Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill. 18 Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place. 19 Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 20 I tell you, unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Jesus’ words in Matthew 5:17–20 stands among the most profound statements in the Sermon on the Mount. Speaking to an audience shaped by centuries of reverence for the Law of Moses and the Prophets, He declared, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets. I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.” This statement would have surprised many. The scribes and Pharisees, regarded as paragons of religious devotion, were meticulous in their external observance of the Law. Yet Jesus, with divine authority, sets Himself above mere legal interpretation and calls His disciples to a righteousness that surpasses even the most scrupulous of men.
The phrase “the law or the prophets” refers to the whole of Israel’s sacred Scripture—what we now call the Old Testament. The Law (Torah) and the Prophets (Nevi’im) together represented the full revelation of God’s covenantal instruction. To claim that He came to fulfill, not abolish, this revelation is to assert continuity with God's eternal purpose while simultaneously revealing its true direction. To the religious leaders, Jesus’ claim to fulfill the Law and the Prophets would have sounded presumptuous—even blasphemous—for He was not merely interpreting Scripture, but purporting to unveil its true direction as if He were its Author. Jesus’ words about fulfilling the Law point to more than simple obedience; He is bringing to completion what the Law was always meant to lead toward—the fullness of God’s plan, now revealed in Him. He does not set the Law aside, but brings it to its fullness in Himself, accomplishing all that it pointed toward. As St. Paul would later explain, Christ is the goal of the Law for all who believe (Rom. 10:4). He fulfills it by living it perfectly (Heb. 4:15), by unveiling its deepest spiritual meaning, and by accomplishing the redemption it foreshadowed—the transformation of the human heart, so that, by grace, we may walk in God's ways and receive the eternal life He offers in His Kingdom.
It is important to understand that Jesus’ coming did not render the Law obsolete. The commandments of God were not cancelled, but rather fulfilled in Christ in such a way that their full meaning and purpose were revealed. He fulfilled the Law by living it in perfect obedience, by teaching its true intent, and by offering the definitive sacrifice that the Law foreshadowed. In doing so, He did not free us from the moral demands of God’s covenant, but made it possible—through grace—for us to live them not merely in external conformity, but from a heart renewed by the Spirit. As the apostle Paul wrote, “the just requirement of the law is fulfilled in us who live according to the Spirit” (Rom. 8:4).
Jesus continues with a solemn affirmation: “Amen, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or the smallest part of a letter will pass from the law, until all things have taken place.” This expression—the smallest letter (iōta) or stroke—was likely a reference to the Hebrew yod, the tiniest character in the Hebrew alphabet, and its ornamental marks. He is emphasizing that the Law remains authoritative, not merely in broad principles, but down to the smallest detail, until God’s purpose is fully accomplished. The early Church Fathers, such as Irenaeus (ca. 130–202 AD) and Augustine (354–430 AD), interpreted this not as a call to legalism but as a reverent affirmation of the divine origin of God’s commandments, their enduring value, and their indispensable role in our salvation. For the Christian, the Law is not abolished but fulfilled in love—God’s love poured into our hearts and enabling a new obedience from within (Rom. 5:5; Heb. 10:16).
Jesus then gives a striking warning and a promise. “Whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do so will be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But whoever obeys and teaches these commandments will be called greatest.” Here, Jesus echoes the constant biblical principle that faithfulness to God’s commands is both taught and lived. The phrase “least in the kingdom” should not be taken lightly. While some commentators interpret it as indicating diminished honor, others—especially in light of Matthew 7:21–23—see it as a potential exclusion from the kingdom altogether when the commandments are knowingly and habitually disregarded. St. John Chrysostom (ca. 349–407 AD) noted that the Lord is calling us beyond outward observance to a sincere and humble love of God’s will. To be greatest is not to gain status, but to fully embrace the righteousness God desires—a righteousness that flows from an obedient heart.
In perhaps the most unsettling line for His listeners, Jesus concludes, “Unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” To first-century Jews, the Pharisees were the religious elite—men devoted to prayer, fasting, almsgiving, and the precise observance of religious law. Yet Jesus exposes the insufficiency of outward righteousness without inward transformation. True righteousness in the kingdom of God cannot be measured merely by human standards or ritual purity. It must flow from a heart reshaped by grace and conformed to the divine law written not on tablets of stone but on the heart (Jer. 31:33). Jesus reveals that the Law's ultimate fulfillment lies in love—both the love of God and the love of neighbor—which He embodies and commands (cf. Rom. 13:10; Matt. 22:37–40).
The early Church did not understand Jesus’ teaching as a rejection of the Old Testament, but as its flowering. Justin Martyr (ca. 100–165 AD), in his Dialogue with Trypho, explained that Christians observe the Law more perfectly—not according to the letter alone, but according to the Spirit, which Christ has revealed and fulfilled. The apostles, especially St. Paul, came to see this as the “law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus” (Rom. 8:2)—a new way of living under grace, not separated from God’s moral will, but made capable of fulfilling it by the power of the Holy Spirit.
What Christ offers is not freedom from the Law, but freedom for holiness. His fulfillment of the Law does not reduce its demands but deepens them, drawing us into the heart of God’s covenant and transforming us from within. He calls us not merely to be rule-followers, but to become living reflections of divine righteousness. And He assures us that nothing of God’s revealed word—down to the smallest iota—will pass away until it has been perfectly completed in Him and, by His grace, brought to life in us.
Lord Jesus, You are the fullness of every word spoken through the Law and the Prophets. Grant us hearts that love Your commands, minds shaped by Your truth, and lives that reflect Your righteousness. May we not settle for mere appearances of goodness, but seek the holiness that comes from union with You. Amen!
About the Early Church Fathers Quoted in This Reflection
St. Justin Martyr (ca. 100–165 AD)
A philosopher and early Christian apologist who defended the faith before Roman authorities. In his Dialogue with Trypho, he explained how Christ fulfills the Law and the Prophets, showing the continuity between the Old and New Covenants.
St. Irenaeus of Lyons (ca. 130–202 AD)
A bishop and theologian who studied under St. Polycarp (ca. 69–155 AD), a disciple of the apostle John. He wrote extensively against heresies and emphasized the unity of Scripture and the tradition handed down from the apostles.
St. John Chrysostom (ca. 349–407 AD)
Archbishop of Constantinople, renowned for his powerful preaching and biblical commentaries. His homilies on Scripture and Christian living continue to be valued across Christian traditions, and his Divine Liturgy remains central in Eastern Catholic and Orthodox worship.
St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD)
One of the most influential theologians in Christian history. A bishop in North Africa, he wrote on grace, salvation, and the moral life, shaping much of Western Christian thought.
Sources
- McSorley, Joseph. An Outline History of the Church by Centuries (From St. Peter to Pius XII). 2nd ed., B. Herder Book Co., 1944.
- Orchard, Bernard, et al. A Catholic Commentary on Holy Scripture. Feb. 1953.
- Chiu, José Enrique Aguilar, et al. The Paulist Biblical Commentary. Paulist Press, 2018.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: New Testament Expanded Edition. Four Courts / Scepter, 2008.
- Faculty of the University of Navarre. The Navarre Bible: The Pentateuch. Four Courts Press, 2017
- Brown, Raymond Edward, et al. The New Jerome Biblical Commentary. Prentice Hall, 1990.
- Charpentier, Etienne. How to Read the Old Testament. Translated by John Bowden, 1981.
- Komonchak, Joseph, et al., editors. The New Dictionary of Theology.
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