Matthew 5:17
Memory Verse
Do not think that I have come to loose the law or the prophets. I have not come to loose, but to fulfill. (Matthew 5:17).
Jesus was born under the Mosaic law and fully abided by it (Luke 2:21). As we now enter the area of the Sermon on the Mount, where Jesus lays down the laws of His kingdom, He clarifies that His purpose is not to set aside the law. Instead, He will fulfill both the law and the prophets.
As the Messiah establishes the law of His kingdom, He emphasizes that not one jot or tittle will be removed from the law until all is fulfilled (Matthew 5:18). The “jot” refers to the Greek “iota,” corresponding to the Hebrew “yod,” the smallest letter in their respective alphabets. Although small, changing or removing a yod would significantly impact the meaning of a Hebrew word. A “tittle” refers to the small hooks on Hebrew letters that differentiate them. In English, the dot above the “i” and “j” serves as a tittle, while a “jot” is like the line in a “t,” distinguishing it from an “i.”
Therefore, anyone who releases even the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of the heavens (Matthew 5:19). Transgressing the law was a common practice among the Pharisees, who used their traditions to set aside the command to honor father and mother (Matthew 15:3–6; Mark 7:8–9).
Christ is the end of the law for all who believe (Romans 10:4). He fulfills the law and the prophets, bringing the law to its proper conclusion. For the covenant of law to be removed, the testator had to die (Hebrews 9:16–17), and through Christ’s death, those under the law were freed (Romans 7:4). For the Church, they are under an established new covenant built on different promises, (Hebrews 8:6). For Israel, in the coming Millennial kingdom, God will make a new covenant with the house of Israel, writing His law upon their hearts (Jeremiah 31:31–33). Understanding this background is important as Jesus continues to establish His law for the kingdom. He does not change or redefine the Mosaic law; through His death and resurrection, He fulfills the law and the prophets.
Therefore, the Mosaic law has come to an end. Neither Christians nor Jews in the Millennial kingdom will be under the Mosaic law. Christians now live by faith through grace. By using the benefits we have in Christ, our conduct is guided by fulfilling the desires of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:16). This way of living does not violate the law because it produces righteousness (Galatians 5:22–23). Christians who seek to live by law to dictate righteousness have fallen from grace and treat God’s grace as worthless (Galatians 2:21; 5:4).