The Grand Master of Chess

Pastor: Jeff Love

“Jesus, the Fulfillment of the Law — A Heart-Level Righteousness”

A Powerful Shift in the Conversation

Have you ever had to say something that needed to be said before you could say what you really came to say? That’s what Jesus did in Matthew 5:17–20.

Before continuing His teaching in the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus pauses to address a tension in the crowd. He anticipates a misunderstanding — that He’s come to throw out everything they’ve known about the Law and the Prophets. But He makes it clear: “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)

Jesus wasn’t replacing the Old Testament — He was completing it.

Fulfilled, Not Forgotten

The ceremonial laws of the Old Testament — the sacrifices, feast days, and food restrictions — pointed to something greater. They were shadows cast by the Savior to come. And when Jesus died and rose again, He fulfilled them once and for all. (Colossians 2:16–17)

The moral law, however — things like “Do not steal, do not lie, do not kill” — still stands. Not because we’re saved by obeying them, but because Jesus, who fulfilled them perfectly, now writes them on our hearts. His life changes how we live.

Why the Old Testament Still Matters

Jesus reminds us that not even the smallest stroke of the pen in God’s Word will pass away until everything is fulfilled (Matthew 5:18). That means the Old Testament still reveals who God is, how much we need Him, and the beauty of His redemptive plan.

It still convicts. It still teaches. It still points us to Jesus.

What About Righteousness?

Then Jesus drops what must have felt like a bombshell to His Jewish listeners:

“Unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (Matthew 5:20)

Wait — what?

These were the spiritual elite! The scribes knew the law. The Pharisees kept the law. And Jesus says our righteousness must be greater?

Not more rules. Not better behavior. But deeper transformation. The kind that doesn’t start in our hands — but in our hearts.

That’s the core message of Jesus. The Kingdom of Heaven isn’t about performing; it’s about repenting. It’s not about doing better; it’s about being made new. It’s not a checklist — it’s a change of heart through Jesus.

Where Do We Go From Here?

The Sermon on the Mount continues from here — but Jesus made sure we understood this first: He didn’t come to erase the law. He came to fulfill it. And He didn’t come to tell us to try harder. He came to offer us His righteousness — the only kind that’s enough.

This week, take a few moments to reflect on this heart-level righteousness. Ask yourself:

• Am I trying to impress God with my goodness?

• Do I believe that Jesus is enough — that He fulfilled what I never could?

• Am I living out my faith in a way that reflects what He’s done in me, not just through me?

The journey through Matthew continues — and what comes next builds on this foundation. Let’s stay hungry for the truth, and humble enough to let it change us.

“For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes.” — Romans 10:4