1. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n (Matthew 5:17-20) – 17 “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. 18 For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

2. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 19 Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

3. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 20 For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

4. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 1. What is the distinction between the Law and the Prophets? Together what would they have comprised?

5. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Our Saviour was just entering on his work. It was important for him to state what he came to do. By his setting up to be a teacher in opposition to the scribes and Pharisees, some might charge him with an intention to destroy their law, and to abolish the customs of the nation. He therefore told them that he did not come for that end, but really to fulfill or accomplish what was in the law and the prophets.

6. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n To destroy—To abrogate; to deny their divine authority; to set people free from the obligation to obey them. “The law.” The five books of Moses called the law. See Luke 24:44.

7. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Luke 24:44 (NKJV) 44 Then He said to them, “These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me.”

8. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n The Prophets—The books which the prophets wrote. These two divisions here seem to comprehend the Old Testament, and Jesus says that he came not to do away or destroy the authority of the Old Testament.

9. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n But to fulfil—To complete the design; to fill up what was predicted; to accomplish what was intended in them.

10. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 2. What is the relationship of Jesus to the law? Based on Romans 10:4 and Colossians 2:13-14, what may Jesus have meant “till all is fulfilled?”

11. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Romans 10:4 (NKJV) 4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.

12. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Colossians 2:13-14 (NKJV) - 13And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, 14 having wiped out the handwriting of requirements that was against us, which was contrary to us. And He has taken it out of the way, having nailed it to the cross.

13. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 3. What is a jot or a title? Why did Jesus use them in v. 18?

14. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Till heaven and earth pass—This expression denotes that the law never would be destroyed until it should be all fulfilled. It is the same as saying everything else may change; the very earth and heaven may pass away, but the law of God shall not be destroyed until its whole design has been accomplished.

15. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n One jot—The word “jot,” or yod, is the name of the Hebrew letter I, the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet.

16. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n One tittle—The word used here, in the Greek, means literally a little horn, then a point, an extremity. Several of the Hebrew letters were written with small points or apices, as in the Hebrew letter, shin, or the Hebrew letter, sin, which serve to distinguish one letter from another.

17. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n To change a small point of one letter, therefore, might vary the meaning of a word, and destroy the sense. Hence, the Jews were exceedingly cautious in writing these letters, and considered the smallest change or omission a reason for destroying the whole manuscript when they were transcribing the Old Testament.

18. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n The expression, “one jot or tittle,” became proverbial, and means that the smallest part of the law should not be destroyed.

19. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 4. Imagine the affect on Jesus’ audience as Jesus told them they must be more righteous than the Pharisees. Why would many have considered this challenge as impossible?

20. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 5. Consider the following passages and explain what was flawed about the righteousness of the Pharisees. –Matthew 23:23-28 –Luke 18:9-14 –Romans 10:2-3

21. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Matthew 23:23-28 (NKJV) 23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you pay tithe of mint and anise and cummin, and have neglected the weightier matters of the law: justice and mercy and faith. These you ought to have done, without leaving the others undone. 24 Blind guides, who strain out a gnat and swallow a camel!

22. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you cleanse the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of extortion and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee, first cleanse the inside of the cup and dish, that the outside of them may be clean also.

23. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which indeed appear beautiful outwardly, but inside are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 Even so you also outwardly appear righteous to men, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

24. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Luke 18:9-14 (NKJV) 9 Also He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others: 10 “Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector.

25. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 11 The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other men—extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector. 12 I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all that I possess.’ 13And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me a sinner!’

26. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n 14 I tell you, this man went down to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted.”

27. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Romans 10:2-3 (NKJV) 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

28. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Romans 10:2-3 (NKJV) 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.

29. Murder, Adultery, Marriage and Oaths n Romans 10:2-3 (NKJV) 2 For I bear them witness that they have a zeal for God, but not according to knowledge. 3 For they being ignorant of God’s righteousness, and seeking to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted to the righteousness of God.