The Law Fulfilled – Not Forgotten

A Bold Declaration Concerning the Law

We are in Matthew Chapter 5 and Jesus continues to give the sermon on the mount. As we continue through this powerful sermon on the mount, we come to a pivotal moment where Jesus Christ makes a bold declaration concerning the Law of God and the prophets.

These verses that we’re going to look at today for a doctrinal bridge linking the Old Testament with the New Testament. Many people misunderstand what Christ said here. Some believe that Jesus came to abolish or get rid of the Old Testament. Others want to put believers back under the Law. But what did Jesus actually say?

Matthew 5:17-18
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Let’s unpack these Scriptures step by step.

I. Christ Did Not Come to Destroy the Law (Matthew 5:17)

“Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets”

Jesus knew what people were thinking. He had just introduced a new tone of teaching – blessing the meek, praising the poor in spirit, and calling His followers the salt of the earth and the light of the world.

This was radically different from what the Pharisees had taught. So Jesus clarifies: “I’m not here to destroy the law.” Again, he is not come to destroy the law or the prophets. He’s not changing those things. He’s not getting rid of the law or the prophets.

• He wasn’t undermining Moses. He was confronting misinterpretations of Moses. Jesus was spoken of by Moses.
• He wasn’t dismissing the Prophets. He was showing that He Himself is the fulfillment of their words. The prophets of God told the truth through the Spirit of God.

Key Point: Jesus did not pit grace against law. He showed how the law pointed forward to Him. Grace and the law are not against each other. The law points forward to Jesus Christ.

No one has ever been saved by the law. Everyone in heaven right now only got there by the grace of God. The law was there to show them they couldn’t make it through the law. Anyone who is truthful with themselves daily will admit they sin throughout the day.

Romans 3:28-31
Therefore we conclude that a man is justified by faith without the deeds of the law.  29 Is he the God of the Jews only? is he not also of the Gentiles? Yes, of the Gentiles also:  30 Seeing it is one God, which shall justify the circumcision by faith, and uncircumcision through faith.  31 Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.

We are only justified through faith. Not the law. So, since we’re saved by faith, do we then make void the law? Can we just ignore God’s law since we’re now saved?

No, we don’t. We establish the law. How do you get someone to follow God’s law? You get them saved. Once they believe in Jesus Christ, they receive the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. When they sin, they will grieve the Holy Spirit of God. They will want to do right. They still have the choice between right and wrong. But now they’ve got the ability to follow God’s law.

We establish the law. We don’t make it void.

II. Christ Came to Fulfil the Law (Matthew 5:17)

Matthew 5:17-18
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

“I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.”

What does it mean that Jesus “fulfilled” the Law?

• He Fulfilled the Moral Law – Jesus lived a sinless life, perfectly obeying every command.
  1. He honored His Father.
  1. He loved His neighbor.
  1. He never sinned — not in thought, word, or deed.

Hebrews 4:15
For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.

• He Fulfilled the Ceremonial Law – Sacrifices, feasts, and temple rituals pointed to Jesus Christ, the Holy Spirit, and God the Father. And these three are one.
  • The Passover? He is the Lamb of God.
  • The Days of Unleavened Bread? He is the sinless, unleavened, Lamb of God.
  • The Firstfruits? He is the first to be raised from the dead in an incorruptible body.
  • The Priesthood? He is our Great High Priest. He is not a priest after the order of Aaron. He is a better high priest.

Colossians 2:16-17
Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days:  17 Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ.

• He Fulfilled the Prophets – From Genesis to Malachi, every promise, every picture, every prophecy—He fulfilled them all. The entire Bible is about Jesus Christ. The entire Bible is about God: The Father, the Son Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost. The prophets wrote about Jesus and he fulfills everything perfectly.

Luke 24:27
And beginning at Moses and all the prophets, he expounded unto them in all the scriptures the things concerning himself.

These things were hidden before Jesus. And now Jesus is showing and teaching them all the Scriptures that are about himself.

For example, Psalm Chapter 16 is about Jesus Christ.

Psalm 16:8-11
I have set the LORD always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved.  9 Therefore my heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth: my flesh also shall rest in hope.  10 For thou wilt not leave my soul in hell; neither wilt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corruption.  11 Thou wilt shew me the path of life: in thy presence is fulness of joy; at thy right hand there are pleasures for evermore.

Jesus is the right hand man of God. He will not be moved. His soul was not left in hell after he died on the cross. He didn’t see corruption. In Jesus, there are pleasures forevermore.

The world offers pleasure, but when it’s sinful, that pleasure leads to death.

Jesus fulfilled the moral law, the ceremonial law, and the prophets. So, remember what we’ve been through so far. Let me put the verses up again. We are in Matthew Chapter 5 today.

Matthew 5:17-18
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Jesus did not come to destroy the law or the prophets. Instead, he came to fulfill the law. We’ve seen how he fulfilled these things. Prophecy was written about him. He came and finished those prophecies. He fulfilled those things.

Now we move on to verse 18 there.

III. The Law’s Permanence Until All Is Fulfilled (Matthew 5:18)

Matthew 5:18
For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

We now see that the law of God is permanent until all is fulfilled. Not everything has been fulfilled. We’re still living here on this earth in fleshly bodies. There is still much prophecy left to be fulfilled.

