“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” (Matthew 5:17-18)

You Can Believe Everything You Read In The Bible

We live in a time of a growing Christian agnosticism within evangelicalism currently being advanced by leaders within the postliberal Emergence against Sola Scriptura. It seems good right now to think a bit about God’s protection, as well as about His Word, in the Bible, as it applies to the remnant the Great Shepherd is calling out as this apostasy rapidly accelerates throughout the visible church. We go now to verse 17 above as Jesus says — “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (KJV) We know here that Jesus is teaching that He is the fulfillment of all the Scriptures concerning Himself.

But in our time marked by relativism and skepticism masquerading as so-called postmodernism, and those outside the Church are even worse, there is another question we need to address: Did Jesus teach that the texts of God’s Word would be preserved? Yes, He did; and right in the next verse of our text. Verse 18 — “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” (KJV). Now, at last check—as near as I can tell—this would not appear to have happened yet. So the Master is telling us that until everything in Scripture comes to pass mankind is accountable for everything that is written in God’s Word.

As a matter of fact we’ve all heard someone say something along the lines of: “It doesn’t make one iota of difference to me.” Matthew 5:18 is where this type of statement originates. Jesus has just said to us — “I tell you the truth, until Heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.” Not the smallest letter is the word iota in the original Greek. Dr. Louis Barbieri’s comment is helpful here:

Jesus’ fulfillment [of New Testament Scripture] – would extend to the smallest Hebrew letter, the ‘jot’ (lit. yod), and even to the smallest stroke of a Hebrew letter, the ‘tittle’ (The Bible Knowledge Commentary, NT, 30).

The reference to the “jot” and the “tittle,” as you saw above is from the way verse 18 reads in the King James Version of the Bible. Dr. Barbieri further points out that in our English language “a jot would further correspond to the dot above the letter ‘i’ (and would look like an apostrophe),…” (ibid.). As far as the “tittle,” Dr. Barbieri tells us that the “small angled line that completes the ‘R’ is like a ‘tittle’ ’’ (ibid.). The point should now become clear. Our faithful Shepherd wants us to know that we can be eternally sure we will have every Word that comes from the mouth of God. And not only that but we can also be sure He will watch over His Word so intently that not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.

And men and women, because Jesus rose from the dead just as He promised we certainly can trust these promises by faith as well. God will ever be watching intently over His Word, and over His dear children, no matter how rough the spiritual waters ahead of us might get. Remember, just as A.W. Tozer pointed out, “God wants us to worship Him. He doesn’t need us, for He couldn’t be a self-sufficient God and need anything or anybody, but He wants us. When Adam sinned it was not he who cried, ‘God, where art Thou?’ Rather, it was God who cried, ‘Adam, where art thou?’ ” As Christian journalist Nick Harrison says, “For God to want us, rather than need us, should fill us with awe and humility. When we’re distant from God, He’s calling our name, ‘…where art thou?’ Let’s not stray far, but instead draw near.”

Because I believe this is speaking to someone today let me offer a further word of encouragement. Dear Christian, maybe the cares of this world have you frustrated, or maybe troubles seem to be weighing quite heavily upon you. Then let me encourage you that you don’t have to give up, and you sure don’t have to quit. As on minister put it, “the God Who has been with you in the past is the same God Who will be with you in the future.” And our Lord, Christ Jesus, has assured us here in Matthew 5:18 — “I tell you the truth, until Heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished.”

May each of us take some time today to love the Lord our God with all of our minds and meditate upon how — The LORD Is My Shepherd (see—Psalm 23) Who has supernaturally watched over and preserved His Holy Scripture. And if He can be trusted to watch over His Word in the Bible, dearly beloved of God, then you can get back up and know that your Lord will see you safely home. Do you not remember? Our Master says — “Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they?” (Matthew 6:26) Well; after all, you are engraved upon the palms of His Hands (see—Isaiah 49:16).

So, if not before my fellow Christian, I’ll see you when we get There…