The new and remarkable teaching and authority of Jesus of Nazareth alarmed many who did not understand that he, in fact, did not come to abolish either the Law or the Prophets. Rather, he came to actually fulfill them. Jesus declared that until heaven and earth pass away, not even an iota, not even a dot, would pass from the Law until everything written in it was fully accomplished. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, the Messiah and Ruler promised to come and make an end of sin and death. He comes not to annul the promise but rather to fulfill it.

To understand “the light of the world,” one need only imagine a lighthouse. Think of the darkness of the empty ocean at night. The lighthouse stands as a beacon for anyone to follow to shore. In the same way we serve as a beacon in this world, leading people to Christ and his Kingdom.

Lord Jesus, we pray that your Church would be a city set on a hill, and that all who are lost and wandering would find their way to the Kingdom.

“The prescriptions of the Mosaic covenant for ritual cleansing were a sign of the need for purification in a more profound and complete sense. Jesus’ teaching raises a question about where such cleansing might be found. The immediate context provides no answer, though his teaching about the significance of his death ultimately offers a solution to this problem.”

~ David G. Peterson, Engaging with God: A Biblical Theology of Worship. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1992. p. 114.

Let God Arise! Seasonal Focus
Jesus Fulfills the Law, Matthew 5.13-20

Book Reading
Peterson, Engaging with God