Kingdom Living: The Fulfillment of the Law (Ep 119)

Welcome and Introduction

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Jason: Thank you for listening and welcome to the podcast. I'm your host, Jason McConnell. In our last couple of episodes, we explored the beatitudes Jesus' radical redefinition of blessing and his call for us to be salt and light and world desperate for truth and grace. Through those teachings, we've begun to see how Jesus outlines a kingdom identity that is deeply counter-cultural and rooted in inner transformation.

Now in Matthew five verses 17 through 20, Jesus is gonna shift the focus. After calling his disciples to live distinctively, he anticipates a question or perhaps even a criticism if he's redefining what it means to be blessed if he's challenging the religious norms of the day. Is he setting aside the law of Moses to altogether?

Is this a clear break from everything God has spoken before? In this episode, we're gonna explore this question and more as we dive into more kingdom living.

Personal Story: Community Theater Experience

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Jason: I promise we're gonna get into the episode here in a moment, but I have something I really wanted to share with you guys. Recently, my daughter and I had this opportunity, this wonderful opportunity to be a part of a local community theater production at a place called Actors Playground here in Arizona.

The play was Ann of Green Gables. Neither of us had lead roles, but as the saying goes, there are no small parts, only small actors, right? It was truly a beautiful experience, one I'm gonna carry with me for a long time. Our final performance was the Sunday before I recorded this episode, and this last show had a different kind of magic to it compared to opening night.

Now as we moved from rehearsals to run throughs to Showtime, there was this growing awareness. We'd perform for the first time and then inevitably for the last. This bittersweet rhythm of beginnings and endings was a powerful reminder that everything on earth, no matter how wonderful or how difficult is temporary.

And to be honest, I hadn't stepped on stage since I was in high school, so about 30 years have gone by. But this production reminded me of something very unique about theater, the deep bonds that form between cast and crew. You're basically thrown together with strangers and asked to act like lifelong friends, family members, even rivals, but somewhere between learning lines and laughing over mishaps.

Something wonderful happens This, this temporary family is born backstage and when closing night comes and the set is struck and the cast party winds down, the emotions are real. And it's not just the show that ends, it's this parting of this. Tiny little community. Of course, in community theater there's always another show.

Familiar faces tend to return, ready to tell a new story together, but in our case, one cast member was moving away and that added a special layer of finality and tenderness to our farewell. Still, I wouldn't change anything. It was this incredible experience, one filled with laughter, tears, and lasting memories.

So heartfelt thank you to Rachel, Amber Shannon in Paris at Actress Playground for creating such a warm and welcoming space. And if you're ever in the area, I truly encourage you to check it out. I mean, whether you're sitting in the audience or tucked behind the curtain, there is something undeniably special about this little theater.

Alright, enough of that time to talk about the Sermon on the Mount.

Understanding Jesus and the Law

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Jason: Now many believers, even today struggle with this relationship between law and grace. Some think that the Old Testament is outdated or maybe even irrelevant. Others try to earn righteousness by strictly adhering to the rules or the law, missing the purpose behind them.

So let's see what Jesus actually says about this.

Jesus Fulfills the Law

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Jason: Starting in Matthew five, verse 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. Okay, so understand that fulfillment doesn't mean rejection. It means completion. It's like finishing a sentence that's been started or bringing color and depth to a sketch that's already been outlined.

Jesus doesn't just discard the Old Testament. He brings it life in its fullest form, and Jesus wasn't opposed to what God gave Israel, of course he wasn't, but rather to free it from how the Pharisees and the scribes had interpreted it. So what does it look like for Jesus to fulfill the law and the prophets?

Well, first, Jesus embodies and reveals the truth, the true intent of the law. Now, throughout gospels, Jesus is constantly pushing beyond external behaviors to the heart behind them. The religious leaders of the day often focused on this outward compliance, but Jesus reveals that the law was never meant to be a checklist.

