Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 20

 Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

Matthew 5:20 “For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed [the righteousness] of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.”

Except your righteousness … exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees”: On the one hand, Jesus was calling His disciples to a deeper, more radical holiness than that of the Pharisees. Pharisaism had a tendency to soften the law’s demands by focusing only on external obedience. Note their self-righteousness in Mat. 12:22-30; 15:1-14; 16:12; 23:1-33; Luke 11:39-54; 18:9-14; Rom. 10:1-3; Gal. 1:14; 2:14; Phlp. 3:2-6.

In the verses that follow, Jesus unpacks the full moral significance of the law, and shows that the righteousness the law calls for actually involves an internal conformity to the spirit of the law, rather than mere external compliance to the letter.

shall in no... On the other hand, this sets up an impossible barrier to works salvation. Scripture teaches repeatedly that sinners are capable of nothing but a flawed and imperfect righteousness (Isa. 64:6). Therefore, the only righteousness by which sinners may be justified is the prefect righteousness of God that is imputed to those who believe (Rom. 4:5).

Because of the necessity of righteousness should exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees they could not enter heaven. The significance of this is seen in the fact that the Jews of Jesus’ day considered these people to be the most religious in all Israel. However, their religion was largely an outward show of self-righteousness.

In communicating the depth of His message, Jesus used a series of contrasts between the outward behavior demanded by the law and the inner attitude of the heart desired by God. Here we discover the practical application of genuine Christian character to true spiritual living.

Here is the Law in the first column (O.T.) and the Spirit in the second column (N.T.):

1. No murder, No anger

2. No adultery, No lust

3. No divorce, Commitment

4. No oath taking, Speak the truth

5. No retaliation, Forgiveness

6. Hatred for your enemy, Love for your enemy

Having a form of religion is not what God wants, He wants our hearts. The scribes and Pharisees were well known for keeping the law but God was not pleased with them. They had only a surface belief, a literal religion, not a spiritual belief.

There will be people who never miss a Sunday going to church, who won’t make it to heaven. They have a form of religion, but deny the power thereof as it tells us in (2Tim. Chapter 3). The walk with God that is pleasing to Him is the Spirit walk, being totally submitted to the will of God. To have the righteousness of Christ, it has to be seven days a week and everywhere, not just at church.

They that worship God must worship Him in spirit and in Truth. Some who stand before Jesus to be judged will say: I cast out demons for you, I prayed for the sick for you, I did all these mighty things for you, and Jesus will say that He never knew them. He had their outward worship, but He didn’t have their hearts. If it is a chore for you to go to church, please examine yourself. Church should be a joy; and something we look forward to, not a bother.

The righteousness they were currently seeking - that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the Law - was insufficient for entrance into the kingdom Jesus was offering. The righteousness He demanded was not merely external; it was a true inner righteousness based on faith in God’s Word (Rom. 3:21-22). This is clear from what follows.

Book of Hosea Chapter 2 Vs. 17

 The Lord's Mercy on Israel

For I will take away the names of Baalim out of her mouth, and they shall no more be remembered by their name. Hos. 2:17

For I will... God's stipulation was that she should abide with him for many days. This was to be a time of testing, with the assurance that, if she were penitent and faithful, she would be perfectly restored.

(In verse 13), Israel forgot her true God; God said she would forget her false gods. What the outward conformity to the Mosaic Covenant could not do, God does through a new, regenerated heart in the New Covenant for Israel now (Jer. 31:31-34; Zec. 13:1-2).

Just as God discredited the false gods of Egypt, He takes the names of her false gods away here and will remember them no more. She will have totally forgotten them.

and they shall... Therefore God will prohibit its use, and Israel will no longer use the names of the Baals (cf. the pl. “Baals” in Hos. 2:13; Hos. 11:2).

However, the word ba‛al would be a reminder of Israel’s former Baal worship. Therefore God will prohibit its use, and Israel will no longer use the names of the Baals (cf. the pl. “Baals” in Hos. 2:13; 11:2).

