The Law is something we are quite familiar with in our country. Since 1789 Congress has enacted over 30,000 statutes. When those statutes go to the Administrative Regulators, the laws increase exponentially. Our legal code is housed in over 200 volumes containing an estimated 100-300 million words. There are over 1 million individual legal restrictions which use terms like “shall” or “must”. And we as good citizens obey the law.

The Jewish People Jesus addressed in His Sermon on the Mount were familiar with the legal creep of Administrative Regulators. They started with 613 laws in the Torah and by the time Jesus started preaching, those laws had expanded into code that became known as the Midrash. Through later refinement (200 AD and after) further developments, refinements, and expansions in the Mishna, Gemara, and the Talmud produced dozens of volumes of Jewish laws containing millions of words and legal instructions too numerous to comprehend.

It is in the middle of expansion process that Jesus does a little expanding of the Law on His own. After all, He wrote it in the first place, so He has every right to say what it means. This he does in the 2^nd half of Matthew 5. He sets up his discourse by assuring the people that His intention is not to abolish the Law but to fulfill it. He then warns them about mishandling the Law. Finally, He informs them that those people trying to tell them what the Law means, the scribes and Pharisees, are not the people to look to for guidance because following their ways just won’t cut it. Only by trusting in Jesus through faith can we receive the righteousness which is imputed to us by Him. His righteousness is sufficient. His righteousness is the final word on the subject.

Transcript

So we’re talking about law and order Sinai division. As an American citizen, do you abide by the law? Simple yes or no would suffice? Yes. Sometimes it depends. I love this. I love this. [laughter] Hedging your bets, boy. Okay. Since 1789, Congress has enacted over 30,000 laws. Since 1789, that’s not bad. I I expected it to be higher to be honest with you. But here’s the rub. See, the law is passed, right? The law is passed and then it goes to the executive branch and the administrators have regulations. You understand what I’m saying by regulations? In other words, what that need they say what that law means is you got to do it this way, you got to do this, you got to do that, you got to do it this. How many of you in your work have had to deal with regulations? [laughter]

Ain’t that ain’t that wild? Isn’t that wild? So when I ask, have you obeyed the law? Have you obeyed every regulation?

[laughter] Okay, just so you know, there’s over 200 volumes, big books, over 200 volumes containing the US code, legal code. It’s about 100 million to 130 million words. That’s a lot of words. This is the one that really killed me though. Over 1 million individual legal restrictions which contain the words either shall or must. In other words, you shall do this. You must do this. There’s over 1 million statements including those words.

That’s pretty exciting, isn’t it? We thought the Pharisees were bad. [laughter] Exactly. Which is where we’re headed today. Uh we’re talking about first century Jews abiding by the law. Okay. Did they have to abide by the law? And whose law? God’s law. Interpreted by the Pharisees. But who else? Roman law. Yeah. Yeah. They had to abide by Roman law as well. Okay. So, they’re getting hit with the dumb wedding. Now, I am going to give you just a wee bit more than a wee bit of background on the Jewish law. Is that okay? Can you forgive me just this once? The reason is because for the next, I think, three weeks, we will be looking at specific laws and how Jesus handles them. Okay? And and so, we need the background. We need the understanding Jewish law is divided into three basic segments. The moral law, the ceremonial law, and the civil law. Now, it doesn’t say in the Bible this is a civil law. This is a ceremonial law. We just know that they are because of what they tell us to do. In the Torah, the Torah, the first five books of the Bible, from Genesis to Deuteronomy, in those five books, there are a total of 613 laws. Well, that’s not bad. Now, that that’s doable. That’s doable. And you see what those laws cover, get you into a little bit more detail and give you some examples. The moral law is God’s standards of right and wrong. Okay? Obviously, the Ten Commandments, right? Those are those are moral law, right? Leviticus 19:18, “You shall not take vengeance nor hold any grudge against the sons of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself. I am the Lord.” Oh, that’s a that’s a law. That is a law, right? By the way, the laws are divided into positive and negative. Okay? So, there’s some negative there and there’s some positive there. Leviticus 19 and 36, you shall have accurate balances, accurate weights, an accurate epha, and an accurate hin. I am the Lord your God. Now, you’re saying, “Wait, no, wait. This is civil law.” Because they’re talking about the the legal description of weights and measurements. That should be under civil law. No, it’s not. Why not? deals with honesty. It deals with honesty.

