Christ Fills Full | Matthew 5:17-20

The Sermon on the Mount is not a break from the Book of Matthew’s larger message—it is part of the kingdom announcement. Jesus has been preaching, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand,” and now in Matthew 5–7 He begins showing His disciples what repentance looks like. He teaches them how to think, how to live, and how to understand the law rightly from the heart. The sermon’s title, “Christ Fills Full,” comes from one of Matthew’s favorite words: fulfill. Matthew repeatedly shows that Jesus came to fulfill the Scriptures, and in Matthew 5:17 Jesus says plainly, “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.” To fulfill means to fill full—to bring something to its intended goal, meaning, and completion. This means Jesus does not come to destroy the Old Testament or set it aside as useless. He comes as the One to whom it all points. The law, the prophets, the promises, the types, the shadows, the sacrifices, the priesthood, the kingship, the covenant patterns—all find their purpose and fullness in Him. The Old Testament is not a disconnected religious background; it is the unfolding testimony of Christ. Jesus also fulfills the law by teaching its true intent. He strips away shallow, external interpretations and presses the commandments into the heart. The issue is not merely outward conformity, but righteousness before God from the inside out. Christ fulfills the law perfectly in His own obedience, fulfills the prophets in His person and work, and then teaches His people to understand God’s commands through Him. The point, then, is that the entire Old Testament points to Christ, and Christ fulfills its every purpose. He is not against Moses and the prophets. He is their goal. He fills full what they foretold, what they pictured, and what they required. Do you want to support Church of The Word? https://cotwstl.org/give/ Check out our church here! https://cotwstl.org/ #biblestudy #faith