It was designed to shape people who, who love God and who love others with their whole being. Now, we will see this in the coming verses. Jesus intensifies the commands. He says, it's not just about avoiding murder, but not harboring hate, not just about avoiding adultery, but resisting lust. He's not altering the law.

He's exposing its depth. That's what fulfillment looks like. Jesus lives the law out perfectly. He embodies its justice, mercy, purity, and compassion, where Israel failed over and over again. Jesus succeeds. Where humanity fail falls short, Jesus steps in. So the second thing to consider is that Jesus completes the sacrificial and ceremonial aspects.

Much of the Old Testament law revolves around the sacrificial system. This, this offering for sin, ceremonial washing, priestly rituals. All of these pointed forward to something greater. They were shadows of a reality yet to come. Paul helps us kind of see this in Romans 10, verse four, Christ is the cumulation of the law so that there may be righteousness for everyone who believes.

Now this word cumulation means climax. It means completion. We go back to completion. Jesus is the endpoint of the law's trajectory. Through his perfect life and atoning death, he becomes the final sacrifice. No more temple offerings are needed. He is the lamb of God slain for the sins of the world. And that's what John the Baptist declared in John 1 29.

And it's what Jesus accomplishes at the cross. After his resurrection. Jesus explains this to his followers. Luke 24 27 says, and beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them what was said in all the scripture concerning himself. Every law, every prophecy, every promise, it all points to Jesus.

He fulfills the ceremonies, the symbols, and the types. So when we read the Old Testament, now, we don't ignore it. We read it through the lens of Christ, the law about holiness. They still matter, but they're now fulfilled in the one who makes us holy. The priesty rituals fulfilled in our great high priest.

The moral commands still relevant, but now empowered by the spirit living in us. Final thing to consider here is Jesus transforms our relationship to the law. Now because Jesus fulfilled the law, we no longer relate to it. As a ladder, we climb to earn righteousness. Instead, we see it as a mirror that shows us our need for him.

A guide that reflects God's character and God's ways we don't obey in order to be accepted. We obey because we are accepted in Christ and that changes everything. So when Jesus says that he's come to fulfill the law, he's making a bold declaration. All scripture points to me, I am the law. I am what the law has always been leading to.

I am what the prophets have foretold. This matters for us today because it anchors our faith, not in performance, but in Jesus. The law is no longer a burden. It becomes a path. We walk joyfully following the one who has already carried its weight.

Misunderstandings About the Law

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Jason: I wanna try to clear up some common misunderstandings, both theologically and culturally about what Jesus meant when he said he came to fulfill the law and the prophets.

So this part of Jesus's teachings in, in Matthew five 18 is often misunderstood or even ignored because people assume that the Old Testament is no longer relevant. But, but listen to what Jesus says next. 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.

That's powerful. That's big. Jesus isn't minimizing the Old Testament. He's elevating it. Not even the tiniest letter or pen stroke will pass away until the full purpose is realized. That should cause us to pause and consider what Jesus. Is really affirming here. So let's start with one of my, one of the first Mery standings I found Jesus came to start a new religion.

Th this is a popular but flawed idea that, that Jesus actually came here to launch Christianity as a completely new and separate religion. That dis discarded everything that came before, but, but that's not what Jesus says, and it's not what the New Testament teaches. Jesus came as the promised Messiah.

The fulfillment of what God has already revealed through the law and the prophets. The entire story of the Old Testament sets the stage for his arrival. The, the genealogies in the gospel, the prophecies he fulfills, and even his teaching methods, all of them are deeply rooted in Jewish history and scripture.

So rather than replacing Judaism, Jesus brings it to its intended fulfillment. He completes the covenant promise made to Abraham, the laws given to Moses and the hope spoken through the prophets. Now, if we think Jesus came to scrap the Old Testament and and invent something entirely new, we misunderstand both continuity of the scripture and the depth of his mission, misunderstanding.

Number two, the Old Testament doesn't matter anymore. It's common to hear people say that I believe it or not, we we're the New Testament Christians. The Old Testament isn't really for us, but if Jesus didn't see it that way, neither should We remember when Jesus said in verse 18 that not even the tiniest letter of the law would disappear.

