Matthew 5:17-20

Jesus has already challenged the comfort level of those who hear Him.  He has described truly happy people in a way that denies the common thinking on the subject (5:1-12).  To the Jews, and even to today’s Christian, He has questioned the tendency for self-centeredness, laying out their responsibility to be world-oriented in their lives (5:13-16).  Today’s reading prepares the way for an even greater challenge to our assumptions about how good we are (5:21-48).

First let us speak to the teaching of each verse and then to the application.

v17: Jesus refers to what we call the Old Testament.  It was the Jewish Scriptures.  Jesus, of course, was born a Jew and lived under the Old Testament.  To fulfill has the idea of accomplishing the intent of the Scriptures, to complete them.  Jesus would do this in His own earthly life by His obedience to them, all the way to the cross.  Only in that way would He be the end of the law for righteousness (Rom.10:4).

v18: The emphasis is added that all must be fulfilled.  The Messiah was to be known for His suffering (Psalm 22), His service (Psalm 23), and His reign (Psalm 24).  Jesus’ fulfillment required not just obedience in His death but obedience every step of the way up to the cross.  Jesus’ fulfillment required His care for His sheep, even during this time that He is in heaven.  That is why He sent the Holy Spirit (John 14:15-18).  Jesus’ fulfillment requires even yet His second coming when He will reign in His earthly kingdom.  HE will fulfill all.  A jot refers to a small Hebrew letter; a tittle refers to a tiny marking in Hebrew.

v19: Again He makes clear that all the Old Testament is valid and must be followed.  This is the requirement He will fulfill.  He wants His audience to understand as well that this is their requirement.  As the Apostle Paul would later make clear (Rom. 2:13), so Jesus does here: if you are to be in His Kingdom you must not even break the smallest commandment.

v20: The concern is with your righteousness.  Just how good do I have to be to enter and live in His kingdom?  Jesus here challenges the thought of the average Jew in His day.  If anyone was going to get into the Kingdom it was assumed it would be those experts in the Law, the scribes (who copied and taught the Law) and the Pharisees (who interpreted and taught the Law).  But Jesus makes it clear: that is not good enough.  Your righteousness must exceed that of the experts, a troubling thought for the people of His day.

To think about:  2 thoughts emerge from this passage.  First, the demand is high, higher than we normally think.  To be better than others, better than the preacher, better than most religious people, is not enough.  Jesus will not allow for the breaking of commandments we even consider insignificant.  Second, He, Jesus, has lived out this perfection.  He has fulfilled the demands of the Old Testament.  To enter His Kingdom demands that we accept our own imperfection and that we trust His work of perfection (Rom. 5:8).