“Think not that I came to nullify the law or the prophets; I came not to nullify but to fulfill. For truly I say to you, until the heaven and the earth pass away, one iota or one pen stroke by no means will pass away from the law, until all things come to pass. If anyone therefore subverts one of the least of these commands and thus teaches others, he will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But if anyone does and teaches [them], he will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you that if your righteousness does not exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20, author’s own translation).
Commentary
As a small portion of his Sermon on the Mount, Jesus spoke the words recorded in Matthew 5:17-20 early in his ministry, at least two years before his new covenant was ratified. While it was not the time to teach exclusively Christian doctrine or set aside the Mosaic law, it was necessary to address the fallacies of the hypocritical Jewish leaders and prepare the way for the approaching kingdom. Jesus contrasts the traditional misinterpretations of the law with the loftier conduct expected in God’s kingdom. The law did not justify unrighteous anger, or lust, or divorce for any or no reason, or questionable oaths, or senseless retribution, or hatred, irrespective of what others had “said” to the contrary.
The Lord assures his Jewish listeners that his purpose was not to nullify the law or the prophets. Jesus himself was an Israelite who was amenable to the Jewish law (Galatians 4:4; cf. Matthew 8:4), and he kept it perfectly. Rather, his purpose was to fulfill [plēroō = to fill up or make full] all that the law and the prophets had said concerning the promised Messiah. In fact, one of the primary aims of Matthew’s Gospel is to establish the fact that Jesus and all that was accomplished in his ministry were in fulfillment of the prophetic scriptures (Matthew 1:22; 2:15, 17, 23; 4:14; 8:17; 12:17; 13:35; 21:4; 26:54, 56; 27:9, 35). Accordingly, these things were not to remain unfulfilled for millennia after the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. Once Jesus accomplished his mission on earth, the role that the law and the prophets had served for centuries was complete (see Galatians 3:16-25; Hebrews 8:6-13). In other words, when the intended purpose was fulfilled, that purpose then became obsolete.
Implications
Contrary to what many have inferred, the Lord did not say that the Mosaic law was to remain binding until the end of time. Twice in this passage Jesus uses the expression heōs an (“until”). From the standpoint of his contemporary Jewish audience, heaven and earth could pass away at any time. Yet the Lord affirms “until” that happens (whenever it might be), nothing will fail from the law or the prophets “until” all things come to pass. It is a statement of assurance, i.e., the law will unquestionably be vindicated and will have served its purpose when Jesus has completed his personal mission on earth (cf. John 4:34; 5:36; 17:4; 19:30).
In the meantime, the Lord’s Jewish disciples were expected to be faithful and to avoid the lax attitudes of their hypocritical leaders toward the moral issues discussed in the verses that follow. Thereafter, for citizens of the heavenly kingdom, righteousness is still equated with obeying and teaching the truth, not according to the old law of the Jews but according to Christ’s new covenant.
--Kevin L. Moore
Related Posts: Old Covenant and New Covenant
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