He's affirming it's enduring value. The Old Testament reveals God's nature, his justice, his mercy, his plan for redemption. So this tiniest letter, it's kind of an interesting topic. Uh, before I jump into that, let me read the King James version of Matthew five 18. For verily, I say unto you, tell heaven and earth passed.

One jot or one tittle shall and no wise passed from the law till all be fulfilled. So, so the jot and the tittle were the smallest marks in the Hebrew language, the jot refers to Yad, which is the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet, it kinda looks like half a letter really. And the tittle is a small mark in Hebrew that looks kinda like, kinda like the crossing of the letter T.

And this tittle marks the difference between certain letters, similar to how the difference between an I and a T is the perpendicular line. Now, Jesus is basically saying here that even these tiny, seemingly insignificant marks still have relevance. The word of God remains unchanged. Books like Genesis, Psalms, Isaiah are not obsolete, found.

They're foundational. Jesus actually quotes them. Paul builds on them in his letters. The early church used the Old Testament scriptures to explain who Jesus is. So rather than ignoring or unhitching from the Old Testament, we should read it with Christ at the center, understanding how it points to him and helps us grow in our faith.

So misunderstanding. Number three, the law is irrelevant because we're under grace. This misunderstanding is kind of rooted in the misuse of the word grace. Some believe that because we are saved by grace through faith, obedience isn't quite as important, or that moral standards are now a little bit flexible.

Grace doesn't cancel holiness. It empowers it. I mean, yes, Jesus has fulfilled, ceremonial and sacrificial aspects of the law. We don't offer animal sacrifices or, or follow temporal rituals anymore because he is the one. Once for all sacrifice. You look at Hebrews 10 for that, but the moral teaching of the law, the, the calls to honesty, purity, love, humility, justice, faithfulness, those still reflect the heart of God.

I mean, think about Jesus's teaching throughout the rest of the Sermon on the Mount. They go deeper, not easier. It doesn't get easier from here. He's not lowering the bar, he's lifting our vision to what life in God's kingdom truly looks like. So yeah, we're under grace, but grace doesn't excuse sin. It transforms us to live holier lives that reflect the one who did save us.

So you might be asking, well, why does this matter today? Well, it matters because how we view the Old Testament affects how we view God's consistency and Jesus's mission and our responsibility as believers. If we throw out the law, we risk throwing out the very foundation that helps us understand grace.

And it also matters because our culture, our culture often pressures us to dilute or dismiss moral truth. But Jesus says the law remains until everything is accomplished. We're not at liberty to write rewrite God's standards. We're called to walk in them in in the power of Christ. So when you read the Old Testament, don't skip it.

Don't skim it. Ask, how does this reveal God's heart? How does it point to Jesus? How does it guide my life today? As Paul writes in Roman 15 verse four, Romans 15 to verse four, for everything that was written in the past was written to teach us so that through the endurance taught in the scriptures and the encouragement they provide, we might have hope.

That includes the law guys, that includes the prophets, and that includes your journey too. And Jesus reinforces the importance of this in Matthew five 19. Whoever, therefore shall break one of these least commandments and shall teach men so he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever shall do and teach them the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

The laws, the commandments, they were meant to be obeyed as Jesus fulfilled them, not in the legalistic, often hypocritical way. They were enforced by the religious leaders of that time. One example is sacrifices. They were a common, they were, they were a command in the Old Testament, but Jesus fulfilled this in the New Testament.

So animal sacrifices were no longer needed as outlined in the law of Moses. Sacrifice for sin was still necessary, but Jesus stepped in as the ultimate sacrifice.

Kingdom Righteousness vs. Pharisaic Righteousness

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Jason: Okay, so now we come to a verse that would've absolutely stunned his, his original audience in Matthew five 20. For, I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you'll certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

I'll let that sink in for a moment. To us, that may sound like religious language, but to those hearing it for the first time, it would've been like a thunder clap. It would've landed like a ton of bricks. The Pharisees and the teachers of the law were the spiritual elite. They were known for their depth of knowledge of scripture their, their strict observance of the law and their outward displays of holiness.

