The Law and Jesus

How does the OT fit together with the NT? Do you ever have questions about that? This book which we keep saying is one story with one hero; Jesus seems so disparate at times. How can it hang together? Don't theses two halves say very different things?

This morning we start a new 4 week series; 'The Rule of Law' which aims to help us see how the two relate, specifically we're seeking to understand how those of us who have been saved by Jesus are to relate to the decrees and commandments of the Old Testament.

I think we're starting in the right place this morning by looking at what Jesus had to say about the Old Testament in Matthew 5.17-20, p683.

Immediate Context

As we're diving in to a new part of Scripture this morning it will help if we have some context. Jesus has very recently started his public ministry; he's begun to preach and to heal the sick. He's also called the first of the Disciples [slide]. Now he's on a hillside above Lake Galilee launching into his first major teaching series what we know as 'The Sermon on the Mount', which runs through chapters 5-7. Near the beginning of this sermon sits our text for this morning v17-20 which I want to look at under three headings:

1. Jesus is doing something new but it's not abolishing the Law

2. Jesus is fulfilling the Law in all its dimensions

3. Jesus is redefining our relationship with the Law

1. Jesus is doing something new but it's not abolishing the Law

Read with me v17,18;

17 Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them. 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

Jesus starts this section with a pre-emptive strike. In order to prevent his hearers from a possible misunderstanding Jesus says categorically; I'm not here to abolish the Law or the Prophets i.e. the commands of the Old Testament.

Why would people think that? Well think about the history that Jesus' ministry sits in; the Jews haven't had a prophet, a direct word from God for several hundred years. Then this amazing preacher; John turns up, he lives in the desert and eats locust and stuff but he's an incredibly powerful preacher and he's bringing a message of repentance, baptising people, calling the religious elite vipers, getting in trouble with the King. Something is happening right? Then John says; 'You ain't seen nothing yet' and now here's Jesus – preaching with authority, healing the sick.

Something remarkable is happening, there is a seismic shift approaching. This page {Page saying 'The New Testament'} isn't an editorial mistake. Something new is happening; Jesus himself makes that clear in Luke 16.16ff; [slide]

16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached, and everyone is forcing his way into it.

Now, after John there's been a step change but that change doesn't abolish the law, the very next verse says;

17 It is easier for heaven and earth to disappear than for the least stroke of a pen to drop out of the Law.

Exactly the same language Jesus uses here in Matthew 5.18;

…until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law

Jesus says literally not one serif, one apostrophe, one semi-colon of the Law is going to disappear before the end of time. So two things are happening here:

1. There has been a seismic, step change in history as Jesus comes to earth. Something new is happening.

2. But this new era does not involve abolishing the Old Testament Law

Can you remember back in the dim and distant past when we didn't have smart phones. I can remember when they launched the first iphone they were very careful whilst showing off all the bells and whistles to say that they hadn't forgotten that it's primary purpose was to be a phone. In fact it aimed to be a better phone. Seems odd now as I can't remember the last time I saw someone making a phone call on an iphone but you get the gist.

Jesus is here to do something new, something truly magical and revolutionary but its not a break from the Law rather a new era in the Law.

So what does this mean for us? At the very least it means we can't ignore the Old Testament – Jesus doesn't. He lifts it up, quoting it as God's Word. So take a look at your Bible is it well worn around Paul's letters and pristine around the Minor Prophets? Have you got a plan to read them?

We're protected here at HTG with a system for each year tackling different bits of Scripture [slide]. Have you got something similar? Reading plans online (bottom of this page).

Secondly, we can't think that the Old Testament is a different book, still less a different message to the New Testament. We can't write off the difficult bits as being from another time that's no longer relevant.

Something new is happening but it's not dispensing with the Law, what is happening then? That's what I want to look at in these next two points, first.

2. Jesus is fulfilling the Law in all its dimensions

Read with me v17 again;

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

Jesus says far from abolishing the Law he has come to fulfil it but what does that mean? I think we can helpfully divide this into three aspects or if you will, dimensions. 3D – see what I did there.

a) Jesus fulfils Old Testament prophecies about him

Most obviously we see in the Gospels how Jesus makes good on the promises made about God's anointed king in the Old Testament. For example Jesus is born in Bethlehem just as the Old Testament promised. Jesus will die on a cross and yet not one of his bones will be broken - just as the Old Testament promised. There are 100x of these.

