1. Matthew 5:17-20 (NKJV)
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. 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

2. Matthew 5:17-20 (NKJV)
whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 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.

3. Sermon on The Mount: Jesus & The Law
Matthew 5:17-20

4. SOM: Jesus & The Law
We began a series several weeks back studying the Sermon on the Mount
This sermon is one of the most famous ever preached
It is also full of things that we all need to take time to study, understand and apply to our lives

5. SOM: Jesus & The Law
Jesus began with the beatitudes and showing the kind of people we are to be
Now the message that Jesus has is going to become tougher to swallow
The next section is a preface to what Jesus is going to dive into for the remainder of the chapter

6. SOM: Jesus & The Law
It’s easier for you and I to understand what Jesus was saying and attempting to do here in Matthew 5
Jesus wanted there to be an understanding so that many wouldn’t turn away out of ignorance
So He explains His purpose…

7. SOM: Jesus & The Law 1. Comfort (v. 17)
The first thing that Jesus does here concerning the law is to comfort the people
Why was it so important to comfort them?
Have you ever tried to take something away from someone who was used to that something?

8. SOM: Jesus & The Law 1. Comfort (v. 17)
Change is never an easy thing, especially when people are comfortable with what they know
Jesus is about to teach some things that might seem a bit radical
He therefore comforts them first concerning the law

9. SOM: Jesus & The Law 1. Comfort (v. 17)
The people listening could now rest assured that Jesus wasn’t opposed to what they were used to and regarded as holy and sacred
This was important to a people who held the Law of Moses in high esteem
It would continue to be a great struggle of the first century church

10. SOM: Jesus & The Law 2. Knowledge (v. 18)
The next thing Jesus does here is to explain to them what He did come to do
Jesus did not come to destroy the law, however He did come to fulfill it
The law still suffers the same fate in the end, it vanishes away

11. SOM: Jesus & The Law 2. Knowledge (v. 18)
The law was always meant to be temporary
Paul said it was “our tutor to bring us to Christ” (Gal. 3:24-25)
It was something temporary put into place until the permanent could come about
Christ came to fulfill that law

12. SOM: Jesus & The Law 2. Knowledge (v. 18)
When Christ died on that cross, the law was fulfilled and therefore vanished (Col. 2:14)
The book of Hebrews goes into great detail about this subject
Chapters 8-10 detail what Christ prophesied about, His death fulfilling and ending the law

13. SOM: Jesus & The Law 3. Command (v. 19)
The Jews certainly had a problem in keeping the law
We see that throughout their history
The Pharisees liked to pick and choose which laws to follow at which times
Jesus here speaks on that

14. SOM: Jesus & The Law 3. Command (v. 19)
There was no picking and choosing which commandments to follow
Moses had commanded “Cursed is the one who does not confirm all the words of this law” (Deut. 27:26)
James confirmed this as well (2:10-11)

15. SOM: Jesus & The Law 3. Command (v. 19)
Jesus wanted those listening to understand that all He taught was important
They were not allowed to only follow what they thought to be important
This would apply to all that Christ would teach in the following verses as well

16. SOM: Jesus & The Law 4. Challenge (v. 20)
We might call what Jesus speaks of next as the challenge
Christ said that their righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees
Some might have thought this difficult

17. SOM: Jesus & The Law 4. Challenge (v. 20)
The scribes and Pharisees certainly had their faults
Jesus said the Pharisees and scribes were hypocrites
They were clean on the outside but inside were full of dead men’s bones (Matt. 23:27)

18. SOM: Jesus & The Law 4. Challenge (v. 20)
Their problem seemed to be one of the heart
It’s one thing to follow the commandments of God, but do we follow out of pure motives and a love for God?
Jesus spoke the following in Matthew 15:7-9 about the Pharisees and scribes…

19. SOM: Jesus & The Law 4. Challenge (v. 20)
It’s not wrong to desire to keep all the commandments of God (Heb. 5:9)
However, our hearts need to be in the right place as we do this
This was the challenge for what Jesus was about to teach the rest of the way