Jesus Gives Understanding of God’s Laws
Matthew 5:17-20
May 5, 2019 AM
Pastor Craig Ledbetter
Bible Baptist Church, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland
I. Introduction (Matthew 5:17-20)
A. Matthew 5,6,7 are a summary of the truths about two big kingdoms: the Kingdom of God and the Kingdom of heaven
1. The Kingdom of God is how we live Christians now – with heaven in the heart
2. The Kingdom of heaven is what’s coming soon – heaven literally on earth when Jesus returns
3. This may not mean much to most people, but to those of us with our eyes open, we know what we have already entered into (a great Kingdom, the Kingdom of God), and we look forward to it only getting better when the Kingdom of heaven comes!
a. Because you can only enter into the Kingdom of Heaven on earth by getting into the Kingdom of God!
b. More about that another time
B. Jesus is about to spend quite a bit of time teaching about how to live in God’s Kingdom
1. By obeying Kingdom Laws, not just suggestions or ideas, but commandments
2. By living by every word that has proceeded out of the mouth of God
3. That includes obeying and living by God’s laws from start to finish
C. To too many people, God’s “laws” are something to try and get rid of
D. People wanted and still want to just live by their own righteousness
E. But anyone who ever takes the time to learn the Law of Moses, and actually study it, will sit in awe of it, and seek to obey it. Because it IS awesome! Because it is RIGHT!
II. Background
A. Jesus was preparing His audience for what He was about to teach – which was going to cover a lot of things!
1. The next few chapters would easily sound like Jesus was saying the Law of God was flawed, and that HE had a better set of laws
2. Which was not the case
B. And he Taught from the Laws of God
1. Not His own words, but what GOD had said about things
2. People even today think Jesus came to replace the Laws of God with a nicer, gentler, more loving kind of set of rules to live by instead of a strict set of laws and expectations
3. But, Jesus didn’t replace the law. He actually took the time to expand our understanding of the law – which was what the Pharisees never did
C. Wrong Beliefs About God’s Laws
1. “They can’t be perfectly obeyed, so why try?”
2. “They are outdated – like instructions for cavemen”
3. “They are only for Israel, and not us 21st century Europeans” (only partly true)
4. “They are only a list of Do’s and Don’ts”
D. The Laws that Moses gave to the world is very important, still to this day!
1. It is the foundation of everything in our lives
a. Nothing works without rules and laws that govern how things work
b. Without LAWS, society breaks completely down
1) Just take a look at downtown Cork or Dublin after 10pm Friday night
2) Without Laws, the world becomes like Gen 6:5,11,12; Judges 21:25
c. Without Laws, and RULES, the FAMILY falls apart
1) Adultery
2) Abortion
3) Disrespect, anger, hatred, violence
4) Multiple wives, husbands
5) Children growing up not knowing who their father is
6) Loads of step-brothers and half sisters
7) Two Mommies, Two Daddies
8) WE NEED GOD’S LAWS in our homes again
d. Without stable, right LAWS, mental health falls apart – no one can live in and process CHAOS
e. Traffic won’t work without laws
f. Electronics won’t work without strict laws of physics
g. Without WRITTEN LAWS, every government becomes the enemy of the people – must be CHAINED to LAWS or rlse the leaders take advantage of their powers
h. Without Laws, the entire universe would fall apart! Seriously
i. And CHRISTIANS do not live well without expectations and laws and limits
j. THANK GOD for His LAWS
2. They are NOT just for Jews, or for people living during the times of the Old Testament. They are for everybody, every society, every family
3. Jesus said He as the Messiah had not come to destroy the OT Law, and overrule the Prophets, but to fulfil every single requirement and expectation – all of its demands - for all mankind. THAT’S GOOD NEWS!
a. All of the Old Testament Scriptures must be fulfilled by you, or by Someone in your place
b. And God is not just asking us to obey just the things we are capable of doing – which is very little
c. But ALL of it, PERFECTLY, CONSISTANTLY
4. The law of God is still valid for everyone, unless they get born again
5. What good are they to the lost? It is designed to drive a sinner to desperate saving faith in Jesus Christ
6. Even breaking the least commandment is bad
a. As if we can find a least commandment on a scale
b. James says if you break ONE commandment, it is as if you have broken them ALL at the same time. Jas 2:10 For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all.
c. The statement reveals how WE see God’s laws – some more important and some LESS
E. Seven Facts About God’s Laws
1. The Law of God is Perfect (Psalm 19:7)
a. Some people in that crowd worried about Jesus trying to destroy or replace the law
1) People try all the time
2) Come up with their own rules to live by thinking they can do better
3) EXAMPLE: young teenage boy despising his parents rules and restrictions and expectations, deciding to leave home and go join the army!!!
b. Some actually wanted Jesus to destroy the law (Matthew 23:1-5)
1) Hated living up to it
2) Hated the fact that the Pharisees were abusing their power
a) Mat 23:1 Then spake Jesus to the multitude, and to his disciples,
b) Mat 23:2 Saying, The scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat:
c) Mat 23:3 All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do; but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not.
d) Mat 23:4 For they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on men's shoulders; but they themselves will not move them with one of their fingers.
e) Mat 23:5 But all their works they do for to be seen of men: they make broad their phylacteries, and enlarge the borders of their garments,
3) Would have loved for Jesus to come along and offer a better, new and improved, nicer, sweeter, more gentle set of rules and suggestions
c. But Jesus included every jot and tittle as being unchangeable – as being perfect
1) Psa 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
2) Ps 119:72 The law of thy mouth is better unto me than thousands of gold and silver.
