SERMON OUTLINE:
What do we mean by the Law?
What was the attitude of Jesus to the Law?
What should be my attitude to the Law?
SERMON BODY:
Ill:
• Silly UK Laws Quiz - True or False.
• PowerPoint slides available on request.
• TRANSITION: The passage I have been asked to speak about this morning;
• Is all about the Law.
• Obviously not U.K. silly laws;
• But the religious laws of the Jewish people.
(1). What do we mean by Law?
• The expression ‘The Law’ that we read in the gospels;
• Had up to four different meanings at the time of Jesus.
• To the religious leaders and the Jewish people;
• Would have understood ‘The Law’ in one of four different ways.
• (1). They used it to mean the Ten Commandments.
• (As listed in Exodus chapter 20)
• (2). They used it to mean the first five books of the Bible.
• (The Torah or the Pentateuch, which to the Jew is the most important part of the scriptures).
• (3). They used the phrase ‘The Law and the prophets’ to mean the whole of Scripture;
• (What we would call the Old Testament).
• (4). They used it to mean the Oral or the Scribal Law,
• In the time of Jesus it was the last meaning that caused the confusion,
• Because among the religious leaders this was their preference!
Ill:
• The Oral or the Scribal Law was introduced;
• To protect God’s Law and to stop people breaking it;
• e.g. You older folk will remember;
• When we had open coal fires and they had a fire guard in front of them.
• The idea was children might touch the fireguard by accident or ignorance;
• But the guard prevented them from actually touching the fire itself.
• In the same way the religious leaders built a guard around the Law,
• They added their own rules and regulations to protect it.
• These rules were known as the Oral/Scribal law.
• The idea being people might break their rules;
• But those rules would guard them from actually breaking God’s Law.
The problem with the Oral/Scribal Law was:
• These started out as secondary to the Law of God;
• But overtime the scales tipped and they became not just equal;
• But often superseded the Law of God.
• e.g. To God’s one law, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy",
• The religious leaders added rule upon rule upon rule…
• The Mishnah (The Mishnah, the first written record of the Oral Law,)
• Listed 39 different categories of work that was forbidden on the Sabbath,
• e.g. They taught that you should not look in a mirror on the Sabbath;
• Because you might be tempted to pluck out a grey hair and that would be reaping.
• e.g. It was unlawful to wear any jewellery or ornaments on the Sabbath,
• Since this might be construed as carrying a burden.
• e.g. It was fine to spit on a rock on the Sabbath, but you could not spit on the ground,
• Because that made mud and mud was mortar, and that was work.
• And sadly the rules got sillier and pettier as time went on.
• e.g. You were allowed to eat radishes on the Sabbath,
• But you were warned against dipping them into salt;
• Because you might leave them in the salt too long and pickle them;
• And this was considered to be Sabbath-breaking.
• The Pharisees actually had discussions as to how long it took to pickle a radish.
• In summary:
• To the religious leaders, ‘The Law’ to them was the Oral or the Scribal Law;
• This they prioritised for themselves and for the people.
• But to Jesus ‘The Law’ was ‘The Law of Moses and the Prophets’ (our Old Testament);
• This was the Law he chose to follow, to obey and to teach.
In fact Jesus seemed to deliberately break their Oral/Scribal man made rules:
• Not once did Jesus ever broke any of the Laws of Moses.
• But he constantly, intentionally broke the Scribal, the Oral Law.
• Especially those man-made rules relating to the Sabbath.
• i.e. He would heal people on the Sabbath.
• (Mark chapter 3 verses 1-78)
• i.e. He told people to pick up their mats on the Sabbath – to carry a burden!
• (John chapter 5 verse 8)
• i.e. He spat on the ground and mixed mud & spittle and placed it on a blind men’s faces
• (John chapter 9 verse 6);
• According to their oral tradition this was considered work.
• i.e. He allowed his disciples (Matthew 12 verses 1–8);
• To pluck and eating heads of grain as they walked through the grain fields on a Sabbath.
• According to their oral tradition, this was considered reaping.
• Jesus constantly, intentionally, deliberately broke the Scribal, the Oral Law.
• But he never ever broke any of the Laws of Moses.
Ill;
• Jesus reminded his critics that acts of mercy and acts of necessity;
• Were allowed under the Law of Moses.
• On another occasion he quoted to them Hosea chapter 6 verse 6:
• "I desire mercy and not sacrifice."
• In Matthew chapter 12 verse 11 Jesus jogs their memory;
• By saying that if anyone of them saw a sheep stuck in a pit,
• Even if it were a Sabbath day they would rescue it.
• What makes it acceptable? What verse justifies it? Hosea 6:6 - mercy, not sacrifice.
• The suggestion in Jesus words is,
• “You would do that for an animal, then why not for a human being!”
Ill;
• In another encounter with the religious leaders:
• Jesus also reminded his critics that he is “the Lord of the Sabbath”.
