Jesus' Words

I read the book of Matthew in two sittings--I find this a great thing to do because it makes possible seeing and remembering lots of connections that I lose if I read in a bunch of sittings. One of the things that I caught in this reading was an interesting contrast between the words of Jesus and the words of the Law (Torah). In Matthew 5 Jesus says, Matt. 5:17    “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. 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." When all is accomplished the Law (torah) will in some way disappear. But notice what Jesus says about his own words, Matt. 24:32    “Now learn this lesson from the fig tree: As soon as its twigs get tender and its leaves come out, you know that summer is near. 33 Even so, when you see all these things, you know that it is near, right at the door. 34 I tell you the truth, this generation will certainly not pass away until all these things have happened. 35 Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away." The words of Jesus will not pass away. What this seems to say is that the words of Jesus have more permanence than the words of the Torah. What I think this means is that Jesus' words and insights into the Old Testament become the way in which we view and understand the Torah i.e. we can no longer really get the Old Testament without seeing it through the eyes of Jesus.
More importantly, if the words of Jesus will never pass away, we need to know and understand those words for our lives today--they are still relevant and essential to living a faithful life.