Kingdom Righteousness: Christ and the Law Fullfilled |The Book of Matthew: Sermon on the Mount | Matthew 5:17-20 | John Lee

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John Lee

Mission Church

The Book of Matthew: The King and His Kingdom • Sermon • Submitted 7 months ago • Presented 7 months ago • 41:21

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Good morning and welcome to Mission Church! Our mission is to partner with God to see His Kingdom come in Las Vegas as it is in Heaven....and we’re working towards this goal by pursuing lives that love Jesus, live like Jesus, and lead others to Jesus.

The past few months we have been working our way through the Gospel according to Matthew....and this morning we are continuing our study of The Sermon on the Mount…which is the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher who ever lived. I would like to invite you to grab your Bible and turn with me to Matthew 5:17-20.

Please stand for the reading of God’s Word.

Matthew 5:17–20 (CSB)

17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law until all things are accomplished. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

This is the Word of the Lord.

Let’s Pray

Following Jesus in a sin stained world can be difficult....and.... as we walk through this labyrinth of shadows......where the echoes of decay resonate and the temptation to compromise increases with each passing day....we find ourselves at a crossroads. And it’s here....at this pivotal juncture..... among the somber backdrop of our existence....we encounter a spectrum of responses from Christians.

In this shrouded landscape.....we encounter diverse beliefs. Some argue that faith in Christ exempts them from any moral obligations....that they are released from the responsibility to follow God's laws and the way forward is by simply unhitching oneself from the Old Testament. Others pursue an unbiblical mysticism…as they are drawn to the allure of spiritual experiences and emotions while sidelining the careful study of God’s Word. And still…there are those who are beckoned towards the perilous shores of legalism…where the letter of the law can drown out the spirit of love…as they construct their lives upon the pride and self righteousness.

As we strive to navigate this delicate balance...the question that lies before us today is complex....How can we faithfully pursue radical Kingdom righteousness in this dimly lit world, while also guarding against the twin perils of abusing God’s grace and legalism?

Well…In our text this morning....We’ll uncover that the essence of true godliness is a heart that is set free by the power of Christ’s kingdom and empowered to to be obedient to God’s laws with humility and love.....you see......it is because Jesus fulfilled the Law of God ....that we can joyfully embrace God's righteous requirements, break free from the chains of legalism, and pursue a life of radical Kingdom living.

Our text this morning is going to reveal this truth in two parts:

1. Christ and the Law

2. The Christian and the Law

Let’s begin with part 1

1. Christ and the Law

Think back to Matthew 5:1 and remember that Jesus is preaching this sermon from the top of a mountain. And with this detail …Matthew wasn’t just trying to help us picture or imagine Jesus and his disciples on a mountain…but he gives us this information for a very specific purpose. You see....Matthew wants us to see Jesus as the new Moses.

In other words.....just as Moses went up on the Mountain....Matthew is telling us…so did Jesus....Just as Moses received the Law of God on Mt. Sinai…Jesus has arrived as the new lawgiver…He is the new Moses... and in the same way that Moses spoke with authority....so now Jesus speaks with authority....in fact.....with Jesus....a greater authority has arrived …and He is the long-awaited Messiah who has come to deliver His people from the curse of sin and death....and to interpret what God’s law requires.

Now..although Jesus had just begun His public ministry....he had already ruffled some feathers.....the religious leaders were deeply disturbed by what seemed to be an authoritative new teaching that contradicted the Law of Moses. As a result people were questioning what the relation was between the authority that Jesus spoke with and the authority of the Law of Moses.

Verse 17 begins a discourse that will take us through the rest of chapter five…and what Jesus says in the following verses is going to strike the religious leaders like a sledgehammer........so.....at this point.....Jesus knows that He is going to be misunderstood… He knows that people are going to believe that He is working to overthrow and abolish the Law and the prophets. That’s why He emphatically denies what many were already thinking....look at verse 17

Matthew 5:17–18 (CSB)

Now…what is the Law and the prophets? What is Jesus talking about? Well.....the Law and the Prophets, was a very common way of referring to the entirety of the Old Testament Scriptures. The Law refers to the Torah…which consist of first five books of the Old Testament.. The prophets refers to minor and major prophets …including The Psalms and Wisdom literature. So…basically Jesus is saying, “don't think that I came to abolish the Old Testament.”

This speaks to the truth that Jesus has a high view of Scripture…and His teachings and the teachings of the Apostles in The New Testament....they neither contradict nor replace the Old Testament. In fact.....not even the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away. In other words.... Jesus is serious about the eternal quality of His written Word.....which speaks to the truth that we should also take God’s Word seriously…down to even the most minute detail. Jesus is essentially affirming the God’s Word is without error and is absolutely trustworthy. With this in mind we can see clearly that Jesus did not come to demolish the Old Testament.

