S4: Week 13 Day 4: Connecting Exodus 20:1-17 & Matthew 5:17-20

Summary

A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace
Episode: Season 4, Week 13 Day 4
Title: Connecting Exodus 20:1-17 & Matthew 5:17-20
Release Date: March 27, 2025

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Introduction to the Episode

In this episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace, hosts Beth and Alexa delve into the intricate connections between the Old Testament and the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament. Focusing on Exodus 20:1-17 and Matthew 5:17-20, they explore how the Ten Commandments not only set the foundation for God's expectations but also point directly to the fulfillment found in Jesus Christ.

Recap of Previous Discussions

Beth begins by summarizing the series' journey so far:

“The Ten Commandments were what we talked about the first day, first couple days. And they show us how God desires holiness and goodness from his people. But we also talked about how the people, including us, cannot live up to these standards. We don't keep the Ten Commandments, and it's very hard.”
— Beth [01:44]

This sets the stage for understanding humanity's struggle with the law and the need for a Savior.

Christ Fulfilling the Law

The conversation shifts to how Jesus fulfills the law, a central theme in both Exodus and Matthew. Beth elucidates:

“It essentially means that he lived up to it perfectly. He didn't have idols or take the Lord's name in vain. He honored his parents. He lived in perfect love and relationships with all those he came into contact with, and so he kept the Ten Commandments.”
— Beth [02:29]

She further explains that Jesus not only adhered to the commandments but also embodied their deeper spiritual implications, thereby fulfilling the law in its entirety.

Jesus' Emphasis on the Law's Importance

Alexa raises a critical question about Jesus' teachings in Matthew 5:17-20, where He emphasizes the enduring significance of the law:

“So how does this relate to what we ended with yesterday? How do we square that with the fact that Jesus seems to emphasize our need for keeping the law in Matthew 5:19?”
— Alexa [03:00]

Beth responds thoughtfully:

“Yeah, this is a bit of a tricky one, but what Jesus is likely doing there is that he is pointing out once again how much the law actually matters and that keeping it has always been important to God. But through this he is also emphasizing our inadequacy in our inability to keep the law and therefore our inability to save ourselves and to please God on our own.”
— Beth [03:12]

This highlights the dual purpose of the law: to guide righteousness and to reveal the necessity of divine assistance through Christ.

The Gospel Connection

The discussion seamlessly transitions to the Gospel's role in the narrative of the law and grace:

“Yeah, exactly. That is where the Gospel comes in. And viewing it in light of what we've learned from the Exodus passage helps us to see the Gospel shine through even more. So we cannot keep the law but Christ does. We cannot please God, but Christ can and he has.”
— Beth [03:55]

Alexa echoes this sentiment, emphasizing the transformative power of grace:

“That just makes me all the more grateful for who God is. He doesn't expect us to obey the law in our own strength. He gave us Jesus that we would be able to obey his law and experience grace.”
— Alexa [04:36]

Key Insights and Conclusions

Throughout the episode, Beth and Alexa weave together theological insights that underscore the continuity between the Old and New Testaments. They assert that:

• The Law Reveals Our Need for a Savior: The Ten Commandments set a divine standard that is unattainable by human effort alone, highlighting the necessity of Jesus' perfect obedience.

• Jesus as the Fulfillment of the Law: By perfectly keeping the commandments and embodying their true intent, Jesus fulfills the law, bridging the gap between divine expectations and human shortcomings.

• Grace Through Christ: The inability to uphold the law is met with the grace offered through Jesus, allowing believers to be seen as righteous through His accomplishments rather than their failures.

Conclusion and Looking Ahead

Beth and Alexa conclude the episode by expressing gratitude for God's provision of Jesus and anticipation for the next discussion:

“Well, that's all that we have for today. We hope you join us tomorrow as we wrap up this week talking about how to apply these two passages that we have read.”
— Beth [04:36]

Listeners are encouraged to engage with additional resources available on the Daily Grace website and to follow their social media for further study aids and encouragement.

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Resources:
For studies, journals, and other resources to deepen your understanding and love for God's Word, visit thedailygraceco.com.

Connect with Us:
Follow Daily Grace Podcast and the Daily Grace Co. on Instagram for more Bible study resources and encouragement.

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This summary captures the essence of Season 4, Week 13 Day 4 of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace, providing a comprehensive overview of the discussion on how Exodus 20:1-17 and Matthew 5:17-20 interconnect to reveal the centrality of Christ in Scripture.

Transcript

[Talkspace Representative]

This podcast is supported by Talkspace.

[Military Spouse]

When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace.

[Talkspace Representative]

Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. Military members, veterans, and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones.

[Military Spouse]

I just answered a few questions online, and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me, and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up and they accept Tricare. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couples therapist through Talkspace too.

