The Purpose of the People of God - 5-7 Overview
The Purpose of the People of God - Matthew • Sermon • Submitted • Presented • 51:31
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The Purpose of the People of God
The Purpose of the People of God
INTRODUCTION GOES HERE!
Where we’ve been:
Intro 1-4
SoM 5-7
Healings - 8-9
Where we are:
The Sermon on the Mount is one of the most familiar passages in all of Scripture. It has even made its way into modern culture. The beatitudes are familiar enough to most people that is utilized in pop culture.
Dead Poets Society
Visions of the Night - the Police
The Godfather Part III
Blessed - Simon and Garfunkel
If you ask Google, it says that thematically in pop culture, the beatitudes are referenced everywhere. They are a common “underpinning of virtue” in character development.
Groundhog Day
It’s a Wonderful Life
Forrest Gump
Up
Back to the Future
the Sandlot
Ted Lasso
As such, simply with the introduction to the sermon, we can see its significance.
But before we get too far down the road,
Let’s Pray
Let’s take a look at the setting.
24 And 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. 25 And large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2 And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
Matthew continues the story. This is not a break in the text for Matthew, but it does segue from one part to the next. This is seen in the tying together of the crowds.
Second to the crowds, we have the disciples. So Matthew has purposefully set apart two groups of people, the crowds and His disciples.
So what are the distinguishing marks?
Let’s start with the disciples:
The only disciples mentioned so far are Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John. The full list of the twelve will not appear until chapter 10.
This is tells us that Matthew is not concerned with who is specifically in that group. He is merely depicting two different types of people. The crowds and the disciples.
So we don’t know who they are, what do they do?
19 And He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.” 20 And immediately they left their nets and followed Him.
We know they have heard Jesus before
We know they are Jewish
We know they are familiar with the concept of the Messiah
We know that they immediately left and followed Jesus
They are participating in radical change to follow Him.
Though no disciple would describe themselves as having “arrived”, these are committed individuals.
This is not a statement of having it together
theology
application
understanding
This is commitment
Turning to the crowds
25 And large crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judea and from beyond the Jordan.
Galilee, Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan
All we know about the crowds, is where they come from and that they follow Him. They are predominantly Jewish, but probably not exclusive given the range of people that have heard Jesus’ message.
Speaking in a Jewish setting (location) that is predominantly but not exclusively Jewish.
Secondly, we know that they have “followed Him.” This is very vague. If Matthew needed us to know more about these people, he would have said it. So we cannot take “followed Him” to mean anything more than they have following Him. I believe it would be an error of interpretation to say that the crowds are entirely believers or unbelievers. Matthew doesn’t tell us, as such, Matthew is not trying to make this distinction.
Matthew is writing to believers, he is not trying to make a distinction between believers and unbelievers, but between disciples and the crowds.
Though Matthew hasn’t specified what this difference is, he has specifically separated these two groups, so we can accurately assume these two groups are different.
I propose to you that on one hand we have a group of disciples, who are committed to and are pursuing exactly that, discipleship. On the other hand we have a group of people who have physically followed Him. Since they are set in comparison to the group of disciples, we can conclude that they are not yet disciples of Jesus themselves. This does not give us the condition of their heart, but simply states that they are not intimately connected with Him. Regardless though, they are there, so we can assume they want to know more about Jesus, what He says, and/or what He does.
2 And He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying,
3 things:
Having opened His mouth
Taught Them
Saying
We’ve dealt with this before….
WHAT FOLLOWS IS IMPORTANT
So we’ve dealt with the people, we’ve dealt with what Jesus is going to do, we need to deal with the location.
1 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him.
the mountain
It is not specific, though some have recommended this mountain to be Karn Hattin near Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee, Matthew doesn’t tell us.
Far more prominent than any specific location though, is Matthew’s continuing parallel of the Exodus motif with Jesus.
Though it has been over a month ago since we were there, it is only a few minutes for the hearer of the Gospel of the Matthew. They didn’t stop reading or listening as we have week over week.
15 And he remained there until the death of Herod, in order that what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet would be fulfilled, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”
1 When Israel was a youth I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.
Paralleling Jesus with Israel
16 Then when Herod saw that he had been tricked by the magi, he became very enraged, and sent and slew all the male children who were in Bethlehem and all its vicinity, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had carefully determined from the magi.
Parallel of Exodus 1
18 “A voice was heard in Ramah, Weeping and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children; And she was refusing to be comforted, Because they were no more.”
