Entry into the Kingdom
The Lord begins this section by answering an accusation that was often levelled at Him. Those who oppose His claim to be the Messiah charge Him with seeking to undermine the teachings of the Old Testament (Matthew 15:1,2; 26:59-62). He responds by emphasising the enduring nature of the Word of God:
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfil. For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled. Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:17-20).
His mission was not to abolish the Old Testament system, but rather to fulfil it. The commandments, ceremonies and patterns of the Old Testament find their ultimate completion in Jesus Christ. In fact, the Lord reveals that entry into the kingdom of heaven is going to demand a much higher standard.
The righteousness required must “exceed” that of the “scribes and Pharisees”. Scribes were members of a clerical profession within Judaism devoted to the study and copying of the Old Testament. Pharisees were part of a Jewish sect focussed on strict adherence to biblical law. In addition to the laws of the Old Testament, the Pharisees sought to obey hundreds of laws that had developed over time within Jewish tradition. Yet, the condition for entry into the kingdom of heaven is an even greater righteousness. How can anyone attain that seemingly unreachable standard?
The gospel reveals that this perfect righteousness is uniquely available through faith in Jesus Christ:
“But now the righteousness of God apart from the law is revealed, being witnessed by the Law and the Prophets, even the righteousness of God, through faith in Jesus Christ, to all and on all who believe” (Romans 3:21,22).
This stands in stark contrast to the outward, performative righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees. Rather, this is an inner spiritual righteousness that is “imputed” by God to all who exercise faith in Christ. This is incredible grace. It goes beyond simply the forgiveness of our sins to the positive ascription of righteousness to every Christian.
At the beginning of our studies in this incredible sermon, we observed the recipe for blessing in the Beatitudes. Each one of these attributes, from meekness and mercy to righteousness and purity, find their full expression in Jesus Christ. How can a human being hope to live the sort of life depicted in these verses? Only through being placed “in Christ” by the grace of God through faith.
There are those who mischaracterise Christianity as demanding little regarding holy living. Nothing could be further from the truth. The Christian life is a transformed life; the indwelling Holy Spirit enables believers to live in ways that please God. In his commentary on these verses, J. C. Ryle encouraged: “the sanctification of the New Testament saint ought to exceed that of him who has nothing but the Old Testament for his guide . . . The Christian who is content with a low standard of personal holiness has got much to learn.”[1]
In the next article in this series, we will begin to consider the remainder of Matthew chapter 5. It consists of six sections, each beginning with: “You have heard that it was said” and followed by a quotation from the Old Testament law. Christ then takes each of these commandments, explaining that in His kingdom the bar is raised radically higher. Entry into the kingdom of heaven demands the true spiritual righteousness only available through faith in Jesus Christ.
[1] Ryle, J.C. Expository Thoughts on Matthew, The Banner of Truth Trust, 1856 (p.31,32).