The Law’s Bulls Eye

1. The Law’s Bulls Eye Matthew 5:17-20

2. God expects his people to follow his Law meticulously.

3. Jesus, just before his Ascension, told the Eleven to make disciples of all nations & to teach those disciples “to observe all that I have commanded you” (Mt 28:20, ESV).

4. Mt 28:20. • “Be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing” (Js 1:22-25, ESV).

5. God’s expectations were no different under the Old Testament.

6. God to Moses: “Exactly as I show you concerning the pattern of the tabernacle, and of all its furniture, so you shall make it” (Ex 25:9, ESV).

7. Ex 25:9. • God to Joshua: “Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law that Moses my servant commanded you. Donot turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go” (Josh 1:7, ESV).

8. But, in Jesus’ day, the scribes & Pharisees had so many traditions it was difficult to know where the Law stopped & their traditions began.

9. But, in Jesus’ day, the scribes & Pharisees had so many traditions it was difficult to know where the Law stopped & their traditions began. • Thus, the scribes & Pharisees had great power over the Jewish people.

10. But, in Jesus’ day, the scribes & Pharisees had so many traditions it was difficult to know where the Law stopped & their traditions began. • Thus, the scribes & Pharisees had great power over the Jewish people. • Then, John the Baptist shows up & starts calling the Pharisees & Sadducees a “brood of vipers” (Mt 3:7, ESV).

11. But, in Jesus’ day, the scribes & Pharisees had so many traditions it was difficult to know where the Law stopped & their traditions began. • Thus, the scribes & Pharisees had great power over the Jewish people. • Then, John the Baptist shows up & starts calling the Pharisees & Sadducees a “brood of vipers” (Mt 3:7, ESV). • Jesus then shows up & begins calling people to repentance, while he heals countless sick.

12. But, in Jesus’ day, the scribes & Pharisees had so many traditions it was difficult to know where the Law stopped & their traditions began. • Thus, the scribes & Pharisees had great power over the Jewish people. • Then, John the Baptist shows up & starts calling the Pharisees & Sadducees a “brood of vipers” (Mt 3:7, ESV). • Jesus then shows up & begins calling people to repentance, while he heals countless sick. • It’s obvious that things are changing radically.

13. The scribes, Pharisees, & Sadducees are going to get nervous about the place of the Law in Judaism.

14. The scribes, Pharisees, & Sadducees are going to get nervous about the place of the Law in Judaism. • If Jesus replaces the Law with something else, their power is going to be greatly diminished.

15. The scribes, Pharisees, & Sadducees are going to get nervous about the place of the Law in Judaism. • If Jesus replaces the Law with something else, their power is going to be greatly diminished. • If Jesus begins telling people that they don’t need to obey the Law, their power will be gone in a heartbeat.

16. The scribes, Pharisees, & Sadducees are going to get nervous about the place of the Law in Judaism. • If Jesus replaces the Law with something else, their power is going to be greatly diminished. • If Jesus begins telling people that they don’t need to obey the Law, their power will be gone in a heartbeat. • To that end, Jesus speaks the words in this morning’s text.

17. Matthew 5:17-20

18. Jesus, as THE LAW’S BULLS EYE, speaks of “Fulfilling the Law.”

19. Jesus, as THE LAW’S BULLS EYE, speaks of “Fulfilling the Law.” • Thus, he tells us of: • PURPOSE. • PASSING. • PERFORMANCE. • PURITY.

20. Purpose v 17

21. “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” (v 17, ESV).

22. But, Jesus did come to abolish the Law!

23. Scripture teaches that Jesus nailed the Law to his cross.

24. Scripture teaches that Jesus nailed the Law to his cross. • “By abolishing the law of commandments expressed in ordinances, [he created] in himself one new man in place of the two, so making peace” (Eph 2:15, ESV).