In fact....Jesus says, "Don’t even think about it……don’t even consider that I came to diminish or demolish the Law......don’t even assume that I came to dismantle or unhitch you from the Old Testament. I did not come to destroy it but to fulfill it." In other words......the Scriptures find their fulfillment....and their intended goal and purpose in the life and ministry of Jesus...... He is the one to whom they point. He is the one they predict and anticipate.

You see....Jesus is speaking of the exact purpose for His coming......He came to fulfill the Scriptures…to complete what had previously been delivered in Old Testament types and shadows. So.... to set the Scriptures aside or to render them obsolete was never Christ’s agenda.

But.......what does it mean....... that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament?

The truth is......the answer to this question is quite significant ....in fact.....we could spend weeks…months even…discussing this topic......so I am going to do my best to explain what this means by pointing you to four distinct ways Christ fulfilled the Old Testament.

First…consider the treasure trove of doctrinal teachings…The Old Testament teaches us about God, humanity, and salvation....but it’s teachings are only a partial revelation. Enter Jesus ... He fulfills it all…and He does so through His person, His teachings, and His work…...and as He does so.....He gloriously completes the partial teachings of the Old Testament.

John Stott says it like this.....

The Old Testament is the Gospel in the bud, the New Testament is the Gospel in full flower. - John R. W. Stott

Second....the Old Testament isn't just a collection of teachings…but it's also a prophetic canvas. It looks ahead to the Messiah.....it predicts the coming of the Messiah in words and by foreshadowing Him in types. And Jesus fulfills these prophecies in the sense that everything they foretold and pointed to came to fruition in Him.

In fact…the climax of prophetic fulfillment and the entire Old Testament sacrificial and ceremonial systems finds its ultimate realization in Jesus’s perfect life…His sacrificial death.. and His resurrection from the dead.....Understand....Jesus didn't abolish the Old Testament sacrificial and ceremonial systems....rather they found their ultimate meaning in Jesus....you see… They were just a shadow while Jesus is the substance.

The third way Jesus fulfills the Old Testament is by perfectly keeping and obeying God’s Moral Law.. As we read through the Old Testament we find God’s Moral Law and we cant help but be overwhelmed by its requirements. In fact....God’s Law is often misunderstood and even more often disobeyed. You see… many believe that they can keep God’s moral law by obeying the external requirements of the Ten Commandments. “I haven't murdered, I haven't committed adultery ....so...I should be fine, right?” But....Jesus answer that with a big fat NO!!! ..... And......As we will see in the next few week…the Righteous requirement of the Law requires so much more than external behavior.....and Jesus will make it clear that He has not done away with…or abolished God’s Moral Law....rather…He accomplished it by living a life of perfect obedience to God’s Law

Finally... Jesus fulfills the Law in us through the work of the Holy Spirit.

Romans 8:2–4 (CSB)

2 because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. 3 For what the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, 4 in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.

In other words....Brother sand Sisters....you and I are able to follow God’s Law…we can fulfill the righteousness of the Law by the power of the Holy Spirit working in us and through us.

Which is exactly what Ezekiel prophesied Ezekiel 11:19-20.

Ezekiel 11:19–20 (CSB)

19 I will give them integrity of heart and put a new spirit within them; I will remove their heart of stone from their bodies and give them a heart of flesh, 20 so that they will follow my statutes, keep my ordinances, and practice them. They will be my people, and I will be their God.

Friends…this is the good news of the Gospel......the gospel is not a message of cleaning yourself up and doing something to get God’s attention. The gospel is not about working our way to heaven. The gospel is the news that Christ left heaven to live among us.... atone for our sin..and to rescue us. Brothers and Sisters......All that God expects from you....He provides for you in Christ.

James Montgomery Boice is helpful when He says

[T]he Bible is about Jesus and . . . he is its fulfillment in all ways. He fulfills the moral law by his obedience, the prophecies by the specifics of [his] life, and the sacrificial system by his once-and-for-all atonement. - James Montgomery Boice (Gospel, 1:81)

Mission Church......the only possible conclusion is that Jesus fulfilled the Law and the Prophets in the most absolute and dynamic way …and this morning it would behoove us....to stand in awe of the matchlessness of Christ! For Jesus is the Author of the Law, and he is its Fulfiller. There is nothing that compares to Him!

2. The Christian and the Law

There are many who believe the lie.....that since we’ve all failed to obey God’s Law... that Jesus came to lower God’s moral bar for us ..to make it easier ...But friends....this couldn’t be further from the truth. Look at what Jesus says in verse 19

Matthew 5:19 (CSB)

19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever does and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus believes that the Scriptures are to be obeyed and taught to others…Think about it....to relax God’s moral standards would be equivalent of saying that God’s holiness…as seen in the Old Testament …has changed. But we know that God doesn’t change!

