The Law and the Prophets

In his famous painting, Norman Rockwell illustrates his visionary interpretation of "The Golden Rule" found in the Gospel of Matthew 7:12. It should be the intent of an urban remnant to proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ to ALL people. We should seek the welfare of the cities to where we've been sent (Jer. 29:7); to prayerfully build cross-cultural relationships with the people around us in order to foster platforms for dialogue. Because of God's great love towards us and His church, we realize that every relationship we foster within our personal spheres of godly influence presents opportunities for significant ministry and service. We intend to passionately live out the Law and the Prophets. But what does this mean?

Matthew 5:17-20 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. Therefore whoever relaxes 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 does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus tells the crowds who were listening to Him not to "think that [He] came to abolish the Law or the Prophets" (v.17). To "abolish" means to do away with, put an end to, annul, or make void. The KJV uses the word "destroy" which is a synonym. The Greek here is "kataluo," which means to loosen, but implies "demolish." So Jesus informs the same kind of people who He described as "distressed and dispirited like sheep without a shepherd" (Matt. 9:36, NASB) that He did not come to do away with the Law (not necessarily the same rules that the scribes and Pharisees added to the Law, which became burdens on the people) and the prophecies spoken about Him, but to "fulfill" them (v.17).

The word "fulfill" is defined as the ability to carry out or bring to realization (as in prophecy); and to perform or do as duty, obey, follow. It can also mean to satisfy or bring to completion. The Greek word is "pleroo" (play-ro-o), which implies satisfying, executing, finishing, verifying, and/or accomplishing; all five of which Jesus does. He satisfied the righteous requirements of the Law through obedience. He executed His office as both Son of Man and Son of God without sin. He finished His task of accomplishing redemption for all by the shedding of His own blood to satisfy God's wrath against sin. He verified the scriptures written about Him in the Law and the Prophets by fulfilling them in their presence. He accomplished this work forever during his earthly visitation and with power and authority through His resurrection.

So, what could Jesus have meant by verse 18 when he declares, "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?" Whenever Jesus accords the word "truly" to any of His sayings (particularly "truly, truly"or "verily, verily"), He is insisting on the direct, honest, and authoritative facts of what He is saying. He is being more, accurately literal and less, figuratively metaphorical as in his parables. There is no deep meaning to what He declares. "It is what it is." So we can avoid asking the question, "What does this mean to me" because it's not about my personal interpretation of what Jesus meant that means anything. It is about author's intent. What was the intent behind the words that Jesus declared to the people?

Jesus intends to help us understand that the Father holds each one of us accountable to the Law and the Prophets, particularly as they are revealed in the Gospel; which is the power of God unto salvation to everyone who believes that Jesus is the Son of God (Rom. 1:16). However, Jesus knew that man in his own sinfulness could never fulfill the righteous requirements of the Law, although the scribes and Pharisees would have the disheartened people think otherwise. All of us have broken the Law at one point or another. None of us can ever say, for example, that we've never lied or told a story or thought evil of someone we didn't like. None of us can say we've never been selfish at times. None of us can say that we have loved God with all of our hearts, with all of our minds, with all of our soul, and with all of our strength. None of us can say we've loved all of our neighbors, let alone our enemies, as we have loved ourselves.

So, we are accountable to the righteous Law that Jesus declares He would not abolish, remove, nor relax. In fact He declares that anyone who "relaxes [even] the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven" (v.19). Elsewhere in the Gospels, Jesus speaks of the "least" and the "greatest." He declares to His disciples that whoever desires to become great among you must become the least and servant of all. He demonstrates this through the washing of His disciples feet, which was not only a preparation for them, but an act of love towards them. It was His intent to set for them an example of how real leaders lead: through acts of love and service. If we learn to love God and love neighbor as Jesus taught and commanded us to do with humility, then we too can follow the Law and it's commandments. However, even this is not accomplished through our own strength. For we make mistakes. Mistakes are errors. Errors imply missing the mark. Missing the mark is sin.

"For ALL [not some] have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God" (Rom. 3:23). We are not as righteous as some of us may falsely believe. This was the mistake of the Pharisees. Jesus continues, "For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven" (v.20). Wow. Exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees? But they're always reading the scriptures and praying every day in the public squares. They must be closer to God because they fast all the time and give "generously" to the temple. They're always pointing out my own mistakes, all the while seemingly living "perfectly." How can my righteousness exceed theirs? Jesus answered this question earlier in the text. It is not my own righteousness that will exceed that of the scribes and the Pharisees. It is Jesus' fulfilling the righteous requirements of the Law and the Prophets, His righteousness, that would exceed them on my behalf.

The Apostle Paul, a Pharisee and former persecutor of the church, writes in his letter to the church at Rome, "Now we know that whatever the law says it speaks to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be stopped, and the whole world may be held accountable to God. For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God's righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins. It was to show his righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus" (Romans 3:19-26 ESV). Hence, our righteousness comes by faith, and faith comes by hearing, and hearing by the Word of Christ (Rom. 10:17), which is the Gospel of our salvation.

Jesus fulfilled it all without abolishing anything. It is finished, and we can proclaim, "Hallelujah!" We have work to do, but it's not the work of the legal requirements of the Law by which no person can be justified. It is the works of righteousness afforded us through redemption because of our faith in Jesus Christ our Lord. For we have God's righteousness bearing witness in us who are justified by His grace.

Yet, Jesus still cautioned us: "Anyone whosoever relaxes...teaches the same...least in the kingdom of heaven" (v.20). We must be careful to fulfill the ministry of love and reconciliation that is set before us because of God's great love and mercy towards us. He desires that we serve with gladness; that we walk in the Spirit; that we walk as Jesus walked, with eyes of compassion rather than contempt. He knows that we are still flesh and that we fail, but He encourages us to confess our sins because He is faithful and just to forgive our sins. And the result. He restores us from all unrighteousness (1 John 1:9).

See. God is not unjust. He has not left us alone. Jesus is both our Advocate and the propitiation (or atoning sacrifice) for our sins. So lift up those feeble knees and stand your ground. You are not alone. Demonstrate your faith through the works God has prepared in advance for you to fulfill. You are His workmanship (Eph. 2:8-10). His poem. If you do this in God's strength and show others the way too, you "will be called great in the kingdom of heaven" (v.20). In short, Jesus sums this up with a simple message: "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the Law and the Prophets" (Matt. 7:21, KJV). God bless you and keep you and may His face shine upon you.