We’re you’re going to find out why later. Okay, that’s moral law. How about ceremonial law, sacrifices, priesthood, ritual, purity, worship regulations? Rosh Hashana is one of those. Now, the term Rosh Hashana does not appear in the scripture, but the new year does, and it is in Leviticus. Okay? It says, “You must observe this day.” The day of atonement that I just told you about, Yom Kippur, holiest day of the year, it’s in the law, but it’s part of the ceremonial law. Ceremonial law. How about this one? These you may eat, whatever it is in the water, everything that has fins and scales, but whatever does not have fins and scales, they are detestable things to you. You know what that means? No catfish

or shrimp.

[laughter]

Okay. part of the part of the ceremonial law because it has to do with the purity, right? Okay. How about the one that says “who touches the dead body of any person will be unclean for seven days. That one shall purify himself with the water on the third day and on the seventh day he will be clean.” Uh if you’re a mortician, good luck. [laughter]

All right. How about the uh civil law? Civil law has to do with uh you know judicial rulings, social things, uh governing daily civic life, property rights, criminal justice and governance of Israel. The year of jubilee, which is something I would be very much in favor of in our nation. I think every seven years all your debts are wiped clean. Oh yeah. And if someone from Exodus and if someone borrows an animal from its neighbor and it is injured or dies while its owner is not with it, he shall make full restitution. Well, that’s only fair. You borrow somebody’s donkey and it dies, well, you pay him back, right? However, if the owner happens to be there when the animal dies, it’s okay. No problem. [laughter] Uh, it just has to do with doing what’s fair. Okay? Doing what’s fair. When you build a new house, you shall make a guardrail for your roof so that you will not bring guilt for bloodshed on your house if anyone falls from it. And you’re thinking, “Okay, we’re getting a little specific here. We only have 613.” And you’re talking about a guardrail on a roof. But they there was living quarters up there, too. There were living quarters up there. And it was very common. Okay. And so they’re saying got to take care of it. We’re going to come back to that one in a minute. Now those laws, the ceremonial law, the moral law, and the civil law. Of those three divisions of laws, the civil law doesn’t apply because we have a civil institution that gives us our civil laws. the United States of America and the state of Texas and the city of Brennham and the county of Washington, right? I mean, we have those covered. Ceremonial laws have all been fulfilled by Christ. We have no need for the ceremonial laws anymore. the moral laws are still in effect because they tell you what God approves of, what God doesn’t approve of. They tell you what God sees as right and wrong.

The Torah was what is where we start off. That’s where the that’s where the 613 are written down. Okay? And they’re not written. Here’s the first one. Here’s the second one. Here’s the third one. Yeah, the 10 are num, you know, and but they aren’t even numbered. I mean, but they’re all in but the rest are just spread out all the way through those five books. Okay. So, you have the 613

When Ezra and the children of Israel were coming back out of exile from Babylonia. Okay. One of the things that happened was Ezra got them all together and started putting on paper all of the all of the Bible, rewriting it, and putting this down on paper, so to speak. But it began something it began something that really heated up about two or 30 hundred years later and still went on all the way through the Middle Ages and it’s called the midrash. The midrash refers to a whole lot of explaining going on. They started discussing this and saying, “Okay, here’s what this means. Here’s what that means.” They they most of this was was done orally. I mean they were just talking about it. They were it was oral. Okay. Sometimes it got written down later on when you get past Jesus’s time. There was a lot more writing going on. That midrash is a huge huge library of information and discussions and explanations all about the law. And it started with the law of the Torah. In other words, they weren’t just making up stuff and saying, “Well, I think God meant to say you can kill.” No, they weren’t making up stuff. They were saying, “God said you can’t kill.” What does that mean? You understand? In other words, they started with scripture. What do we start with today? What we feel like, what we think might be good, right? Isn’t that what our culture does? We don’t start with an established law. We start with what feels good, what seems right. Even though the scripture says there’s a way that seems right to a man, but the end thereof is destruction. But that’s what they were doing. I put where the sermon on the mount is so you’ll know where we are. But but all of this type of discussion has been going on since 400 BC. Some even say 500 BC. So this discussion and all this has been going on and Jesus enters into this world and you’re going to find out he says starting in the next section. This is next week but starting next week he says you have heard it said and then he gave you one of the commandments a commandment or a law but I say to you in other words what was he doing? He was doing the same thing that they were doing in the midrash except his was total truth without, you know, without the human element. All of those oral arguments are going on for centuries, literally, you know, and they are hearing this. They’re aware of this. They are they are hearing what’s going on. And yes, it isn’t until you get to 200 AD that uh I can’t even remember his name. Rabbi Judah the prince. Rabbi Judah the prince put together these discussions. Now, bless his heart.

