Jesus Did Not Cancel the Law, He Filled It Up
Month 4: The Teacher (Part 1) · Bible Story
Today's Scripture
Read together: Matthew 5:17-20
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. 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. 20 For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
Memory Verse
“In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.”— Matthew 5:16 (BSB)memorize this week
📖 Bible-in-a-Year (optional)
Today's reading: 1 Chronicles 2-4
Reading the whole Bible in a year — do this when you have extra time. (Around Day 105 of 365 — the long family lines of Israel, every name remembered by God.)The Heart of It
Some people on the hillside were probably worried. Was this new Teacher about to throw out the Scriptures their grandparents had loved? Jesus answered the worry head-on. "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." He wasn't tossing the Old Testament aside. He was filling it full. He was completing it. He was showing what it had always been pointing toward. Every command God ever gave finds its true meaning in Jesus. And every promise the prophets made comes true in Him.
But Jesus also raised the bar in a way that must have made jaws drop. Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom. The scribes were the rule-experts. The Pharisees kept hundreds of rules carefully. How could anyone be more righteous than them? Here's the surprise of the gospel. Jesus isn't asking for more rule-keeping. He's asking for a new kind of heart, one that loves God from the inside out. That kind of righteousness can't be earned by trying harder. It's a gift Jesus gives, and His Spirit grows it in us. So we don't follow Jesus by ignoring God's good ways. We follow Him by letting Him write those ways onto our hearts.
Around the Table
Jesus loves God's Word in the Bible. He didn't come to throw it away. He came to make it all come true!
Let's do it: Hug a Bible together and say, "Thank You, Jesus, for keeping every promise!"
Jesus said real righteousness isn't just following rules on the outside. It's loving God on the inside.
Let's talk: What's the difference between acting good so people notice, and being good because you love God?
Jesus "fulfills" the Law. He completes it and lives it out perfectly. Then He gives us a heart-deep righteousness we could never earn ourselves.
Let's go deeper: God's standard is higher than even the Pharisees could reach. Why is that actually good news, and not bad news?
💬 Conversation Starter
Have you ever followed a rule on the outside but felt totally different on the inside? What would it look like for your heart to match your hands?
🛡️ Defending the Faith
Skeptics sometimes claim Jesus threw out the Old Testament. But He said the opposite. He came to fulfill it, and He quoted it constantly as God's true Word. The Bible is one unified story, from Genesis to Revelation, all pointing to Him ().
For Dad · Go Deeper
It is tempting to lead our homes by behavior management. Get the outside right, and hope the inside follows. Jesus flips that. A righteousness that "exceeds" the Pharisees can never come from stricter rule-enforcement. It comes from a transformed heart that the Spirit produces. That means your deepest work as a father isn't policing conduct. It's pointing your children, and yourself, to the One who changes hearts. Don't settle for kids who merely behave in front of you. Pray for kids who love God when no one is watching. And remember this. Christ already kept the Law perfectly on your behalf. So you parent from His finished obedience, not in order to earn God's approval.
Draws on: John Stott, The Message of the Sermon on the Mount.
Let's Pray Together
"Jesus, thank You for keeping every promise. Thank You for living perfectly in our place. Don't just change what we do. Change our hearts, so we truly love You. In Jesus' name, amen."
Jesus didn't come to erase God's Word. He came to fill it full, and to fill my heart with His.