Fulfilling the Law: Heart Over Ritual
Summary
### Summary
In today's sermon, we delved into Matthew 5:17-20, a crucial part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus speaks about fulfilling the law. This passage is foundational for understanding the rest of Jesus' teachings in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus emphasizes that He did not come to abolish the law or the prophets but to fulfill them. This fulfillment is not just about adhering to the letter of the law but understanding its spirit and intent, which is a matter of the heart.
Jesus' approach to the law was radically different from that of the Pharisees and religious leaders of His time. While they focused on outward appearances and added extra rules to safeguard the law, Jesus focused on the heart's condition. He pointed out that true righteousness goes beyond mere actions to the motivations and intentions behind them. For instance, it's not enough to avoid murder or adultery; one must also avoid hatred and lust, which are the root causes of these sins.
The religious leaders had created a complex system of additional laws to ensure they didn't break God's commandments. However, these extra rules often became more important than God's original laws, leading to hypocrisy and a lack of genuine obedience. Jesus criticized this approach and emphasized that He came to fulfill the law in its entirety, both in action and in spirit.
Jesus' fulfillment of the law means that He is the ultimate authority on its interpretation and application. He is the one who can rightly explain what the law means and how it should be lived out. This is because He is the author of the law and its ultimate purpose. As believers, we are called to follow Jesus' teachings and commands, not just in outward actions but in the condition of our hearts.
### Key Takeaways
1. Jesus Fulfills the Law: Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. This means He completed its purpose and showed its true meaning. His life and teachings reveal that the law is not just about external compliance but about the heart's condition. True righteousness involves both actions and the motivations behind them. [04:36]
2. Heart Over Actions: The Pharisees focused on outward appearances and added extra rules to safeguard the law. However, Jesus emphasized that true obedience comes from the heart. It's not enough to avoid sinful actions; we must also address the sinful thoughts and desires that lead to those actions. [13:50]
3. Authority of Jesus: Jesus is the ultimate authority on the law because He is its author and fulfillment. He alone can rightly interpret and apply the law. This means that His teachings should guide our understanding and practice of God's commandments. [17:23]
4. Hypocrisy of Extra Rules: The religious leaders created additional laws to protect God's commandments, but these often became more important than the original laws. This led to hypocrisy and a lack of genuine obedience. We must be careful not to elevate human traditions above God's word. [11:56]
5. Communion and Fulfillment: As we celebrate communion, we remember that Jesus fulfilled the law and became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. This act of love and sacrifice makes us right with God, not our adherence to a set of rules. Communion is a time to reflect on Jesus' fulfillment of the law and His love for us. [34:49]
### YouTube Chapters
[0:00] - Welcome
[02:33] - Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount
[04:36] - Jesus Fulfills the Law
[06:05] - Common Beliefs About the Messiah
[08:00] - The Pharisees' Approach to the Law
[10:06] - Modern Examples of Extra Rules
[11:56] - Hypocrisy of Extra Rules
[13:50] - Heart Over Actions
[15:42] - Fulfillment and Binding Nature of the Law
[17:23] - Authority of Jesus
[18:57] - Righteousness Exceeding the Pharisees
[20:37] - Importance of the Old Testament
[22:18] - New Covenant Prophesied
[24:04] - Value of the Old Testament
[25:50] - Eternality of God's Word
[27:37] - Jesus' Interpretation of the Law
[29:00] - The Issue of the Heart
[31:03] - Modern Pharisees
[32:43] - Following Jesus' Commands
[34:49] - Communion and Fulfillment
Study Guide
### Bible Study Discussion Guide
#### Bible Reading
- Matthew 5:17-20
- Romans 10:4
- Jeremiah 31:31-33
#### Observation Questions
1. What does Jesus mean when He says He came to "fulfill" the law and the prophets in Matthew 5:17? [04:36]
2. How did the Pharisees' approach to the law differ from Jesus' approach, according to the sermon? [08:00]
3. What examples did the pastor give of modern-day "extra rules" that people might follow? [10:06]
4. According to the sermon, what is the significance of Jesus being the ultimate authority on the law? [17:23]
#### Interpretation Questions
1. Why is it important to understand that Jesus came to fulfill the law rather than abolish it? How does this affect our understanding of the Old Testament? [04:36]
2. How does focusing on the heart's condition, as Jesus taught, change the way we view righteousness and obedience? [13:50]
3. What are the dangers of adding extra rules to God's commandments, as highlighted in the sermon? How can this lead to hypocrisy? [11:56]
4. In what ways does Jesus' fulfillment of the law provide a new perspective on how we should live out God's commandments today? [17:23]
#### Application Questions
1. Reflect on your own life: Are there any "extra rules" or traditions you follow that might be overshadowing the true intent of God's commandments? How can you refocus on the heart's condition? [11:56]
2. Jesus emphasized the importance of the heart over mere actions. How can you ensure that your motivations align with God's will in your daily life? [13:50]
3. Think about a time when you judged someone based on outward appearances or actions. How can you shift your perspective to focus on the heart, as Jesus taught? [31:03]
4. Jesus is the ultimate authority on the law. How can you make His teachings the primary guide for your understanding and practice of God's commandments? [17:23]
5. During communion, we remember Jesus' fulfillment of the law and His sacrifice for our sins. How can this understanding deepen your appreciation and observance of communion? [34:49]
6. The sermon mentioned that true righteousness involves both actions and the motivations behind them. Identify one area in your life where you can work on aligning your actions with pure motivations.