It had about 200,000 words, It was well organized. It was topical, okay? So, you could you could, you know, you could, you know, look stuff up and all that. He wrote it down and uh and and codified it, if you will. All of these things, just like David said, all of these things that had been discussed for all of this time up until that point, that’s what the Mishna was. So when you hear someone refer to the Mishna, it’s not just something that appeared in 200 AD. It’s something that reflects what was going on before that. The Gamarra. Okay. The Gamarra is the Mishna commentary.

Okay. And it’s a bunch of people that got involved in it and they comment on what the Mishna was. Now, there’s only 200,000 words there. We can do better than that. The Gamarra is written and it has about 1.6 million words. got a little wordy on that. [laughter] Well, they’re carrying it out. They’re I mean, they’re carrying it to the to the nth degree, so to speak. And then the Talmud comes along, the Talmud takes the Gamarra and the Mishna and just kind of puts a little connecting words in there and that kind of thing. So when you hear someone refer to the Talmud that they’re talking about what’s in the mission in the Gomorrah, which again is what was being discussed and what was being reviewed all that time. That’s a lot of law. That’s a lot of law. I want you to get an example of expansion and kind of how it played out. Remember that law about the guardrail on the roof of your house, right? That’s from the Torah. in the midrash they discussed it and said you know it’s not just a new house if you buy a house right if you buy a house um if you get someone to remodel your house you know [laughter] you’re going to you’re going to have to put that guard rail you’re going to have to meet that but you also also they had discussions discussions mind you that it could apply to any hazardous situation like those steps that you have coming up into your you might want to have a handrail on that. So they expanded it a little bit in the midrash when they were talking about it. The Mishna comes along and uh Rabbi Judah says, “Okay, we need to define which buildings need a guardrail. Is it just homes or can it be businesses?” And so he he went through all of that. He also talked about what constitutes a legitimate barrier. If you uh plant a a bunch of nice shrubs in pots all around the perimeter, is that a guardrail? Huh? And so they got into all of that kind of stuff. And so the Mishna actually, you know, has some specifics in it as well. Well, you know what happened when it got to the Gamarra, don’t you? When it got to the Gamarra. And I put the Gamarra and then on to the Talmet because it just it it just ballooned from there. It became preventing a hazardous situation. It went global and it went specific. Okay? It went global and meaning it covered everything that was hazardous. Okay? Everything dealing with health and safety. Right? Sounds like our government, doesn’t it? still. [laughter] It’s still happening, isn’t it? Okay. But not only that, it started getting specific. It started identifying things that were hazard. Broken ladders, open wells, dangerous dogs, all of these things started with a guardrail. I think it’s interesting because we talk about how our culture is Judeo-Christian and we always think of it as Christian. You look at this and you think there’s a lot of Judeo in there in what we do. You know, when you start seeing some stuff like that. Jesus has an opening statement concerning the law. It’s found in Matthew 5 this verses 17 through 20. And I’m going to read those to you if I can find them. Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have not come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen will by any means disappear from the law until everything is accomplished. Anyone who breaks one of these commandments, least of these commandments uh and and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you that unless your righteousness exceeds the teachers, the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven. Now, to me, this is the this is another way of saying that Jesus said, “I’m not abolishing the scripture.” Jesus said, “The law ain’t going nowhere. It’s a permanent fixture.” Jesus said abolishing the law is the antithesis of kingdom citizenship. And Jesus said observance of the law is the foundation of kingdom citizenship. True righteousness is the key to open the gates. True righteousness. In Matthew 5:17, Jesus is talking about his relationship to the law. You think that I came to abolish the law and the prophets? No, I didn’t come to abolish them, but to fulfill them. And if you look at Luke 24 27 and then 44 through 45, it says, “And beginning with Moses and the prophets, he explained to them what was written in all the scriptures about himself.” This is on the road to Emmas. Remember, while they’re walking along the road, beginning with Moses and all the prophets, he explained to them who he was. Wow. He came to fulfill it. And then in verses 44 of that same chapter, he said, “These are the words I spoke to you while I was still with you. Everything was fulfilled that it was written about me in the law of Moses, prophets, and the psalms.” And then he opened their minds to understand the scripture. Now this is the disciples later. You understand what I’m saying? What he’s saying is the scriptures are what identify who I am.