3) Ps 119:127 Therefore I love thy commandments above gold; yea, above fine gold.
d. And by the way, Jesus included the entire Old Testament, the Law AND the Prophets in His teachings – not just the Law
e. So
1) The Old Testament is not flawed, or old, or in need of being replaced
2) The Laws are perfect as they are
3) But that does not mean they are well understood
4) That is why Jesus took the time to expand them, and explain them, and show what they were written for
2. The Law of God is Almost Eternal (Mt 5:18)
a. 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.
b. The commandments contained in Gen-Deut, are for all of time – they were not just for Israel in the Old Testament
c. God’s Law did not come from men – it was not just “the law of Moses…”
d. It came from the very mouth of GOD (Matthew 4:4)
e. It is in force today
f. Until it is completely fulfilled, accomplished
g. One day, all the prophecies, and all the Laws, and all the expectations of both God and man will be completed.
h. Until then, the Law of God is in force
3. The Law of God is Actually Three Groups of Laws
a. More than the Ten Commandments
b. Three categories of laws are described in the Bible
1) Civil laws
2) Moral laws
3) Ceremonial Laws
4) The main differences between them are in their purposes
c. A three types of laws are listed in Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy.
1) The civil laws deal mainly with relationships between individuals (civility, civilians), they tells us how to settle disputes and arguments, and they describe what is proper behaviour in society.
2) The ceremonial law deals with man’s relationship with God – how to approach an infinite, all holy God, and how to please Him, and worship Him.
a) All the ceremonies and regulations of the Levitical Laws were written to describe just how high above us, and holy God is compaired to us
b) The priesthood and the various sacrifices describe how the people of the Old Testament were cleansed of their sins.
c) Without the ceremonial laws, people would only think of God as a stone or wood image, or an idol, or just a “power”, but not as God really is!
3) The moral law tells all mankind what is absolutely right and what is absolutely wrong.
a) It is based on unchanging the character of God and extends from the Old into the New Testament.
b) Therefore, just as it was wrong to lie in the Old Testament, it is still wrong to lie in the New Testament.
d. All the expectations of all three categories of Laws were fulfilled by Jesus!
1) Jesus fulfilled every civil law by loving and serving everyone around Him, to His own hurt and loss!
2) Jesus fulfilled every ceremonial law as both the High Priest, AND the Sacrificial Lamb of God in the place of sinners.
3) Jesus kept every moral law to the extreme.
4. The Law of God is the Standard (Deut 17:18-20)
a. For proper civil government
b. For worship – we learn just how holy God is through the Book of Leviticus
c. For morality
d. Rom 7:7 What shall we say then? Is the law sin? God forbid. Nay, I had not known sin, but by the law: for I had not known lust, except the law had said, Thou shalt not covet.
e. Deu 31:12 Gather the people together, men, and women, and children, and thy stranger that is within thy gates, that they may hear, and that they may learn, and fear the LORD your God, and observe to do all the words of this law.
f. Next time someone says, “I’m a good person!” Ask them, “By what standard?”
g. By their own standard?
1) Wrong.
2) You CANNOT drive a car by your own rules, and you cannot just try and LIVE by your own rules either!
h. One of the categories of Law has been put away now and is no longer necessary - the ceremonial laws that required people to become a Jew to properly worship God
i. The rest are in force
5. The Law of God is Already Written in Our Conscience (Romans 2:14,15)
a. They are not in here exactly, but generally
1) We ALL know it is wrong to steal
2) To take another man’s wife
3) To kill another human being
4) To blaspheme God
5) To disobey our parents
6) And so on
b. Rom 2:14,15 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves: Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and their thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another
c. We know some things are right and wrong
d. But we ALSO know in our heart of hearts, that there is a higher law, and are afraid to discover that we have been wrong
e. OUR vague ideas of what is right and wrong will always be changed to fit our deamnds
f. So, Until a man or woman submits to a higher law, they are dangerous
6. Living by God’s Laws Bring God’s Blessings (Joshua 1:8)
a. Psalm 1:1-3
b. Psalm 128:1-4 Blessed is every one that feareth the LORD; that walketh in his ways. For thou shalt eat the labour of thine hands: happy shalt thou be, and it shall be well with thee. Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.
c. That’s why we as Christians do the things contained in God’s Law
1) Like, Tithe – God opens the windows of heaven
2) Like, Assemble together as a congregation as often as possible
3) Like, keep our promises
4) Like, stay married
5) Like, keep our hands off of other people’s property
6) Like, dress modestly, godly
7) Like pay right wages, and pay on time
8) These are some of the LAWS of the Old Testament that SHOULD be obeyed still today!
