. Exodus 12 Â
5Â âYou must have an
unblemished animal, a
year-old male
6 slaughter it Â
21 slaughter the Passover
animal.
40. 7Â take some of the blood
22Â Take a cluster of hyssop,
dip it in the blood that is in
the basin, and brush the
lintel and the two
doorposts with some of the
blood in the basin.
41.
42. According to Ceil &
Moishe Rosen in
"Christ in the Passover",
the basin in Exodus 12:22
was not a container in the
sense that we use the
word today.
43. The word comes from the
Egyptian "sap" meaning
the threshold or ditch was
dug in front of the
doorway to the house to
avoid flooding.
44. People placed a container
in the ditch to prevent
seepage.
The Israelites killed their
Passover lambs right by
the doors where they
were about to sprinkle
45. blood and the blood from
the slaughter
automatically ran into the
depression (basin) at the
threshold.
Thus the blood was
already at the "foot" of the
46. door when it was struck
onto the doorposts and
lintels.
53. Moses told them, âIt is the
bread the Lord has given
you to eat.Â
16Â This is what the LORD
has commanded: âGather
as much of it as each
person needs to eat.ââ
54. John 6:30-35
30Â âWhat sign then are
You going to do so we
may see and believe
You?â they asked. âWhat
are You going to perform?
31Â Our fathers ate the
55. manna in the wilderness,
just as it is written:Â He
gave them bread from
heaven to eat.â
32 Jesus said to them, âI
assure you: Moses didnât
give you the bread from
56. heaven, but My Father
gives you the real bread
from heaven.Â
33Â For the bread of God is
the One Who comes down
from heaven and gives life
to the world.â
57. 34Â Then they said, âSir,
give us this bread
always!â
35 âI am the bread of
life,â Jesus told them.Â
âNo one who comes to
Me will ever be hungry,
58. and no one who believes
in Me will ever be
thirsty again.â
John 6:30-35
(Exodus 16:15-16)
61. Numbers 21:9
9Â âSo Moses made a bronze
snake and mounted it on a
pole. Whenever someone
was bitten, and he looked
at the bronze snake, he
recovered.â
62. John 3:12, 14-15
12 âI have told you about
things that happen on
earth and you donât
believe, how will you
believe if I tell you about
things of heaven?
63. 14 Just as Moses lifted up
the snake in the
wilderness, so the Son of
Man must be lifted
up, 15 so that everyone
who believes in Him will
have eternal life.â
64. Jonah and Matthew 12:40
40Â âFor as Jonah was in the
belly of the huge fish three
days and three nights, so
the Son of Man will be in
the heart of the earth three
days and three nights.â
65. Jonathan EdwardsÂ
identified an example
in Daniel 3:25, when the
fourth man in the
furnace is described as
"like a son of the gods."
66. Joseph as a picture of Jesus
Read through Genesis
chapters 37, 39-41, and 45-46
and make your own
comparisons.
67.
68.
69.
70. So, is the Old Testament
finished, over, done?
Should we ignore it?
Not according to Jesus.
71. Not even a dot over an i
or a cross-mark of a t will
be set aside until all things
are accomplished
(Matt. 5:18).
All Old Testament
Scripture pertaining to
72. Christâs first coming has
been accomplished, but
the prophecies related to
Christâs return have not.
The ethical and moral
principles of the Law are
not only still in force but
73. also are echoed in the
New Testament.
Jesusâ words instruct us to
take the Old Testament
teachings seriously.
Those who dismiss them
and encourage others to
74. do so will miss blessings
in this life and in the life
to comeâthey will be
called least in the
kingdom of heaven
(Matthew 5:19).
75. This kingdom is the realm
in which Christ is
honored as Lord and
King, that is, the realm of
the redeemed.
Those who obey and
teach the Law will be
76. called great (v. 19).
Determine to be a faithful
student of the Old
Testament, allow Godâs
Spirit to speak to you
through it and to lead you
in applying it without
78. Matthew 5:20
 20 âFor I tell you, unless
your righteousness
surpasses that of the
scribes and Pharisees,
you will never enter the
kingdom of heaven.â
84. Scribes and Pharisees
were viewed as spiritual
giants in Jesusâ day (v. 20).
You can almost hear the
audience murmuring,
We have to be more
righteous than them?
85.
86. Scribes were viewed as
experts at interpreting
and applying Godâs Law.
They knew the Old
Testament teachings up,
down, and sideways.
87. Pharisees were known to
take extreme measures to
ensure they kept each of
Godâs commands.
They even tithed herbs
grown in their household
gardens (Luke 11:42)!
