Matthew 5:17-20
Excerpts from the sermon Gary Hamricka
Let me get you introduced into the environment on the north coast of the sea of Galilee, where Jesus pronounces his longest recorded sermon. I want you in the spirit to pass on to the hill in this picture, where you can enjoy from this beautiful scenery.
Imagine that you’re sitting there and you’re listening to Jesus as he teaches the sermon on the mount. And he says: Do not think that I came to annul what was commanded and předpověděno in the Old testament. On the contrary, I came to it all took place and completed. I assure you that as long as heaven and earth, not even a letter or a comma from what God has commanded, loses its force, until it is full. And therefore anyone who would take it seriously even the least commandment and lead the people, will be the last in the kingdom of God. But the one who does God’s commands, directs and teaches the other, will be great in the kingdom of heaven. Remember: if you want to enter the kingdom of heaven, must you go about more than just a formal execution of orders and prohibitions, as it makes the teachers of the law and the pharisees. (Matthew 5:17-20)
Jesus here points out how important it is to adhere to the teachings in the Bible and do what the Bible says. Stresses here that even the smallest parts of the Scriptures, as is the smallest letter of the Hebrew alphabet, are important. In other words, he says that even the smallest detail of His Words will survive the present heaven and the earth. The Bible tells us that one day will be a new heaven and a new earth, but nothing, not even the smallest detail of God’s word, will not be lost. And also, that would not be tampered with. Because everything in the word of God aims to speak to us as God’s revelation to mankind, including the Old testament.
Today, we will discuss exactly what Jesus meant and what it means for us.
At the beginning of verse 17, Jesus points out: ‘do Not think that I came to annul what was commanded and předpověděno in the Old testament. On the contrary, I came to get it all made and completed (filled).“ Once again, here to talk about the validity and importance of the whole of God’s word from Genesis to Revelation.
Maybe you are ever wondering, what is the significance for us actually has the Old testament. What benefit have the old testament writings? If you read something, you know, that they are full of the many rules, rituals and regulations. Not to mention the parts that deal with diseases, bloodshed and wars. Maybe you have to ask, has the Old testament some significance for our lives today? Aren’t we under the New law? Why do we need to read and study the Old testament? And if you’ve ever compared the way God presented in the Old testament and in the New testament, some of you might think: “the New law is like, God is my Father. In the Old testament seems more like a mafia Godfather.“
Some of you over the bury and say to yourself: “Why do we need the Old testament? It is really heavy, it is somewhat obscure, there’s a lot of death, a lot of diseases, bloodshed, wars and so on.“ If you ever thought, you’re not alone.
Yet here Jesus in his longest recorded sermon begins blahoslavenstvími and right at the beginning says: ‘I didn’t Come to abolish the Old law, …but to fulfill it.’
So there must be some important reason why you need to read the Old testament along with the New law and to understand what God is trying to show through both. What, then, did Jesus mean when he says he didn’t cancel or destroy, but to fulfill it? And what does it mean for us?
To understand what this wants to say, we have to talk about the purpose of the Old testament. Let’s start with you talk about the division of the Old testament, to understand how he has read. Here are the three parts or categories of laws.
1. the ceremonial laws +
2. dietary laws +
3. moral laws
You see, when you look at the nuances of how the laws are different formulated, their details and on what God highlights, fall all into one of these three categories.
Note that at the points number one and number two, I put a cross+. It’s because of the ceremonial and dietary aspects of the law are no longer binding. Moral code, however, still is, and gradually it here I’ll explain. First let me talk about the ceremonial laws and what they were intended.
THE CEREMONIAL LAWS
When you look at the Old testament, you will find there are certain rules that God gave to his people, to comply with, and distinguished from the pagan nations around him.
In ancient biblical times, in the period of the Old testament, God wanted to distinguish his people, the Israelites, from the pagan neighbors around them, and so issued specific ceremonial laws, that is from them distinguish. These included things like how to dress, even how to cut hair, included issues of hygiene, include feasts and festivals, ritual ablutions, liturgical practices, and other categories. All the instructions of how to distinguish and stay apart in appearance and practices from pagan neighbors around them.
I will give you here some examples. – For example, men were in Leviticus said: ‘You don’t shave my sides of the head you’re not even gonna znetvořovat the edges of your beard.’ In other words, they were told to let the beard grow and never they don’t shave in the area of the temples. This day in particular chasidští Jews leave their hair around the ears to grow. Sometimes it’s filming or tie behind the ears. They take it very literally.
