Matthew 5:17-20 (NIV): “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. I tell you the truth, 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. Anyone who breaks 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 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.”
As He clearly stated, Jesus did not come to abolish the Law or the prophets. Today there seems to be a philosophy among many people, even Christians, that if Jesus didn’t specifically affirm an Old Testament precept, that it is no longer valid for God’s people. But by Jesus’ own lips in this passage, a more accurate philosophy is, if Jesus didn’t specifically do away with an Old Testament precept, then it is still valid for New Testament Christians. We must always remember that Jesus, as God, IS the God of the Old Testament. (There is only one God!) And God never changes; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. So no more of this, “Jesus never said anything about _____.” If it is anywhere in the Bible, it is the word of God, and thus the word of Jesus.
Jesus did FULFILL the SACRIFICIAL law by dying for sin once and for all. That means that there is no other sacrifice for sin that will be accepted by God. A thousand sheep, bulls, and goats may be offered today, but they will no longer pay for a single sin. God has made His sacrifice for the sins of all, and that payment (Jesus) is the only one that is now acceptable to Him. That is why Jesus is THE Way (John 14:6), and the only Gate through which one may enter into God’s flock (John 10:7-9).
Jesus was adamant that His coming did not lower the standard for obedience to God’s law, but that, with His coming, the standard became even more exacting. The Pharisees and teachers of the Law were as scrupulous about all of the fine details of the law and God’s commandments as a person could possibly be, but they still fell short of God’s standards of obedience, and had to offer sacrifices frequently for their shortcomings. But with the death, resurrection, and ascension of Jesus, a new power was made available to ALL of God’s people. And that power is founded upon the fact that when a person becomes a Christian, all of the Godhead comes and lives in them, enabling them to do mighty miracles, cast out demons, demolish spiritual strongholds, and destroy the works of the devil. And included in that is the power to live a life free from the yoke of sin. No longer do people have to strive against temptation in order to wrestle a victory out of satan’s hands. No longer do they have to fall and repent, and fall and repent, over and over each day. All of God’s people can now walk in victory! And they must. If God’s people become content with a stumbling, sinning Christianity, there is no way that they will have the purity and the power to accomplish all that He has called us to do.
The standard for God’s people is high – insanely high in the judgment of some: “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not ENTER the kingdom of heaven.” But, because God lives in His people, our righteousness, our obedience to His commandments, our genuine holiness CAN exceed even the perfect outward obedience of the scribes and Pharisees, because we can be holy on the inside, too!
Father, thank You for Your presence in our lives that can make us truly holy and righteous; Christ in me, the hope of glory! (Colossians 1:27) Help me, help all of us to live out this holiness every single day, so that we can accomplish all that You have commanded us to do. Amen.