Matthew 5:18

Saturday, 23 November 2024

 

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. Matthew 5:18

 

“Amen! For I say to you, until if it shall pass – the heaven and the earth – jot one or one stroke, no, not shall pass from the law until all should become” (CG).

 

In the previous verse, Jesus said He did not come to disintegrate the law but to fulfill it. Now, He continues that thought with, “Amen!”

 

It is the customary Hebrew word for “truly” or “sure.” As HELPS Word Studies notes, “...an ‘emphasis marker,’ introduces a statement of pivotal importance.” After preparing their ears, He continues with, “For I say to you, until if it shall pass – the heaven and the earth.”

 

It is a way of saying that the statement He will make is as binding at the time He speaks it as it will be at the end of the known world itself. It is thus an eternal truth that stands before God. That truth is, “jot one or one stroke.”

 

The Greek word translated as jot is found only here, ióta. One can see the etymological root of our modern word iota. The jot equates to the Hebrew yod (י), the tenth and smallest letter of the aleph-beth. It would be easy to miss a jot when transcribing a document. The stroke equates to a dash used to make a letter. Some letters are so close in appearance, that the smallest mark can make them appear differently –

 

כ ב – beth and kaph

ר ך – daleth and resh

תחה – he, kheth, tav

 

The slightest change in these and other letters can change the entire meaning of what is being said. Understanding this, Jesus continues with, “no, not shall pass from the law until all should become.”

 

The meaning is that there can be no change in the word of the Lord. It is fixed, it is unchanging, it is binding, and all who are under the law will be judged by every precept set forth in it... until all is fulfilled. Nobody under the law can get around the law. All under law are obligated to every jot and every stroke.

 

Why anyone who was never under the law would want to be put under that burden is very hard to understand. As Paul says concerning circumcision, which is the benchmark that represents the law –

 

“Stand fast therefore in the liberty by which Christ has made us free, and do not be entangled again with a yoke of bondage. 2 Indeed I, Paul, say to you that if you become circumcised, Christ will profit you nothing. 3 And I testify again to every man who becomes circumcised that he is a debtor to keep the whole law. 4 You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatian 5:1-4

 

Life application: As the law is binding upon Israel, what does that mean for them? Christ has come. And so, what is their state?

 

The answer is that in failing to come to Christ, they forsook the grace of God and remain under the law, a law that is impossible for fallen man to fulfill. In this, only condemnation remains. Any individual Jew who comes to Christ is freed from the law. But for the nation as a whole and all individual Jews who reject Jesus, there can be no salvation.

 

This is also true with those who reject Christ’s grace and voluntarily place themselves under the law (as Paul notes above). For those who were saved and later do this, his salvation remains, but any hope of rewards will be lost for their faithlessness.

 

However, someday, Israel will come to Christ. This is noted explicitly in Zechariah and elsewhere. It is also clearly noted in the typology of Joshua 3 and 4, the sermons of which can be found at the Superior Word.

 

For maximum happiness, come to Jesus by faith, accepting His full, final, finished, and forever work. In this, you will be in the sweet spot. Grace, grace! Marvelous grace bestowed upon us through the precious blood of Christ.

 

Glorious God, help us to trust in You and not in our own pitiful deeds of righteousness. It is Jesus who makes us righteous. What can we add to that? And so, Lord, may our deeds be in gratitude for the salvation You have provided, not in attempts to merit it in the first place. Amen.