Sermon on the Mount Intro

Sermon on the Mount

Matthew 5:1,2

January 4, 2026

I asked google what it would take to get into the dictionary and what has been added lately. I can’t believe that these words were added and or completely changed over time. For example, “awful” used to be awe inspiring (wonderful). Now it means terrible. Pretty used to mean crafty, now it means good looking. There are a lot more examples like that.

Each generation seems to leave it’s mark on our vocabulary. Gen Alpha has already had its turn. Words like “skibid”=cool or bad, “Delulu”=delusional, “Rizz”= charisma or flirting (the word of the year for 2023), or “Lewk”= meaning a striking or standout fashion look. Don’t get me started on 6’7. I am still struggling with that one.

None of these words or phrases mean a thing to me. In my opinion words that last should relate to all generations. So, I looked up the requirement for dictionary addition. Here is what is needed: “Frequent, widespread and sustained use across various sources over time.”

Today we are about to embark on another journey as we go line by line through the greatest sermon, speech or exposition ever recorded for ALL of mankind. I asked google to tell me, what speech has had the most impact on human history and at the top of the list is what we are jumping into. The content that we are about to go through relates to, affects and impacts the old, young, wise, and not so wise alike.

The principles taught here step over time and space without regard to cultural norms and language barriers. No other content has affected more people than the words written in Matthew 5-7. The reason the words are so timeless is because they transform the human heart. They diagnosing the hearer’s position with their God. You want to know if you are saved? It’s here!

Now, I know it is not reasonable to expect the dictionary to include the entire sermon on the mount into it’s pages, but seriously, the impact of these words supersedes anything any generation can invent. When “rizz” runs its course and some generation 50 years down the road looks at the dictionary scratching it’s head on the mental competences of a generation responsible for that word, the principles of the sermon on the mount will stand as strong as it has for the last 2000 years.

READ TEXT:

Today’s message will be heavy on history but it is necessary. In order to make sure we do this right, we need to know who, what, where and why this was recorded. Today’s message will look different in order to get us started on the right step. It is my goal that by the end of today that we are hungry and excited to get to what Matthew intended us to hear.

1.             Introducing Matthew.

At our Christmas message I introduced you to Matthew. Matthew means: Gift of the LORD. Matthew was one of the 12 (Luke 5 records his calling) and had a first-hand experience of the teachings and work of Christ. When Jesus found him, he was a tax collector. In his gospel, we find out that Matthew was his given name by Jesus.

But, his original name was Levi (Matthew 10). When he was being obedient and walking with Jesus, he was called Matthew. When he failed and walked according to his sin, he was referred to by his old name of Levi. Like Peter, Jacob, Abraham, Matthew was re-named by Jesus.

There is very little question about who wrote this gospel. Matthew has the credit and validity. He was one of the 12, had firsthand experience and peers that validated his material (Peter, John). Of the four gospels, Matthew and John were part of the original 12. Mark (John Mark) and Luke were not part of the original 12. Their writings are just as valuable and credible though as it is written in 2 Tim 3:16 “All Scripture is God-breathed and profitable for teaching…”. But Matthew had all the credentials to be included into the canon.

It is said that he wrote this gospel around AD 50 (less then 20 years after Jesus ascended back to heaven). The evidence that supports this is that there is no mention of the destruction of the temple in AD 70 where the Romans literally burned and destroyed the temple (the epicenter of all Jewish faith).

Remember, he is writing to the Jews, that temple meant everything! If he wrote it after AD 70, he would have commented on the destruction of the temple in Matthew 24: 1,2 where Jesus predicts it’s destruction. It should have read something like, (and it happened on this date…).

His purpose of writing his gospel is that the Jews would recognize their King. Remember when I taught the opening of his Gospel that by using the genealogy of Christ that he is pointing to the validity of the KING of KINGS coming to David’s throne. His audience was intended to be the Jews who would be searching for their Messiah. He is saying in essence, “He is right here!” Look, your King is here and now.

Again, his focus was the Jew. That is why, unlike John and Luke and Mark, he quotes OT the most. He quotes the OT over 60 times to prove that the King is here. He references Jewish customs without explanation. We who are gentiles need writings like Luke and John. The Jews need Matthew. Matthew spends great energy using terms like “Son of David” and other Jewish references.

His signature phrase is “the Kingdom of Heaven”. All things kingdom related and focused. “The kingdom is NOW” was his driving force. I could have used Matthew last week as well as the passage I chose. His use of the genealogy is the proof text to show everyone, not just the Jew, that Christ was the fulfillment of the Kingdom of God in the flesh. He goes so far as to teach that all the historical and theological themes hinge on the fact that He is your King, even if you don’t see Him as such.

His gospel is broken up into 5 major sections as “discourses” or sermons by Jesus.

1st, the Sermon on the mount chapters 5-7, 2nd, Commissioning of the apostles 10 “come follow me” or how we have the 12 apostles. 3rd, Parables of the Kingdom (chapter 13). 4th, Discourse of the childlikeness of the believer. 5th, the discourse of His second coming (chapter 24,25).

As a cool note, Matthew records 5 discourses/sermons of Jesus. How many books are there in TORAH (or the Law of the OT?). Five! Some scholars see these 5 sections with the first 5 books of the OT Torah. G,E,L,N,D. There are a lot of similarities between the first 5 and these five discourses with Jesus.

