Today’s Passage: Matthew 5:17-20
Jesus continues His teaching on the hillside. He turns to an inevitable question forming in the minds of His audience. They want to know if He intends to discard the ancient Scriptures and launch a new religion. Jesus answers with a concrete verdict. He came to fulfill the Law, proving that only His perfect righteousness satisfies God’s standard.
Matthew 5:17-18 (BSB)
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 I tell you truly, until heaven and earth pass away, not a single jot, not a stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.
The crowd revered the Law of Moses. Jesus assures them He intends to plēroō, pronounced play-ROH-oh. Strong's G4137, to fill completely, fulfill. This Greek word means to fill something to the brim. Jesus lives out every demand of the Law with absolute perfection, bringing the ancient commands to their intended completion. those commands entirely. He anchors His ministry in the authority of the Hebrew Scriptures. Every prophecy, promise, and legal requirement points directly to Him, and He will accomplish them all.
Matthew 5:19 (BSB)
¹⁹ So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus establishes a high view of Scripture. The kingdom of heaven values obedience to God’s revealed Word. A person demonstrates greatness in this kingdom by practicing the commands and teaching others to do the same.
Context The Hebrew Scriptures
The phrase “the Law and the Prophets” serves as shorthand for the entire Old Testament. Jesus refers to the “jot,” the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet, and a “stroke of a pen,” a tiny serif distinguishing one letter from another. He states unequivocally that every minute detail of the biblical text carries divine authority and remains binding until its purpose is complete.
Matthew 5:20 (BSB)
²⁰ For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
The scribes and Pharisees represent the absolute peak of human religious effort. Jesus delivers a devastating verdict to the crowd. Human rule-keeping fails the test. You need a righteousness that surpasses the strictest religious experts. This requirement points past human effort directly to the perfect record Jesus Himself holds.
Study notes A Righteousness Given
Human effort fails to meet God’s standard of perfection. Jesus completes the Law in our place, offering His flawless record to us.
"For Christ is the end of the law, to bring righteousness to everyone who believes." Romans 10:4 (BSB)
The Law establishes the standard of holiness. Christ achieves that standard and credits His success to everyone who trusts Him.
Jesus upholds the authority of God’s Word and meets its demands perfectly. He completes the work you cannot finish and offers you the credit. Identify one specific area where you rely on your own effort to prove your worth to God. Release that effort today, and trust the finished work of Jesus to secure your standing.
Pray to Close
Approach God and thank Him for the perfect life Jesus lived in your place. Acknowledge the specific ways you rely on your own moral performance to earn His approval. Ask Him to clothe you entirely in the righteousness of Christ, giving you confidence in His finished work rather than your own effort.
Worship for Today
Cornerstone · Hillsong Worship
This song draws from a historic hymn declaring that our hope relies entirely on Jesus’ blood and righteousness. The lyrics reinforce the reality that you stand before God clothed in His perfection rather than your own.
Listen: