Sermon Notes
Matthew 5:17–20 NIV
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 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. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Abolish Torah:
A rabbinic idiom describing when someone had undermined Torah by misinterpreting it.
Fulfill Torah:
A rabbinic idiom describing when someone had correctly interpreted the Torah and was living it out the way God intended.
צְדָקָה (tzedaqah):
The standard of right relationship we have with God and with others.
Micah 6:6–8 NIV
6 With what shall I come before the Lord and bow down before the exalted God?
Shall I come before him with burnt offerings, with calves a year old?
7 Will the Lord be pleased with thousands of rams, with ten thousand rivers of olive oil?
Shall I offer my firstborn for my transgression, the fruit of my body for the sin of my soul?
8 He has shown you, O mortal, what is good.
And what does the Lord require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy and to walk humbly with your God.
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Series Resources
Go deeper with additional resources from our teaching team.
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Discussion Igniters
(1) Read Matthew 5:17–20.
What do you think Jesus meant about coming to fulfill the law, not abolish it?
(2) What do you think Jesus meant by righteousness surpassing that of scribes and pharisees?
(3) What happens when you pursue the rules of religion over your relationship with God and others?
(4) How can God’s law bring us into a deeper relationship with others if we pursue the heart of it?
(5) Read Micah 6:6–8.
How can this text help us pursue the heart of what God teaches us in his word?