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Sermon: "Concerning the Jot and Tittle"
Scripture: Matthew 5:17-20 Introduction: Jesus had just given His followers some hard sayings - difficult teachings that are in fact keys to happy living. We often call the passage preceding these verses the Beatitudes. This same Jesus had been accused of abolishing the Law and the Prophets. In these verses we read His response. Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. Then, in the KJV, Jesus talked about the jot and tittle. We might well ask, "What is the jot and tittle?" Is this some nursery rhyme? Hardly! In spite of the accusations about being a lawbreaker - accusations that led to His crucifixion, Jesus respect, revered the Law. The JOT was the smallest letter - iota - in form like an apostrophe, - a letter not much bigger than a dot. The TITTLE was the smallest part of the letter, the serif, the little projecting part at the foot of a letter. Here Jesus is indicating the importance of the smallest details of the law. A more contemporary comparison to the jot and tittle might the phrase dot your I's and cross your t's. To the strict Jew that lived during the time of Jesus' walk on the earth, it was there perception that Jesus did not dot his I's and cross His t's. They did not think He obeyed the jot and tittle of the law. Of course they were thinking of their detailed rules concerning God's law, not God's law itself. As far as they were concerned Jesus broke the Sabbath by healing people on that day. Within a few short years He would be condemned to die as a lawbreaker. Of course, the law, which He was accused of breaking, was that of the Jews, not of God. Jesus said, "Think not that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets; I have come not to abolish them, but to fulfill them. For truly I say to you, til heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the law until all is accomplished." Jesus clearly stated that He did not come to destroy, to abolish, or to break up the divinely given unity of the law and the prophets. Instead He came to fulfill, that is, not just to obey, but also to bring about the full, real meaning of the law - God's law, not man's. Since Jesus is God, He not only perfectly obeys the law, but also gives a fuller understanding to the law. As the promised Messiah, Jesus paid the full penalty of the Law as our substitute. So not a jot, not an iota, not a tittle, not a dot of the law would pass away until Jesus accomplished their divine plan. With this background concerning the jot and tittle I believe Jesus is saying:
1. Stop Criticizing Others When I read the Gospels, I often find myself criticizing the Scribes and Pharisees. How about you? Have you ever done that? After all - Jesus frequently put them in their proper place, didn't He? Yes, He definitely did! BUT he also gave them credit where credit was due! Do we do that? Listen again to v. 19 & 20. "Whoever then relaxes one of the least of these of these commandments and teaches men so, shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the Scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." Whether we care to admit it or not, many of the Scribes and Pharisees knew and obeyed the law better than many professing Christians. Opps' - I'd better be careful. Am I criticizing others, not just Scribes and Pharisees? Am I criticizing religious leaders? Am I criticizing my neighbors? Am I criticizing my congregation? Am I criticizing my relatives? Along with these I have another serious question to ask you? Do you ever like to make yourself feel more spiritual by putting down someone else? I am afraid for some, perhaps many here, the honest answer might be yes. Jesus says, STOP. Stop criticizing others. And START. 2. Start Keeping God's Law How well do you keep the Law - the teachings of Jesus in the beatitudes? A review of them could be a good idea. Some of you may rember them from my messages this past summer. They are the first verses of Matthew five, preceding this passage we are focusing on today. Let me ask again, How well do you keep the teaching of Jesus in the beatitudes? Or could it be that you have decided this lifestyle of Jesus is too hard. Since you don't think you can measure up to this lifestyle you are hardly even making an effort to do so? While the Scribes and Pharisees tried to devoutly keep the Law - Jesus told them that their righteousness was not good enough to gain them entrance into the Kingdom of God - unless they trusted in the righteousness of Jesus Christ to save them. Apparently an historian named Will Durant also respected the teaching of Jesus, but felt they were impossible to practice. Listen to what he said: In any generation there may be eight or ten persons who will be alive in the sense of continuing influence three hundred years after. For instance, Plato still lives and Socrates still lives, but in all of Western civilization, the person who stands out above all others is Chrsit. He undoubtedly was the most permanent influence on our thoughts but not on our actions and that's an important modification. Our actions are very seldom Christian, but our theology often is. We wish we could behave like Christ. Conclusion We are to keep, to obey, to teach the commandments of the Lord - but not only because the Bible says so. Though we might think that should be motivation enough to challenge us. But when we really surrender our lives to Jesus Christ He comes to reside in us, to change our heart, to change our actions, to stop our criticism of others, to empower us to keep His Law by the power of the Holy Spirit.
Right is right and wrong is wrong |
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