• (Matthew chapter 12 verse 8, Mark chapter 2 verse 28, and Luke chapter 6 verse 5).
• In these verses, Jesus is proclaiming that He is the One;
• Who exercises authority even over the rules and regulations that govern the Sabbath day.
• We have those great words of Jesus (Mark chapter 2 verse 27):
• "The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath.”
• TRANSITION: Jesus was not anti-Law;
• In fact he was the giver and fulfilment of the Law!
• A summary of what Jesus is saying in verses 17-20,
• Would be:
• Verses 17-18:
• That his teaching was in complete agreement with the whole of the Old Testament.
• Verses 19-20:
• That his teaching was very different from the interpretation;
• Of the religious leaders of his day (the teachers of the law and Pharisees)
Ill:
• Scan down the page and note the contrast between man-made religion;
• As practised and promoted by the religious leaders.
• And true genuine faith.
• As taught by Jesus Christ.
• Verses 21-26: On the subject of murder:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• Verses 27-30: On the subject of Adultery:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• Verses 31-32: On the subject of Divorce:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• Verses 33-37: On the subject of Oaths:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• Verses 38-42: On the subject of Retaliation:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• Verses 43-47: On the subject of love:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• The teaching of Jesus was both biblical and yet radical.
• His interpretation got to the spirit of the law as well as the letter.
• The teaching of Jesus was so true and relevant and life-giving!
• It was so different to the legalistic rule keeping that the religious leaders taught.
• These man made laws just left the people full of disappointment and guilt;
• As they tried and failed to live by these restricting rules.
(2). What was the attitude of Jesus to the Law?
• The answer to that question is found in verse 17:
• N.I.V.:
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfil them”
Many people misunderstand that expression ‘to fulfil’,
• It does not mean to replace or add to the Law.
• Rather it carries the idea of obedience and completeness to the Law.
• Jesus fulfilled the Law because he alone lived a life of obedience;
• And in him the Law is completed, it is fulfilled.
• Let me give you two examples of Jesus fulfilling the Law.
Example A:
• Jesus brought the Old Testament scriptures to completion in his person;
• The Old Testament spoke of the Messiah who was to come;
• Jesus implies; “I am he”.
e.g.: John chapter 4 verse 26)
“The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.”
26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.””
• Jesus gave the Old Testament a literal point of reference;
• I guess we are all familiar with that expression in the gospels;
• “That the scripture might be fulfilled”
• (i.e. John chapter 17 verse 12 and chapter 19 verse 36)
• Jesus gave the Old Testament a literal point of reference.
Example A:
• Jesus also fulfilled scripture by obeying its moral code and ethical commands.
• At every point, he obeyed!
• Never once did he compromise or try to bend the rules.
• Now if you doubt his commitment to the Law then just read verse 18:
• Jesus was certainly not soft on scripture!
“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.”
• Jesus was so committed to the Law of God;
• That not even a dot above the letter ‘I’
• Or the cross on a letter ‘t’ shall pass away until it has all been fulfilled.
• With those words Jesus removed any doubt regarding his stand on scripture;
• And his commitment to it.
Pause to say:
• That if you are a clock watcher when the sermon starts;
• Then now is the time to panic!
• Because I was given 31 verses to speak on;
• And so far I have covered two of them!
Ill:
• Reminds me of the story of John Wesley;
• John Wesley was the seventeenth century an Anglican minister;
• Who along with his brother Charles Wesley;
• Is credited with the foundation of the Methodist Church.
• When he preached on the Beatitudes (the first verses of the Sermon on the Mount);
• He wrote this entry into his Journal - dated October 19, 1739:
“At six almost the whole town (I was informed) came together, to whom I explained the six last Beatitudes; but my heart was so enlarged I knew not how to give over, so that we continued for three hours.”
• TRANSITION: Now be assured I will not be speaking for three hours!
• But to do justice to this section it could do with it.
• If I do go on then you have my permission to nod off.
Ill:
• Reminds me of the story of the preacher who noticed a man asleep during his sermon;
• So he said to the man’s wife; “Madam, will you please wake up your husband”.
• She replied: “You put him to sleep, you wake him up!”
• TRANSITION: I do not to go into details on these other verses;
• Because of the constriction of time.
• And because each section really would take a sermon in itself.
• So we will just draw the conclusion from these six sections;
• Verses 21 to 48.
(3). What should be my attitude to the Law?
• By the term ‘The Law’ I mean as did Jesus;
• The whole of the Old Testament – The word of God.
• As we bring an application and an interpretation to this passage;
• We also mean the New Testament as well.
• i.e. Our complete Bible.
Note: verses 19-20:
“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 practises and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
• Just as Jesus was subject to the Holy Scriptures;
• So his followers should be subject to the Holy Scriptures!
• Just as Jesus was lived his life according to the Holy Scriptures;
• So his followers should live their lives according to the Holy Scriptures!
