Intro:
1. Christ came not to destroy the Law and Prophets, but to fulfill them. (v. 17)
2. The teachings of Christ went beyond the teachings of the Law. He taught more than just the outward
observance practiced by the Pharisees and scribes. He taught that obedience must reach forth from the
heart. He taught a righteousness that exceeded "the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees." (v. 20)
3. Let’s look at the teaching of Christ in several areas.
I. Murder. (v. 21-26)
A. "You have heard that it was said of those of old, ‘You shall not murder.’"
1. Murder was prohibited by the law of Moses. (Ex. 20:13)
2. It is also prohibited by the law of Christ.
a. Murderers are said to be worthy of death. (Rom. 1:28-32)
b. Murderers will not inherit the kingdom. (Gal. 5:21)
c. Murderers will have a part in hell. (Rev. 21:8)
B. "But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of hell fire."
1. Christ went on to explain that not only the act of murder was sinful, but the attitude behind it was
also sinful — hatred and unbridled anger. (See 1 John 3:11-12,15)
2. We must be able to control our anger before it causes us to go deeper into sin.
(cf. Eph. 4:26; Prov. 16:32; 19:11)
a. Anger can cause harm. (Ps. 37:8; Prov. 15:1,18)
b. Unbridled anger is a trait of the foolish. (Eccl. 7:9)
c. Christians, therefore, should put anger away. (Eph. 4:31; Col. 3:8)
II. Adultery. (v. 27-30)
A. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’"
1. Again, the law of Moses taught against adultery. (Ex. 20:14)
2. We also read God’s law concerning adultery in the New Testament.
a. God will judge adulterers. (Heb. 13:4)
b. Adulterers will not inherit the kingdom. (1 Cor. 6:9; Gal. 5:19)
B. "But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in
his heart."
1. Christ taught that adultery began in the heart. Therefore, we must guard our hearts from the lust that
leads to this sin.
2. Adultery is brought forth out of a lascivious attitude.
a. The word "lascivious" means "to lust, to show lust, or to cause lust." — Would include such
things as modern dance, immodest clothing, etc.
b. It is condemned in the New Testament. (Gal. 5:19; 2 Cor. 12:21)
c. The world expects one to exhibit this attitude. (1 Pet. 4:3-5)
d. The Christian, however, should avoid it. (Rom. 13:13; Eph. 4:17-19)
3. We have to have self-control when it comes to our worldly desires and must avoid allowing evil
desires rule us. (1 Thess. 4:3-5; 2 Tim. 2:22; Tit. 2:11-12)
III. Divorce. (v. 31-32)
A. "It has been said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’"
1. Under the Law of Moses, divorce was permitted. (Deut. 24:1)
2. But it was only permitted because of the hardness of their hearts. (Matt. 19:7-8)
3. However, God's attitude toward divorce has always been that He hates it. (Mal. 2:16)
B. "But I say to you that whoever divorces his wife for any reason…"
1. One can no longer put one’s spouse away for just any reason.
2. Christ has made it clear that the only legitimate reason for divorce today is unfaithfulness
on the part of a spouse. (Matt. 19:1-9)
3. Therefore, under almost all circumstances, divorce is something to be avoided today.
IV. Perjury. (v. 33-37)
A. "You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall
perform your oaths to the Lord.’"
1. Under Old Testament law the performing of oaths was very important.
2. The law warned against swearing falsely. (Lev. 19:12)
B. "But I say to you, do not swear at all."
1. Swearing is useless. It will not bind a liar and an honest man will tell the truth without it.
2. A simple yes or no is sufficient.
3. Christ is emphasizing honesty and truth. (cf. Eph. 4:25)
V. Retaliation. (v. 38-42)
A. "You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’" (Ex. 21:22-25)
B. "But I tell you not to resist an evil person."
1. We should endure mistreatment at the hands of others with joy. (Matt. 5:11-12)
2. We should leave retaliation to the Lord. (Rom. 12:17-21)
VI. Love. (v. 43-48)
A. "You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’"
1. Actually the only thing commanded by God was for them to love their neighbors. (Lev. 19:18)
2. The Jews had through the years added the part about hating enemies. This is because this
was what was practiced.
3. Christ continued to stress love of neighbor. (Mark 12:29-31; Rom. 13:8-10)
4. But He also emphasized love for all — including enemies.
B. "But I say to you, love your enemies…"
1. Christ pointed out that to love your neighbor requires little effort compared to loving enemies.
(v. 46-47; Luke 6:31-36)
2. Christ related an example of love for enemy. (Luke 10:25-37)
Concl:
1. Christ taught us to go beyond the "righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees."
2. Many consider the Pharisees as strict, but in many ways they were not as strict as Jesus was.
3. Jesus taught that we must look beyond our actions to our hearts. It is out of the heart that sin comes.
(Matt. 15:19-20; Mark 7:20-23)