Jesus is the heart and center of the Scriptures . The Old Testament tells us of the Savior who would come in the future and the New Testament tells us of the Savior who already came. The Old Testament contains prophecies of the coming Christ (His birth, His ministry, His death and resurrection) and the New Testament talks about Jesus who fulfilled these prophecies. Both the Old and New Testaments testify about Jesus. Again, Jesus is the heart and center of the Scriptures.
If you misunderstand who Jesus is and what He came to do, then you misunderstand the Scriptures.
The scribes and Pharisees read and studied God’s Word, but they misunderstood who Jesus is and what He has come to do. They refused to believe that Jesus is the promised Savior. They saw Jesus as one who would abolish God’s Word and one who would do away with it. They saw Jesus as having no connection to the Old Testament. But nothing is farther from the truth.
Jesus said, “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. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished” (vv 17-18).
Jesus is saying that he has not come to do away with the Old Testament. Rather, he has come to fulfill the Law. He is the promised Savior whom the prophets pointed to. Jesus is also saying that not one detail of God’s Word will ever pass away.
All of God’s Word still applies to us today, both the Law and the Gospel. The Ten Commandments are good and very important in our own lives. They teach us to love God and to love the neighbor. They reveal God’s will for our lives. They keep order within society.
So, don’t see Jesus as abolishing the Ten Commandments. Don’t see Jesus as one who brings a new morality different from the Ten Commandments. Don’t think that you can add to God’s Word by inventing new laws. Don’t think that you are brighter and smarter than Moses, Jesus, or even St. Paul. Don’t try to soften the law so that you can look sinless. Don’t try to take the teeth out of the law so that you can fulfill it. Don’t try to relax the force of the law so that you look justified. Don’t ever think that your righteousness before God is based on your works. Don’t ever think that you can earn God’s favor by your perfection.
The scribes and Pharisees thought that they fulfilled the fifth commandment by not physically killing anyone. “Not so,” said Jesus. “Do not even be angry with one another.” Jesus is saying that sin against the fifth commandment is not only outward, but also in the heart and mind.
Do you unjustly get angry? If there is a persistent anger in our heart, then this leads to murder by the heart. Jesus wants us to reconcile with one another, to work things out and to forgive one another. Our text says, “Come to terms quickly with your accuser.” If we receive love and forgiveness from God himself in Christ Jesus, then we should also show love and forgiveness to others.
The scribes and Pharisees also thought that they fulfilled the sixth commandment by not physically committing adultery. “Not so,” said Jesus, “do not even have lust in your heart.” The principle of sexual purity in the sixth commandment applies to all kinds of sexual desire and activity. Again, Jesus is saying that sin against the sixth commandment is not only outward, but also in the heart and mind.
If we fail to see our sin, then we will also think that we have no need for the Gospel. If we are soft on the law, then we will be soft on the Gospel. If we do not confess our sin, then we are deceiving ourselves. We are all sinful by our words, thoughts, and actions.
It hurts when the law shows us our sin, but this is good because we, then, see our need for a Savior. The Holy Spirit first convicts us of sin, then we are ready to hear the Gospel.
God was merciful to us poor sinners. So, he sent His only begotten Son, Jesus, to rescue us from our sin and the condemnation we deserve.
When Jesus was born, he was placed under the law. At eight days old, he was circumcised according to the ceremonial law. Throughout his life and ministry, he truly loved His heavenly Father, and he truly loved his neighbor.
Jesus came into our fallen world in order to fulfill the law—to do what we cannot do. Jesus kept the law perfectly. He never sinned in thought, word, or deed. He never stole anything. He never gossiped about others. He never coveted other people’s possessions. He did everything the commandments require. He did what we cannot do, and Jesus did it for us and in our place.