These are powerful evidences for Jesus really being who he said he was; alongside his incredible teaching and miracles, things outside of his control such as where he would be born or the method by which he would be killed are predicted hundreds of years beforehand and Jesus life lines up perfectly with them. In this sense Jesus fulfils the laws, he makes good on the promises, the prophecies made about him. So we can be sure Jesus is who he claimed to be; God's Son and anointed king.

b) Jesus fulfils the Old Testament's legal requirements

But there's more to it than that. Jesus does not 'merely' check off all the promises made about him in the Old Testament, he fulfils all of the legal requirements of the Law. Every dot of the 'I', every cross of the 't'. In every way Jesus completes the Law. In doing so Jesus gains the authority to release us from its requirements. The Law is finished in the sense of it requiring payment from us.

Hebrews 10.11-14;

11 Day after day every priest stands and performs his religious duties; again and again he offers the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins. 12 But when this priest (Jesus) had offered for all time one sacrifice for sins, he sat down at the right hand of God… …14 because by one sacrifice he has made perfect for ever those who are being made holy.

The writer to the Hebrews says the Old Testament priests in the temple could never rest because their sacrifices didn't provide a lasting solution to our sin. Now though Jesus has come and become our great high priest.

Jesus lived the perfect life; obeying and upholding the Law completely. So when he willingly went to the cross he did so as a perfect sacrifice; one that could be accepted once and for all. One that is powerful enough to write off our debt and call shameful sinners like you and me; children of God.

c) Jesus reveals the essence of the Law

But there's more to it even than that. Jesus doesn't 'just' satisfy the legal requirements of the law and then move on. Jesus' life, his teaching fulfills, and makes clear, the very essence of what the OT Law meant. Jesus crystallizes its meaning, distills it into its very essence and then writes it large on the stage of human history. Think about it like this:

My wife; Carly used to have a little 14 inch TV, you know the kind where you have to get someone to hold the aerial in a certain position to see behind the fuzz. After we got married we got a new TV, you don't have to hold an aerial to see the picture. It's much bigger and much better than our old TV but it's still a TV.

Jesus takes the Old Testament Law and far from abolishing it he takes it to the next level. So much so that the New Testament talks about the Law being like a shadow of the breathtaking realities that come in Jesus.

So the TV analogy is a little broken, Jesus is less like a a portable TV being replaced by a flat screen one, he's more like a direct feed of unbroken, 3D, Super HD footage being burnt on to our retinas.

Jesus hasn't done away with the idea of priests that are so important in the Old Testament rather he has become our greater priest. Christ didn't take away the temple, the place where God dwells, but he has made the way to God open, given us the Holy Spirit in order that we might be God's temple.

Jesus has fulfilled the Law not abandoned it. He has made good on it's promises, fulfilled its legal requirements perfectly and uncovered its true depth and beauty. The result of all this is that the Law remains but is seen from a different perspective.

There's been a few difficulties in the office recently I have had to rebuke a couple of my colleagues. Mainly its when they say things like I'm just popping out to get a sandwich from Netto. What did you say? I'm just going to Netto to get lunch, I'll be back in a minute, what's tehbig deal? Netto has gone, didn't you see the cars. Asda is here now – things are very different. Now Asda is still a supermarket but it looks very different to what went before. You might say it's more like what a supermarket should look like.

Jesus does not abolish the Law but rather show us what its true meaning. The way we see and interact with the law after that is fundamentally different and that's what I want to look at in our final point.

3. Jesus is redefining our relationship with the Law

Read with me v19 and 20;

19 Anyone who breaks 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 practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

In v17 and 18 Jesus has made it clear that he's doing something new - he's not here to abolish the Law but rather to fulfil it. In the second half of our passage Jesus begins to apply/re-apply the Law to us. In fact this is the theme of the whole of the Sermon on the Mount re-applying the Law in the light of Jesus' continuing fulfilment of it. We don't have time to study the whole of Matthew 5,6 and 7 so what is Jesus saying here?