16 Thus says Yahweh, “Restrain your voice from weeping And your eyes from tears, For your work will be rewarded,” declares Yahweh, “And they will return from the land of the enemy. 17 “And there is hope for your future,” declares Yahweh, “And your children will return to their own territory.
So we see promise of a second exodus here in Jeremiah
20 “Get up, take the Child and His mother, and go into the land of Israel; for those who sought the Child’s life are dead.”
19 And Yahweh said to Moses in Midian, “Go, return to Egypt, for all the men who were seeking your life are dead.”
The parallel of Jesus’ ministry with Moses
This Exodus/Moses motif has been flowing under the surface of Matthew’s gospel the entire time we’ve been here.
Then Jesus, goes to give His first recorded sermon in Matthew on a mountain. What comes to mind?
Mount Sinai
3 Now Moses went up to God, and Yahweh called to him from the mountain, saying, “Thus you shall say to the house of Jacob and tell the sons of Israel:
12 Now Yahweh said to Moses, “Come up to Me on the mountain and remain there, and I will give you the stone tablets with the law and the commandment which I have written for their instruction.”
or as Moses recalls it himself:
9 “When I went up to the mountain to receive the tablets of stone, the tablets of the covenant which Yahweh had cut with you, then I remained on the mountain forty days and nights; I neither ate bread nor drank water.
Who does this remind you of?
Jesus and His temptation in the wilderness we have just read about in chapter 4. In the wilderness, the location where Moses reapplies the law in Deuteronomy.
Don’t miss the parallel, as Yahweh provided the law through Moses to Israel from Mount Sinai, Yahweh is about to do it again in Jesus in the Sermon on the Mount.
Jesus is going to apply the law as it pertains to discipleship, to fellowship, to deep, intimate relationship with God, not as it is currently being applied by the Pharisees as a legalistic way to bring about the kingdom.
In so doing Matthew emphasizes the prophetic ministry of Jesus and that these are the words of Yahweh.
So as a summary, Matthew has positioned His reader to recognize that Jesus, Yahweh, is here to reapply the law, and there are two distinct groups listening, the crowds and the disciples. The crowds, people that are not yet disciples, believers or unbelievers unknown. The disciples, those who are pursuing Him and following Him in faith.
With that, we get to the text of the Sermon on the Mount, Matthew 5:3-7:27.
We’re going to look at a basic outline of this that will get filled in more as we move through the discourse.
Sermon on the Mount
Mt 5:3-10 - Characteristics of Disciples (Who should apply the sermon)
Self Identification
The Beatitudes
Wisdom Literature
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the lowly, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 5.11-16 - Thematic purpose of the sermon (Discipleship)
This is what Jesus is giving the sermon for, like an introduction
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12 “Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. 13 “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt has become tasteless, how will it be made salty again? It is no longer good for anything, except to be thrown out to be trampled under foot by men.
14 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden; 15 nor does anyone light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on the lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. 16 “Let your light shine before men in such a way that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father who is in heaven.
Mt 5.17-20 - The Narrative Climax (Jesus Fulfills)
This is why Jesus is qualified to give the sermon
17 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill. 18 “For truly I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass from the Law until all is accomplished.
19 “Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 “For I say to you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.
Mt 5.21-48 - The Law (Perfection) Applied (Following the law requires perfection)
Not just the action, but the thought/heart of the matter
48 “Therefore you are to be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.
Mt 6.1-18 - Religious Practice (Rewards before God)
So how is religion practiced?
1 “Beware of doing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise you have no reward with your Father who is in heaven.
Mt 6.19-7.6 - Worldly vs Heavenly Living (How to live)
How is religious practice applied in life?
20 “But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in or steal; 21 for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
Mt 7.7-11 - Good Gifts (Provision of God)
We need help
God will provide
11 “If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give what is good to those who ask Him!
Mt 7.12 - Summary Statement
12 “Therefore, in all things, whatever you want people to do for you, so do for them, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
Mt 7.13-23 - False Teachers (Pharisees)
Don’t turn to false teachers
15 “Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
Mt 7.24-27 - Conclusion
24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and does them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 “And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and fell against that house; and yet it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock.
26 “And everyone hearing these words of Mine and not doing them, may be compared to a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 “And the rain descended, and the rivers came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell—and great was its fall.”
So what do we take from today?
Takeaways:
Authorial Intent
Matthew is not writing with the distinction of believers and unbelievers, he’s writing with the distinction of disciples and not disciples.
2. Self Identification
Matthew and Jesus provide plenty of opportunities for us to identify with the text. Be honest.
3. Read the Scripture
Let’s Pray