Hebrews 13:8 clearly says,

Hebrews 13:8 (CSB)

8 Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today, and forever.

God is holy.....and His holiness is the same today as it was when He gave Moses the Law on Mount Sinai.…and His expectations and His demands for His people to be holy has not changed. So…with this in mind.....we can know that ....Jesus has not relaxed or lessened any of God’s Law....in fact..... He very clearly tells us....that…if you want to become “great” in heaven…the only way to do so it by keeping God’s commandments and by teaching others to do the same....and on the flip side..... if we break or trivialize even the smallest letter of the law....if we relax the moral standards of the Law in any way....and teach others to do the same....well…there are serious consequences.

Understand......Jesus doesn't say, “ Well…they couldn't keep the law so I will just relax the requirements so they can keep the law.” No! ....friends …even if we had just one law to follow…I don’t know…maybe something like, “don't eat from that tree over there”…left to our own devices…we would break that one law.

You see…Jesus doesn’t lower the bar....in fact... He raises the bar..... as we will see over the next several weeks……Jesus clears away the false understandings and the human distortions of God’s Law and He clearly teaches the true meaning of the Law. For example…God’s command against murder …as we will see....turns out to be a much higher bar than killing someone..... for even if you are harboring anger or bitterness towards someone you are guilty of breaking God’s law.

Friends…you can only be saved through perfect obedience to God’s Law. That’s the only way. Brothers and sisters...Discipleship in Christ transcends mere adherence to inner feelings and impulses. It encompasses a deep understanding of His desires and aligning our lives with His Word. In fact.....Jesus' words prepare us for a profoundly radical call..... that......Authentic faith inherently demands a commitment to radical personal righteousness…and.... Jesus make this abundantly clear in verse 20.

Matthew 5:20 (CSB)

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

Now…to the average guys on the street…these word’s were absolutely shocking....and maybe even a bit discouraging. No one surpassed the Scribes and the Pharisees ability to obey the Law....I mean…these guys made God’s Law the master passion of their lives. In fact in addition to the 613 laws found in the Old Testament…The Scribes and Pharisees created an additional 1500 fence laws…in other words… they felt that the best way to keep from breaking God’s Law would be to build a protective barrier of other laws around it.

And so…as the average person heard Jesus say.... “Unless your righteoussness surpasses those guys your never going to get into Heaven.” well....I don’t know about you....but ....I know that I would be disqualified…and definitely disheartened. What bout you? Could you say that you have kept God’s law?

Now…there are some who …like the pharisees…have developed their own system of legalism and fundamentalism. They too have created rigid rules to keep them from breaking God’s Law….they don’t smoke ..or chew…or date girls who do....and just like the Pharisaical man made laws..they lay their legalistic burden upon others. But ....like the pharisees.....their righteoussness is not so great for it’s merely external…and for all of the rules they create ....all they’re doing is insulating themselves from the Law’s piercing heart demands and creating a self righteoussness that blinds them to their brokenness and need for a savior.

I love what J. Gresham Machen says........Machen writes this,

"The legalism of the Pharisees with its regulation of the minute details of life was not really making the law too hard to keep. It was really making it too easy..... The truth is, it's easier to cleanse the outside of the cup than it is to cleanse the heart. If the Pharisees had recognized that the law demands not only the observance of external rules, but also in primarily mercy and justice and love for God and men, they would not have been so readily satisfied with the measure of their obedience. The law would then have fulfilled its great function of being a schoolmaster to bring them to Christ.....A low view of law leads to legalism and religion. A high view of law makes a man a seeker after grace" - J. Gresham Machen, The Origin of Paul’s Religion (New York: Macmillan, 1921), 179.

You see…it was their own self-righteousness that blinded them to what David wrote in Psalm 14:2-3.

Psalm 14:2–3 (CSB)

2 The Lord looks down from heaven on the human race

to see if there is one who is wise,

one who seeks God.

3 All have turned away;

all alike have become corrupt.

There is no one who does good,

not even one.

All are corrupt …This includes the Pharisees and the Scribes…for ...even they could not perfectly obey God’s Law regarding mercy, justice, and love for God and others...… The Apostle Paul takes this a step further in Romans 3:23. He says,

Romans 3:23 (CSB)

23 For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God;

And this truth…that everyone of us....including the legalists…the pharisees…and the scribes....we have all broken God’s perfect Law....well…this reality has a pretty serious consequence. Consider Romans 6:23.

Romans 6:23 (CSB)

23 For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

Brothers and Sisters....following rules cannot save you…and anyone who preaches that they can....is preaching a false gospel and is crushing their hearers under the debilitating weight of legalism.