88. Who could ever hope to
top these groups on the
righteousness chart and
enter the kingdom of
heaven, or experience the
reign of God?
89.
90. Jesus was not talking here
about Godâs imputing
Christâs righteousness to
sinners who believe in
Him (justification).
Here He meant doing
right by others, saying the
91. right words, making the
right choices, doing the
right thingsâall the
attitudes and actions
labeled right in Scriptures.
92.
93. Scribes and Pharisees
were convinced they were
righteous, and most
people agreed with them.
Their lives literally
revolved around keeping
religious rules, traditions,
94. and rituals. Rabbis over
centuries had been
debating and defining
how each Biblical
command was to be
obeyed and how it could
be broken.
95. This resulted in a
multitude of rules that
formed a tradition they
viewed as having as much
authority as the
Scriptures.
96. Why, then, didnât Jesus
commend them for their
conscientious and
scrupulous efforts to obey
the Law?
Hereâs why: Their
supposed righteousness
97. was based on outward
deeds rather than inward
devotion (see Isa. 29:13).
13Â The Lord said:
âBecause these people
approach Me with their
mouths to honor Me with
98. lip-service â
yet their hearts are far
from Me,
and their worship consists
of man-made rules
learned by rote.â
Isaiah 29:13
99. Donât be too quick to smirk
at the scribes and
Pharisees.
Have you ever âdone your
dutyâ as a Christian when
your heart wasnât in it?
100. Have you merely gone
through the motions when
attending worship (with all
its elements, including the
offering), or prayingâat
meals or during personal
devotions;
101. or showing up for church
visitation, or filling
various volunteer
positions or assignments?
Did any of that so-called
obedience please God?
Have I repented?
102. Am I seeking to do better?
We should be seeking
more consistently to obey
the greatest commandment
âto love God with our
whole heart.
103.
104. This is the only way our
righteousness can exceed
that of the Pharisees.
Jesus is never satisfied with
mediocre discipleship.
105. He set the highest standard
possible â
high expectations!
âBe perfect, therefore, as
your heavenly Father is
perfect.â Matthew 5:48
106. Wait a minute, even if our
righteousness exceeds that
of the scribes and Pharisees,
this exhortation still sinks
our ships!
107. Our personal experience,
observation, and Scriptures
such as 1 John 1:8 (which
addresses believers) prove
this is a shore weâll never
reach in this life
(1 John 3:2-3).
108. 1 John 1:8
8Â âIf we say, âWe have no
sin,â we are deceiving
ourselves, and the truth is
not in us.â
109. 1 John 3:2-3
2Â Dear friends, we are
Godâs children now, and
what we will be has not
yet been revealed.Â
We know that when He
appears, we will be like
110. Him because we will see
Him as He is.Â
3Â And everyone who has
this hope in Him purifies
himself just as He is
pure.â
1 John 3:2-3
111. âperfectâ- means having
reached the goal, the end
or limit, thus complete,
full or perfect.
Nothing less than perfect
obedience is the goal our
Lord has set before us.
112. The standard for
measuring this is Godâs
own perfection as
revealed in the Lord Jesus
Christ
(Eph 4:15).
High expectations!
115. Even so, Jesus expects us
to take this command
seriously.
He has given us His Spirit
to guide and empower us
for Christian living and
service.
116.
117.
118. While we may never in
this life complete the
journey toward godly
perfection, we can stay
the course.
So letâs continue to pursue
the goal of becoming like
119. our Lord in our attitudes
and actions.
This will benefit us in at
least three ways:
(1) it will keep us on the
right course,
(2) it will remind us how
120. foolish we are to measure
our discipleship by other
believers, and
(3) it will foster humility
and compassion in all our
relationships.
121. Matthew 5:21-22
21âYou have heard that it
was said to our ancestors,
Do not murder, and
whoever murders will be
subject to judgment.
122. 22 But I tell you,
everyone who is angry
with his brother will be
subject to judgment.
And whoever says to his
brother, âFool!â will be
subject to the Sanhedrin.
123. But whoever says, âYou
moron!â will be subject to
hellfire.â
Matthew 5:21-22
124. One example is worth
more than a dozen
generalities.
Jesus, the Master Teacher,
gave six examples that
help us see how to move
beyond the Phariseesâ
125. kind of righteousness
(v. 20).
In each example, He set
forth a common religious
teaching, sometimes
loosely based on
Scripture, and then added
126. what obedience to that
law actually involved.
He did not refute Biblical
teachings, but He pointed
out how superficially
those teachings were
being understood and
127. practiced.
In each example Jesus
illustrated how to apply
the principle behind the
particular law.
