Jesus’ statement in Matthew 5:20 would have been shocking. The Jews said that if only two people made it to heaven, one would be a pharisee and the other a scribe. Jesus said their personal righteousness (credentials, outward perfection, etc.) was insufficient. Righteousness is not manufactured — it is a gift to be received by faith in Jesus Christ — and trust in the sufficiency of His sacrifice to make us whole. So, Jesus calls for something deeper — a life embodied in transformation. If righteousness is a gift, what does it look like to live it? How do we live a righteousness that reflects our king?
I. Righteousness Redefined — From Rules to Relationship
A. Mt. 5:17: Don’t think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish but to
. B. Love is the lens by which we operate:
Matthew 22:37: He said to him, Love the Lord your
with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. Matthew 22:39: The second is like it: Love your
as yourself. C. Micah 6:8: Mankind, he has told each of you what is good and what it is the Lord requires of you: to act justly, to love
, and to walk humbly with your God. D. The law’s intent has always been relationship. God desires for us to reflect His character.
II. The Heart of Righteousness — The Beatitudes
A. Matthew 5:3-10: These are the fruit of a life aligned with the kingdom.
Righteousness flows from within — shaped by humility, mercy, and love.
This is the exceeding righteousness of Matthew 5:20 — deeper, not louder. Life is lived through transformation — not transaction.
B. See the beatitudes as a mirror that we hold up — of ourselves reflecting Christ.
III. Love is the Core of Righteous Living
A. Matthew 22:37: He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is total devotion. Heart. Soul. Mind. Not just ritual.
B. Matthew 22:39: The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself.
C. Matthew 5:44: But I tell you, love your
and pray for those who persecute you, D. Matthew 22:40: All the Law and the Prophets
on these two commands.
Matthew 22:37-39 is Matthew 5:17 in action. Relationship, not regulation.
Matthew 23:23: “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the
matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. E. Jesus demonstrated it by how He lived his life — culminating ultimately in the cross.
- John 13:34–35: I give you a new command:
one another. Just as I have loved you, you are also to love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.
IV. Righteousness in Action: Forgiveness and Compassion
A. Matthew 6:14–15: For if you forgive others their offenses, your heavenly Father will
you as well. But if you don’t forgive others, your Father will not forgive your offenses. B. Matthew 25:35–36: For I was
and you gave me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; I was naked and you clothed me; I was sick and you took care of me; I was in prison and you visited me. C. This is a righteousness that goes far beyond empty rituals.
V. As We Close…
A. In Jesus’ eyes, righteousness isn’t about outperforming the Pharisees at their game. It’s a heart transformed by God’s love
B. Mt 6:33: But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be provided for you.