25. Scripture teaches that Jesus nailed the Law to his cross. • Eph 2:15. • “And you, who were dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, God made alive together with him, having forgiven us all our trespasses, by canceling the record of debt that stood against us with its legal demands. This he set aside, nailing it to the cross” (Col 2:13-14, ESV).

26. How could Jesus say that he didn’t come to abolish the Law?

27. KJV: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

28. KJV: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” • We need to understand how the Greek term was used in the New Testament.

29. KJV: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” • We need to understand how the Greek term was used in the New Testament. • The term can literally mean “to throw to the ground.”

30. KJV: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” • We need to understand how the Greek term was used in the New Testament. • The term can literally mean “to throw to the ground”: “You see all these, do you not? Truly, I say to you, there will not be left here one stone upon another that will not be thrown down” (Mt 24:2, ESV).

31. KJV: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” • We need to understand how the Greek term was used in the New Testament. • The term can literally mean “to throw to the ground.” • The word can also mean “to fail” or “to cause to fail.”

32. KJV: “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” • We need to understand how the Greek term was used in the New Testament. • The term can literally mean “to throw to the ground.” • The word can also mean “to fail” or “to cause to fail”: “In the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or this undertaking is of man, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” (Acts 5:38-39, ESV).

33. Jesus didn’t come to cast aside the Law of Moses.

34. Jesus didn’t come to cast aside the Law of Moses. Jesus came to fulfill the Law of Moses.

35. Jesus contrasts destroying the Law with fulfilling it. He is the perfect fulfillment of the Law.

36. Jesus contrasts destroying the Law with fulfilling it. He is the perfect fulfillment of the Law. • “The law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith. But now that faith has come, we are no longer under a guardian” (Gal 3:24-25, ESV).

37. Jesus contrasts destroying the Law with fulfilling it. He is the perfect fulfillment of the Law. • Gal 3:24-25. • “Christ is the end [i.e, purpose] of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4, ESV).

38. Jesus contrasts destroying the Law with fulfilling it. He is the perfect fulfillment of the Law. • Gal 3:24-25. • “Christ is the end [i.e, purpose] of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes” (Rom 10:4, ESV). • “He fulfilled its prophecies, He kept the demands of the Law, and accomplished the Law’s purposes.”

39. Only because Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law was he able to take it out of the way at Golgotha.

40. Only because Jesus perfectly fulfilled the Law was he able to take it out of the way at Golgotha. • “Until the Law is fulfilled, heaven and earth will not pass away” (v 18, ESV).

41. Passing v 18

42. “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” (v 18, ESV).

43. Jesus says that it’s easier for heaven & earth to pass away than for the smallest part of the Law to pass away.

44. Jesus says that it’s easier for heaven & earth to pass away than for the smallest part of the Law to pass away. • “Iota” (ι) refers to the smallest character in the Greek alphabet.

45. Jesus says that it’s easier for heaven & earth to pass away than for the smallest part of the Law to pass away. • “Iota” (ι) refers to the smallest character in the Greek alphabet. • “Dot” refers to the small symbol in Hebrew that would differentiate similar-looking characters.

46. Jesus here speaks to the immutability of Scripture.

47. Jesus here speaks to the immutability of Scripture. • The smallest parts of the Old Testament would stand until either the world is destroyed OR it has been fulfilled.

48. Jesus here speaks to the immutability of Scripture. • The smallest parts of the Old Testament would stand until either the world is destroyed OR it has been fulfilled. • Scripture often declares that the Word of God does not change.

49. Jesus here speaks to the immutability of Scripture. • The smallest parts of the Old Testament would stand until either the world is destroyed OR it has been fulfilled. • Scripture often declares that the Word of God does not change. • “Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will not pass away” (Mt 24:35, ESV).

50. Jesus here speaks to the immutability of Scripture. • The smallest parts of the Old Testament would stand until either the world is destroyed OR it has been fulfilled. • Scripture often declares that the Word of God does not change. • Mt 24:35. • “The one who rejects me and does not receive my words has a judge; the word that I have spoken will judge him on the last day” (Jn 12:48, ESV).