The reason that God said, was that the pagans around them holily these parts of the head in order to participate in pagan rituals. God says: ‘I don’t Want to participate in these rituals, so I don’t want to holily sides of the head.’ So it is asked to by the following this way from them differentiate.
In the book of Leviticus says that he who has sinned has: bring to the priest as a sacrifice for the blame of a ram from the flock, one without defect and of the corresponding values. in This way, for him, the priest performs a reconciliation for unintentionally committed violations and he will be forgiven. This is an offering for sin, if the person committed a wrongdoing against the Lord. Sacrificing the life of the animal, to make reconciliation for the life of the culprit.
In the ceremonial law, so it was a ceremonial acts relating to hygiene, clothing, hair cutting and bringing the victim.
DIETARY LAWS
Then there is the eating aspect of the law. And eating the laws should aim to keep God’s people healthy, in that there is a certain wisdom. Again, it is not binding. you are Not following the laws of the bound, but still you might want to practice some of the following dietary aspects of your personal health.
God broke certain animals into categories of clean and unclean. Category net is what the Jews called kosher. Then there was the unclean animals, which eat not. God instituted it as a rule of purity. In fact, however, this should imply a broader context. The idea that the true purity of that we need is not food, but our hearts. And we’ll get to that later in our today’s study.
Here are a few examples of some of the dietary aspects of the law. Leviticus: the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron and said to them: ‘Speak to the israelites and tell them: These are the animals which you may eat among all the animals that are on the earth, the animals which have split hooves and chewing, that you may eat.
According to these dietary laws, if you had animal split hooves and přežvykovalo – had to have it both ways, then it was okay to eat it. If it’s one or the other, but not both, you couldn’t eat it.
One of the most common animals of which even those who are not Jews, they know that the Jews may not eat, if these dietary laws, is pork. Pigs are therefore disabled. And the Bible in Deuteronomy says: ‘the Pig is for you unclean, because it has split hooves, but nepřežvykuje; you must not eat their meat or touch their dead bodies.’
If you want to strictly follow the dietary regulations of the law concerning the swine, that means no bacon, no barbecue made of pork, no ham sandwiches.
And listen, it gets worse: Of all, what is in the water, you can eat it, what has fins and scales; you must have both, whether in the seas or in the rivers, that you may eat; but all in the seas and rivers, that has no fins and scales, all that moves in the water, or any living creature that is in the water, it’s for you abominations.
That means no shrimp, no crab, no lobster, no oysters… God says: ‘I don’t Want to eat any of it.’
Now you can personally choose, as it is a fish, which they eat from the bottom, it’s probably not the best to eat. So you can decide on the basis of personal beliefs, and that it may not be good. But when it comes to restrictions based on the law, it’s still not binding.
These are the dietary laws. But we also have good news. Ceremonial and dietary aspects of the old testament law are no longer binding. How do we know? Because of what Jesus says in the New testament, and also it is spoken by Paul. These things were the image of Christ, in terms of purity, chastity and ritual matters. Were outside, pointed, however, the need for the greater importance of intra –. And so were these regulations in place temporarily, to distinguish the people of God as that which belongs to Him. But the real problem is the heart.
In the New testament that Paul wrote in Colossians: it is no one’s judging to eat or drink, because eating rules, due to the holidays, new months, ordinances, or sabbat, which are a shadow of things to come, but the essence is in Christ.
In other words, the ceremonial and dietary aspects of the serve after a certain period of time to distinguish God’s people from the rest of the pagan world. That’s why God gave instructions about worship, hygiene, clothing, food and holidays until Christ, to solve the bigger problem, which was not external, but internal. This is the heart. Because you can complete all the ritual baths in the world, you can celebrate all the holidays, you can cut my hair exactly the way it says to eat only kosher food, etc., and yet not in accordance with God. Why? Because the problem is the heart. And that is what Jesus came to fix. And therefore, it is a moral code still in force, because we need to regulate the heart. As you can see here in the Sermon on the mount. In my Bible is the byline, who says that murder starts in the heart, it goes on to say that adultery starts in the heart.
