07.06.2025 Sermon by Pastor Jeungbok Lee
Scripture: Matthew 5:17-20
Title: Jesus Who Came to Fulfill the Law
**Matthew 5:17-20**
“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 tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
In the preceding passage, Jesus instructed His disciples to be the salt and light of the world. His concluding statement was, “Let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”
At that time, the disciples might have understood “good deeds” as synonymous with keeping the Law, because the moral standard of good deeds was based on the commandments of the elders, derived from Moses’ Law. On the other hand, some claimed Jesus came to abolish the Law, as He did not follow the commandments established by the elders during His public ministry. Jesus disregarded these traditions because they were overly focused on formalities and failed to fulfill God’s will. Instead, He kept the Law by acting in a way that perfectly accomplished God’s will. Therefore, Jesus’ fundamental view of the Law was not to abolish it or the Prophets but to fulfill them. In contrast, the Pharisees’ way of keeping the Law failed to fulfill God’s will, effectively making them the ones who abolished it.
Let us now explore what Jesus taught about the Law.
**1. Verse 17: “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.”**
1) Here, the “Law and the Prophets” refers to the entire Old Testament. The Law, commonly called the Torah, refers to the five books of Moses. The Prophets refer to the Old Testament scriptures where God’s words were recorded through the prophets.
The Law generally consists of: first, regulations commemorating past events; second, religious and ceremonial regulations; and third, moral and social laws. We often categorize these as ceremonial and moral laws, though the Bible does not explicitly make such distinctions. Additionally, Jewish tradition includes 613 commandments derived from the detailed instructions in the Mosaic Law, but these are not part of the Law Jesus refers to here.
The “Prophets” does not refer to specific individuals but to God’s words delivered through them, particularly the history of redemption pointing to the Messiah, which Jesus perfectly fulfilled.
2) Jesus’ fundamental view of the Law was to fulfill it.
To “fulfill” the Law means to perfectly accomplish the will of God as conveyed through the Law and the Prophets. For example, in Matthew 3:15, Jesus was baptized by John to “fulfill all righteousness.” In Matthew 26:54-56, He did not resist those who came to arrest Him, even though He could have called upon heavenly armies, because He sought to fulfill the writings of the prophets.
Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law was not about external adherence to commandments but about accomplishing God’s will through His death on the cross. The regulations of the Law and the Prophets were fully realized through Jesus’ sacrificial death. The Passover, which Israel observed, was perfectly fulfilled in Jesus as the Passover Lamb. Thus, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it.
3) We must recognize the difference in how the Law applies to God’s people today compared to those before the coming of Jesus the Messiah.
When I was in college, I was reading Exodus and Leviticus. Once, a pastor treated the youth group leaders to a meal at a restaurant known for its pork blood soup. I was confused because the Bible clearly instructs not to eat pork or blood, yet the pastor chose a restaurant serving blood soup. I heard that those rules applied to Old Testament Israel, not to New Testament Christians. However, some Christians zealously observed the Feast of Weeks (Pentecost) as fulfilled by the descent of the Holy Spirit. I didn’t understand the principle behind this, and the church didn’t explain it clearly. Many of you may have similar questions when reading the Old Testament.
Let me briefly clarify: Old Testament regulations fulfilled in Jesus Christ are no longer binding. For example, the Passover, which Israel was required to observe, was fulfilled in Jesus as the Passover Lamb, so we no longer keep it. The Feast of Weeks, or Pentecost, was fulfilled when the Holy Spirit descended on the early church, and we now commemorate it through Sunday worship. The Sabbath, commemorating creation and the Exodus, has been fulfilled in the new creation through Christ’s resurrection, and we worship on Sunday to celebrate this new rest. Thus, Old Testament festivals have been fulfilled in Jesus Christ.
Regarding Old Testament dietary laws:
Israel’s distinct eating habits were an expression of their faith, separating them from Gentiles who ate any animal, including blood. In the early church, Gentile converts to Christianity continued their old eating habits, while Jewish Christians adhered to religious customs, avoiding blood. This difference in dietary practices caused disputes and hindered mutual edification. Thus, the early church advised Christians to abstain from eating blood to avoid conflict. However, if food does not cause issues within the church, individuals may eat or abstain according to their conscience. In Korea, foods like blood soup or sundae (blood sausage) fall under this principle. If they don’t cause problems in the church, it’s a matter of personal conscience. Today, eating dog meat is a bigger controversy than blood, though it wasn’t an issue in the past.