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 19

 Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

Matthew 5:19 “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach [them], the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”

these least commandments,... The laws and commandments of the new covenant are just as binding as those in the old covenant (Jas. 2:10). There are over 1,050 commands in the new covenant, plus many other teachings not expressed in the form of commands.

shall be called... The consequence of practicing or teaching disobedience of any of God’s Word is to be called least in the kingdom of heaven. Determining rank in the kingdom of heaven is entirely God’s prerogative (Mat. 20:23), and Jesus declares that He will hold those in lowest esteem who hold His Word in low esteem.

great in the... Greater in position and privileges in the fullness of the gospel than was John’s position under law in introducing the Messiah who was to bring the fullness of blessing and grace to men (John 1:16-17). John could only have a measure of the Spirit (John 1:15-17; Mat. 3:14), but now the least believer can have the fullness (John 7:37-39; 14:12-15; Luke 24:49; Acts 1:4-8; 2:38-39; 5:32; Eph. 3:19). Men could only have certain gifts of the Spirit in Old Testament days. Now the least believer may have them all (Mark 16:15-20; John 14:12-15; 1Cor. 12:1-31). Many other blessings the gospel promises now which could not have been given anyone before Christ (2Cor. 3:6-15; Heb. 8:6; 1Pet. 1:10-12).

kingdom of heaven... kingdom of heaven is at hand, Literally, kingdom from the heavens. It is headed by Jesus Christ for the purpose of re-establishing the kingdom of God over this rebellious part of God’s realm. Only found in Matthew because it is the gospel of Jehovah’s King. It is a dispensational term and refers to Messiah’s kingdom on earth. Offered by both John and Jesus (Mat. 3:2; 4:17; 10:7). Because it was rejected, it was postponed until Christ comes to set up the kingdom (Mat. 11:12, 11:20-24; 27:22-25; Luke 19:11-27; Acts 1:6-7; 3:19-26). It is now the realm of profession (Mat. 13:11-17, 13:30, 13:38-43, 13:47-50). The parables of the kingdom apply to this age. At the end Christ will come and set up a literal earthly kingdom forever (Mat. 25:31-46; Rev. 11:15; 19:11-20:10; Zec. 14:1-21; Isa. 9:6-7; Dan. 2:44-45; 7:13-27; Luke 1:32-33). During the first 1,000 years of His eternal reign He will put down all rebellion and rid the earth of all rebels. Then God will become "all in all" as before rebellion (Rev. 20:1-10; 21:1-22:5; 1Cor. 15:24-28; Eph. 1:10). Anything said of the kingdom of heaven can also be said of the kingdom of God, because the former is only the earthly dispensational aspect of the latter. There are many things said of the kingdom of God, however, which cannot be said of the kingdom of heaven (see, Mat. 19:24). For of such is the kingdom of heaven, Children under the age of accountability are saved (Mat. 18:1-10; 19:14). Exact accountable age is not known.

Because of the seriousness of the law, Jesus emphasizes the importance of keeping even its smallest details. However, in the ultimate plan of God, the law was not to become an extra burden on the souls of men. Rather than pointing the way to salvation, the law convinced men of the need of the Savior.

Therefore again, whoever shall teach men so but shall not live what he teaches, he shall be made “least in the kingdom of heaven. But whosoever shall do and teach” the principles and precepts of the law shall be called “great in the kingdom of heaven.” This simply means that God will reward the faithfulness and effectiveness of our lives, and there will be varying degrees of blessing and reward in the kingdom.

There is no impunity for believers who disobey, discredit, or belittle God’s law. That Jesus does not refer to loss of salvation is clear from the fact that, though offenders will be called least, they will still be in the kingdom of heaven. The positive result is that whoever keeps and teaches God’s Word, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Here again Jesus mentions the two aspects of doing and teaching. Kingdom citizens are to uphold every part of God’s law both in their living and in their teaching.

Let Christ live in you. Let Jesus take total control, and then you won’t make any mistakes. It is an awesome responsibility to be forming young lives. We must not only teach them of God’s love, but also His judgment.

Jesus said He would fulfill the Law by obeying it perfectly and would fulfill the prophets’ predictions of the Messiah and His kingdom. But the responsibility of the people was made clear, as we see above.

Book 0f Hosea Chapter 2 Vs. 16

 The Lord's Mercy on Israel

And it shall be at that day, saith the LORD, that thou shalt call me Ishi; and shalt call me no more Baali. Hos. 2:16

call me Ishi... Ishi—my husband.

no more Baali... Baali—my Lord.

In Hebrew, the word husband can be translated using two words, one that means “My Husband” (denoting affection and intimacy), and one that means My Master (literally, “my Baal”), speaking of rulership. God was once again urging His people to worship Him for who He is and not to be ruled by false gods.

