EXPLORE THE TEXT
Kingdom people find genuine satisfaction and purpose by keeping God’s commands.
17 “Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets.
I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
18 For truly I tell you,
until heaven and earth pass away,
not the smallest letter or one stroke of a letter will pass away from the law
until all things are accomplished.
19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commands
and teaches others to do the same
will be called least in the kingdom of heaven.
But whoever does and teaches these commands
will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.
20 For I tell you,
unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees,
you will never get into the kingdom of heaven.”
Share this content from page 44 of the PSG
to explain why Jesus emphasized His relationship to the law in verse 17:
Much of the “law” of the Pharisees was man-made traditions for which Jesus had little use.
Because of His disdain for these traditions, He was accused of wanting to abolish the law.
Jesus, however, told His disciples that He hadn’t come to “set aside” the law.
His was no movement to overthrow or destroy the Law and Prophets. .Instead, Jesus came for the purpose of bringing the law to its intended goal.
Emphasize that Jesus described God’s Word as eternal-
just like God is eternal.
Because it reflects the nature of God, His Word must be obeyed.
Jesus showed us how to live out our faith in a genuine way
by fulfilling the Word down to the smallest detail.
Highlight Matthew 5:20 as the session’s memory verse. Emphasize our responsibility to point people to God in a way that helps them see Him as He really is.
That doesn’t happen through religious rituals. It happens through a relationship with God that transforms our relationships with others.