A Jot and a Tittle

“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” Matthew 5:18, KJV).

 What is a jot and what in the word is a tittle? It seems as if these jots and tittles are all important. A jot, which looks like an insignificant apostrophe, is the tenth letter in the Hebrew alphabet and the smallest. A tittle is even smaller than a jot. It is just a pen stroke that can differentiate one Hebrew letter from another. 

Is Jesus saying that even the smallest letter of the law, and the merest pen stroke, is so significant that it will not pass away? A huge tower like the World Trade Center can crumble to nothing in a few hours. Three islands disappeared from the face of the earth in 2018. Several airplanes have gone missing with no trace at all. 

God’s Word will not disappear or change: “Your word, LORD, is eternal; it stands firm in the heavens” (Psalm 119:89). The gospel is living and active, it is not static. It changes lives: “‘The word of the Lord endures forever.’ And this is the word that was preached to you” (1 Peter 1:25). We need to let it sink into our hearts so we too will find meaning every day of our lives.