Jots and Tittles
Matthew 5:18 - Jesus’ fulfillment of the law means we can embrace it as our guide for living lives that honor God.
“For truly I tell you, 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 5:18 NIV
Today’s verse comes just after the Beatitudes (“Blessed are…”) in the Sermon on the Mount. Jesus is continuing to speak to the crowd who have come to hear Him preach, and in the verse just prior to this (Matthew 5:17), He is explaining that He has not come to upset the Jewish apple cart:
“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.”
As usual, different translations of the Bible word Matthew 5:18 differently, and that’s particularly apparent in the NKJV:
“For assuredly, I say to you, till heaven and earth pass away, one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.”
You might be asking the same question I had: what are jots and tittles? Enduring Word had just the explanation I needed:
The jot and the tittle were small marks in Hebrew writing. Jesus here told us that not only the ideas of the word of God are important, but also the words themselves — even the letters of the words — are important. This shows us how highly God regards His word.
i. The jot refers to yod (י), the smallest letter in the Hebrew alphabet; it looks like half a letter.
ii. The tittle is a small mark in a Hebrew letter, somewhat like the crossing of a “t” or the tail on a “y.”
The difference between bet (ב) and kaf (כ) is a tittle.
The difference between dalet (ד) and resh (ר) is a tittle.
The difference between vav (ו) and zayin (ז) is a tittle.
Knowing that, the NKJV translation makes much more sense than the NIV with its “not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen”. That’s why it is useful to have a number of Bible translations available for study, along with other commentary tools. The YouVersion Bible app (and online version) is helpful in this respect, as is BlueLetterBible (app and online).
But I digress! 18th and 19th Century biblical scholar Adam Clarke explained just how immutable God’s Word is:
“Though all earth and hell should join together to hinder the accomplishment of the great designs of the Most High, yet it shall all be in vain-even the sense of a single letter shall not be lost. The words of God, which point out his designs, are as unchangeable as his nature itself.”1
In His Word is His Law, and Jesus tells us in this verse that nothing is going to change a thing “until everything is accomplished.”
And when is everything accomplished? In the most clear sense, Jesus Himself fulfilled the law by His perfect obedience to the Father in dying on the cross and making the ultimate sacrifice for humanity — His substitutionary atonement for our sin. There’s a more complete assurance in the statement of Jesus: that God’s plan for humanity will never change until the fulfillment of everything at the end of the age (as described in Revelation).
To summarize, Jesus fulfilled the Law and the God-given words of the Prophets, as described in this Enduring Word commentary:
iii. “Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets and they point to him, and he is their fulfillment.” (Carson)
Jesus fulfilled the doctrinal teachings of the Law and the Prophets in that He brought full revelation.
Jesus fulfilled the predictive prophecy of the Law and the Prophets in that He is the Promised One, showing the reality behind the shadows.
Jesus fulfilled the moral and legal demands of the Law and the Prophets in that He fully obeyed them and He reinterpreted them in their truth.
Jesus fulfilled the penalty of the Law and the Prophets for us by His death on the cross, taking the penalty we deserved.
God’s law is valid until the end of the current creation; until the new heaven and new earth come to pass. The law isn’t obsolete, but is still relevant and authoritative.
As believers, we should respect and uphold the law, as it reflects God’s character and will. Jesus’ fulfillment of the law means we can embrace it as our guide for living lives that honor God.
Heaven On Wheels Daily Prayer:
Father in Heaven, I am comforted by the reality that You are in charge of the overall path of my life, and also keeping an eye on the tiny details. I am thankful for the truth and hope written in Your Word, and have faith that all will come to pass as You have said. Understanding what Christ did for me and other believers when He came to earth to die on the cross for my sins and rise again fills me with wonder at the greatness of Your plans and purposes for mankind. I praise and thank You for Your goodness, Your grace, and Your mercy. AMEN.
Scripture quotations taken from THE HOLY BIBLE, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica US, Inc.®. Used by permission.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Commentary quotations from Enduring Word are used with the written permission of the author
Clarke, Adam "Clarke's Commentary: The Holy Bible Containing the Old and New Testaments with a Commentary and Critical Notes" Volume 5 (Matthew-Acts) (New York: Eaton and Mains, 1832)