The fulfillment of it ALL. MATTHEW 5:17-20

Matthew 5:17 ( ESV )

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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.

·         At the very beginning of this section Jesus wants these men to know that He came not to abolish the Law but rather to fulfill everything it stated. The Law refers to the Torah, while the prophets referred to the historical books as well as the minor and major prophets or the rest of the O.T.

·         Many of the priests, scribes and Pharisees came to believe that Jesus wanted to destroy it by their views of how he did not keep the Sabbath and how he would associate with “sinners” but all this was based on their traditions and oral laws which to them had become more important than the Word of God. Jesus would not please them by putting their man made traditions above the Word of God.

·         We could never keep the Law and its purpose for us was to show us our need of a Savior. The Bible makes it clear that if we broke just one of the Laws then we are guilty of all and according to the Scriptures We have all done this. There is only one who has ever fulfilled it and that is Jesus alone. By the Law none of us as humans will ever be justified before God. Jesus though proved that He was God in flesh and perfect therefore He can declare to all that He is the Savior of the world.

·         Jesus fulfilled the moral law, the ceremonial laws and the judicial laws of the Word of God, no man or rabbi has or ever will do this.

·         I now quote from Scofield. “Christ was made under the Law-Gal. 4:4, lived in perfect obedience to the law-I Peter 2:21-23, fulfilled the types of the Law by His holy life and sacrificial death-Heb. 9:11-28 and with Him was the Father pleased. Matt. 3:17. Jesus was and is the only one who lived with perfect righteousness and in Him alone will we find our way home to Heaven. We need His righteousness as He alone has fulfilled the Law of God.

Matthew 5:18 ( ESV )

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¹⁸For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

·         Now Jesus makes a promise to all with the following statement about His mission and the Word of God.

·         Let’s look at some of the words used here. Iota-or tittle like a tiny extension of a Hebrew letter or like the serif in modern type face of the best example would be like the bottom of the letter j. A dot-or jot the smallest mark in Hebrew like an apostrophe.  According to this statement as well Jesus indicated that the inspiration and authority of the O.T. extended to the actual words and even the smallest of letters. II Tim. 3:15-16.

·         What does He mean by until all is accomplished? I believe the following three things to be true. 1. He would fulfill them all. This would also indicate the surety of Him fulfilling the future prophecies about Himself as well. 2. That the Word of God itself in that every bit of it will come to past just like He had prophesied. 3.He will preserve the Word of God throughout all of time.

·         MacArthur makes a good point on this verse, “Jesus fulfilled the ceremonial laws thus there is no need for Christians to observe them today.” Col. 2:16-17 All of the scriptures remain intact and will remain preserved through the ages. We can trust that He will preserve them completely through the ages.

Matthew 5:19 ( ESV )

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¹⁹Therefore whoever relaxes 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 does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

·         Jesus now gives His view about those who would mess with the Word of God both in word or deed.

·         The word relaxes here would probably be better translated because of the context Destroy or to Break. Jesus is telling them once again about how He feels about the charges of Him trying to abolish the Law even with what seemed to be the smallest of commandments. It is a serious thing when we make little of what the Word says or how we act in light of it.

·         We should be known as those who hold the Word of God in High esteem both in teaching and in our lifestyle here on earth.

·         Of what importance is the Word of God in your life? It should be of the highest priority.

Matthew 5:20 ( ESV )

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

·         Now bear with me for a little and let me try to go through what is going on in this verse. These are truthful and harsh words, as Jesus was telling the average person in order to get to Heaven your righteousness will have to exceed that of the Scribes and Pharisees.  This would also have been an even heavier slam to the Scribes and Pharisees about their moral righteousness and them thinking they would get to Heaven by their own righteousness and the keeping of the Law. YET, the ONLY WAY we can be right with God is to believe in Him alone to save us. All our righteousness are as filthy rags. We cannot go to Heaven by our righteousness or the Law just like the Pharisees and Scribes could not.  Through Jesus sinless and perfect life He alone could save us and place His righteousness upon us.  Self-righteousness will not get us into the gates of Heaven, we as a people need Jesus. Romans 4:5 puts it best. “And to the one who does not work but trusts Him who justifies the ungodly, his Faith is counted as righteousness.” Not our works we must put our Faith in Him alone.

The Big Picture:

Jesus came to fulfill the Law and the Prophets. Is. 53, Ps. 22….