[Talkspace Representative]

Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist [e-mail] military go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com military.

[Beth]

Welcome to a Year in the Bible with daily grace. This year, we want to spend a few minutes with you every day walking through our study Christ in All of Scripture. Each week, we will dive deeply into two passages of scripture, one from the Old Testament and one from the new, seeing how they connect and point to Jesus.

[Alexa]

Whether you are doing the study yourself or just following along with us here, we are hopeful that through studying these passages each week, you will see how Christ is not only present throughout the entire biblical story, but the center of it.

[Beth]

Hi, friends. Welcome back to A Year in the Bible. My name is Beth and I'm here with Alexa, my friend and co host.

[Alexa]

Hey, everyone. Today we are making the Christ connection between Exodus 21:17 and Matthew 5, 17:20.

[Beth]

Yeah. I think we should start by summarizing the things that we've talked about so far. So very briefly, the Ten Commandments were what we talked about the first day, first couple days. And they show us how God desires holiness and goodness from his people. But we also talked about how the people, including us, cannot live up to these standards. We don't keep the Ten Commandments, and it's very hard. But God has sent Jesus, and so he comes not in place of the law, but to fulfill the law. And that's what we talked about in the passage that we read yesterday. So he fulfills the law and he offers us salvation. And so that's gonna be what we're gonna unpack a little bit more.

[Alexa]

Yeah. So could you help us understand a little bit more what you mean by that? Christ fulfilled the law?

[Military Spouse]

Yeah.

[Beth]

It essentially means that he lived up to it perfectly. He didn't have idols or take the Lord's name in vain. He honored his parents. He lived in perfect love and relationships with all those he came into contact with, and so he kept the Ten Commandments. There's more to it than this as well. Like the law encompasses a lot of things and so he did all of that. And his death and resurrection is also part of this. And in through his death and resurrection through him we are able to be considered righteous as well and not be punished for our failure to perfectly keep the law.

[Alexa]

So how does this relate to what we ended with yesterday? How do we square that with the fact that Jesus seems to emphasize our need for keeping the law in Matthew 5:19?

[Beth]

Yeah, this is a bit of a tricky one, but what Jesus is likely doing there is that he is pointing out once again how much the law actually matters and that keeping it has always been important to God. But through this he is also emphasizing our inadequacy in our inability to keep the law and therefore our inability to save ourselves and to please God on our own. By saying that we must have righteousness that succeeds that of the Pharisees, the most self righteous and law obsessed people of his day, he is showing us that no one can actually do this on their own apart from him. That the only one who has ever perfectly fulfilled the law is Jesus, and He's the only one that can actually be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

[Alexa]

So our failure to keep the law is what points us to our need for Jesus.

[Beth]

Yeah, exactly. That is where the Gospel comes in. And viewing it in light of what we've learned from the Exodus passage helps us to see the Gospel shine through even more. So we cannot keep the law but Christ does. We cannot please God, but Christ can and he has. When we trust in Christ, we are united to Him. And therefore when God looks on us, he doesn't see our failures. He doesn't see our inability to keep the law. He sees Christ accomplishments. And that is why we are able to be saved from God's righteous judgment. So just as God was loving and gracious through the act of giving the law in the first place to show us our need for him and our need for salvation, he was even more gracious in sending Christ to fulfill it.

[Alexa]

That just makes me all the more grateful for who God is. He doesn't expect us to obey the law in our own strength. He gave us Jesus that we would be able to obey his law and experience grace. When we fall short in our obedience to his law. Well, that's all that we have for today. We hope you. Join us tomorrow as we wrap up this week talking about how to apply these two passages that we have read. Thank you for listening to today's episode of A Year in the Bible with Daily Grace. Be sure to check out our show notes for some helpful links and resources related to today's episode, and make sure you're following daily gracepodcast and hedailygraceco on Instagram for more Bible study resources and encouragement. We're looking forward to studying God's Word with you again tomorrow. Bye friends.

[Talkspace Representative]

This podcast is supported by Talkspace.

[Military Spouse]

When my husband came home from his military deployment, readjusting was hard for all of us. Thankfully, I found Talkspace.

[Talkspace Representative]

Talkspace provides professional support from licensed therapists and psychiatric providers online. Military members, veterans and their dependents ages 13 and older can get fast access to providers, all from the privacy of their computers or smartphones.

[Military Spouse]

I just answered a few questions online and Talkspace matched me with a therapist. We meet when it's convenient for me and I can message her anytime. It was so easy to set up and they accept Tricare. Therapy was going so well, my husband and I started seeing a couple's therapist through Talkspace too.

[Talkspace Representative]

Talkspace works with most major insurers, including Tricare. Match with a licensed therapist [e-mail] military go to talkspace.com military to get started today. That's talkspace.com military.