September 28th, 2025 - The Heart of the Law

Passage in focus: Matthew 5:17-48

Questions

1.    Why would anyone think Jesus came to abolish the law?

2. What does it mean to fulfill the law?  Does Jesus do every law perfectly?

3. In verse 18, what is the “everything” that is accomplished?

4. What does verse 19 tell us we are to do with the commands?

5. What would “surpassing the Pharisees” look like?

6. What do all the commands in this passage have in common? (verses 21,27,31,33,38,43) 

7. What is Jesus doing with the murder law in verse 21,22? How does this make you feel?

8. What is the goal of verse 23-26? What does Jesus want us to do instead of murder or anger?

9. What does Jesus do with the 7th commandment in v. 28?  What does “looking lustfully” mean?

10. What is what Jesus is doing in verse 29 and 30 called?

11. What is striking about the divorce law compared to Canadian divorce law?

12. What is Jesus end goal in his teaching on divorce?

13. Do you know how oaths worked in Jesus time?

14. What is Jesus aiming for in his teaching on oaths?

15. What is the actual purpose of the law in verse 38?  What is it’s aim?

16. How do you feel about the slap idea?  How does it work?

17. Does this teaching mean that to follow Jesus means to let people hurt you?

18. Where does the teaching “hate your enemy” come from?

19. How are you doing at loving your enemy?  How do you develop that ability?

20. “Be perfect” – is this just an impossible command?