1.       Jesus taught the Word of God would remain intact.

2.       Jesus teaches us the importance of each word and that it is truly inspired and preserved.

3.       He would fulfill the Law itself.

4.       He taught the importance of the Word in our lives and our teachings.

5.       Traditions are never to be put on the same level as the Word of God.

6.       He slams man’s righteousness as a way to enter into Heaven. (All who will try, will fail. This is something that only Christ can do and it is only through Him and His righteousness that we can enter into our new home. He fulfilled it all. IT IS FINISHED.

TASTE THE SALT AND SEE THE LIGHT!

Matthew 5:13 ( ESV )

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¹³“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people’s feet.

·         Salt has so many uses and I believe that Jesus wanted us to think of its various uses when talking about what Christianity should look like. First of all I don’t know about you but salt renders my food to have a pleasant taste. Secondly, I think Jesus was reminding the people of His time about how it preserved food from becoming bad. (In the Galilee area salting their fish was the way they would be able to preserve it.)   The Christian is to live a life that shows forth to a corrupt and dying world that there is hope. We are to be a people who should cause others to thirst after the things of God.

·         We are not used to salt that would lose its flavor but coming from the Dead Sea quite often the salt would. It was often filled with impurities and it would lose it saltiness. So also is the Christian who allows sin within his walk and if not careful he will lose his effectiveness.

·         Our testimonies can be forever ruined. We must be true to our convictions or be mocked at. Even sadder then our own testimonies is how His name will be mocked as well because of our choices. Our testimony becomes rejected and trampled under by the feet of others. “Who was this one who claimed to know the Lord and His ways?” (Think about the preachers who have fallen into grievous sins and how they are laughed at by the world today. May God keep our hearts and testimonies pure before all men.)

Matthew 5:14 ( ESV )

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¹⁴“You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden.

·         One Roman of this time said, “There is nothing more useful in this life then salt and sunshine.”

·         We are to shine forth like the rays of the sun. The world is dead, dark and in need of the true Light of the world and we need to shine with our lives his glory. Philippians 2:15 puts it best when it says, “That you maybe blameless and innocent children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world.”

·         What a blessing! We are to be the ones who dispel the darkness and bring forth light into a world where men love darkness more then light.

·         Many of the cities of this region were placed on high places and could be seen afar off. You could not easily hide them from view. (Jesus may have been referring to Jerusalem as an example here as they were considered to be the light of the world. Is. 2:2-5)

·         Brothers and sisters there were to be no “secret lights,” but rather a beam in the midst of the storm.

Matthew 5:15 ( ESV )

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¹⁵Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house.

·         The purpose of the lamp was to illuminate all that is around it. Are we offering hope to our neighbors and those who are around us? When the light was put on its stand it served its purpose. The application is simple here. Our purpose as believers is to shine the light of Christ to all of those whom we come into contact with.

·         Why do we try to cover the light of His life in us around others? By putting a lamp under a basket there will NEVER be a benefit but rather only destruction. When we light a candle or a lamp we do not try to conceal it but want it to reveal.

Matthew 5:16 ( ESV )

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¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven.

·         In the same manner as the above shine with your life before others. Don’t hide your walk before men but shine forth. Why? So that when they see you living the Christian life before them they will know that it is God working through you and they will give the Father the glory that is due to His name.

·         Our motive is not to be seen but that others can see God working in us. Through our lives we can draw others to Him. It is such a simple question, “Are we shining forth for His glory or for ours?”

1 Peter 2:12 ( ESV )

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¹²Keep your conduct among the Gentiles honorable, so that when they speak against you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day of visitation.

WITH PERSECUTION COMES BLESSING!

     The passage that we are about to look over now is one that is seldom even talked about here in America. We still live in a country that as a whole allows us religious freedoms. It is one of the great things about living here that I appreciate the most. Like many I do believe that we are seeing some of these freedoms slip through our hands at an amazing rate here of late. We do not though suffer the persecution that many of our brothers do around the world and have no comprehension of what they face daily. 

    We are also told in the scriptures that, “ALL WHO LIVE godly will be persecuted.” As believers we must face this truth no matter where we live. Quite often I fear that we, including myself, try to fit into our culture to closely, to the point to where the unsaved world does not see the difference. Please, don’t misunderstand me; I do not believe that we are to be obstinate or pugnacious with our faith. Yet, we are a people who are not of this world. We are strangers and aliens who do NOT FIT.

     The problem is when we as a group of people see the beatitudes play out in our lives here on earth we will stand out. Our world as a whole is not seeking peace, not sorrowful over sin, or any of the above things that we saw at the beginning of chapter 5. Jesus would always tell His disciples truth and he lets us know that persecution will come, but here is the wild part when we are persecuted for His namesake we will be BLESSED. Those who seek their own glory will face the WOES of Luke 6.