We often call this keeping
the spirit of the law rather
128. than just the letter of the
law.
Jesusâ first example was
the law against murder
(v. 21).
He showed that obeying
this law meant not having
130. The spirit of this law is to
respond to personal
offenses with forbearance
and forgiveness rather
than with anger and
violence.
131. That makes keeping this
law a lot tougher.
Itâs easier to choose not to
put an offender in the
ground than to forego
anger and seek
reconciliation.
132. There is an account of two
women in a small church
that sat on opposite sides
of the sanctuary and
never spoke to each other.
133.
134.
135. According to Jesus, their
anger put them in the
same boat with
murderers.
Early in their dispute they
had called each other
contemptuous names,
136. similar to fool or moron
(v. 22). Those are
disparaging terms that
insult oneâs moral choices
(character) and
intellectual ability (good
sense).
137.
138. Jesus was saying that
obeying the command
against murder means
setting aside anger and
doing everything possible
to restore fellowship.
139. He also was showing the
penalty for disobedience
is quite severe (subject to
hellfire).
140.
141. Matthew 5:27-28
27âYou have heard that it
was said, Do not commit
adultery.
28 But I tell you,
everyone who looks at a
woman to lust for her has
143. Jesus next cited the
command against
adultery (v. 27).
This command means to
remain faithful to oneâs
spouse.
144.
145. Keeping the spirit of this
law includes avoiding
adultery in oneâs heart by
lusting for a non-spouse
(v. 28).
146.
147. Men and women both
experience attraction
toward certain members
of the opposite sex to
whom they are not
married.
148.
149. When we dwell on that
attraction, however, and
allow it to lead us into
immoral fantasies, we
commit adultery in our
hearts.
150.
151.
152. A seminary student asked
a faculty member well
past âretirement ageâ how
old a person had to be
before lust was no longer
a problem.
His honest answer?
153. âOlder than me.â
So we ask along with the
Psalmist,
âHow can a young man
[plus men and women,
married and single] keep
⊠pure?â
154. The answer is, âBy
keeping Your wordâ (Ps.
119:9).
A more mature pastor
told me long ago,
âIt takes more than loving
oneâs wife to stay faithful
155. to her.â
He went on to explain
that a dead-serious
commitment to be faithful
to the Lord is required.
Again, we believers are
not left on our own;
156. we have the promise of
the Holy Spirit to help us
obey the Lord from our
hearts.
157. Matthew 5:31-32
31âIt was also said,
Whoever divorces his
wife must give her a
written notice of divorce.
32 But I tell you,
everyone who divorces
158. his wife, except in a case
of sexual immorality,
causes her to commit
adultery. And whoever
marries a divorced woman
commits adultery.
Matthew 5:31-32
159.
160. The next example is,
âWhoever divorces his
wife must give her a
written notice of divorceâ
(v. 31; read Deut. 24:1-5).
The written notice
demonstrated eligibility to
161. marry again, enabling the
woman to become legally
attached to another
provider.
The Pharisees had long
and loud debates about
the legitimate causes for
163. intention that marriage be
a permanent union.)
Jesus always put the
spotlight on the sanctity
of marriage, not on
breaking the marriage
with divorce (vv. 4-6).
164.
165. In other words, the big
idea here is marriage.
The spirit of the law calls
for me to focus on being
the husband my wife
needs me to be, and for her
to focus on being the wife
166. I need her to be.
Any spouse can find
faults aplenty in his or her
mate, and to dwell on
those faults fosters
bitterness and builds
barriers.
167.
168.
169. To dwell on how we
married folk can be better
spouses to each other
builds marriages.
Notice that even though
Jesus recognized sexual
immorality as a
170. permissible reason to break
a marriage, He did not
command divorce in such
cases (5:32), contrary to
prevailing Jewish law of
the day.
171.
172. This is no knock against
believers who have
experienced the pain of
divorce.
In some cases, divorce can
be the lesser of two bad
options.
173.
174. Godâs unfailing love and
redeeming mercy are as
available to divorced and
remarried persons as they
are to all of us who fail to
live up to godly
standards.
175. Certainly we are to
uphold the Lordâs
standards for marriage
and strive to live up to
them.
At the same time, those of
us who know we are poor
176. in spirit can reach out in
love, compassion, and
acceptance to believers
who have suffered
divorce.
177. Matthew 5:33-34
33 âAgain, you have
heard that it was said to
our ancestors, You must
not break your oath, but
you must keep your
oaths to the Lord.
178. 34 But I tell you, donât
take an oath at all:â
Matthew 5:33-34
179.
180. Jesusâ audience often had
heard the law about
keeping oaths.
