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.
18For 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.
- P110
Jesus clarifies to those who may misunderstand that He has not come to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He is, in fact, the very fulfillment of the Law, and He has come into the world to accomplish God’s will for His people. Thus, God’s laws are not to be set aside. - P112
Those who will be considered great in the kingdom of heaven are those who practice and teach God’s commands, not in the hypocritical and prideful way of the Pharisees and teachers of the law do but in true righteousness and obedience to Christ. - P112
As Jesus makes clear, without such faithfulness to His laws, we will certainly not be called the people of the kingdom of heaven. - P112
Jesus reveals a deeper understanding of the laws that God‘s people haveheard for many generations. While the commandment "You shall not mur-der" remains, He takes it one step further and explains that it can be appliedon another level: being angry with a brother or sister. - P112
Simply refrainingfrom murder does not mean that one has faithfully kept the Law; unresolved anger toward others also violates God‘s Law and is subject to Hisjudgment. Jesus shows us that we need to understand the intended meaning behind God‘s commands in order to live as God‘s righteous people.
- P112
The more we observe and understand the law of Christ, the more we willbecome like Him, ushering God‘s will into this world.
- P112
First, we need to understand the audience and context behind each caseMatthew is writing primarily to Jewish Christians, showing that Jesus isthe Messiah that the Jewish people have been waiting for Paul, on theother hand, is addressing Gentile Christians and dealing with legalismfrom people who insist that Gentile believers must follow the Mosaic Lawin order to be saved.
- P113
The texts also emphasize different theological truths. Matthew focuses onthe moral and ethical heart of the Law, showing Jesus‘ deeper interpretationof Scripture. Paul emphasizes freedom from the Law as a result of salva-tion, presenting Jesus as the one who saves by grace through faith, not byworks. Both perspectives are true, and by reading the entirety of Scripture,
we arrive at a fuller picture of the truth of the Law. We do not rely on theLaw for our salvation, but as disciples of Jesus, we love Him and obeycommands.
wood toaccomplish. - P113
Lord Jesus, thank You for helping me understand God’s laws and the way I should live. May I always remain faithful, so that, through my righteous deeds, others may see the Father’s will fulfilled on this earth. In Your name I pray, amen. - P113
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