Matthew 5:10 ( ESV )

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¹⁰“Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

·         The ones who are truly blessed are the ones who will be willing to pay the price. They are those who value their names as nothing compared to giving all the glory to Jesus.

·         I believe that to the level that we live out the beatitudes with the Spirit’s help we will be afflicted with persecution.  Philippians 1:29 has a different twist on this whole issue. “For it has been granted for you for the sake of Christ you should not only believe in Him but also suffer for His sake.” When we suffer for Him we have received a gift to honor Him. Now if He gifts us in this area then He as well will give us the Spirit’s strength to go through it. This persecution is not just dealing with our earthly hardships but as a result of our godly lifestyle.

·         When we live righteously before others this type of lifestyle is automatically confrontational by nature. The world loves its sin and its vice. When the world sees that we live opposite of it in its views of what is morally wrong or right it WILL become opposed to us. The question like my daughter stated awhile back is not how close can I get to the world, but rather how much closer can I get to God.

·         A kingdom awaits us in Heaven. In the words of Building 429, “All I know is I’m not home yet, this is not where I belong, Take this world but give me Jesus, This is not where I belong.” What does this world have to offer me? Riches, Temporal Pleasures, the applause of men. There is NOTHING in comparison to the hope of Glory which is Jesus Christ Our Lord.

Matthew 5:11 ( ESV )

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¹¹“Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.

·         The idea of the passage is that they will pursue us with their hatred. (Think how even in the United States how we are seeing verbal persecution becoming more tolerated towards us. While the same world, “preaches Toleration of all.” Oh, the hypocrisy of it all.) To revile means to throw out abuses with words in the face of one’s opponent.  I am reminded of a boxing match in which a person is being pounded to the point of exhaustion or great physical harm.

·         We will be persecuted with words, deeds done towards us or even violent actions.

·         They will utter all kinds of evil. People spoke falsely of our Savior; they will slander us as well. The word for evil is like that of a disease that is foul and loathsome.

WHEN ALL OF THE ABOVE HAPPENS, HOW SHOULD OUR HEARTS RESPOND?

Matthew 5:12 ( ESV )

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¹²Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

·         Look up the following verses, Acts 5:29-42 “They rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer.” (41) I Peter 4:12-14 “Don’t be surprised when fiery trials come.”

·         We can look forward to a day of great reward. Our present life is but a vapor but Heaven is ETERNAL. II Thess. 1:5-7. Not only will it be rewarded but I love what Jesus says, it will be “great.” It will be beyond what we could have ever dreamed. Eph. 3:20

·         Think about the company that we are in when we are persecuted. Job, Isaiah, Jeremiah, Daniel, Joseph, Moses, the Martyrs. We are not alone there are and have been others who have went on before us. What a blessing it will be to join these others around the throne.

·         Please read Hebrews 11:32-12:2 again and may verse 38 especially speak to your heart if you are being persecuted. THE WORLD IS NOT WORTHY of them or YOU.

Hebrews 11:32-12:2 ( ESV )

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³²And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of Gideon, Barak, Samson, Jephthah, of David and Samuel and the prophets—

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³³who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, stopped the mouths of lions,

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³⁴quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, became mighty in war, put foreign armies to flight.

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³⁵Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life.

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³⁶Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even chains and imprisonment.

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³⁷They were stoned, they were sawn in two,^£ they were killed with the sword. They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated—

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³⁸of whom the world was not worthy—wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

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³⁹And all these, though commended through their faith, did not receive what was promised,

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⁴⁰since God had provided something better for us, that apart from us they should not be made perfect.

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¹Therefore, since we are surrounded by so great a cloud of witnesses, let us also lay aside every weight, and sin which clings so closely, and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us,

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²looking to Jesus, the founder and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is seated at the right hand of the throne of God.

FOR THOSE WHO ARE HUNGRY, MERCIFUL, PURE IN HEART AND LONGING FOR PEACE.

Matthew 5:6 ( ESV )

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⁶“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

·         There is just no greater heartbreak then to see someone starving or dying of thirst. To long for the most essential need of mankind. Like a man who is starving or thirsty for just a drop of cool water should be our longing for being like Christ. Christ, alone can satisfy our hunger and thirst spiritually. He calls Himself the bread of life and if we will drink of Him we will never thirst again. The force of these words is like that of a man who is in dire need. Here is a person who knows that he is not righteous and can only satisfy his longing by thirsting after God. Psalms 42:1-2

·         A promise is now made in the passage to the one who hungers and thirst after God. One day He will fill us to the point of where our desires in this area will be totally met. He also wants to fill us and satisfy us now. Psalms 107:9 “He satisfies the longing soul and fills it with good things.”

