Matthew 5:17-20

Christ Came to Fulfill the Law

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. 18 For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. 19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Today’s devotion was written by your sister Brenda.

The reason I picked this verse is that I wanted to get a better understanding of it myself. What did Jesus mean when he said he came to fulfill the law, not to abolish it? And this is what I have learnt so far. This verse is a reminder that no matter how much we try to fulfill the law (obeying all God’s commandments, all the days of our life), it is not possible! We probably sin before we leave our beds in the morning with our thoughts! And no matter how hard we try not to, we do eventually come short of matching up to God’s law. Jesus, therefore, did not come to abolish this law because this verse clearly states that the law still stands, but he came to help us fulfill it. Through Jesus, we are made righteous, and Jesus is God’s gift to us, he paid the penalty for our sins by dying on the cross for us. So by faith, we are made righteous and by faith, we can have eternal life through Jesus Christ. The verse below also implies that if you do not believe in Christ and have not accepted him as your Lord and saviour you are still condemned under the old law. John 3:16 and 17 state;

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life. For God did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through him. 18 Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son.

There is a lot more to tackle under this topic, and I hope we can cover it in one of our fellowships soon! But I look forward to reading your comments and seeing your interpretations of this verse.

Prayer

Lord, as we read your word and try to get close to you, may you open our spiritual eyes and ears, and that the Holy Spirit guides us as we receive revelation from you. In the Name of Jesus, Amen.

Mike & Brenda

3 Comments

Doris on March 11, 2021 at 06:39

Thanks Mike. I have to say this is one scripture that I need to meditate more on in order to understand better. And you have provided that opportunity.
So one of the lessons that stood out for me with these verses is that God’s law ie His word Will never change. It is non negotiable. It stands no matter what. Many Christians try to re-invent or modify the word of God just to suit their preferences. An example being it is clear that pre marital relations is forbidden by God, yet somehow we have made it the norm. People gladly live with each other even before marriage and have zero qualms about it. This scripture reiterates that if even Jesus himself came to fulfill that law, who are we to think we can bend the rules to suit us?
As humans we can never be perfect which means we can never fully achieve that level of holiness. But thank God for Jesus who fulfilled it for us. When God looks at us, He doesn’t see our sins, He sees Jesus in us. May God help us to look upon Jesus as our righteousness always. Thanks for sharing Mike 🙏🏾
Pamella on March 11, 2021 at 07:12

I believe if one desires for scripture to be e Graves in your heart and for it to be applicable in your daily lives one has to ask what does it mean to you as an individual what changes do you need to make to obey those laws.Gods word should be something that naturally comes out of our mouths in all conversations if you truelly want to be a follower of Christ then God word must be your guiding weapon the wisdom and knowledge you will use to tackle any challenges you come across in life . I think this verse is another reminder of our personal chosen to commit and strengthen our relationship with God requires you to appreciate why we have the commandments and how can we apply them into our lives. As a child of God may the spirit continue to lead us to righteousness and may we always desire to know God more Amem
Shadia on March 11, 2021 at 21:46

Thank you Brenda ( pastor’s wife😀) for today’s devotion. Sometimes we have to go back to the basics of the Gospel. Thank you for reminding us that without accepting Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior we are still under the old law. Although we are saved by grace we still have a responsibility to live a Christian life and not take God’s mercy for granted.

May God continue to deepen our understanding of His word.

Amen.

Fulfilling The Law