The fact that she is to call Him Ishi, indicates that she is recognizing Him as her husband. She had acted like the false gods were her husband before. This will be no more. She is the wife of God.

Renewed marriage

In that day, when Israel is restored to the land, she will acknowledge the Lord as her husband. She will address Him as ’ı̂šı̂, my Husband, rather than ba‛ ă̌li, my Master. These two Hebrew words are essentially synonymous. They are used interchangeably in 2Sam. 11:26, “Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband (’ı̂š) was dead, she mourned for her husband (ba‛al; NASB; cf. also Deut. 24:3-4). However, the word ba‛al would be a reminder of Israel’s former Baal worship.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 18

 Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

Matthew 5:18 “For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

verily I say... Is a unique form used by Jesus throughout His preaching to draw attention to the authority of His message. Verily; (Greek amen) means “truly” or “certainly.” It is used as a designation of authoritative teaching.

and earth pass... Greek: parerchomai, pass away, be changed, or pass from one condition to another. They will never pass out of existence, but they will be changed and purified by fire, becoming renewed again (Heb. 1:10-12; 12:25-29; 2Pet. 3:10-13; Rom. 8:21-24; Rev. 21:1). They remain forever (Ecc. 1:4; Psm. 72:17; 89:36-37; 104:5). They will pass away in the same sense old things pass away when one becomes a new creature in Christ (2Cor. 5:17-18).

jot or one... A "jot" is the smallest letter and a "tittle" the smallest ornament placed upon certain Hebrew letters. Every jot and tittle of the whole law or contract at Sinai was fulfilled, ended, and abolished in Christ and "done away" by Him when He made the new contract (2Cor. 3:6-15; Acts 15:5-29; Gal. 3:19-25; 4:21-31; 5:1-5, 5:18; Eph. 2:15; Col. 2:14-17; Heb. 7:11-28; 8:6-13; 9:1-22; 10:1-18; Rom. 10:4). “One jot or one tittle” refers to the most minute letter and marks of the Hebrew alphabet. He explained that even the smallest statement in the law must be fulfilled. A jot (yodh), is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet. It functions as a Y in English and looks similar to an apostrophe. A tittle is a small projection of the edge of certain Hebrew letters to distinguish them from one another.

Here Christ was affirming the utter inerrancy and absolute authority of the Old Testament as the Word of God, down to the smallest stroke or letter. Again this suggests that the New Testament should not be seen as supplanting and abrogating the Old Testament, but as fulfilling and explicating it.

For example, all the ceremonial requirements of the Mosaic law were fulfilled in Christ and are no longer to be observed by Christians (Col. 2:16-17). Yet not the smallest letter or stroke is thereby erased, the underlying truths of those Scriptures remain and in fact the mysteries behind them are now revealed in the brighter light of the gospel.

The law in the Old Testament, and in fact the Old Testament itself, is a type and shadow of Jesus Christ the Lamb of God. The Word of God never changes. God’s law (Old), is made more glorious in the (New).

The Old Testament constantly prophesied about Jesus coming to fulfill all prophecy. Jesus was the fulfillment. The law was not bad, just misunderstood. Jesus fulfilled the law and reconciled us to God the Father. Jesus was not, and is not, a destroyer; He is a builder.

Jesus’ fulfillment would extend to the smallest Hebrew letter, the “jot” (lit., yôd), and even to the smallest stroke of a Hebrew letter, the “tittle.” In English a jot would correspond to the dot above the letter “i” (and look like an apostrophe), and a tittle would be seen in the difference between a “P” and an “R”. The small angled line that completes the “R” is like a tittle. These things are important because letters make up words and even a slight change in a letter might change the meaning of a word. Jesus said He would fulfill the Law by obeying it perfectly and would fulfill the prophets’ predictions of the Messiah and His kingdom.

Book of Hosea Chapter 2 Vs. 15

 The Lord's Mercy on Israel

And I will give her her vineyards from thence, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope: and she shall sing there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt. Hos. 2:15

The valley of... (“Valley of Trouble”), was where Achan disobeyed God and kept the enemy’s plunder, resulting in great devastation for the Israelites (Joshua chapter 7). Yet God promised to turn this valley into “a door of hope” for His people. He does this for all His children who actively seek the hope He has provided (Rev. 3:20).