·         Am I constant in prayer with the following words? “Lord I want to be like you.”

Matthew 5:7 ( ESV )

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⁷“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

·         Merciful has the idea of being charitable or loving to others so that it will benefit them. Jesus though takes it a step further in that He has shown us mercy by giving us what we do not, nor could ever deserve. Are we known for being a people who want to meet other’s needs?

·         If we truly see the poverty and spiritual poverty of others we will be a people who will automatically show mercy to them.

·         The contrast to this verse can be seen in James 2:13. If we show no mercy then none will be shown to us. The Bible also tells us the story of a master who owed a great sum of money to one over him. Even though he could not afford to pay it back his lender, he forgave him of his massive debt. When the master found out someone owed him a trifling amount in comparison he showed no mercy. Rather he punished the man severely. Word got back to the lender and he was highly displeased with the master and he then punished the master.

·         We love to have mercy shown upon us. We pray for our Lord’s mercy upon us daily. Yet, are we known as one who will show mercy to those around us? Mercy should be the very heartbeat of a redeemed believer.

Matthew 5:8 ( ESV )

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⁸“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.

·         This is a person who is trying to live a holy life or one that is set apart for God. He wants to be pure and cleansed before God, both outwardly and inwardly. He is will to have a catharsis placed upon him by the Father. He longs not for the pain of the purging but for what the purging will do to draw him closer. He knows that God wants his heart, his motives and thoughts to be His alone. Rom. 12:1-2

·         These are those who are promised that they shall see God. Remember what happened to Moses when he saw just the backside of God?  Exodus 33:20 The Bible makes it clear that without His holiness we will not see God. Hebrews 12:14 One day we will see Him in all of His glory. I John 3:2-3

·         Look at these three life changing verses.

Proverbs 4:23 ( ESV )

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²³ Keep your heart with all vigilance, for from it flow the springs of life.

Psalms 51:6-7 ( ESV )

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⁶ Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

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⁷ Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Matthew 5:9 ( ESV )

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⁹“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons^£ of God.

·         We are told in the scriptures that the Lord is Peace. This is who He is. He is the one God of peace who has reconciled us who were at war with Him and now calls us sons of God. This is the power of the cross and the resurrection.

·         This God who offers us peace wants us to be known by this same characteristic to all of mankind, even our enemies.  Matthew 5:43-45 We should seek to love our enemies and be a people who do not provoke others. We are to try to pursue peace with all men in Hebrews 12:14. Are you known as a peacemaker or one who loves to stir up the pot? How can we who once were enemies with God, and who are now His children, not show peace to those who hate us?

GOD WILL BLESS THE POOR, MOURNFUL, MEEK MAN!

Matthew 5:3 ( ESV )

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³“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

·         The word picture for poor here is that of a beggar who is ashamed to look up. He is a person who sees himself as one who is spiritually bankrupt and hungers for the things of God. He knows who he is in comparison to the God that he comes before and like Isaiah of old says, “Woe is me for I am undone.” This is the man to whom the Lord is drawn to. Look at these words also from the book of Isaiah 66:2, “But this is the one to whom I will look: he who is humble and contrite in spirit and trembles at my word.”

·         As I read this passage I am also reminded of the deep contrast of that day between the Pharisee and the Tax Collector in Luke 18:9-14. This teaching flew in the faces of the Pharisees and the false teachers of the day. Even now as we see the day of Christ approaching we see how this seems so strange to the world and its standards today. II Timothy 3:2

·         One of the first things that happens to a man when he comes to salvation is that of true humility. For the first time we truly see ourselves for who we are and that we cannot obtain salvation through anything that we do. In the words of my brothers from Haiti, “We bow our knee to the ground.” We come to a point where we know that I will never be good enough and that we are corrupt and only the blood of Jesus can forgive us of our sins.

Matthew 5:4 ( ESV )

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⁴“Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

·         I like the old Arab proverb that says the following thing, “All sunshine makes a desert.” Does this verse mean that Jesus wants us to be an unhappy people? No!! There are two possible thoughts that maybe true about those who mourn and I believe that in the context of the passage both fit. 1. These are those who are persecuted for their faith and are weeping over what is happening. 2. They are weeping over how their sin has affected their God as well as others. This does not mean that God is pleased when we just emotionally weep over our sin. (Keep in mind what it says about an Esau type of remorse.) but, we are emotionally broken over our sin and repentance flows from our hearts. A good cross reference at this point would be that of David in Psalms 51.

