Jesus is the Fulfillment

Today believers can look back and see Christ depicted in many Old Testament themes. But the Jews of Jesus’ day did not understand the whole view. For some, the idea that Jesus came to fulfill the Old Testament Law and the Prophets was long-awaited news. But for others, it was blasphemy!

The scribes’ and Pharisees’ outward righteousness consisted of conformity to the Mosaic Law. But believers are made righteous based on Christ’s righteousness, which is obtained by faith (Rom. 3:21–22). Christ’s righteousness enables believers to live godly lives (Rom. 8:2–5).

By preaching the Sermon on the Mount (Matt. 5–7), Jesus appeared as a second Moses (Deut. 18:15; John 1:45). God gave Moses the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai (Ex. 20). Moses then gave the Law to the people. In the people’s minds, no authority was greater than that of Moses. The people accepted rabbis as chief interpreters of the Mosaic Law (Matt. 23:1–2; John 9:28). However, when Jesus taught, He claimed an authority that did not come from the religious establishment. He asserted His own authority over the rabbis: “But I say to you . . . “ (Matt. 5:22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44). Jesus’ teachings angered the religious leaders (Matt. 12:14; John 7:23), which confused the people (Matt. 7:28–29). In Matthew 5:17–20, Jesus explained His viewpoint on the Law. He made a clear statement about His authority related to Old Testament Scripture.

This passage of Scripture helps develop a comprehensive view of Scripture with Jesus Christ at the center. The passage teaches that Jesus is God and Savior, and He alone fulfills the Law and the Prophets. Jesus established this fact by saying, “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17). Jesus’ statement about the Law and the Prophets referred to the Pentateuch––the first five books of the Old Testament, known as the Law-––as well as the rest of the Old Testament. In other words, Jesus said that He came to fulfill the entire Old Testament. And because Jesus fulfilled specific prophecies of the Old Testament, He proved that He indeed was the Messiah.

Because Jesus is God, He is the completely holy, righteous Creator of all things seen and unseen. And because He is Savior, He has redeemed His fallen creation. He became the righteousness humanity could never achieve. He set the standard. Then He fulfilled it for all humanity. If believers do not understand the Old Testament with Christ as its fulfillment in the New Testament, they will not fully understand the magnitude of grace available in Christ.

This passage also touches on other key truths: The Bible is God's Word and Salvation is by Faith Alone.

Matthew 5:17 Jesus emphatically approved the Scriptures. He said He did not come to “abolish the Law or the Prophets” (v. 17). The Law referred to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible, known collectively as the Pentateuch. The Hebrew Bible groups prophets into two categories: major and minor. The major prophets include Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and Daniel (LBD, “The Major Prophets”). The minor prophets, known in the Hebrew Scriptures as “The Book of the Twelve,” includes Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, Micah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, Malachi. The term “minor” should not be understand to reflect importance, but length. The minor prophets’ writings were all so short that they could be grouped on a single scroll, hence the designation “Book of the Twelve” (LBD, “Minor Prophets”). Jesus’ full acceptance of the Law and the prophetic writings distinguished Him from the Samaritan religious sect. The Samaritans rejected the prophets as authoritative and relied solely upon their own version of the Law of Moses (John 4:22). Jesus went far beyond mere approval of the Jewish Scriptures. He daringly declared He had come to fulfill them.

God gave the Law to His people 430 years after He first made His covenant with Abraham (Gal. 3:17). His people lived in sin and as a result they could not enjoy a right relationship with Him. The Law revealed God’s holiness. It was not intended to provide the way of salvation. Its purpose was not to set aside or take the place of the covenant based on faith that God made with His people. The purpose of the Law was “to lead us to Christ, so that we may be justified by faith. But not that faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor” (Gal. 3:24–25).

Jesus fulfilled the Law. He accomplished its purpose by living a completely sinless life. But He also surpassed the Law. He fulfilled the Law to overflowing, achieving its goal. He embodied the Law’s standard of righteousness as the perfect, one-time sacrifice for our sins.

Jesus claimed an authority greater than the former teachings. In Matthew, Jesus repeatedly contrasted the former things (“You have heard that it was said . . .”) with His own teaching (“But I tell you . . .”). The Pharisees particularly observed the letter of the Law (Matt. 23:23; John 7:23). But Jesus recognized that by doing so, the Pharisees did not always keep the Law’s spiritual purposes (Matt. 12:1–14; Luke 13:10–17; John 9:14–16).

