SUMMARY OF MATTHEW 5:17-20
Jesus is still on the mountain, preaching. He says that he has come to fulfill the Law of the Prophets, not to abolish it. The Law will remain until God’s plan is accomplished. Those who preach and follow these commands will be called great in heaven; those who break the command will be called least. Only those righteous will enter the kingdom of heaven.
BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 6, Day 2: Matthew 5:17-20
3a) The Old Testament is still relevant, and its laws need to be followed.
b) Jesus echoes my belief. I’ve never disregarded the Old Testament. As long as you keep in mind that Jesus is greater, you’re good.
4a) Hebrews 4:15 tells us that Jesus was tempted as we are but remained perfect. Jesus’ example is to stay true to God’s word
b) Jesus’s death and sacrifice on the cross was the ultimate sacrifice to cleanse us from our sins. In the Old Testament times, God’s people sacrificied animals for their cleansing blood. Here, Jesus finished it once and for all.
c) Jesus preached how he fulfilled all of the prophecies in the Old Testament — how his life, death, and resurrection were all God’s work.
5) The Pharisees and the teachers of the law believed they were better than others when they upheld the law. It was not a heart change for them. To be right with God, you must follow His will and ways whole-heartedly, and not just go through the motions.
Conclusions BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 6, Day 2: Matthew 5:17-20
Although the Bible does not record Jesus’s every word, we can probably imagine that these 4 verses were repeated a lot. Jesus coming to be the Messiah and fulfill the Law was the crux of what God’s people needed to believe. One of Jesus’s goals was to proving this to the people. One can imagine that the people asked Jesus how he fulfilled the law repeatedly. Great summary here of what Jesus probably repeated a lot.
One of my favorite songs and what God wants from us.
End Notes BSF Study Questions Matthew Lesson 6, Day 2: Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus did not oppose God’s law, but instead came to fulfill it. The phrase “the Law and the Prophets” was used repeatedly in the Old Testament as a way to refer to God’s law. (Matthew 7:12, 11:13, 22:40; Luke 16:16; John 1:45; Acts 13:15, 28:23; Romans 3:21); (Luke 24:44); or (Matthew 5:18; John 10:34, 12:34, 15:25; 1 Corinthians 14:21).
“For assuredly” or “I tell you the truth” are signature phrases of Jesus that no other prophet used. It means “truly” or “amen.”
Jesus came to fulfill the law, not contradict it. He did so perfectly. He completed the law and never contradicted it.
The words and the letters of these words are important (other translations use “jot” and “little”, which are marks in the Hebrew language). Everything God says is important.
The Old Testament shows us we cannot please God without Jesus. We are to obey the commands of the Old Testament, but not in a legalistic mindset like the Pharisees had. Righteousness is only through Christ Galatians 2:21: For if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died in vain.
The law teaches us God’s heart; Jesus shows us and gives us God’s heart.
The Pharisees took everything to the extreme, even tithing herbs (Matthew 23:23). Paul is a good example of the rigidity of the Pharisees before his conversion. Acts 23:6, 26:5; Philippians 3:5. Philippians 3:6-9: explains the righteousness of Christ versus the Pharisees. Righteousness is from faith in Christ.
Fun Fact: There are 613 stipulations in God’s law.
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