Irreplaceable
Matthew 23:1-12
1. The Teaching of “Moses” is Authoritative and Must be Obeyed. (Matthew 23:1-3a, 1 Kings 1:46, Matthew 5:17)
1 Kings 1:46, Solomon has even taken his seat on the royal throne.
Matthew 5:17, Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
2. The Teachers of “Moses” were Inadequate and Must Not be Imitated. (Matthew 23:3b-7)
a. They Didn’t Practice What They Preached. (Matthew 23:3b)
b. They Preached the Law without Helping Overcome Its Burden. (Matthew 23:4, Galatians 3:23)
Galatians 3:23, Before this faith came, we were confined under the law, imprisoned until the coming faith was revealed.
c. They Sought Honor Instead of Humility. (Matthew 23:5-7)
3. Jesus Can’t Be Replaced! (Matthew 23:8-12)
a. The Requirements of Righteousness Don’t go Away – Jesus Fulfills Them! (Matthew 23:4, Romans 8:1-4, Romans 3:31)
Romans 8:1-4, Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those in Christ Jesus, because the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has set you free from the law of sin and death. What the law could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did. He condemned sin in the flesh by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh as a sin offering, in order that the law’s requirement would be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
Romans 3:31, Do we then nullify the law through faith? Absolutely not! On the contrary, we uphold the law.
b. Jesus is the Supreme Teacher (v.8), Father (v.9), and Instructor (v.10); He Can’t be Replaced! (Matthew 11:28-30, Galatians 2:20-21)
Matthew 11:28-30, Come to me, all of you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take up my yoke and learn from me, because I am lowly and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.
Galatians 2:20-21, I have been crucified with Christ, and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me. I do not set aside the grace of God, for if righteousness comes through the law, then Christ died for nothing.