The Way of Jesus #3 – Jesus on Relating to Others (Matthew 5:17-48) - Impact Groups

Ready for Impact (5 minutes)

Catch up on how things have been since the last time your Impact Group met. Allow anyone new to introduce themselves. Then ask group members:

What are some little things that people do that annoy you?

Mention to your group that this is the beginning of a section (5:17-48) where Jesus addresses a range of Old Testament teaching. For the sake of time, you’ll just be looking at the Old Testament teaching on murder.

Ask for a volunteer to read Matthew 5:17-26 to the group.

Pray a short prayer that however much people have come to know Jesus, they’d get to know him better because of your time together.

Impacted by the Word One (15 Minutes)

Watch Video One

Download this video to watch offline or read the transcript here.

‘The Law and the Prophets’ refers to the whole of the Old Testament. The Old Testament is the story of God’s grace to his people, rescuing them and teaching them how to live and flourish.

In verses 21-22, Jesus says: ‘You have heard it said…’ as he refers to the Old Testament. But then he says, ‘but I say to you…’ He repeats this pattern five more times in verses 23-48.

What do these repeated phrases suggest about how Jesus sees himself?
Why do you think some people might have thought that Jesus had come to ‘abolish the law and the prophets’ (verse 17)?
In verses 17-20, how would you describe Jesus’ attitude to the Law and the Prophets?

The ‘Pharisees and the teachers of the law’ were masters in keeping the law – externally, they did everything right.

What do you think Jesus means when he says that our righteousness must ‘surpass that of the Pharisees and teachers of the law’?

As Jesus teaches on the Old Testament law, he makes it clear that he is not interested in abolishing the law and the prophets. Rather, he has come to fulfil them.

But what does Jesus mean when he says that he has come to ‘fulfil’ the law and the prophets?

‘The Law and the Prophets’ are the story of God and his people. After humanity turned from God, God chose a people to bless and partner with him in the world. But again and again, God’s people fail. They continue to turn from him and forsake his blessing. They’re left waiting for a saviour who will come and rescue them. Jesus is the one who ‘fulfils’ this story. He is the one that all of this story was pointing towards. In his life, death, resurrection, and eventually his second coming when ‘heaven and earth disappear’ (Matthew 5:18), Jesus brings this story to completion. He secures the hope of a time when God’s people will perfectly partner with him and know his full blessing forever.

But, there is another key sense to the word ‘fulfilment’. As Jesus sets out his vision for the kingdom, he ‘fills to the full’ the instructions that God gave his people in how to relate to one another. He doesn’t abolish what has come before, rather he reveals these teaching’s deepest meaning. His teaching goes beyond a call to externally do the right thing and calls people to live with an internal righteousness too (Matthew 23:27). It also calls for the proactive doing of good, rather than merely avoiding the bad.

Jesus has not come to abolish the law and the prophets. His life and his teaching reveal the true nature of the Law and the Prophets. He shows us what the Old Testament is all about.

For more on Jesus fulfilling the Law and Prophets, read this article from the Bible Project.

Impacted by the Word Two (15 Minutes)

Ask for a volunteer to re-read Matthew 5:21-26 to the group.

Watch Video Two

Download this video to watch offline or read the transcript here.

Jesus highlights the importance of not just external actions, but internal attitudes. In these verses he speaks about unrighteous anger.

In verses 21-22, Jesus compares anger with murder. What do these things have in common?

Jesus then goes condemns insults and calling someone a fool.

Why do you think Jesus cares so much about things that we might consider trivial?

Jesus sees all people as infinitely valuable. He is grieved when our attitudes or actions reveal that we don’t value others like he does.

How do verses 25-26 highlight the danger of anger and disunity?
Think back on the frustrations you shared at the beginning of the study. How does what we’ve discussed today re-shape our view of the things we shared?

Impacting our Hearts (10 minutes)

Jesus says that to be truly righteous, it’s not just about our external behaviour: our hearts and our motivation matter deeply. All of us fall short of the standards of Jesus’ kingdom.

Ezekiel is one of the prophets who features in the ‘Law and the Prophets’. He speaks of a day when God will come and renew his people from the inside out.

Read Ezekiel 36:25-27

How do Ezekiel’s words give you hope?
If we really believed that Ezekiel’s words were true about us, how would that shape how we relate to other people?

Spend some time thanking God together for his forgiveness and help.

Impacting the University (15 Minutes)

Jesus calls us to live out his radical kingdom today. When it comes to how we relate to other people, he calls us to deeply value them as precious.

Imagine a community where people deeply value one another. How would they approach the following things? (write down each heading, and your answers):
∙ Differences between people within the group.
∙ Their view of those outside of the group.
∙ Their view of their time and possessions.
Review what you’ve written. How well do you think your group models this kind of community?
If students in your university encountered a community like this, what positive effects could it have?

Pray for one another. That together you’ve be able to live out Jesus’ kingdom as you relate to others.

Wrap-up – TACOS 🌮

Thank You – Thank everyone for coming, and ask someone to thank God for your time together in prayer.

Ask – Ask those who are new to reading the Bible if they’d like to explore Uncover, a set of sessions in Mark’s Gospel, allowing them to investigate one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life alongside one of you.

Church and CU – What does the CU have planned ahead? And what help would group members value in finding a local church?

Others – Who else could you invite to join your CU Impact Group next week? These friends don’t need to be followers of Jesus and may really appreciate being invited.

See You Soon – Tell the group where and when you’ll meet next week, and arrange who will bring snacks. (You might like to alternate healthy and less healthy weeks!). See if anyone would be up for sharing a meal or just hanging out in the meantime!