And if you look at the other passages, Jesus says: ‘ye have Heard that it was said, ‘thou shalt not Kill.’ (This is commandment number 6.) And whoever kills will be exposed to the court, but I say to you that everyone who is unreasonably angry with his brother will be exposed to the court. What’s he saying? He says that the murder actually begins in the heart. That when you feel anger towards a brother or a sister, when you feel bitterness and anger, and if you, you can kill someone. So he says that murder is in fact a matter of the heart, because that’s where it all begins. The same goes for adultery: you have Heard that it was said, ‘do not commit Adultery.’ (This is the seventh commandment of the ten commandments.) But jesus says: ‘Whoever is for the woman looking with lust has already committed adultery in his heart.’ He says, therefore, that the ceremonial aspects relate to the heart and that the dietary provisions of the law to fix the heart can’t. The trouble that we have with sin, lie in the fact that emanate from the heart. We need to fix the heart.
The problem is that in Jesus ‘ time people thought, that can my heart mend themselves. And people think today. That you just have to do certain things, behave and act in a certain way, and it can be heart mend.
In fact, you yourself your heart to fix we can’t. That is why Jesus came.
This, however, is a bit forward.
MORAL LAWS
The third category, is the moral dimension of law,. Moral laws that God gave are generally considered to be timeless, eternal and universal. Why? Because they are based on God’s character. God is such that he doesn’t want his children to live in a way which is in conflict with Its own character. I will give here a few examples:
When the Bible talks about, that we do not issue false testimony, in other words, we don’t have to lie, it is because God is Truth, and therefore he doesn’t want us to do something that is inconsistent with His character.
When the Scripture tells us to nezcizoložili, it is because He is faithful and wants us to be faithful.
When he says “don’t kill”, it is because He is the originator of life, and that’s why he wants to make life a respect.
When he says “don’t be ruthless” is it because He is merciful.
When he says “don’t be unkind,” is it because He is affectionate.
When he says “don’t be unfair”, it is because He is righteous.
Do you understand that? So, it is the moral aspect, as regards the behavior of the.
God says: ‘This is my character, and I want you to live the way that this character an honor.’
Therefore, when we live in a way that this character dishonors, we violate God’s moral law. And because of this, the moral law does not lose force.
And by the way, the moral law of the Bible became the basis of the legal system. – Why you can’t murder someone, why can’t you rob someone? Because our law is based on biblical principles. This is the reason why there are certain things that are enshrined in the law – what you can and what you can do.
So the moral ethics for the us remains intact, and that not only as christians, but as for the inhabitants, jelkož biblical laws were originally the basis of the law in our country. Now, as the company gradually leaving the law of God, the word of God, then the result will be the laws that were once based on the Bible, soon abandoned along with it. When you start leaving the Bible, which is the basis, then you start to rewrite the laws, leaving the laws on which they were originally based. And this is what we can see right now in many countries,. If you have different values than the scriptures as the basis for the law, then you start to laws to rewrite themselves, and then you become the measure of you, and not God.
If this is God’s moral code is still valid, then what is his purpose for us?
There is a threefold purpose of the Old law, as regards the moral code of. These three reasons, they have the task to explain: what is sin, to reveal the sin in us and in the end to express our need for a Savior.
1. What is sin
The first purpose of God’s moral code is to explain what sin is.
Some of the aspects of good and evil are intuitive, and that’s because we are created in God’s image and His likeness. Know that something is right and something is wrong, and nobody you have to learn, just that you know. I mean that when a three year old child steals a toy to a neighbor’s child, with which she plays, what does he do? Hide it! Because he knows that what he did was wrong. It is something intuitive, something instinctual.
However, there are other things that must learn. Things that instinctively or intuitively we may not be aware of, and that is why we need to learn. Even Paul himself said it in Romans: ‘I wouldn’t Even know that I do not envy if the law did not say: ‘don’t be jealous of your neighbor anything at all.’ (This is commandment number ten.) Paul admitted: ‘you Know, I envied the people what they had and who they were, and I didn’t even know that it’s bad, until God clearly said: ‘It does not do.’ And the same goes for us.
