Introduction to The sermon on the mount and the Beatitudes Matthew 4-5:12

Introduction

In chapter 4 of Matthew we are given an account of four events that led to Jesus preaching the sermon on the mount to his disciples.

The first event that led to the sermon on the mount is the tempting of Jesus in the wilderness by Satan vs. 1-11

Remember Jesus had spent 40 days fasting and afterward he was hungry

Satan tempted him by telling him to turn the stones into bread

Jesus responded with a quotation from Deuteronomy 8:3 “3 And he humbled thee, and suffered thee to hunger, and fed thee with manna, which thou knewest not, neither did thy fathers know; that he might make thee know that man doth not live by bread only, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of the Lord doth man live.”

Satan was attempting to use the lust of the flesh to tempt Jesus, but Jesus overcame that temptation

Satan then tempted Jesus to cast himself down and have the angels bare him up. Satan even tried to use scripture to tempt him by quoting Psalm 91:11–12 “11 For he shall give his angels charge over thee, To keep thee in all thy ways. 12 They shall bear thee up in their hands, Lest thou dash thy foot against a stone.”

Jesus again responded with scripture quoting Deuteronomy 6:16“16 Ye shall not tempt the Lord your God, as ye tempted him in Massah.”

Satans final temptation was really to take the throne without the cross.

Satans final temptation was to replace Gods plan with Satans Plan

Jesus again answers the temptation with the word of God, showing us how to overcome temptation

Jesus quotes Deuteronomy 6:13 “13 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God, and serve him, and shalt swear by his name.” and Deuteronomy 10:20 “20 Thou shalt fear the Lord thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.”

Satan offered him instant food, instant fame and instant fortune. In a microwave society we must be careful that we don’t fall into the instant pleasure that only lasts for a season that satan offers.

Someone once said “Never sacrifice the permanent on the altar of the immediate.”

After Jesus overcame the temptation from the devil, Satan left and the Angels came and ministered to Him

The second event of chapter 4 of Matthew we see him fulfilling prophecy vs. 12-17

Jesus heres about the imprisonment of John the baptist and he departed into Galilee and eventually Capernaum.

Jesus leaves his home town of Nazareth to head to Capernaum fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah 9:1–2 “1 Nevertheless the dimness shall not be such as was in her vexation, When at the first he lightly afflicted the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, And afterward did more grievously afflict her by the way of the sea, Beyond Jordan, in Galilee of the nations. 2 The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light: They that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.”

After this Jesus ministry was in full force preaching repent or change your direction, the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

Mark 1:14–15 “14 Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 15 And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”

The third event of Matthew 4 was Jesus calling Peter and Andrew and also James and John vs. 18-22

The call of Jesus for Peter and Andrew was simple and Jesus used terms they would understand as fishermen.

Follow me and I will make you fishers of Men.

Luke 5:2–11 KJV 1900

2 And saw two ships standing by the lake: but the fishermen were gone out of them, and were washing their nets. 3 And he entered into one of the ships, which was Simon’s, and prayed him that he would thrust out a little from the land. And he sat down, and taught the people out of the ship. 4 Now when he had left speaking, he said unto Simon, Launch out into the deep, and let down your nets for a draught. 5 And Simon answering said unto him, Master, we have toiled all the night, and have taken nothing: nevertheless at thy word I will let down the net. 6 And when they had this done, they inclosed a great multitude of fishes: and their net brake. 7 And they beckoned unto their partners, which were in the other ship, that they should come and help them. And they came, and filled both the ships, so that they began to sink. 8 When Simon Peter saw it, he fell down at Jesus’ knees, saying, Depart from me; for I am a sinful man, O Lord. 9 For he was astonished, and all that were with him, at the draught of the fishes which they had taken: 10 And so was also James, and John, the sons of Zebedee, which were partners with Simon. And Jesus said unto Simon, Fear not; from henceforth thou shalt catch men. 11 And when they had brought their ships to land, they forsook all, and followed him.

A little further down the coast Jesus saw James and John mending their nets with their father and he called them

Immediately they left their ship and their father and followed Christ

Someone said “delayed obedience is disobedience”s

As believers we should immediately obey God’s call on our life anything less is disobedience.

The 4th event we see that leads to the sermon on the mount is Jesus’ early ministry in Galilee. vs 23-25

He was preaching in the Synagogue

He was preaching the Gospel

He was healing sickness and disease among the people

His fame was spread through all Syria

They brought him all sick people that had a variety of disease and torments those who were possessed with devils, lunatick, and those who had a palsy, and he healed them.

Everyone that came to Jesus was healed, His ministry was in full swing.

People were following him for the miracles and he was about to share the message.

Remember in Jesus’ ministry the miracles were never the end, they were a means to the end.

The message, the gospel, was always the reason for everything Jesus did.

The people followed him from all over;

From Galilee

Decapolis

Jerusalem

Judaea

and from beyond Jordan.

As we enter into chapter 5 we see that Jesus saw the multitudes and went into a mountain

when he had sat down his disciples came to him