Matthew 5:18 Jesus further affirmed the Law’s authority. The Law’s smallest details would be accomplished. The "smallest letter or stroke” translated literally from Greek as “iota” (Louw-Nida 33.36) and “stroke” (Louw-Nida, 33.37). Jesus emphasized the Law would not fall short in its smallest aspect. Even earth and heaven will pass away first.

The Old Testament contains foreshadowing images and prophecies. Jesus brought all of them to realization (Luke 24:44; Col. 2:16–17). His crucifixion supplied the perfect sacrifice. It achieved salvation for those who repent and believe in Him. The need for animal sacrifices under the Old Covenant was set aside because of Christ’s superior sacrifice (Heb. 10:1–14). Only His blood could remove sin forever in God’s eyes.

Matthew 5:19 Jesus continued to elevate the Law. He tied observance of the Law to a person’s status within the Kingdom. He gave a warning to any teacher who would lead others to break or neglect God’s Law. The teachers He referred to included members of the Kingdom who follow Him. Christians who fail to lead others “in paths of righteousness” (Ps. 23:3) lose their influence in the Kingdom. Jesus included the religious leaders of His day in this warning as well. While they obeyed the Law to its smallest principle, they also misled people regarding the nature of true righteousness (Mark 12:38–40).

Matthew 5:20 The righteousness of the Pharisees and teachers of the Law was not enough. They would not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven through their own efforts of strict obedience to their understanding of God’s Law or through their status as Abraham’s descendants. Jesus pressed His point that true righteousness is a matter of the heart and not necessarily to strict adherence to any moral code, even the Law of Moses, or of one’s ancestry.

The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee. He acknowledged that no one exceeded the Pharisees in strict observance of the Law (Acts 26:1–3). If the righteousness of the Pharisees was deficient, how could anyone possibly enter into the Kingdom? Further, Jesus condemned the Pharisees. He said they hindered others’ entrance into the Kingdom: “You shut off the kingdom of heaven from people” (Matt. 23:13).

Jesus’ controversy with His opponents was both political and theological. If the people followed Jesus' teaching, the religious leaders would lose their influence over the people. The Pharisees understanding of how to receive God’s righteousness sharply contrasted with Jesus’. They did recognize the Old Testament ideas of grace and mercy but the Pharisees also relied on their Jewish heritage as the children of Abraham (Matt. 3:7–12) and their strict observance of the Mosaic Law (Gal. 2:21).

As the Messiah, Jesus completed the salvation promises made to Abraham (John 8:56–58; Gal. 3:16). The Law and Prophets testify to Jesus as Lord (John 5:39–40). Jesus said the Pharisees had an incorrect understanding of salvation. They thought salvation relied on their interpretation of the Scriptures. But a true understanding of the Scriptures would lead them to Jesus. Because Jesus is the Christ, salvation exists in Him alone. The Apostle Paul explained that salvation was not based on the Law. Salvation was not about any code of conduct. All people are sinners by nature. No one can perfectly observe any moral code. God’s grace is the only way people can be made righteous. When people repent from their sins, God credits Christ’s righteousness to them (Rom. 3:21–22). God set salvation in motion through His covenant with Abraham and his descendants. Christ fulfilled the covenant’s promise.

Jesus taught the people with an authority that astounded, confused, and challenged them. For centuries, their leaders had taught a religion based on following the rules God had set forth for His people. Jesus said this type of righteousness, based on measuring one’s obedience to the letter of the Law, would not grant one entrance into the kingdom of heaven. In contrast, Jesus taught that a relationship with God would lead His followers to obey His commands because of their deep and abiding love for Him. Jesus was very clear—He didn’t come to abolish the Law; He came to fulfill the Law. As He lived among the people for the next three years, He demonstrated the lifestyle of one completely dedicated to honoring the God He professed to serve. Jesus fulfilled the Law in every way—He obeyed the Law; He served God out of His love for God; He fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament prophets; and He satisfied the demands for a perfect sacrifice offered on behalf of the people so they might live.

What opinions do your learners hold about the Old Testament? Some may believe the Old Testament is outdated and no longer relevant to life today. Others may believe that the teachings in the New Testament supersede those in the Old Testament. Some may view the Old Testament as harsh and unyielding, preferring to focus instead on Jesus’ love for people as described in the New Testament. As you teach this lesson, help your learners understand the importance of the Old Testament as part of God’s revelation of His character and His plan for their salvation. Encourage learners to examine Jesus’ teachings that properly interpret and apply Old Testament principles. Point out that fulfilled prophecies demonstrate God’s faithfulness to His Word and emphasize that we can place our full trust in Him. Suggest that learners embrace the Old Testament as a vital part of their faith journey.