Matthew 5 : 17-20 KJV
17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
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.
19. 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.
20. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
The Seed is Destroyed in the Growth of a New Plant
One Jot or One Tittle
That they should make no error as to the relationship of the ancient law and the gospel of the kingdom which He was elucidating, Jesus assured them that He had not come to destroy the law nor to nullify the teachings and predictions of the prophets, but to fulfil such and to establish that for which the developments of the centuries gone had been but preparatory. The gospel may be said to have destroyed the Mosaic law only as the seed is destroyed in the growth of the new plant, only as the bud is destroyed by the bursting forth of the rich, full, and fragrant flowers, only as infancy and youth pass forever as the maturity of years develops. Not a jot or a tittle of the law was to be void. A more effective analogy than the last could scarcely have been conceived; the jot or yod, and the tittle, were small literary marks in the Hebrew script; for present purposes we may regard them as equivalent to the dot of an “i” or the cross of a “t”; with the first, the jot, our English word “iota,” signifying a trifle, is related. Not even the least commandment could be violated without penalty; but the disciples were admonished to take heed that their keeping of the commandments was not after the manner of the scribes and Pharisees, whose observance was that of ceremonial externalism, lacking the essentials of genuine devotion; for they were assured that by such an insincere course they could “in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.” –James E. Talmage – Jesus the Christ, Chapter 17
Authors Commentary
17. Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
The Law of Moses was all a type of things to come intended to bring the people of Israel to Jesus Christ. The prophets knew of his coming and foretold it. But the Law of Moses was not even really supposed to happen. It was the law created as the people of Israel were not ready for the higher law — the law being delivered here by Jesus. The final sacrifice of the Law of Moses was Jesus Christ himself who would be the sacrificial lamb that would take up our sins – if we would only believe on him. When he died on the cross and rose three days later, the Law (of Moses) was fulfilled.
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.
As James Talmage teaches in one of the paragraphs above, “the jot or yod, and the tittle, were small literary marks in the Hebrew”. It is similar to saying crossing your t’s and dotting your i’s. Every aspect of the Law was to be fulfilled before anyone was to stop practicing the Law. However, I believe that this verse is going beyond the Law of Moses and is instead referring to the Law of God–The Law he is teaching in this sermon. The heaven and the earth shall pass, and the Law of God will still be in effect. And in the Kingdom of God, this law will stand forever.
19. 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.
And now that we have bridged the Law of Moses to the Law of the Savior, it comes with some new directives. We are to teach the Law. And we are to teach adherence to the Law – all of it. And if we take it upon ourselves to break the Law – and to teach and persuade others to break the Law, we will be under condemnation.
20. For I say unto you, that except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven.
This directive is very clear. Humble yourselves before the Lord. Learn through prayer, study of scriptures and other good and worthy books, seek to serve and love your neighbor, and seek for personal revelation. Seek to be a vessel of the Lord. Hypocrisy is never a winning strategy.