When I was in college, my church’s summer Bible school teachers once went to eat dog meat stew together after the program. Nowadays, no church would likely choose dog meat for a group meal.
The New Testament perspective on food is clear in Acts 10, where God tells Peter in a vision that what He has made clean should not be called unclean. In Matthew 15:11, Jesus says that what goes into the mouth does not defile a person, but what comes out of the mouth does. In 1 Timothy 4:4, Paul writes that everything God created is good and nothing is to be rejected if received with thanksgiving.
However, the moral aspects of the Law remain crucial. For saved Israel, God’s holiness required them to be holy. The moral commandments of the Law guide God’s people to live holy lives. Similarly, though Christians are cleansed by the blood of Jesus, we must still live pure lives daily. Thus, the moral guidance of the Old Testament Law remains relevant for us.
**1 Peter 1:15-16**
“But just as he who called you is holy, so be holy in all you do; for it is written: ‘Be holy, because I am holy.’”
**2. Verse 18: “For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”**
Another reason we must not disregard the Law is that God has planned for every part of it to be fulfilled until Jesus returns. Jesus emphasizes that not even the smallest letter or stroke of the Law will pass away until heaven and earth disappear. This does not mean we must meticulously observe every detail but that every part of the Law is essential to fulfilling God’s purpose.
**3. Verse 19: “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”**
The “least of these commands” refers to teachers who dismiss certain commandments as irrelevant to their time and choose not to teach them. In Jesus’ day, Jews divided commandments into greater and lesser ones. In Matthew 22:36, a teacher of the law asked Jesus, “Which is the greatest commandment?” Jesus replied that loving God and loving your neighbor are the greatest, encompassing the entire Law and Prophets. The point is not to categorize commandments as great or small but to obey God’s purpose revealed through the Law.
Today, churches sometimes selectively teach or preach what people want to hear. Some focus on motivational messages for missions or political issues. Topics like divorce are often avoided. I believe it’s more beneficial to preach sequentially through Scripture, expounding each passage in detail, rather than picking and choosing topics.
**4. Verse 20: “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”**
1) Jesus’ phrase “I tell you” emphasizes the importance of what follows, which shocked the disciples: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”
The Pharisees meticulously observed the Law: they avoided walking more than a mile on the Sabbath, lighting fires, or using both hands for work; they ritually washed their hands before eating and criticized those who didn’t; they tithed even the smallest herbs and seeds; they fasted on Mondays and Thursdays to show piety; they wore phylacteries and tassels on their garments; and they avoided contact with Gentiles, sinners, or tax collectors. They criticized Jesus for dining with sinners, calling Him a friend of sinners.
Jesus’ call for a righteousness surpassing the Pharisees’ does not mean adding more rules. The Pharisees were considered the most law-abiding, yet Jesus called them hypocrites. They focused on external observance while ignoring inner greed and sin. They kept the Law to gain human praise, even neglecting the command to honor parents by declaring their offerings as “corban” (dedicated to God) to avoid helping their parents.
2) What is the greater righteousness Jesus requires?
This righteousness does not start with keeping the Law but with the righteousness Jesus gives through His perfect obedience, death on the cross, and atonement for sin. Those who receive this righteousness by faith live out good deeds in gratitude to God. This is the righteousness that surpasses that of the Pharisees. Unlike the Pharisees, who outwardly obeyed the Law for human praise, resembling whitewashed tombs—clean outside but corrupt inside—Jesus’ disciples obey the Law out of gratitude, seeking to reflect God’s holiness and genuinely love their neighbors. Their good deeds lead others to glorify God.
3) The phrase “you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” does not mean losing salvation. For those who reject Christ’s righteousness, like the Pharisees, salvation is indeed at stake. However, Jesus is addressing His saved disciples here. Not entering the kingdom of heaven means failing to live under God’s sovereign rule and enjoy His reign. When Jesus came, the kingdom of God began. All who believe in Him are citizens of the kingdom, but some live like salt that has lost its flavor, following worldly values, while others live as the light of the world, obeying God’s will and glorifying Him.
If disciples view the Law as a mere obligation, they will miss the joy of living under God’s rule in His kingdom.
Starting next week, we will explore Jesus’ proper interpretation of the Law. I encourage you to learn through His teachings what God’s pleasing will is within the Law, beyond its external rules.
Let us pray. (End)