Christian Art | Jesus Fulfils The Law
Matthew 5: 17-19 – Lent Week 3, Wednesday; Ordinary Time Week 10, Wednesday (King James Audio Bible KJV, Spoken Word)
17 ¶ 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.
19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
It is the Sermon on the Mount. Our Lord has presented the crowd with the Beatitudes. We have been taught to know the gateway to heaven. These are the great Christian truths to which we aspire.
Jesus now wishes to explain the relationship between what he has just said and given to the people, and the Old Law. Jesus’ preaching of the Beatitudes has already been revolutionary in terms of the Law. To be poor, to be hungry, to be peaceful, to be merciful – these are among the cardinal virtues of Christ’s New Law.
Now Jesus aligns his present teaching with the teachings of the Law through the Bible preceding his Incarnation. Jesus tells the people present at the Sermon on the Mount that what he is telling them is a completion of all that they part-know already. Jesus is the crucial piece that has been missing from what they thought they knew. He is the corner-stone. It is now that we receive again the teaching of mercy and love – and, through this, of perfection.
The mercy and love of God are present throughout all of the Bible. Jesus comes both to remind his people of this key strand of the Bible which they have neglected, and also to embody this truth of love and mercy and bring it and us to perfection.
Matthew’s Gospel is particularly concerned to heal rifts among the communities of those following Jesus. By the time that Matthew is writing this book of the Bible, there are some people who continue to wrap themselves up in all the minutiae of the Old Law, at the expense of the spirit of the New. At the other extreme, there are those who imagine themselves freed by the Holy Spirit from all Law, even including the teachings of Jesus Christ. And there is a spectrum of faith between. Matthew wishes to show all of these people that, through Jesus, the Old Law, truly realised, and our salvation in Christ are one.
Jesus asks us to consider the Old Law and to consider it properly. We are not to be saved by empty ritual and empty observances. We are not saved by external parades of piety. Rather, considered properly and through faith, the whole of the Bible teaches us that we are here to obey the Law in our relationship with God and our fellow human beings. We are to look to the heart of it: justice, mercy, faith, hope, charity. We are to know, as the whole of the Bible teaches us, God is love.
These great truths of the Law are one. Justice, faith, hope, mercy, charity, love. Because these truths are one it is impossible to take away one piece of it – because there is only one piece; it is not divisible. Even speaking of the truth of God like this is imperfect: we see aspects of the one Law as several when really they are only different glimpses of the one. This is why Jesus says: ‘Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.’
At this point of fulfilment, our several words and ways of comprehending shall pass away and we shall be one with the Word of God.
We are called now to consider the least of the commandments. We are called to examine the things we have overlooked. No-one is without sin. We have broken His commandments. God knows this.
Now is the time to be reconciled. God will forgive us.
‘If you know these things, and live in purity, holiness and righteousness, you can see God. But before all, faith and the fear of God must take the lead in your heart; then you will understand these things. When you put off what is mortal and put on imperishability, then you will rightly see God. For God raises up your flesh immortal with your soul; after becoming immortal you will then see the Immortal, if you believe in him now.’ St Theophilus of Antioch
King James Audio Bible | Endnotes
Jesus Is The Law And The Prophets
At its core, this passage emphasizes the continuity between the Law and the Prophets and the teachings of Jesus. Jesus asserts that he did not come to abolish the Law and the Prophets but to fulfill them, which can be interpreted as a call to understand his teachings in light of the Jewish legal tradition.
Scholars have identified several key themes in this passage, including the importance of obedience to God’s commands and the notion of righteousness as a prerequisite for entry into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus’ warning against setting aside even the least of these commands and teaching others to do the same highlights the seriousness with which he viewed obedience to God’s law.
Jesus’ claim that not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished underscores the enduring importance of the Jewish legal tradition. It is a call to understand Jesus’ teachings in light of this tradition and to recognize the continuity between the Old and New Testaments.
Lent is a time for Christians to reflect on their own sinfulness and the sacrifice that Jesus made for them on the cross. As we approach Easter, we are reminded of the importance of Jesus’ death and resurrection, and how it fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament.