7. But the Law of God is NOT Our Righteousness
a. It is imperative that all mankind live by the laws of God
1) I have tried to show that God’s Laws are right, and unchanging
2) They are the foundation of all GOOD laws in every nation
3) They are the best way for a family, church, society to live and thrive
b. But at the same time, it is impossible that anyone could ever totally obey and fulfil the entire law of God
c. So, The law is more than just external acts of righteousness
1) It is a Mirror, and X-Ray of the heart
2) Shows us what is the right thing to do, and honours us when we do it, but also exposes us when we fail to do it
3) It shows us usually failing
d. We need a greater righteousness than what the best of the best Pharisees could ever attain
1) Mat 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.
2) Php 3:3-9 For we are the circumcision, which worship God in the spirit, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, and have no confidence in the flesh.
3) Though I might also have confidence in the flesh. If any other man thinketh that he hath whereof he might trust in the flesh, I more:
a) Circumcised the eighth day, of the stock of Israel, of the tribe of Benjamin, an Hebrew of the Hebrews
b) As touching the law, a Pharisee;
c) Concerning zeal, persecuting the church
d) Touching the righteousness which is in the law, blameless.
4) But what things were gain to me, those I counted loss [DUMPED THEM ALL] for Christ.
5) Yea doubtless, and I count all things but loss for the excellency of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord: for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and do count them but dung, that I may win Christ,
6) And be found in him, not having mine own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is through the faith of Christ, the righteousness which is of God by faith:
III. Message – So What Do We Do With God’s Laws?
A. Respect Them (Psalm 119:4-6)
1. Psa 119:4 Thou hast commanded us to keep thy precepts diligently.
2. Psa 119:5 O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!
3. Psa 119:6 Then shall I not be ashamed, when I have respect unto all thy commandments.
4. It means to prize them, value them above everything else
a. Psalm 119:97 O how love I thy law! it is my meditation all the day.
b. Psa 1:2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.
5. You do not attemnpt to change what you respect and value!
6. So, Don’t be the fool who thinks they can do better than God
a. Constantly replacing and destroying God’s commandments with your own
b. Thinking GRACE has replaced LAWS
c. No. Grace just makes up for our inability to keep the laws
d. But the laws of God are still good, and necessary
B. Learn Them – Study Them
1. Psalm 119:7 I will praise thee with uprightness of heart, when I shall have learned thy righteous judgments.
2. Pslam 119:12 Blessed art thou, O LORD: teach me thy statutes.
3. Ps 119:18 Open thou mine eyes, that I may behold wondrous things out of thy law.
4. Ps 119:34 Give me understanding, and I shall keep thy law; yea, I shall observe it with my whole heart.
C. Rightly Divide Them
1. Rom 15:4 For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope.
2. 2Ti 2:15 Study to shew thyself approved unto God, a workman that needeth not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.
3. Some are NOT to be obeyed, obviously
a. No Temple worship now
b. No lambs, or turtle dove sacrifices
c. No priests
d. No altars
D. Obey Them
1. What Jesus is about to teach is not to be debated and ignored, but obeyed
2. What jesus is about to teach is THE LAW of God, just better explained
E. Keep Your Attention on the Author of Them
1. The Pharisees just focused their attention on the details of the Laws, but never knew the Author
2. And they never learned the intent of the laws
3. Only wanted to be self-righteous, not obtain God’s righteousness
4. Rom 10:1 Brethren, my heart's desire and prayer to God for Israel is, that they might be saved.
5. Rom 10:2 For I bear them record that they have a zeal of God, but not according to knowledge.
6. Rom 10:3 For they being ignorant of God's righteousness, and going about to establish their own righteousness, have not submitted themselves unto the righteousness of God.
7. Rom 10:4 For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.
F. Love Them
1. This is not automatic
2. You have to choose to love them
3. But to love them is the best
G. But Do Not EVER Rely ON Them
1. Trust not your keeping of any commandment
2. But only trust Christ’s keeping of all the commandments for you
3. Only then will you have the fruit of perfect righteousness – eternal life!
IV.Conclusion
A. Once people understood that jesus was NOT destroying or replacing the Laws of God, he could then take the time to expound, and expand people’s understanding of those Laws
1. Show that they were intended to be understood and obeyed far greater than what people saw on the surface
2. Like understanding the CAUSE of murder, and hatred and anger
3. Like understanding where adultery BEGINS
4. Like understanding and handling divorce as Christ-followers
5. And how to pray, and give, and love
6. And so much more
B. How is YOUR own righteousness?
1. If you judge yourself by your own rules, you probably are doing GREAT
2. But one day YOU will stand before God, who never changes, and you will be judged by this Book!
3. And you will need better righteousnesses than the Pharisees ever thought they had