Mat 5:17-20, Can You Throw Out Your Old Testament?

Sunday May 26, 2024

Idea: The Old Testament is not annulled, but through Christ it is more alive in our hearts than ever. 

Mat 5:17-20

abolish (kataluo: to end the effect or validity of something, to no longer be in force, abolish, annul, make invalid). 

“I did not come …” He was sent. He is here on purpose and with a purpose. He is not an opportunistic leader. 

“Do not think”: nomizo - to form an idea about something but with some suggestion of tentativeness or refraining from a definitive statement; think, believe, consider. 

Because Jesus is unique, different, and that He will change some things; the Jews are going to consider the idea that the Messiah came to annul the OT. 

The people are going to be unsure. We all are. But we must take Him at His word, for God cannot lie. 

As we grow, more and more truths are going to invade our hearts and remove some things we thought were right, but are not. We will consider, “Is this right?” How do we know? We have to take the Lord at His word.

“Fulfill” - aorist active infinitive of pleroo - to bring to a designed end, fulfill. 

Does this mean the OT comes to an end (closed, not to be opened?)

Matthew uses pleroo for the fulfillment of prophecy (predictions and promises) 

The OT never said that its principles were going to go away, but that one day God would use the Messiah to fulfill.

Inviting you into eternal life is inviting you into a life of divine love and morality.

Morality is life in His presence: all morality stems from the essence of God. The Messiah would not annul that.

Before anything was, God the Father and God the Son had a conference and a holy covenant was made between them concerning us for salvation and eternal life (Isa 49:6; 53:12). 

Christ is the fulfillment of the promises and covenants. 

The New Covenant was that we would be God’s people and with the indwelling Holy Spirit we would obey the Lord with all our heart (Jer 31:31-34; Eze 36:25-27). 

How is the New Covenant “not like” the old one?

In Christ this is fulfilled. 

We all need to learn and understand that the ability to live by the law of God, body and heart, is one of our greatest blessings. 

What is the OT to us who are in union with the fulfiller? 

Temple was to be destroyed (kataluo; Mat 24:2). 

The Temple rituals would be removed. Rituals are not moral.

Morals of the OT are eternal. 

Why morality? Presence of God. Essence of God (Psa 51:10-17). 

Morality is much more than show or ritual. 

Letter of the law and heart of the law (Psa 37:27-34; Psa 40:6-8). 

Inner and outer man is what God is getting at. Not one but both.

Jesus is condemning the Pharisees who lived the letter of the OT but missed the heart of it. (not a yod or stroke will pass away). 

Morality is the essence of God. 

All the commandments stem from God’s essence. 

Hence morality is the presence of God. 

Love. compassion, blessing, sacrifice, no oppression or adultery or most commandments.

Justice: no stealing, false witness, lying, oppression, defending, reproof and correction.

Righteousness: no lust for good things in the wrong way, doing good works, upholding law from desire within. 

God is immutable - laws are eternal. Also, loyalty.

Eternal life: the Father made a covenant with the Son before the world was (Isa 49:6; 53:12).

Before anything was, politics, civilization, laws on the books, etc. God the Father was making a holy contract with the Son for the salvation of man and to enter man into eternal life, which is a quality of life, a kind of life (Tit 1:2; Isa 53:12; 2Ti 1:9).

Application: You, the born again believer, have been made new by Christ so that you can live in obedience to the letter and the heart of the law and the prophets.

Be complete as your Father in heaven in complete. 

Don’t wait around until you understand doctrines. Start immediately. And if you haven’t done it, start now. Today is the day. Be the loving, kind, loyal, righteous man or woman God has made you to be.

Mat 5:21-48 … (He is telling us to be just like Him – fulfilled law!)

When man fell, He loved us and saved us. 

When we worshiped others, He married us never to divorce. 

When we were adulterers, He remained our own Father and Jesus our Husband. 

When we made promises and broke them, He never changed His word. 

When we rejected Him, He pledged Himself to us. 

When we were His enemy, He died for us. 

Jesus fulfilled the law and prophets so that you can obey to the very heart of the law, which penetrates into your own heart - not just overt or ritual obedience, but right to the deepest thoughts within ourselves concerning all others. 

You must come to understand that being made to be able to fulfill the letter and the heart of God’s moral law is one of your greatest blessings.