which the Father placed upon his own law. Isaiah
predicted that Christ should magnify the law, and make it honorable. Isa.42:21.
The record of Christ's life and death shows the fulfillment of this prediction.
But Christ adds a solemn affirmation. "For verily, I say unto you, Till heaven
and earth pass, one jot, or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be
fulfilled. What is a jot and a tittle? A jot is the smallest letter of the Hebrew
alphabet. A tittle is a small point by which some of those letters are distinguished
from others. Our Lord therefore solemnly affirms that the minutest point shall not
pass from the law till all be fulfilled. Then it is certain that a part will not be
destroyed and the remainder of the law be left in force. Consequently as long as
a part of the original precepts continue, all of them abide without one jot or tittle
being destroyed. Further than this, Christ has plainly marked the point of time
before which no part of the law of God shall pass. "Till heaven and earth pass,
one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled." Has
heaven and earth passed away? Let those answer who teach the abolition of the
law of God. When will heaven and earth pass? Let the beloved disciple answer:
"And I saw a great white throne, and him that sat
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on it, from whose face the earth and heaven fled away; and there was found no
place for them." If the fulfillment of the law of God destroys it, that destruction
cannot take place before the final conflagration of the heavens and the earth.
2.Pet.3. Prior to that time the minutest point shall not be destroyed. If therefore
one jot or one tittle shall on no account pass from the law, till all be fulfilled; and if
the point before which this shall not be accomplished is the passing of the
heavens and the earth, it follows that the Lord Jesus not only designed that the
law should be fulfilled by himself for the brief period of his sojourn on earth, but
also, that the righteousness of the law should be fulfilled in his church; or as
Whiting renders Rom.8:4, "that the precept of the law might be fulfilled by us,
who walk not according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit." The next verse
establishes this view.
"Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and
shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but
whosoever shall do, and teach them, the same shall be called great in the
kingdom of heaven." Let us carefully consider this verse. The word "whosoever"
takes up all persons through all coming time. The word "therefore" shows that
this verse is the conclusion drawn from the premises which the Saviour had just
laid down, which were these: 1. "Think not that I am come to destroy
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the law." 2. "Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass
from the law till all be fulfilled." As not a single particle of this holy law was to be
destroyed, it was fitting that the Lord Jesus should speak with distinctness
respecting its observance and its violation. This is what he now utters.
"Shall break one of these least commandments." Then we have here the
opposite of fulfilling the law; viz. the breaking of the commandments. We may
also learn that the law in verses 17,18, means the commandments.
"One of these least." Christ had said that not one jot or one tittle should pass
from the law till all be fulfilled, so that there could be no excuse for those who
teach that a part of the law has been destroyed, and that the remainder is yet in