Jesus was righteous in every way and his righteousness exceeded the “so-called” righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Jesus was perfect in every way. And so, Jesus, the spotless lamb of God went to the cross to make the payment for our sin. Jesus came into our world not only to fulfill the law, but also to die upon the cross in our place. On Good Friday, Jesus cried out, “It is finished.” In other words, His mission to save the world through His perfect sacrifice on the cross is accomplished. No other payment, by you or me, needs to be made for our salvation.
On the third day, Jesus rose from the dead. Jesus fulfilled the prophecies in the Old Testament regarding his life, his death, and resurrection. Therefore, in Christ, we are freed from the guilt, the punishment, and the power of sin, and we are saved eternally.
In our Holy Gospel for today, Jesus says, “For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (v 20). The scribes and Pharisees were outwardly moral, and they kept the outward observance of the law, but they were not righteous because they lacked faith in Jesus. What Jesus is saying is that there is no way that the scribes or Pharisees or you or me can attain a righteousness on our own that will gain us the kingdom of heaven.
Where can perfect righteousness be found? Not from the scribes and Pharisees; not from fulfilling the law; and not from anything we do. Rather, perfect righteousness is found only in Jesus. Jesus’ righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees. We are righteous in Christ. Jesus is our righteousness.
Romans 5:19 says that because of Adam’s disobedience we were made sinners, but it goes on to say that because of Jesus’ obedience we “will be made righteous.” We are righteous only in Christ. 2 Cor 5:21 says that Jesus was made to be sin who knew no sin, so that “in Christ we might become the righteousness of God.” We are righteous only in Christ. St Paul says, “ For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. For in it [in the Gospel] the righteousness of God is revealed” (Rom 1:16-17). The righteousness of God is revealed in the Gospel. Faith hears this wonderful news and says, “Amen.” Faith trusts in Christ. Faith believes that we enter the kingdom of heaven on account of Christ’s righteousness. Only in Christ do we have true righteousness.
So, the law teaches us what to do and what not to do, but the Gospel teaches us what God has done for us in Christ Jesus. Jesus died upon the cross as a payment for our sin and he rose from the dead for our justification. But this Gospel is not only a thing of the past—like a history lesson. Rather, the Gospel is a present tense. It is real and active today. The cross earned the forgiveness of sins, but this forgiveness was given to you in your baptism. It was spoken into your ear this morning. It is proclaimed from this pulpit, and it will be given into your mouth in the Lord’s Supper.
The law shows us our sin, but the Gospel shows us Jesus, our one and only Savior.
Are you troubled by your sin? Are you repentant? Then, the Gospel is proclaimed for you. The Gospel gives you the peace and comfort that your sins are forgiven. Then you joyfully love the neighbor doing good works for their sake.
You, the baptized, confess your sin. You seek God’s forgiveness, and you go about your day joyfully. You drown your sin in confession, and you hear God’s word of absolution. You commune with our Lord receiving the forgiveness of sins. Then you joyfully love the neighbor doing good works for their sake.
Because we have a fallen nature, following the Ten Commandments will not be done perfectly. We are sinful by nature. But we return here to God’s house Sunday after Sunday to be forgiven and to receive His Gospel and to be fed with the body and blood of Christ. This forgiveness changes us for the better.
Our Epistle lesson for today mentions baptism. It talks about us being baptized into Christ’s death and resurrection. It was the time when we died and rose with Christ. It was the day when the power of sin and death in our life was defeated. Our baptism was a time when Christ’s righteousness was given to us.
Our Epistle lesson goes on to say that we “should walk in the newness of life” (v 4). In other words, God wants us, his baptized children, to be salt and light in a dying world. He wants us to reflect His love and mercy to others. We now delight in loving God and the neighbor. We gladly follow the Ten Commandments not in order to be saved, but out of love for God and the neighbor.
God loves you by giving you the law. The law protects you and the neighbor. God wants order in the home and in society. God also loves you by giving you the Gospel so that you may be forgiven. Since your righteousness is from Christ, you will then enter the kingdom of heaven. Thanks be to God. Amen.
