Discover The Word

Friday, June 3, 2011

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law until all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:17-18).

IDEA: Jesus had a high regard for the Old Testament Scriptures (the Law and the Prophets).

PURPOSE: To help listeners appreciate the importance of the Old Testament to Jesus and to us.

Do you think many Christians read and study the Old Testament? Why not or why?

Do you think that many Christians realize that the Old Testament was the Bible read and studied by the early church?

Do you think we need the Old Testament in churches today?

I. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus endorsed the Old Testament: Matthew 5:17-18.

We can’t understand the New Testament unless we understand the First Testament.

We speak of Jesus “Christ.” Is “Christ” Jesus’ last name? What is it?

The New Testament constantly refers to the Old Testament.

If we claim to be citizens of Christ’s kingdom, if we pledge allegiance to Jesus, then it would be wise to give our attention to the Scriptures He honored.

II. Jesus declares that the Law will not disappear until all that it says is fulfilled or accomplished. He illustrates what He means in two ways:

What do you think He means when He says, “until heaven and earth disappear”?

Jesus says that “not the smallest letter nor the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear until everything is accomplished.”

The smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet is a yod. It’s like our letter i. It would be about the size of an apostrophe.

The least stroke of the pen would be like crossing our letter T.

Whatever Jesus is saying in this passage, it doesn’t take away from His high regard for the Old Testament Scriptures.

III. If listeners want a better knowledge of the Old Testament, how could they go about getting it?