Scribes and Pharisees
were well aware of the
traditions that defined in
wearisome detail what
181. forms of oaths could or
could not be broken (see
vv. 34b-36; also 23:16-22).
Jesus brushed all that
nonsense aside by
admonishing,
182. âDonât take an oath at
allâ (5:34a). (No, this does
not prohibit oaths taken in
courts of law.)
Jesus stressed the spirit of
this law, namely, always
tell the truth.
183. We are followers of Him
who identified Himself as
âthe truthâ (John 14:6).
When we are known for
consistently telling the
truth, we demonstrate
genuine faith in Him.
184. In addition, people
believe us without any
sort of âmay God strike
me downâ assurances of
our honesty.
Misleading statements or
claims demolish
186. love and by refusing to
misrepresent the truth in
any way at all.
187. Matthew 5:38-39
38âYou have heard that it
was said, An eye for an
eye and a tooth for a
tooth.
39 But I tell you, donât
resist an evildoer.
188. On the contrary, if
anyone slaps you on your
right cheek, turn the
other to him also.â
Matthew 5:38-39
189. âAn eye for an eye and a
tooth for a toothâ is as
familiar a command to us
as to Jesusâ hearers (v. 38).
This law was intended as
a guide for judges to use
in legal settlements,
190. not as a license for
measured personal
revenge (see Ex. 21:22-25;
Lev. 19:18).
Jesusâ telling His followers
not to resist an evil doer
(Matt. 5:39) did not mean
191. to permit mean and
lawless people to run wild
in our communities.
He again was dealing
with personal
relationships, insisting
that the spirit of this law
192. teaches to exercise grace
rather than retaliation.
When we argue with this
and raise possible
exceptions, we fall into
the Phariseesâ
methodology.
193. Instead, letâs hold fast the
principle of non-
retaliation, exemplified by
Jesus as He was vilified,
tortured, and crucified.
Letâs trust the Spirit to
reveal how we are to
194. apply this principle in
particular situations.
All vengeance belongs to
the Lord, not to us
(Rom. 12:19).
195. 43 âYou have heard that
it was said, Love your
neighbor and hate your
enemy. 44 But I tell you,
love your enemies and
pray for those who
persecute you,â Matt 5
196.
197. Jesusâ final example of
common teachings is,
âLove your neighbor and
hate your enemy,â
although an explicit
command to hate oneâs
enemy is not in the OT.
198. This is not the fuzzy-
warm-feelings kind of
love, but rather the
selfless, sacrificial love
that seeks the best for
others.
199. Scribes and Pharisees
endorsed the popular
understanding that loving
oneâs neighbor meant
fellow Jews, not Gentiles,
and especially not
enemies.
200. They narrowed the scope
of love, but Jesus
broadened it to include
even oneâs enemies (v. 44).
He knew believers would
experience painful and
deadly persecution, but to
201. hate the persecutors or
other enemies would
grossly misrepresent
Christ to the world.
To pray for those who
persecute us, as Jesus did
on the cross, demonstrates
202. we are âsons of your
Father in Heavenâ
(vv. 44-45).
203. All six of Jesusâ examples
lead us to look for and to
keep not only the letter of
commands but also the
principles they embody.
204. They are not so much a
list of rules to follow as
they are examples that
illustrate that we are to be
righteous in every area of
lifeârighteous as a matter
of heart, not mere external
205. obedience.
Keep in mind what the
Lord expects of us.
Donât be misled by
religious traditions or
sidetracked by those who
dilute His requirements.
206. While recognizing those
requirements are
demanding, we should
renew our commitment to
trust the Lord to guide
and enable us more and
more to live up to His
207. expectations.
The one who hurls
insults is as guilty as the
one who murders?
The one who lusts has
committed adultery in
his heart? Ouch!
208. If Jesus were to preach in
your church the next time
the pastor is out and
deliver this sermon, what
superficial obedience
might He step on your
toes with?
209. Â Biblical Truths of This
Lesson in Focus
âą All Scripture points to
Jesus, Who fulfills it.
âą Study both Old and New
Testaments to discern
Godâs expectations
210. âą Truly righteous actions
are rooted in heartfelt
devotion to God.
âą Discern the principles
behind Godâs commands;
apply them as broadly as
possible.
211. âą Practice mercy rather
than murder, faithfulness
to spouses in thought and
deed, and marriage
building rather than
marriage breaking.
212. âą Be known for
truthfulness rather than
deception, forgiveness
rather than retaliation,
and love rather than hate.
213. Jesusâ expectation and
standards obviously are
exceedingly high.
Ask Him to help you live
by the spirit of His
standards, not the letter
only.