7. How can you avoid the trap of hypocrisy in your faith practice, ensuring that your obedience to God is genuine and not just for outward appearances? [11:56]
Devotional
Day 1: Jesus Fulfills the Law
Jesus did not come to abolish the law but to fulfill it. This means He completed its purpose and showed its true meaning. His life and teachings reveal that the law is not just about external compliance but about the heart's condition. True righteousness involves both actions and the motivations behind them. [04:36]
Matthew 5:17-18 (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. 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."
Reflection: In what ways have you focused more on external compliance rather than the condition of your heart? How can you begin to align your actions with the true spirit of the law today?
Day 2: Heart Over Actions
The Pharisees focused on outward appearances and added extra rules to safeguard the law. However, Jesus emphasized that true obedience comes from the heart. It's not enough to avoid sinful actions; we must also address the sinful thoughts and desires that lead to those actions. [13:50]
Matthew 5:21-22 (ESV): "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire."
Reflection: Think of a recent situation where you managed to avoid a sinful action but still harbored sinful thoughts or desires. How can you address these internal issues and seek a heart transformation?
Day 3: Authority of Jesus
Jesus is the ultimate authority on the law because He is its author and fulfillment. He alone can rightly interpret and apply the law. This means that His teachings should guide our understanding and practice of God's commandments. [17:23]
Matthew 7:28-29 (ESV): "And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes."
Reflection: How do you currently approach understanding and applying God's commandments in your life? What steps can you take to ensure that Jesus' teachings are your primary guide?
Day 4: Hypocrisy of Extra Rules
The religious leaders created additional laws to protect God's commandments, but these often became more important than the original laws. This led to hypocrisy and a lack of genuine obedience. We must be careful not to elevate human traditions above God's word. [11:56]
Mark 7:6-8 (ESV): "And he said to them, ‘Well did Isaiah prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written, ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me; in vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’ You leave the commandment of God and hold to the tradition of men.’"
Reflection: Are there any traditions or extra rules in your life that you have elevated above God's word? How can you refocus on genuine obedience to God's commandments?
Day 5: Communion and Fulfillment
As we celebrate communion, we remember that Jesus fulfilled the law and became the ultimate sacrifice for our sins. This act of love and sacrifice makes us right with God, not our adherence to a set of rules. Communion is a time to reflect on Jesus' fulfillment of the law and His love for us. [34:49]
1 Corinthians 11:23-26 (ESV): "For I received from the Lord what I also delivered to you, that the Lord Jesus on the night when he was betrayed took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it, and said, ‘This is my body, which is for you. Do this in remembrance of me.’ In the same way also he took the cup, after supper, saying, ‘This cup is the new covenant in my blood. Do this, as often as you drink it, in remembrance of me.’ For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes."
Reflection: As you prepare for communion, take a moment to reflect on Jesus' sacrifice and fulfillment of the law. How does this understanding deepen your appreciation for His love and your commitment to live according to His teachings?