Perhaps you know instinctively that you didn’t have to kill anyone, but maybe you don’t know until you read the Bible, what Jesus about the murder he also said, and this, that murder starts in the heart. In the Ten commandments it is written: ‘thou shalt not Kill. Therefore, who killed, he must stand trial.’ But I say to you, that will be judged by everyone who is angry with his neighbor. Contempt for the man is a crime, and who shall convene on the second God’s punishment, alone, will be forfeited. If you have a relationship with God and you realize that you’re with someone irregularity, remove it and deal with it. Only then appear before God. If you’re not willing to settlement with the other person, will you sue your anger before God and you can’t escape condemnation. It’s like if a lender leads you to the judges. You don’t settle with him on the way, you’re going to jail and the entire debt you will suffer the consequences. He says: ‘Listen, maybe you know that it is wrong to kill someone, but maybe you don’t know that it’s wrong to behave in the heart of bitterness and hatred. “ Some things so we need to learn.
Sometimes people fail to forgive what someone did. And as a christian, until in the Bible to read that you have to forgive as Jesus has forgiven you, so that you don’t know. Why it has to be in the Bible said? Because it’s our automatic reaction. If you have been offended or I’ll really hurt you, your instinct is: ‘Forget it.’ This is not the first that comes to mind. In fact, at first you say: ‘God, let him pay for it!’ etc. I need to learn. I need God and His help to prove to forgive as He forgave me. It’s not easy, does not come by itself. Some of these things we need from the Bible to learn.
And so God’s moral law explains what sin is. Maybe we didn’t know if we have not read and understand what God expects of us. What God says is right, and what God says is bad, and so we have to learn.
2. Reveals the sin in us
Secondly, the moral law reveals sin in us. When we read in the Bible about some of the moral code, all of a sudden we realize the sin in your own heart. The Bible says in Galatians 2:16: however, we Know that a man doesn’t become righteous before God by the works ordered by the law, but by faith in Christ Jesus. , in Other words, you can’t find the way to Heaven work for it or earn it. He says: ‘the Law is the knowledge of sin.’ (Romans 3:20) the Law was given partly, I realized the sin in my own heart.
Let me illustrate this as follows: When someone is sick, you take out the thermometer and measure his temperature. But the thermometer itself has no medicinal effects, can you just say that you’re sick of. the Law you can not cure, can only reveal that you are spiritually sick. , the Law itself is not the medicine that would heal you, but reflects the fact that you’re sick, you’re sinful.
3. Shows the need of a Savior (Savior)
And finally, third, the purpose of the moral law is to express our need for someone who can help us with this, who would have us out of our state of the saved – Savior, Savior.
Paul said in Galatians: ‘Now, when she came to faith, we are no longer under the supervision of the law.’ Why? Well, because what is stronger? The relationship I have with Jesus, who leads my heart, or reading a lot of rules and regulations?
Before Jesus came, people had available only the law, which helped to regulate the heart. When Jesus died on the cross for our sins, there has been a change. Now our relationship with Him, which leads our hearts. It’s a relationship based on love, not a relationship based on law. This is therefore a much greater motivationwhen you are with someone love relationship and you want to make him happy and show respect, and so it is with Jesus. However, when this is just a written law, it’s not a strong relationship.
Paul says in Galatians, that the intention of the law was to reveal the fact that I have sin in your heart. And how do I fix it? How to make my peace with God, when I have all these sins? If you read all the commandments, which is in the Old testament over 600, it is possible to even meet them all? No, it’s always behind for God’s glory. In fact, it is exactly what the Bible says, All have sinned, and are far from God. Římamům 3:23 No one of us does not meet God’s standards.
There are two ways to try to make it right. the First way is bad and does not work, and often that the pharisees did in Jesus ‘ time, and some people do it to this day. It looks like this: Well they understand what sin is. Read the Bible, and the sin is there explained, and if they have at least a modicum of self-awareness, they will realize that they are sinners. They do it right. He sees his broken status, and how much they can’t fix it yourself, but then instead of relying on God, spending their own efforts. Trying to be good people and do many good deeds and many noble things, and be very charitable. Constantly I see it in our world.
How people who do not know Jesus, trying to do a lot of things, to soothe their own remorse. – “They do this a good thing, and then that of a good thing…etc.” And some of those things are really admirable. I’m not saying it’s bad, but I feel the motivation. Motivation is that they need the initiative for clean water to all people around the world have clean water. But the question is, why are they doing this? Is it because they have really broken heart for people who need clean water, or it somehow corrects something that is in them broken? Maybe don’t even realize it, but they want to feel better with yourself. This is what is partially happening. People who do not know Jesus, are doubling their efforts. I start to do lots of good deeds. “I’m really happy and I’ll give you a lot of money, I will …, I will be kind, be loving, I’ll try to soothe his own conscience.”