God's forgiveness is not just in words, He restores her vineyards again. He pours out His blessings on her again.

a door of... There is hope. Just as God was the hope of the family of Jacob in Egypt, He is the hope of the Israelite's here. Achor is not very far from the fertile land of Jericho. Achor is the entrance to that land. In Jericho today, the fruit and vegetables are far more than they need for themselves. It is so fruitful that they sell much of it. This is a prosperous area.

When the Lord leads Israel out of the desert back into the Promised Land, He will restore her vineyards. The words There I will give misinterpret the elliptical Hebrew text (which reads lit., “from there”) by implying that vineyards will grow in the wilderness where Israel had wandered. The agricultural prosperity envisioned here will be in Israel (cf. Hos. 2:22-23; Deut. 30:4-5, 30:9; Amos 9:13-15), not in the desert. When Israel enters the land she will again pass through the Valley of Achor (lit., “Valley of trouble”), the site of Achan’s heinous sin which jeopardized the success of the Conquest (Jos. 7:1-26). However, this time the valley will be a symbol of better things to come, a door of hope leading to repossession of the Promised Land (cf. Isa. 65:10). The effects of the trouble caused by Israel’s past unfaithfulness will have disappeared. Instead she will respond favorably to the Lord as in the days immediately after the Exodus (cf. Jer. 2:2). Admittedly this earlier period is idealized here, as even a cursory reading of the narratives in Exodus and Numbers reveals.

Gospel of Matthew Chapter 5 Vs. 17

 Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

Matthew 5:17 “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

Think not that... The 5th New Testament prophecy in Matthew (Mat. 5:17-19; Mat. 5:17-18 are fulfilled; Mat. 5:19 is being fulfilled). Next, Mat. 7:21. Jesus was neither giving a new law nor modifying the old, but rather explaining the true significance of the moral content of Moses’ law and the rest of the Old Testament.

Having laid the foundation of the message in the summary statements of the Beatitudes, Jesus now proceeds to show the superiority of His message to that of the Law of Moses. He makes it clear that He had “not … come to destroy the law.” That is, the New Testament gospel is not contradictory to the Old Testament Law; rather it is the ultimate fulfillment of the spiritual intention of the law.

Where the law had degenerated into legalism among the Pharisees, Jesus now takes the law beyond mere outward observance to the inner spiritual intention of God.

destroy the law... Finally two witnesses agreed that Jesus had once said, I am able to destroy the temple of God and rebuild it in three days. Jesus had said that approximately three years earlier at the outset of His ministry (John 2:19), referring not to the temple building, but to His body. It is interesting that this statement was here recalled soon before His crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus refused to answer any of the charges brought against Him because He was never officially charged with any crime. Destroy (pull down) as in Mat. 26:61.

or the prophets... First of 15 times Christ used this term (Mat. 5:17-18; 7:12; 11:13; 12:5; 22:40; 23:23; Luke 10:26; 16:16-17; 24:44; John 7:19-23; 8:17; 10:34; 15:25).

but to fulfil... Greek: pleroo, to satisfy, expire, and to end by fulfilling like other prophecies when fulfilled (Mat. 1:22; 2:15, 2:17, 2:23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35). This speaks of fulfillment in the same sense that prophecy is fulfilled. Christ was indicating that He is the fulfillment of the law in all its aspects. He fulfilled the moral law by keeping it perfectly. He fulfilled the ceremonial law by being the embodiment of everything the law’s types and symbols pointed to. And He fulfilled the judicial law by personifying God’s perfect justice (12:18, 20).

The Substance Of His Message

This section presents the heart of Jesus’ message, for it demonstrates His relationship to the Law of God. Jesus was not presenting a rival system to the Law of Moses and the words of the Prophets, but a true fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets - in contrast with the Pharisees’ traditions. “The Law and the Prophets” refer to the entire Old Testament (cf. Mat. 7:12; 11:13; 22:40; Luke 16:16; Acts 13:15; 24:14; 28:23; Rom. 3:21). I tell you the truth is literally, “Surely (or Verily, KJV) I say to you.” “Surely” renders the word “Amen” (Gr. amēn, transliterated from the Heb. 'āman, “to be firm, true”). This expression, “I tell you the truth,” points to a solemn declaration that the hearers should note. It occurs 31 times in Matthew alone. (In the Gospel of John this Gr. word always occurs twice: “Amen, Amen.” Cf. see John 1:51.)