The permanence of the law. Jesus talks about the permanence of the law. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke, jot or tit, if you have uh a good translation, uh shall pass from the law, until [laughter] all is accomplished. Okay, I say jot and because that those words have always interested me. Uh so I’m going to show you this real quick. I’m just going to run through it. There’s the Hebrew alphabet. Okay, boys and girls, that is a jot. A yot. [laughter] We call it a jot, but that’s a that’s it. Smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet. Okay. Right over here, we’ve got a tit up there. Rather, not down here. No tit here. Tit up there. Do you see what the tit is? That little pokey out thing. That’s a tit. Okay? That’s what separates those two letters in the alphabet. Okay? That’s what makes them different letters in the alphabet. You with me?

Okay. Here we go. Now it’s your turn. Y’all are intelligent enough to figure this out.

Do you see the tittle?

Okay. So now you can read and speak Hebrew. Good. Okay, let’s move on. [laughter] But you know what a jot and a tittle is. The permanence of the law. For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the law until all is accomplished. Isaiah 40:8 says, “The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God stands forever.” Amen. Psalm 119:160, “The sum of your word is truth, and every one of your righteous rules endures forever.” Those are some all-inclusive words, aren’t they? Wow. How about our handling of the law in 19? Whoever then annals one of these least of the commandments and teaches others to do the same shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven. Whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Woo. And remember in Matthew 18, you should this this should have popped into your head when I was reading that. And whoever receive one such child in my name receives me. But whoever causes one of these little ones to believe who believe in me to stumble, it’s better for him that a heavy millstone be hung around his neck and that he be drowned in the depth of the sea. Wow. That’s where we are. Now, let’s talk about the righteousness of the law. Verse 20. Verse 20. For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and the Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven. In Romans, in Romans, I’m going to go ahead and read this real fast. But in Romans, Paul clarifies this statement. Romans 9:es 30 through32. The Gentiles who did not pursue righteousness laid hold of righteousness, even the righteousness which is by faith. That means you’ve done that. But Israel pursuing a law of righteousness did not attain that law. Why? Because they did not pursue it by faith as though it were by as though it were by works. In other words, they didn’t get the faith aspect of it. They got the law. They got the law. They got the legal part, but they didn’t get the faith that goes along with it. Okay? And you go into Romans 10:es 1-4. Brothers, my heart’s desire and my prayer to God for them is for their salvation, meaning the Jews. For I testify about them that they have zeal for God, but not according to but not according to knowledge. For not knowing about the righteousness of God, and seeking to establish their own, they did not subject themselves to the righteousness of God. In other words, they tried to be righteous themselves instead of submitting to God’s righteousness. For Christ is the fulfillment of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes. And the word that’s used there is telos for fulfillment. Uh Paul in most of your versions it’ll say for Christ is the end. Okay? But Jesus is the fulfillment. And that word means fulfillment. It means the completion, the end, the final outcome. Do you understand? And then you go to Revelation and you read that Jesus says he is the alpha and the omega, the beginning and the telos. There’s that word again, the end, the final word. He’s it. Jesus Christ is the final word when it comes to righteousness of God. And if you don’t believe it now, believe it when you read this.

On the cross, Jesus declared, “It is finished.” He used the word tetlestai which comes from the word telos.

It’s finished. It’s done. His righteousness is complete, total, absolute, unequivocal . His righteousness is where we all all must stand. Only then will our righteousness exceed that of those scribes and Pharisees who are trying to teach these poor these poor Jewish people how to live.

Father, we thank you for your righteousness. We thank you for the righteousness that’s imputed to us through the blood, sacrifice, resurrection of your son, Jesus Christ, our savior. Help us to walk in that. Help us to walk in it rejoicing. And when we think about who’s the one, remind us that that one needs to know this message of eternal hope. Help us to share that message even as we leave. I pray in Jesus name. Amen.

This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, September 13, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers Chapters 5-7 in the Book of Matthew, is Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/kingdom-power-matthew-5-7-digital-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .


Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas

YouTube – youtube.com/@fromthebackporch

X – FromtheBackPorch@nationalfast

TikTok – tiktok.com/@fromthebackporchintexas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com

Podcast – Agape Life From the Back Porch