So when Jesus says, your righteousness must surpass theirs to enter the kingdom of heaven, he's setting this radically higher standard, but not in the way you might think, and certainly not in the way his audience may have thought back then. So the Pharisees were a prominent religious group in the first century Judaism.

They were committed to obeying the laws of Moses, and the traditions passed down over generations. They fasted, they tithed, prayed publicly and followed hundreds of detailed rules to maintain purity to the average person. The Pharisee seemed like the ultimate standard of righteousness. They looked the part, they sounded holy, but Jesus challenged that entire framework, not because the Pharisees were too righteous.

if we fast forward to Matthew: 2327

I mean, ouch. So when Jesus says, our righteousness must succeed theirs, he's not saying do more religious things. He's saying we need a deeper kind of righteousness. One that flows from the heart, not just the hands and the mouth. Uh, I mean, the Pharisees basically made a righteousness checklist. Don't work on the Sabbath, don't touch unclean things, don't associate with sinners, but they miss the heart of the law.

Love mercy, justice, humility, and dependence on God. External obedience. I mean, it's impressive, but it can also be deceptive. You can behave righteously without being righteous. I wanna pause and ask a question here. What are, I mean, sorry. Are there any areas in my life, in your life where we're focused more on appearing Godly than being actually transformed by God?

I mean, this is a challenge that Jesus brings to the surface. He doesn't just want people to look good. He wants people to live good from, from the inside out when nobody's watching, I. I mean nobody but God, of course. But what Jesus is introducing here is a kingdom righteousness, one that begins with transformation of the heart.

It's not about religious performance, but about being remade from the inside. I can't say that enough. I know I feel like I'm repeating myself too much, but, but this is why the gospel is such good news. Jesus doesn't teach us righteousness. He becomes our righteousness. Just look at what Paul writes in Philippians three verses eight and nine.

What is more, I consider everything a loss because of the surpassing worth of knowing Christ Jesus, my Lord, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, righteousness that comes from God on the basis of faith. Wow, that that's the kind of righteousness Jesus is talking about.

It doesn't come from memorizing enough scripture or keeping all the rules. It comes from a relationship, from trusting in his finished works and allowing the Holy Spirit to go ahead and do the that transformation. Jesus is setting the stage here for everything that follows in the Sermon on the Mount.

In the next sections, he's gonna challenge superficial obedience, saying things like, you've heard it said, but I tell you, he, he's gonna expose motives, attitudes and thoughts, not just actions. So again, what does this mean for us? It means that kingdom living isn't just about doing better. It's about being changed, allowing the change.

It means that a person with a humble heart depended on God, confessing sin and trusting in crisis. More righteous than someone who checks every religious box but lives without love or faith. It means that our focus shouldn't be on comparing ourselves to others like the Pharisees often did, but by asking God to continue shaping us into the image of Christ.

Because at the end of the day, it's not about being good enough. It's about being made new. And this week I want you to consider these three questions as I Am I more concerned about how I look spiritually or about, or with how I am growing spiritually? Is my righteousness rooted in performance or in a relationship with Jesus?

And do I allow God's words to transform my motives or just my behaviors? Ask the Holy Spirit to reveal any areas where your righteousness is still more Pharisee than follower and, and trust that in Christ you already have the righteousness that exceeds because it comes from him. As we've explored what it means for our righteousness to exceed that of the Pharisees.

Jesus is calling us beyond the surface. He's not asking us to be perfect. He's not asking for a checklist. He's calling us into a deeper kind of life. By kingdom centered obedience. This is the kind of obedience that doesn't settle for just doing the right thing when people are watching, but, but li lives from a heart transformed by the spirit of God.

It, it's the kind of obedience that reflects a real, vibrant relationship, not just compliance.

