Home Group Study Questions // April 19th

What Would Jesus Say Session 10: I have not come to abolish but to fulfill

 

Matthew 5:17 — “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.

 

The beatitudes describe the kingdom of God. Matthew 5:13-16 describe our identity as salt and light. Matthew 5:17-20 is the introduction to the upcoming applications that Jesus is going to describe.

 

Read Matthew 5:17-26

  1. Why do we have laws, what is their purpose? What would life be like without them?
  2. The Law and the Prophets refer to the five books of Moses and the prophetical books in the Old Testament. If Jesus says that he didn’t come to abolish those, what does that mean for us?
  3. If we focus just on the ten commandments, how do we do compared to those? Why? Read Exodus 20:1-20
  4. Jesus gets very specific regarding of the Law and the Prophets in Matthew 5:18. What does that mean? What extremes can we go toward when we hear those words?
  5. What is the danger of minimizing the law of God? What is the danger of trying to fulfill the law of God?
  6. Verse 20 is a harsh statement. Can your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees? Why or why not? Does that mean you will never enter the kingdom of heaven? Why or why not?
  7. Where is there any hope in verses 17-20? How can we hear these words and not despair of all hope? Read verse 17 again and personalize it.
  8. In verses 21-26 Jesus gives us the first application of the law regarding anger. Who are those that are liable to judgment, or the council or the fire of hell?
  9. How can we be reconciled with our brother or with God? Read Romans 7:21-25