Well again Jesus insists that the Law isn't going anywhere, its importance has not been diminished. But there is a new dimension; Jesus now attaches the Law to this idea of the 'kingdom of heaven'. Why is this important? Well remember what we read in Luke 16 before;

16 The Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John. Since that time, the good news of the kingdom of God is being preached,

The kingdom of God is a way of talking about the step change, the seismic shift which Jesus brings as he fulfils the Law. That helps us understand v20 which at first glance seems impossible;

20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus seems to be saying that we need to have a better record than the Pharisees and teachers of the law in keeping the law. How can this be? They're the experts its like saying unless you run the 100m faster than Usain Bolt you can't enter the kingdom of heaven. The requirement is so far beyond our grasp it doesn't seem to make sense.

So what does Jesus mean by saying we need a righteousness surpassing that of the Pharisees? He's saying that we need his righteousness. We need the perfect record of obedience, the AAA+ credit rating of one who fulfils the Law in all its dimensions. We need Jesus  whose righteousness makes the Pharisees obedience look like dung. That's exactly what we're given on the Cross; our shame is exchanged for Christ's righteousness, his perfection.

Knowing this transforms our understanding of the Law. The Law is no longer a heavy weight above us. Jesus has lifted it's load from our shoulders, paid our debt. Now the Law stands in our favour, we're sure of our salvation because we've been given Jesus' track record, his credit rating which is infinite.

Now when God looks at us he sees Jesus. He sees one who has satisfied the Law's legal requirement, who has obeyed every letter of its commands in every dimension. Therefore no longer fear the Law; it cannot condemn us because we stand wrapped inside Christ, it's no longer a record of wrongs or debts but a receipt that says paid in full.

But hang on that sounds like we're being given a get out of jail free card. Sounds like your saying well the Old Testament Law is relevant but only in as far as Jesus fulfilled it on our behalf. We don't need to worry about it too much now. But that's can't be what Jesus thinks because v19 says;

19 Anyone who breaks 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 practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

We still have a relationship to the Law and a relationship that involves obedience. More than that, there are consequences dependent upon the way we relate to and teach the Law. How can we reconcile these two things? Theological dilemma, call for Paul perhaps he can help. In Romans 9.32 Paul argues that the Jews misunderstood and stumbled over the law when they pursued it not by faith but by works.

The problem isn't the Law but the way we relate to it, the Law is good but it's useless when we try to save ourselves by following it. We just can't do it. Jesus can though, he fulfils the Law on our behalf and so gains us entry into the Kingdom of heaven. It doesn't stop there though, Jesus continues to fulfil the Law as he reveals its true meaning to us, as he builds God's temple in the hearts of those who would follow him. Jesus keeps on fulfilling the Law as he acts as our great high priest and as he by the Holy Spirit writes the Law upon our hearts giving us the strength to live in obedience to it.

Ephesians 5 was a frightening chapter to me when I was a fifteen year old, new Christian, especially the bit where it says; 'Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her' That's it I thought I'm out, I'll never get married I can't do that. But then I realised whilst this is a very challenging verse it's also an incredible one because it says this is the standard that you get to live up to with God's help. This is the quality of love you can aspire to, you'll get it wrong – yes but this is the life you could lead.

That's what God's Law is like a truly beautiful way of living which we can't get near to on our own. The life-transforming news is that we're not on our own, God is with us. Jesus has fulfilled the Law – he's lifted its legal requirements from us and shown us in perfect clarity the beauty of a life lived in full obedience to the law. A life of humility, of service and most of all love which Romans 13 says is the fulfilment of the Law.

Jesus says come now and live this life that is truly life with me for;

7The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple. 8 The precepts of the LORD are right, giving joy to the heart. The commands of the LORD are radiant, giving light to the eyes. 9 The fear of the LORD is pure, enduring for ever. The ordinances of the LORD are sure and altogether righteous. 10 They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold; they are sweeter than honey, than honey from the comb. 11 By them is your servant warned; in keeping them there is great reward.

Psalm 19

Resources

I mentioned that one of the applications of Jesus not abolishing the law but fulfilling it is that we cannot afford to avoid reading it ie the Old Testament. As a guard against that I suggested using a reading plan to mark your progress as you read through the Scriptures. There are dozens of reading plans on the internet of course here's:

A blog post summarising and giving links to some of the best reading plans

biblestudytools.com gives lots of options including having verses for each day emailed to you.

Happy reading!