King James Audio Bible | KJV | King James Version King Herod There were several individuals named Herod who played significant roles in ancient history, particularly in the history of the Roman Empire and the region of Palestine. Here is a brief overview of the most notable Herods: Herod the Great: Also known as Herod I, he was a Roman client king of Judea, ruling from 37 BC to 4 BC. He is perhaps most famous for his role in the biblical story of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. Herod Antipas: Also known as Herod II, he was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist and later had him beheaded. Herod Agrippa I: Also known as Herod III, he was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned the apostle Paul. Herod Agrippa II: Also known as Herod IV, he was the great-grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over parts of Palestine and Syria from 50 to 100 AD. He is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who heard Paul’s defence before the Roman governor Festus. These rulers, who were known as the Herodian dynasty, were not Jewish but rather descended from a Greek family that had converted to Judaism. Despite this, they were appointed as rulers by the Roman Empire and were generally unpopular among the Jewish population due to their collaboration with the Roman occupation and their often brutal methods of rule. Herod The Great Herod the Great, also known as Herod I, was a Roman client king of Judea who ruled from 37 BC to 4 BC. He was born in 73 BC in Idumea, a region in southern Palestine, and was the son of Antipater the Idumean, an Edomite who had been appointed as a governor of Judea by the Roman general Pompey. Herod rose to power after the Roman general Julius Caesar appointed him as king of Judea in 40 BC. He consolidated his power over the next few years by defeating his rivals and establishing himself as the undisputed ruler of the region. As king, Herod embarked on a massive building program that included the expansion and renovation of the Temple in Jerusalem, the construction of the port city of Caesarea Maritima, and the fortification of several cities in Judea. He also commissioned the construction of a number of palaces and other buildings, including the famous Herodium, a palace-fortress located south of Jerusalem. Despite his many accomplishments, Herod was a controversial figure who was known for his harsh rule and his willingness to use violence to maintain his power. He was married several times and had a large number of children, several of whom he had executed when they posed a threat to his rule. One of the most famous stories associated with Herod is the biblical account of the birth of Jesus, in which it is said that he ordered the slaughter of all male children in Bethlehem under the age of two in an attempt to kill the newborn Jesus. According to the New Testament, Jesus was saved by his parents, who fled to Egypt, and later returned to Palestine after Herod’s death. Herod died in 4 BC at the age of 70, leaving a legacy as one of the most significant rulers in the history of ancient Palestine. Herod Antipas Herod Antipas, also known as Herod II, was the son of Herod the Great and ruled over Galilee and Perea, two regions in Palestine, from 4 BC to 39 AD. He was born in 20 BC and was named after his father’s patron, the Roman emperor Augustus. Like his father, Herod Antipas was known for his ambitious building projects, including the construction of the city of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee and the expansion of the Temple in Jerusalem. He was also known for his political cunning and his ability to navigate the complex political landscape of the Roman Empire. Herod Antipas is mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who imprisoned John the Baptist, a prominent religious figure who criticized Herod’s marriage to his sister-in-law, Herodias. According to the New Testament, John was eventually beheaded at the request of Herodias’ daughter, Salome, who danced for Herod and his guests at a banquet. Herod Antipas is also mentioned in the New Testament as the ruler who oversaw the trial and execution of Jesus. Although he initially wanted to release Jesus, he ultimately handed him over to the Roman authorities at the urging of the Jewish religious leaders. Herod Antipas’ rule came to an end in 39 AD when the Roman emperor Caligula exiled him to Gaul, modern-day France. He died in exile a few years later. Herod Agrippa I Herod Agrippa I, also known as Herod III, was the grandson of Herod the Great and ruled over Judea from 41 to 44 AD. He was born in 10 BC and was the son of Aristobulus and Bernice, two of Herod the Great’s children. Herod Agrippa I was well-educated and fluent in both Greek and Hebrew, and he was highly regarded by the Roman authorities for his loyalty and his ability to maintain order in Judea. He was appointed as king of Judea in 41 AD by the Roman emperor Claudius, who was impressed by his abilities and saw him as a reliable ally in the region. As king, Herod Agrippa I continued the building projects of his grandfather and expanded the Temple in Jerusalem. He also implemented a number of reforms aimed at improving the lives of the […]
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