Sermon on the Mount -Introduction

Kingdom living (Sermon on the Mount)

This week we will start an extensive look at the Sermon on the Mount. It is probably very well known by most Christians. Today we are doing the introduction to it.

We are only going to be looking at two verses from the sermon today, but will do lots of back ground and set up for it.

I would suggest that you take 15 minutes or so to read the sermon (Mt5-7) to familiarize yourself with it a little more. Next week we may take a few minutes about what did you notice, what are your first impressions when reading it.

Open your bible to Mt4:23. We need to know where Jesus was, what was going on, so we can understand where this was going.

Mt4:23-24 “23 Jesus was going throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every kind of disease and every kind of sickness among the people. 24 The news about Him spread throughout all Syria; and they brought to Him all who were ill, those suffering with various diseases and pains, demoniacs, epileptics, paralytics; and He healed them.”

Matthew 4:25 NASB95

25 Large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.

FYI the distance from Jerusalem where he had been to Galilee is about 100 miles, so not a short distance. Sometimes God may call us to go beyond where we are and are comfortable with. This does not necessarily mean to another country, or another state, but to other people.

Now a few questions.

Q: Where was Jesus?

Q: What were the people doing?

Q: What were the crowds doing?

So far in Matthew

Chapter 1 speaks on the heritage of Jesus, descendant of David

Chapter 2 the wise men pay homage to the king, Herod has hostility toward this supposed king of the Jews

Chapter 3- There is the heralding (proclaiming) of the King by John the Baptist. John preaches repentance for the kingdom of God was at hand.

Chapter 4 - Jesus the king is tempted by Satan in the wilderness. Also we see as we just read that He establishes His base of operations in Galilee region.

Chapter 5-7 Jesus as King starts the teaching about kingdom living. Goes beyond the law to the spirit of the law, instructions for the disciples of Jesus to learn and apply

In the Jewish culture it was common for someone who was to preach stood up, and someone who was to teach would sit down. Keep that in mind as we go though the sermon.

Jesus teaches as one with authority;

Turn to Mt7:28-29 “28 When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.”

His teaching was not one with authority like the scribes, but one having authority.

Kingdom living being taught by the One having authority, so His words matter more than those of the Scribes and Pharisee’s.

Jesus prepares to teach

Matthew 5:1–2 NKJV

1 And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. 2 Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

Jesus sees the multitude, the crowd that came from many places, following Him.

Jesus goes up on the mountain not to get away but to teach.

That would be out of the ordinary for him.

FF Bruce “Jesus was not monastic in spirit, and He had not two doctrines, one for the many, another for the few, like Buddha. His highest teaching . . .was meant for the million.”

Jesus did go up and when He sat down His disciples came to Him.

Now, disciples does not always mean the 12 Apostles. This term here is larger than the 12, it is the multitude, the crowd we just read about Mt4:25-5:1

Turn with me to Lk6:17-20 “17 Jesus came down with them and stood on a level place; and there was a large crowd of His disciples, and a great throng of people from all Judea and Jerusalem and the coastal region of Tyre and Sidon, 18 who had come to hear Him and to be healed of their diseases; and those who were troubled with unclean spirits were being cured. 19 And all the people were trying to touch Him, for power was coming from Him and healing them all. 20 And turning His gaze toward His disciples, He began to say, “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.”

So you may see now that what is called the Sermon on the Mount, instructions on kingdom living was not only given on the Mountain, but in the plains too. It had to be kingdom preaching that was done time and time again. Paul did that too. He stated he preached the same gospel in all the cities.

He was seated

Mentioned before this was the common posture for someone who was going to teach

Mt13:2 “2 And large crowds gathered to Him, so He got into a boat and sat down, and the whole crowd was standing on the beach.”

Mt23:2 “2 saying: “The scribes and the Pharisees have seated themselves in the chair of Moses;”

Mt24:3 “3 As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives, the disciples came to Him privately, saying, “Tell us, when will these things happen, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?””

This differs from other teachers. This teaching is not from inspired men like Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Isaiah. Now the God of truth spoke through the exact nature of God.

His disciples came to Him

A reminder that I think I mentioned before. Disciples her is in a wide sense. Meaning a follower of a teacher. It does not mean the 12-apostles.

FF Bruce: He ascends the hill to get away from the crowds below, and the disciples, now a considerable band, gather about Him. Others may not be excluded, but the disciples are the audience proper.”

Jesus begins to teach

Q: How did Jesus begin to teach?

Jesus spoke with words, words in which were with authority.

Jesus spoke with passion to convey an important message about kingdom living.

Spurgeon said “It is not superfluous to say that ‘he opened his mouth, and taught them,’ for He had taught them often when His mouth was closed.”

He was a man with something to say. something specific to say, to teach.

What He said in Chapters 5-7 was a message that sums up Jesus, or anyone else who claims Christianity, ethical teaching.

In the Sermon on the Mount, as well as noted in the Sermon on the plains, which means it is a message given many times over. Jesus gives instructions for kingdom living.

Here in the United States we have “declaration of independence.” Karl Marx had the “communist manifesto” - - - Jesus declared instructions about the kingdom and what the kingdom was all about.

The Sermon is radically different, and not well received by many Jews. It does not present a political or sociological agenda. When we move to the Beatitudes we will see the blessedness, or the happy nature of the people who are kingdom dwellers.

The Sermon, per se, does not deal with salvation, but it does lay out for the disciple and could be disciple how Jesus, who taught with authority expects us to live, contrasting the Jewish mindset, misunderstanding, mis-education of kingdom living.

Before closing out this introduction one more quote.

Barclay: “In Matthew, Jesus is instructing, teaching his disciples in the message which was his and which they were to take to men. In Luke, the material similar to the Sermon on the Mount comes immediately after Jesus chose the Twelve. The word “taught” in this passage is in the imperfect tense, meaning it describes a repeated and habitual action.”

As we go through these three chapters, we will take our time for the information is important. Jesus is not expecting perfection but is application so to be transformed.

If you are willing please read chapter 5:1-12 for next week, if willing do it several times.

(Prayer)