·         Note that it says, “they shall be comforted.” This does not mean that we will immediately be comforted but we shall be.

·         How are we comforted?  One, while we are here on earth we maybe comforted by fellow believers and most importantly of all by the Holy Spirit Himself who is called the Comforter.(   This has been so true at so many times in our walk. A brother’s word of encouragement or the Spirit’s comfort has brought so much joy at just the right moment.) Secondly, I believe that true comfort will come to all believers when they reach their heavenly home. All tears will finally be wiped away. No more sorrow, death or pain will ever touch us again.

Matthew 5:5 ( ESV )

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⁵“Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

·         Who in the world are the Meek? Are these just people who lay down or what? The word meek was used for a wild horse that was broken is now reigned in by his master. He is still strong and powerful but his power is under the control of his master. These are the people who are Spirit controlled and practice self-control. It is not about me but rather others. I do not have to assert myself among those around me. How many leaders, pastors, employers and others truly live this lifestyle before the ones who are under their authority. Did not Jesus say that to those who would be great you must learn first of all to be a servant?

·         The above is not the way of the world. Think about how the world tells us how we are to dominate others and to make ourselves known. Yet, this was a mark of Jesus life in that He was known for His gentleness. Matt. 21:4-5 Moses was known for his kindness to others in Numbers 12:3. A meek person will always be looking out for others rather than what they can get out of someone.

·         Man has always gained ground through violence and warfare, through domination and cruelty. The wild part is that the believer who is meek will eventually inherit the earth. They will also accordingly to Ps. 37:11 find an abundance of peace.

The Sermon

 Introduction and setting.

     What we will now be studying will be what is called, “The Sermon on the Mount.” It is one of Jesus longest sermons and is found in Matthew 5-7 as well as in Luke 6. There are many ideas about the passage but I like how Warren Weirsbe says it, “The sermon on the Mount according to Matthew 5:20 is about true righteousness . The Pharisees taught righteousness as an external thing, yet, Jesus taught it as something that flows from a believer from within him and then outwardly.”

     MacArthur, “Jesus talks about the Law and a potent assault on how many Pharisees used it legalistically. While Jesus on the other hand was calling men to true faith and salvation.” Some key thoughts about the passage before us. 1. Jesus through this passage makes it clear to us that we cannot keep the Law. 2. The Law itself, like James  brings up is to point us to our need of a savior, not how we can be saved by keeping it. 3. True righteousness is a gift from God and not something that we have on our own merit. 4. Our greater need is not just outward cleansing but an inward work by God alone.

Matthew 5:1 ( ESV )

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¹Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

·         These may have been some of the crowds that we were told about in Matthew 4:25 that had come from all over Israel and other places to hear Him.

·         Mountain-Probably near the area of Capernaum.

·         Sat down-I love how the passage deals with how the King of the Universe humbly sat down with the rest of the crowd. This was the normal posture for rabbis of their day. They would stand when reading the scripture and sit when teaching the Word of God.

Matthew 5:2 ( ESV )

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²And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

·         These are His words and they are to have as much authority as that of the O.T. Law. Why? Standing before the crowd that day was the very fulfillment of the Law.

Notes on the Beatitudes:

     The parallel passage to this is found in Luke 6:20-26. The order is different and Luke does not include the Meek in verse 5, the Merciful in verse 7, the Pure in heart in verse 8 and the Peacemaker in verse 9. The Matthew passage though does not include the words of Luke 6:24-26 which are the WOES.

     Some patterns unfold through the Matthew passage that we want to take a quick look at before we go any further.

1.       Each verse starts with the word BLESSED through verse 11. This seems to be the key thought throughout these verses. What does it mean to be Blessed? The word is Makarios in the Greek and it has the idea of one who is happy, fortunate or best: Blissful. Yet, it is more than an emotional state of mind.  It has the idea of to be contented and right with God. The idea is that when we are blessed we find our contentment in Jesus alone.

2.       Each verse also describes a certain characteristic that is to be blessed. (Ex: The poor, those who mourn, the meek  and so forth.)

3.       Each verse except for verses 11-12 (which is still one thought) tells us about how these characteristics will be rewarded.

Keep these things in mind as we prepare to look at the Beatitudes in the days to come.