Quotes
1. "As Jesus is delivering this, he's not giving these isolated statements that have nothing to do with each other. He is building on what it looks like to be a true follower, to be a true citizen of the kingdom of heaven, to be one who truly believes and seeks after Jesus. And so as we look at this sometimes controversial passage, we have to get that. This is an introduction to the rest of the chapter, the rest of this message. He's going to show how this is an issue of the heart. The law is an issue of the heart, not simply an issue of our actions." [02:33] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
2. "Jesus is teaching that he did not come outside of Judaism. He's not trying to subvert the law. He's not trying to come in and say that the law is wrong. They have to follow something else. As he uses this phrase, the law and the prophets, it's the entirety of the Old Testament. As he mentions the law, the writings of Moses, the first five books, the prophets were a phrase that encompassed the rest of what we would call the Old Testament today. As he talks about the law and the prophets, it's the entirety of scripture as the nation of Israel knew it." [04:36] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
3. "Jesus comes and he is not teaching that he has come from outside of the law. He's not teaching that he came from outside of Judaism. He is a, he is a Jewish man living in Jewish culture and he is living according to the law of God, not according to the traditions of men as he comes in, as he encounters and teaches. And so Jesus is saying, listen, I didn't come to get rid of this. I didn't come to abolish it. I didn't come to destroy it. I came to fulfill the law. Jesus fulfilled the law as it pertained to man's action. And more importantly, as it pertained to man's heart." [13:50] (50 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
4. "When something is fulfilled, it is no longer binding. Anybody here ever pay on a mortgage for a house? Anybody here pay on a car payment? Let me ask you a simple question. When that is paid off, when that debt is fulfilled, filled up to capacity, do you continue to pay on your mortgage and your car? Why? It's fulfilled. It's done. Now, the car is still there, right? The house is still there, right? But the payment that was owed for that car, for that house, is fulfilled. So, Jesus didn't say, listen, I come to crush your car. I come to knock your house down. It's not what I'm coming to do. He's saying, I'm coming to fulfill it, to pay the debt, to take care of everything that is needed for it." [15:42] (57 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
5. "The law and the prophets were all pointing to Jesus. And with Jesus coming as the one who fulfills all of it, is identifying himself. And as he continues through the Sermon on the Mount, he is going to identify himself as the only one who can properly interpret and apply the law. Because the law was all pointing to him. He wrote it, okay? He wrote it. He's not coming and being like, well, I'm the right one who has the ability to tell you what this means because, you know, God gave me this special understanding. He is God eternal in the flesh. He's the one who wrote this." [17:23] (44 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
6. "Jesus does not separate the law into sections. It's a popular thing for us today to take the Old Testament law and to try and break it down and say, well, these are moral laws. These are ceremonial laws. These are legal laws. These are sacrificial laws. It's a common thing today for us to divide them up. Jesus never does that. All of it is the same. The law and the prophets. And I came to fulfill all of it." [27:37] (31 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
7. "We have the same tendencies that the Pharisees and the religious leaders had. We fence in the law, we fence in the law, and we fence in the law. And we fence in the law, and we fence in the law, and we fence in right obedience to God. We fence in what it looks like to be a good Christian. You wear a suit to church, you're a good Christian. You read the right Bible, you're a good Christian. You put on the face when you walk in these doors on Sunday morning, you're a good Christian." [31:03] (34 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
8. "Do you follow him according to what he said? Or do you follow him according to what you think he said? Do you follow him according to his commands? Because he said, if you love me, you'll keep my commands. Or do you follow him according to what you think his commands should have been? Do you think he meant by his commands? Do we follow him according to what he said about himself? Do we believe him about what he said about himself and his word?" [32:43] (40 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
9. "We're going to be celebrating communion here in a few moments. As we celebrate communion, this is a time to remember what Christ accomplished on the cross for us. It's a time to remember that when his body was broken and when his blood was shed, it was for you and it was for me because there was nothing, we could do to be made righteous or to be right before God. Do we, this is what we're remembering in communion. We're not remembering the good works that we've done to make God like us more because it doesn't work that way." [34:49] (43 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
10. "We're not remembering how great we are and how much we deserved salvation because we didn't. We're remembering that Christ came and he fulfilled the law and became the sacrifice for our sins, that we, through belief in him, through faith in him, might be made right with God, that our sins might be forgiven. Us, unworthy people that Christ died for because of his love for us. Told in Romans 5, 8, God showed his love to us and that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Before Christ, without Christ, scripture says that we are his enemies and he came to die for us. That's what we remember as we celebrate communion." [34:49] (56 seconds) (Download raw clip | Download cropped clip)
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