Kingdom-Centered Obedience

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Jason: So let's kind of unpack what this means a little bit more. So going deeper than checklists. I've to, I mentioned the checklist, but if we're honest. Uh, we like checklists. Checklists give us a sense of control.

Read the Bible, check, pray, check. Don't cuss, don't steal. Show up at church. Check, check, check. But here's the truth. God's goal isn't our compliance isn't just our compliance. It's it's communion. He, he's not looking for robotic rule followers, but faith faithful sons and daughters whose hearts are aligned with him.

Jesus continually emphasizes this through his ministry. He challenged people who were outwardly righteous, but inwardly far from God. He, he wasn't impressed by their religious routines. He longed for a relationship marked by love, by trust and obedience that comes genuinely from the heart. And speaking of obedience, obedience isn't legalism, it's love and action.

Sometimes he people hear the word obedience and immediately think of some legalistic, uh, attribute. They assume that obeying God's commands is about earning his favor or proving their worth. That's not the gospel. Legalism says, I obey, therefore I accept I'm accepted. Gospel says I'm accepted, therefore, I obey.

sus said this himself in John: 1415

That's why he gave us the Spirit. The Spirit empowers us to obey from the heart. I mean, take a look at Romans eight, verses three and four for what the law was powerless to do because it was weakened by the flesh, God did by sending his own son in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us.

Who, who do not live according to the flesh, but according to the spirit. In other words, what we couldn't do by by just trying harder, God accomplished through Jesus, and now because we're filled with his spirit, we can walk in a new kind of obedience. Spirit powered, not self-driven. This is a massive shift under the old system.

People tried to obey with external rituals. Under Christ obedience flows from, from the heart, from the spirit, in step with the spirit of God. This isn't about more effort, it's about deeper surrender, and then we kinda have this rule following versus relational faithfulness. I wanna make this a clear contrast.

A rule follower rule will say, I better do this so God won't be mad at me. Relational faithfulness says, I wanna do this because I love God and trust his way. Rule following checks the box and moves on. Relational faithless stays present with God. Open to correction, committed to growing. James 1 22 offers a simple but but kind of powerful challenge.

Do mu do not merely listen to the word and so deceive yourselves. Do what it says. God's word isn't just information. It's meant to, to build on us. It's Kingdom Living is about letting his truth shape our attitudes, our decisions, our priorities. So let's not be people who know the right things, but never let them take root.

Let's be doers of the word not to earn something from God, but because he has already given us everything in Christ, living obediently in a kingdom way. Uh, so what does Kingdom centered obedience look like today? It looks like forgiving, even when it's painful. It looks like choosing honesty when a lie would be a lot easier.

It looks like staying faithful in our marriage, pure in our hearts, and generous with our resources. It looks like loving our enemies, blessing those who curse us, and praying for those who oppose us. And again, this isn't a checklist of obedience, uh, for the Pharisees. It's, it's a transformed life of somebody walking with Jesus, empowered by the spirit and motivated.

And the beautiful truth is this kind of obedience leads to joy. It leads to freedom. It leads to an intimacy with a loving and powerful God. Kingdom living isn't about having all the answers. It's about saying yes Lord daily and walking in step with him step by step, trusting that he who, who began the good work in us will carry it onto completion.

Conclusion and Final Thoughts

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Jason: Jesus lived the perfect life. We couldn't met every requirement of the law. And through his life, death and resurrection opened the way for us to live in a, in, in the fullness of what the law has always pointed us towards this love, justice, mercy, and a right relationship with God. So this next week, I hope you will live with a transformed heart instead of living for those external validations.

Stop trying to earn God's favor. You, you already have it. Just receive his love and forge a deeper relationship with Christ. Let your obedience be an expression of love, not obligation. Let your life reflect the kind of righteousness that Jesus described. Not one that seeks applause, but one that pleases your Father in heaven.

This is kingdom living. Until next time, keep loving your neighbors. Dive into God's word daily and may the Lord bless you and keep you and fill you with his peace. Take care. God bless, and I'll see you in the next episode.

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