Sermon on the Mount: Fulfilling the Law

Sermon Notes

Sermon on the Mount

Chapter 2: Jesus and the Old Testament Law, Matthew 5:13–20

1. The Church as Salt & Light, vv. 13–16

a.    Salt transforms by providing flavor

b.    Salt preserves what would otherwise spoil

c.     Light guides us

d.    Light dispels darkness

2. Fulfilling the Law, vv. 17–20

a. Did Jesus Affirm the OT Law or Abolish It?

Ramifications:

•       Are Christians under the Old Testament Law?

•       Do the Old Testament dietary laws apply to the Church today?

•       Are Christians subject to the Ten Commandments?

•       Can Christians work on the Sabbath?

b. Jesus Came to Fulfill the Law

•       He Fulfilled Its Promises

•       He Revealed Its True Meaning

•       He Perfectly Kept It

•       He Completed Its Purpose — to reveal our sin & to lead us to Christ

c. Practical Applications

•       We are “free” in Christ.

•       We are under the “law of Christ”— God’s righteous standards.

•       The Spirit of God lives in us & guides us.

•       We are God’s very presence in the world.

Study/Discussion Questions

1. In what ways are the metaphors of salt and light appropriate for the role of the Church in the world? 

2. What did Jesus say he had come to do with reference to the Old Testament Law?

3. Are Christians bound by the Old Testament Law?  The dietary laws? The Sabbath law (not to work on Saturday)? 

4. What does it mean that Jesus came to “fulfill the Law”?

5. Can you name some Old Testament prophecies that Jesus fulfilled? 

6. Why was it necessary for Jesus to perfectly keep the Law?

7. What does it mean that Christians are under the “New Covenant” (Jeremiah 31)?

8. What are some practical ramifications for us today that we are under the “Law of Christ” but not under the Law of Moses?

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