Matthew 5 – The Listening Plan

Devotional

“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

– Matthew 5:17

I’m currently teaching a series at our church, called “Life on Purpose.” In the series we’re looking at a few of the purpose statements of Jesus. I call them the purpose statements of Jesus because He distinctly articulates, about a dozen times in the Gospels, the purpose for His coming by saying, “I have come…” Right here in Matthew 5 is the first one in the Gospel of Matthew.

Jesus came for the purpose of fulfilling the Law and the Prophets. That’s not the only reason for His coming, but it certainly is an important one, and I think that this purpose of Christ should challenge us in at least two ways.

First, it challenges us to go back and consider the Old Testament Law and Prophets, to understand just how Jesus has fulfilled it. Second, we need to be careful that we not so casually throw aside that which Jesus did not come to destroy. That’s not to say that we have to live in total obedience to it, but we shouldn’t be so flippant about it.

Do not think that Jesus came to destroy… He came to fulfill.