• That does not conflict with the idea and teaching of God’s grace;
• Rather it should complement it.
Ill:
• Story of a man who was in prison;
• His lifestyle had deliberately and regularly broke God’s 10 commandments.
• Well the man got converted, was wonderfully saved;
• And he started reading his Bible.
• Well when he came to Exodus chapter 20 the list of the 10 commandments.
• Hit him like a sledge hammer!
• “You shall NOT take God's name in vain”
• “You shall NOT kill”
• “You shall NOT commit adultery”
• “You shall NOT steal”
• He knew he was guilty of breaking them all;
• And left to his own devices he would break them all over again.
• But as he prayed about it, the Holy Spirit gave him an incredible insight;
• He saw these commandments not as burdens and problems but rather as promises!
• Because he was ‘in Christ’, because he was indwelt by God’s Spirit;
• He realised these laws were promises not problems.
• And so he read them in a different light.
• i.e. “YOU (because you belong to me) shall not take God's name in vain”
• i.e. “YOU (because you belong to me) shall not kill”
• i.e. “YOU (because you belong to me) shall not commit adultery”
• i.e. “YOU (because you belong to me) shall not steal”
• TRANSITION: The man saw that Kingdom living is living in obedience to God’s word;
• Not just the letter of the law but also the spirit of the law!
Note: too verse 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.”
• Jesus said that his followers must have an internal faith;
• That surpasses the external piety of the religious leaders!
• Jesus reminds us that it is the inner heart that God searches and rewards;
• And not the external piety we so often display to others.
Ill:
• You can by a poster, a sign that says;
• “Never try to teach a pig to sing.
• It wastes your time and it annoys the pig!”
• Now you can take a pig out of the pigpen and you can wash that pig until it is spotless.
• You can spray it with very expensive perfume
• You can dress it in costly designer clothes;
• You can put a ribbon in its tail and make it to snort for its food.
• But as soon as you turn that pig loose and allow it to be itself again;
• It will go back to the muddy pigsty and dive right into the slop for dinner.
• The reason it will behave like that is because you have not changed its heart;
• You have not changed its pigness, its nature!
• TRANSITION: The religious leaders at the time of Jesus;
• Were big into ceremonial washing;
• They were good at fancy clothes, perfumes and religious ribbons!
• But sadly they missed the main point;
• They conformed outwardly to religious acts of piety;
• But they did not allow God to change their inward hearts!
• And Jesus would remind them of this two-facedness again and again:
• e.g. Matthew chapter 15 verses 7-9:
“You hypocrites! Isaiah was right when he prophesied about you:
8 “‘These people honour me with their lips,
but their hearts are far from me.
9 They worship me in vain;
their teachings are merely human rules.’”
Now up to this point in the Sermon on the Mount:
• The teaching of Jesus has been fairly general.
• But from now on he gets quite specific!
• In fact he will pinpoint six areas;
• Where what goes on in the heart is more important than what occurs on the surface.
• This is how his followers are to model righteousness (living right);
• And this righteousness surpasses all the external stuff.
• Verses 21-26: On the subject of murder:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• The Law said ‘Do not physically kill another human being’
• Jesus said the Spirit of the Law says;
• ‘You need to deal with the attitude of hatred as well’
• Verses 27-30: On the subject of Adultery:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• The Law said ‘Do not physically have sex with a person outside of your marriage
• Jesus said the Spirit of the Law says;
• ‘You need to deal with the attitude of lust as well’
• Verses 31-32: On the subject of Divorce:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• The Law said ‘Do not separate from your partner unless it involved adultery”
• Jesus said the Spirit of the Law says;
• ‘Divorcing an unfaithful partner is not an obligation but a concession’.
• Verses 33-37: On the subject of Oaths:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• The Law said ‘Do not make vows & promises’
• Jesus said the Spirit of the Law says; ‘Be people who consistently tell the truth’
• Verses 38-42: On the subject of Retaliation:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• The Law said ‘Get even’
• Jesus said the Spirit of the Law says; ‘Repay evil with good’
• Verses 43-47: On the subject of love:
• "You have heard........ but I say unto you."
• The Law said ‘Love your neighbour’
• The religious leaders added; ‘therefore hate your enemies’
• Jesus said the Spirit of the Law says; ‘Pray for your enemies’
No one can ever accuse Jesus of overlooking or dodging relevant issues!
• To use a modern expression:
• Jesus scratches where people are itching!
• Even though it is twenty centuries old;
• These six subjects are very much up-to-date with the issues of modern life.
And finally: So what is my attitude to the Law?
• Jesus said that his followers must have an internal faith;
• That surpasses the external piety of the religious leaders!
• Jesus reminds us that it is the inner heart that God searches and rewards;
• And not the external piety we so often display to others.
SERMON AUDIO: https://surf.pxwave.com/wl/?id=NnOK5PhF595A3dO8wL2jNpQGrgbPEKbo
