Mt. 5:17- “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.”

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Literally, “do not begin to think”- Why would they? (because His teaching-4:23- had already been with an unusual authority? Had He already raised questions in their minds by healing on the Sabbath, etc.?)

 

“I have come”- from where?!

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“not…to abolish them (the Law and the Prophets) but to fulfill them”

Note: “the Law and the Prophets” = the entire Old Testament, particularly as it points to Jesus.

 

abolish  = dismantle, repeal, dissolve, destroy by separating into pieces

fulfill  = enforce, confirm, fill a vessel full to its rightful measure

 

How should we understand this teaching by Jesus in relation to the following passages?

 

abolish:

Eph. 2:14-15 Jesus abolished the Law

Gal.3:23-25 now we are no longer under the supervision of the law

Rom.6:14-15 now not under law but under grace

Rom.10:4 Christ is the end of the law

Hebrews- the message of all of it!

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fulfill:

Rom.13:8-10 "love is the fulfillment of the law" (this explains Jer. 31:33 and Ezek. 36:27; also see Gal.5:14, Mt.7:12, Lk. 18:31, Lk. 24:44-49, and Mt.22:40)

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Conclusion: Jesus was clarifying here that His earthly ministry, atoning death, resurrection victory over death, ascension, and sending of the indwelling Spirit, involved not an abolishing of the Law and the Prophets, but rather a fulfilling of all to which the Law and Prophets were pointing. (The other passages cited make clear, however, that the early Christians did understand that Jesus’ death had the ultimate effect of abolishing the Old Covenant form of the Law and its demands. The final end of the Old Covenant form of the Law would take place with the destruction of the Temple in 70 AD.)

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Mt.5:18- “For 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.”

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“Truly I tell you”- a solemn declaration of utter, authoritative truth

Note that this statement has two subordinate “until” clauses!- “until heaven and earth disappear” and “until everything is accomplished”

Note also that the focus is now on the detailed rules of the Law, not “the Law and the Prophets”.

 

“until” – suggests an ending point, when these details of the Law will disappear!

 

“until heaven and earth disappear”- See also Mt.24:34-35 “heaven and earth will pass away”.

 

Question: In what sense can heaven disappear/pass away?!

It seems that “heaven and earth disappear” here refers to the destruction of the earthly Temple in 70 AD, bringing the formal end of the Old Covenant, and allowing the new structure of reality which had been established by Jesus to be fully revealed. This new structure of reality includes:

 

• The death of Jesus has fulfilled and replaced all the Old Covenant animal deaths (Heb.8-10).

• We can now come to God directly through Jesus, rather than by a human priest. (Heb. 4-8)

• The Creation has been cleansed (Acts 10:15).

• The wall between Jews and Gentiles has been broken down (cf. Eph. 2:14).

• The indwelling Holy Spirit assures, teaches, convicts, guides, reminds. The life and  authority of King Jesus continues to be lived out through His Spirit at work in us.

• God would destroy the Temple, ending the Old Covenant form of “heaven and earth”.

 

There are other related passages with similar language:

 

1Cor. 7:29-31- “this world in its present form is passing away…the time is short”

 

Hebrews-

• Heb.7:12- “when there is a change of the priesthood, there must also be a change of the law”

• Heb.8:13-9:10- written while the Temple is still standing; the Old Covenant “is obsolete and aging” and “will soon disappear” >”as long as the first tabernacle was still standing”, “external regulations applying until the time of the new order”.

• Heb.12:12:18-24, 26-27 we “have come to Mt. Zion, to the heavenly Jerusalem”…”I will shake not only the earth but also the heavens” > ”the removing of what can be shaken that is, created things- so that what cannot be shaken may remain”   

 

1 & 2 Peter-

• 1 Peter 4:7- “the end of all things is near” (lit., has come near)

• 1 Peter 4:17- “it is time for judgment to begin with the house/family of God”>

• 2 Peter 3:1-13 (see attachment)

 

Jer. 4:23-28 figuratively talks of the heavens and earth in this sense in regard to the destruction of the earlier Temple and Jerusalem previously by the Babylonians

Also, Josephus’ Antiquities of the Jews, as quoted by Philo, points to the Jewish understanding of the Temple worship and all its ‘elements’ as symbolically representing the universe.

 

Conclusion: “heaven and earth” should be understood relationally- whereby “heaven” refers to relating to God in the Old Testament period through the atoning sacrifice of animals’ at a tabernacle/ Temple; “earth” refers to the changed relationships between Jews and non-Jews, brought by Jesus, whereby the wall the wall of separation between Israel/Jews and Gentiles/non-Jews has been removed, and both groups can join in becoming one family of God.

 

Mt.5:19– “Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.” 

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“sets aside… and teaches others to do the same…practices and teaches these commands”- this introduces the theme for the remainder of the Sermon on the Mount, in which Jesus will critique the actions and teachings of their religious leaders, and instruct his followers on life as God’s children and citizens of His kingdom.

 

Mt.5:20- “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.”

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“unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law” –How can this be so?

• not a self-righteousness but humbly throwing oneself on the mercy of God and receiving a righteousness from God;

• being more faithful than them to fully live out the radical “Love” dimensions of the whole Law, rather than diminishing the force of some, distorting the meaning of some, ignoring some, and adding to the Law at other points to make it unduly burdensome. The remainder of the Sermon on the Mount will illustrate this.

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