But …we still have a problem…don’t we? Look back at Matthew 5:20

Matthew 5:20 (CSB)

20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.

How can we get into the Kingdom of Heaven? Christ’s words seem hopeless and unbending…but friends....verse 20 is one of the most kind and grace filled verses in all of Scripture for Jesus is pointing us to Himself…Jesus is pointing us to our need for grace....and He is taking us back to the first Beatitude: Matthew 5:3.

Matthew 5:3 (CSB)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,

for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.

Blessed are those who are spiritually bankrupt and realize that they cannot make it on their own for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven. So…how do get into the Kingdom of Heaven? We recognize our complete inability to keep God’s Law and we recognize our complete dependency on God’s grace.

Tell me....Do you recognize and accept that grace is the only way forward? If so, then find your hope in the words of Jesus from verse 17:

Matthew 5:17 (CSB)

17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.

You see......these words are our source of hope because Jesus accomplished what we could never achieve ....He fulfilled the Law….... His righteousness surpassed even that of the scribes and Pharisees. And because He fulfilled the Law.....Jesus can offer us a righteousness that exceeds that of even the scribes and Pharisees.

Are you a lawbreaker? Have you fallen short of God’s moral standard? Do you need forgiveness? Do you need rest for your weary soul? Do you need a firm foundation? Look to Jesus and by grace come to Jesus in faith. Friends.....Jesus has no sin, no lack, and no weakness…and He is perfectly qualified to be your savior.

Remember this is why Jesus came. Luke is helpful as he reminds us

Luke 19:10 (CSB)

10 For the Son of Man has come to seek and to save the lost.”

Jesus came to seek us and to save us....but....save us from what? He came to save us from God…why? Well…because of our sin…because of our Law breaking…we deserve the just punishment of a holy and righteous God. You see…if God is to continue being holy, just, and righteous....he must bring judgement upon sinners.

Friends..the only solution to the problem of sin in our life..... is to seek after God’s grace in every area of our lives. We need Jesus to be our perfect priest. We need Jesus to be our spotless sacrifice. We need Jesus to go before us so that we can stand before a Holy God.

And this is the good news....not only is Jesus our spotless sacrifice but he also lived a perfectly righteous life. Jesus has done everything the Law requires and He took upon himself the weight of the Laws demands against us by dying an innocent death on the cross....and by doing so He completely satisfied God’s just wrath upon those who trust in Jesus as savior and Lord.

And now.... when you accept and trust in Jesus a your Savior and submit to Him as your Lord....His perfect righteousness is gifted to you....and now…when God sees you…He doesn't see a lawbreaker…but He sees the perfect righteoussness of His son.

2 Corinthians 5:21 (CSB)

21 He made the one who did not know sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

You see....by his perfection and his keeping of the moral law, the gospel holds out that for all those who turn from their sins and look to Jesus..... Christ not only forgives you as your priest who has shed his blood for your purification..... but he also gives you and credits you with his own righteousness to stand before God in confidence. You see...... You have passed the test not because of anything you have done, but because of what Christ your savior did for you.

Ephesians 2:8–9 (CSB)

8 For you are saved by grace through faith, and this is not from yourselves; it is God’s gift—9 not from works, so that no one can boast.

You are justified by grace through faith in Jesus Christ alone....but....listen to me..... it doesn’t stop here…Yes....if you are a Christian .....you have a righteous standing before God…But Jesus wants now to teach you His righteoussness and for you to purse a life that matches the righteoussness of Jesus.

I love Psalm 23 and verse 3 is helpful ...

Psalm 23:3 (CSB)

3 He renews my life;

he leads me along the right paths

for his name’s sake.

You see…first…your soul must be restored by the salvation that only Jesus can offer.....then....Jesus trains you to follow Him..and as you follow Him....He leads you to live a life that loves Him, lives like Him, and leads others to Him.

We are saved by grace through faith for a reason…in the next verse Paul writes in Ephesians 2:10

Ephesians 2:10 (CSB)

10 For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared ahead of time for us to do.

These aren't good works that we have to do to earn God’s love or forgiveness. We have already failed ....remember…we need Jesus to fulfill the Law on our behalf.....but when we trust in Jesus…Jesus molds us and teaches us and trains us to live lives of righteousness....and yes..until we are physically with Jesus....sin will remain…but we can be confident that our sin has been washed by the blood of Jesus.

You see the goal isn't to be sinless....but as we follow Jesus we will sin less....and as we pursue a life that looks like Jesus in a dark and decaying world…we will shine a light so bright that others will glorify our Father who is in heaven.

Now…maybe you’re here this morning and you don't know Jesus. I encourage you....seek after God’s grace…turn to Jesus by faith… for your only hope in life and death .....is His perfect life, death , and resurrection.