It has but two problems: first it’s frustrating, because it can never really fix a broken heart, because we are all broken people. And secondly, it leads to self-centeredness, because a person then begins to think that they can improve what makes. the Self and the problem will never solve. It, what we need is a Savior. We need to understand the point one and point two (what is a sin and to reveal the sin in itself), but then there is point three. It is the fact that:
“Myself I can’t fix it, no matter what I try, how I try.”
Be generous and giving and all that is noble, and continue in it, that’s fine, but it’s good to know that it won’t cure the condition of your heart, that is broken.
The prophet Jeremiah says that the heart is deceitful above all things, who can know. the Bible says that we all have sinned and have not achieved the glory of God, we are far from God, we’re not good enough. And so God, who knows, he sends his son Jesus. Sin gives her revenge – death; God gives as a manifestation of his mercy, eternal life. We receive him through our Lord, Jesus Christ. Romans 6:23
It’s nice that you want to be your deeds a better person, I’m sure that this will contribute to a better world, but it won’t help you with your sinful condition. What we need is a Savior and His name is Jesus.
THE GREAT EXCHANGE
What God is offering us, this is what I call the ‘great replacement‘. The Bible says in 2. The corinthians, that: God made his Son, Jesus, who knew no sin, sin for us, so that in him we could be justification. Isn’t it amazing? What God said was: ‘I will Put your sin on His son and in return, I add His justice.’ What’s the (for us) a bargain! – Jesus takes away our guilt, our shame, our sin. And it made when he died for us on the cross. Therefore, when we put our faith and trust in Jesus and what the cross has done, God says – “the justice of my son will extend to you.”
Look at the end of what I read here in Matthew, Jesus says something that in His time it was very surprising, I’d like it more clear. He says: ‘For I say unto you, that unless your righteousness exceed the righteousness of the scribes and pharisees, in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. People in Jesus ‘ time had to be completely out of it and say: ‘What does he mean? It can’t be better than the pharisees and the scribes! – These people live and breathe the word of God and always try to adhere to this regulation, as best they can, although they still fall short of perfection.’ They are, however, those who were at that time the fairest (although they were actually often hypocritical). But when Jesus says your righteousness must exceed theirs, in that moment, no doubt, said: ‘Is it even possible?’
Of course, this is precisely why Jesus said, because he wanted to realize that it can’t own strength. Jesus says: ‘you Need Me.’ Jesus wants them to understand that they need a Savior. ‘I’ll Take your sins and give you his righteousness, and my righteousness exceeds the righteousness of every person on earth. So if you think that all those pharisees and scribes are fair, your justice must be even greater, and the only way you can be your justice larger, to get to heaven is if you accept my justice. you Need My justice.
I will end here the verse from Philippians 3:8-9, where Paul says: I met Jesus my Lord, it’s me more than anything. For him everything else he wrote back and count for nothing, to gain Christ, and he was found in him, not having his own righteousness, which is of the law, but that which is of the faith in Christ – the righteousness from God based on faith.
Take for example a man like king David, who was in the Bible known to many heroic deeds, was the second king of Israel. However, it is also known for his great moral failure – adultery! He lived under the Old law. How can a person be under the Old law is justified before Jesus died on the cross? By like David in Psalm turns to God and says,’Create in me a pure heart. oh God, renew in me the right spirit, because I realized that myself I can’t do anything to change your status, but You, God, you in me, create a clean heart and renew the right spirit. And that is what God is doing today.
PRAYER
Father, we thank You that you sent your Son Jesus to become our righteousness, so we could through faith in Him, be reconciled. He takes our sins and gives us in return His justice. We thank you for it.
Thank you, Jesus, that us, you can clean it from the inside, that you can act in our hearts and transform us from the inside. We thank you that you’re doing today, we’re creating a clean heart and renew in us a right spirit. Thank you for Your love, mercy, and for thy cleansing work in our lives.” Amen
If you know that you have a disturbed relationship with God, accept His righteousness, hand your sins to Him, confess to Him his need of a Savior.
Don’t let your sinfulness away from God, whether you prefer to bring to Him.
Because He is a loving Fatherwho sent his Son, Jesus, to Him be able to live in harmony.
God bless you!