Nothing is going away from this book of Law until all of it is fulfilled. Not everything has been fulfilled at this time. The Book of Revelation, as an example, shows us this.

“For verily I say unto you” – That’s divine authority speaking. Jesus is God. He’s telling us what’s going to happen. This is important.

“Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.”

• A “jot” is the smallest Hebrew letter.
• A “tittle” is the little mark that distinguishes similar letters.
• Jesus is saying that every tiny detail of the Law matters — none will pass away until God’s plan is complete.

This verse affirms:

• The inspiration of Scripture (every word matters).
• The preservation of Scripture (not one part will fail).
• And the fulfillment of Scripture (all will come to pass).

Psalm 119:89
For ever, O LORD, thy word is settled in heaven.

If any Scripture in the Bible was not true, no one would be here right now. His words have been settled forever. It will happen exactly how it is written. The Scriptures in the King James Version of the Bible are inspired, preserved, fulfilled, and being fulfilled.

Again, every word of God matters. Not one part of the Bible will fail. And all of it will come to pass.

This is exactly what Jesus is telling us in Matthew Chapter 5. Straight from the mouth of God Almighty himself. The law of God is permanent until all is fulfilled. Once the new heaven and earth are here, there will be no more sin. God’s law will be fulfilled forever.

These words are forever settled in heaven.

IV. Application: What Does This Mean for Us Today?

Matthew 5:17-18
Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.  18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Remember, we’re going verse by verse through the Gospel of Matthew. We are focusing in on verses 17 and 18. We know Jesus didn’t come to destroy God’s law but to fulfill God’s law. We know that God’s law is permanent until all is fulfilled.

We know there will be no sin and no need for God’s law once everything has been fulfilled. His law is still forever, but one day we will be sinless and the law will not be required. His law is perfect, but we aren’t. His law shows us that we are sinners.

If we were saved by the law, we would have to be perfect. We would not break one of his laws. But we do. As children, we break God’s laws constantly.

• We Are Not Saved by the Law—But the Law Still Has a Purpose.
  • The Law is our schoolmaster to bring us to Christ.

Galatians 3:24-25
Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.  25 But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

• God’s law reveals sin, condemns sin, and drives us to the Savior.
  • Once we are saved, we are no longer under the curse of the Law, but we are still guided by its moral principles.
  • We’ve been saved from our sins and the curse of the Law. We are not under the law any longer, but we are still guided morally by these laws. Jesus fulfilled many of the laws such as the Sabbath day. Jesus is our Sabbath, and we rest in him.
• Jesus Is the Standard—Not the Pharisees.
  • The rest of Matthew Chapter 5, which we will go through in detail, shows how Jesus raises the bar. Jesus is who we follow after. We don’t follow the religious people of this world. There is no perfect person or group of people. Jesus is perfect. He is the standard. Not anyone or anything else.
  • It’s not about outward conformity but inward transformation. Once the inside of us has been transformed, the outside should follow. But, the inside must be clean first.
  • The Law shows us our need; Jesus gives us the power to live righteously. Before we are saved, we break God’s laws constantly. The law is there to show us this. Once saved, we are able to walk in the Spirit of God. We are able to sin not. But we aren’t going to be perfect in this flesh because this flesh is still here.
• God’s Word Is Unchanging.
  • We live in a world that wants to rewrite Scripture. Jesus said — Not one jot or tittle will pass!
  • All these new Bible versions are constantly changing God’s words. And yes, they do mean something different. There’s no denying that. God’s true words will never change. We’re going to always stick to the King James Version of the Bible here. We will never use any other version here as long as I am alive.
  • That means the Bible is not outdated. It’s not evolving. It stands forever. The word of God is eternal so it’s never out of date. Rules for society are always changing. God’s rules are not.

We are not saved by the law but the law still has a purpose. Jesus is the standard for us to follow. Nothing else. And God’s word is unchanging. His words are forever unchanging.

Jesus fulfilled the Law, but He didn’t erase it. He finished it, not abolished it.

Conclusion: The Law Fulfilled Not Forgotten

Jesus didn’t come to tear down the Law — He came to fulfill it perfectly. His life was the Law lived out. His death satisfied the Law’s demands. His resurrection guarantees that we can be free from the Law’s condemnation.

Have you come to Christ for salvation — apart from the works of the Law?

Are you walking in His righteousness — not your own?

Do you hold God’s Word as permanent and precious — as Jesus did?

Let’s be a people who love the law because it points us to Jesus. Let’s stand on the authority of every word in this Book — from Genesis to Revelation — and let’s live not in the bondage of the Law, but in the liberty of Christ.

Don’t try to be perfect by following the law in the flesh. You’ll never do it. You won’t do it by your own power. Instead, know that you are weak but the Spirit living within you is strong. Walk in the Spirit and not in the flesh.

If you’re trying to be saved by works — by law keeping — you’re on the wrong path. Come to Jesus. He fulfilled the Law for you. Trust Him today.

Romans 10:4
For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth.

Jesus did it all for you. He offers you a free gift right now. All you have to do is put all your trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save you. And he saves you in that moment. Once and forever.

You can’t fulfill the Law — but Jesus did. Will you trust Him today? Don’t leave today trusting in yourself.

Let’s pray.