Christ,
the Old Testament, and Overflowing Righteousness
(The
Rules Haven’t Changed)
Introduction
– Many Christians think that all they really need is the New
Testament, the Old Testament being the old way God dealt with Israel. We are tempted to think that Jesus came and
set all of those ‘laws’ aside, so that now all we need to teach is the grace of
the Gospel. But the Gospel is about the
Law. It is about a Man coming and
obeying the Law to establish us in His righteousness. Christ teaches that His Words are in complete harmony with the
Old Testament, but in complete disharmony with the teachings of the scribes and
Pharisees. Jesus did not come to soften
the Law, or to set it aside, or to change it in any way. And we need to see how this is glorious good
news.
To Destroy or
To Fulfill (verse 17) -
Christians who teach that we do not have to obey the Ten Commandments are in
direct disobedience to Jesus right here.
He sets up the idea of destroying or fulfilling the Law as direct
opposites. He has come to fulfill. The Law is the very character of God (Deut
4:7-8).
“Do Not Think…” - Christ is
anticipating objections to His teachings.
Whenever you preach grace, there is always the charge of antinomianism
(Rom 6). He proclaims free grace, but
He proclaims free grace to fulfill His own righteous law (Rom 6:20-23).
The Status of
the Law of God (verse 18)
– Every jot and tittle is kept to the end. And this is taught in many passages of the
New Testament – Man must live by every word that proceeds from the mouth
of God (Matt 4:4); we are encouraged to hope through the Old Testament (Rom
15:4); the Word of God never fades away (1 Peter 1:22-25); the Old
Testament is the means to equip ministers completely (2 Tim 3:15-16);
the OT is given for our instruction and admonition (1 Cor 10:11); and the OT is
the place to confirm the gospel (Acts 17:10-11). In short, without the Old Testament, the New Testament becomes
incoherent.
“Amen” - Jesus gives a solemn
vow – assuredly, I swear to you, this seals it.
Least and Great
in the Kingdom (verse 19) -
Notice that it is anyone who breaks or teaches others
to break the least of the commandments shall be called least in the Kingdom. To despise the least of His commandments is
to despise Him, and to pick and choose is not different (Mal 2:7-9). On the other hand, notice that it is a noble
endeavor to desire to be great in the Kingdom.
How well do you
know? –
How important, then, is it to know the Word of God? How well should you know the details, to know what is great and
what is least, and how the parts fit into the whole? Do you let the word of Christ dwell in you richly (Col
3:12)? This becomes so important in
light of the rest of the Sermon on the Mount.
Universal
Obedience –
The call is not for perfection, for we all stumble in many ways. But it is an admonition about being
unconcerned about universal obedience.
Have you settled now that you will repent of anything that is sin, that
it is your desire to obey in every way?
Does this flow out of your love for Christ (1 John 5:3) and therefore
not burdensome?
Exceedingly,
Overflowing Righteousness (verse 20)
– Do not underestimate the shock-value of this sentence when
it was first said. The Pharisees and
scribes were the most respected religious people in their day. A proverbial saying was, that if God only
saved two men, one would be a scribe and the other, a Pharisee. Keep in mind that in the following verses,
Jesus is not ‘raising the bar’ of God’s Law.
He is correcting the teachings of these Pharisees, who in effect were
law-breakers.
The
Righteousness of the Scribes and Pharisees – It
was motivated by self-love (Matt 23:5-7); it was concerned with outward
appearances and not the state of the heart (Matt 23:25-28); it was partial in
its obedience (Matt 23:23). The prayer
of the self-righteous Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14) landed him a deep place in hell.
How Do I
Receive That Righteousness?
– You have to have the imputed righteousness of God through
Christ, and the imparted righteousness, your ongoing sanctification, by the
Holy Spirit. It is all of faith (1 John
5:1-5). It is a different righteousness
in that it enables you to obey God from a heart of love and makes you a man
concerned with reality, not appearances (pure in heart). It consists in desiring to keep each and
every command of God (hungering for righteousness). It causes a man to submit to the authority of God and His Law
(meek). And it enables him to see his
obedience as the fruit of grace, and not the foundation of grace.