Although Matthew wants the Jew to see Jesus as king, he presents the Jews as rejecting their king and Messiah (something that did not surprise God as He knew it would happen). The rejection by the Jews lead to Paul taking it to the gentiles (you and I). No other Gospel presents the attacks of Christ more vividly. He does not record the repentance of the thief at the cross and he does not record any friends or loved ones at the foot of the cross. He paints a dark picture of rejection.

John MacArthur records that “The shadow of rejection is never lifted from the story.” Matthew keeps this account very dark. The darkness never lifts.

But, even in the darkness, he records Jesus as the victorious King.

Finally, Matthew does not follow a timeline. He is not so concerned about the times that Jesus did what. He was more concerned that you get the concepts that Jesus is teaching you. So, we need to go to Luke for a more clear picture as to what happens and when.

The location of the sermon on the Mount (SHOW MAP) and talk about the landscape.

2.             Introducing the sermon on the mount.

VS 1 “seeing the crowds, He went up on the mountain and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him.”

Just within the first couple words of this chapter we see key themes. First, there were a lot of people coming to hear Him teach. There could have been thousands. But that is not the purpose of the message. Look closely at what Matthew is writing. The core audience was His disciples, those who followed Him. The rest made up the curious followers.

A.W PINK writes: “It was not to the multitude at large that the Redeemer first spoke, but to the elect, who had a special claim upon Him, as given by the Father’s love to Him (John 17:9, 10). Nor was it to the favoured apostles He addressed His opening remarks, but rather to the poor of the flock, the afflicted in soul, those who were conscious of their deep need[1]”

The crowd that He focused His attention on would be “those who have ears to hear”. Those faithful followers who are His disciples. Like Pink allow me to define “disciple.” A disciple is simply a learner or follower. We have faithful disciples in this room. These are the ones who follow Him. This does not refer to the apostles. We have none of those here. That time died when John died on the isle of Patmos.

Then there were others there. The curious seekers and critics. There were even those with evil intent within the crowd. But, as our Lord did so often, He spoke to those who had ears to hear and that crowd was quite large.

Jesus went up (off the shore) and SAT (not lost on Matthew). Teachers and Rabis of Judaism sat as a show of authority (Luke 4:20). It is just like the Creator to sit on a mountain at the right spot so that a thousand people could hear His voice just perfectly without amplification. He knew the spot to SIT and project. That is amazing right there! When you sit, it is very hard to project your voice. He opened His mouth and the crowds heard.

It should not shock us though! When HE speaks, universes snap to attention (Gen 1). When He speaks, suns are born (Gen 1:16), worlds fall in order and people fall to their faces (Isiah 6). When He speaks, ears that hear are opened (Mat 11, Mark 4), hearts that are stones melt (Ezekiel 36) and the proud become humble (James 4). When He speaks, His enemies are slain (2 Thes 2:8 and Rev 19:21). When Jesus speaks, it’s with all that authority. No wonder they heard Him.

The term “He opened His mouth” it is used to say, “He PREACHED.” How the Greek renders this is a picture for the modern-day pastor and He is showing the value of this method. When HE “OPENED HIS MOUTH” as Spurgeon, Boyce and other great preachers would attest, Jesus is demonstrating my job. I am called to “open my mouth” and project with clarity the WORD of God. This is where you get the preacher. Later in Peter’s message recorded in Acts he does exactly this.

However, unlike me and the preachers of man, Nothing He said was wasted or lost. He is the only One who can say, “my Word will never return void.” When He spoke, the atoms jump into position. When He spoke, the study and knowledge of the HOLY of HOLY’s was on display. But, what was He getting ready to speak?

I am glad you asked. He was going to teach the “study of religious faith, practice, and experience. HE was going to teach the study of God and of God’s relation to the world.” That is the formal definition of the word “theology” according to Webster. He was going to give us the clearest teaching of the study of God, “theology.” Christ, everywhere He went, He taught the study of God.

The reason I and your elders chose this passage to teach is found in that definition. John taught all of us who He was (the savior, the WORD in flesh, the payment of sin). John also taught that we are sinners who are in need of that savior. But, it is Jesus’s teaching here in the Sermon on the Mount that will diagnose if you truly believe John’s message of salvation. Then it will teach us the “so what”. This is the how to live it.

Vs 2 “And He opened His mouth and taught…”

(didaskō). vb. to teach. Denotes the activity of teaching; especially used for moral instruction. The verb didaskō is the general word for “teach[2]

This is how we get the model for how we preach and teach here in at MBC. Jesus simply taught everywhere He went. Webster’s definition of “doctrine” means simply, “something that is taught.” The word “teaching” or “taught” is cross reverenced all over the NT as Jesus went everywhere and taught (doctrine) who God is, (theology) and now, what to do with that information, (sermon on the mount) or application. There is no better teacher known to all of mankind!

Now, with that as a background, I hope we all see why Jesus spent hours of sitting on a hillside teaching the crowd? His entire ministry was to say, “repent, the Kingdom is at hand and here is how to do it.” The Kingdom is now and it is a heart kingdom.

3.             See the heart of the Kingdom.

If I did my job halfway right, we should want to jump into this sermon. Like I said, this sermon is the application of 3 years in John. In this section of scripture, we will be able to diagnose our faith. Is it real? Or is it like the pharisees that were curious in the crowd. Those who thought that their outward appearance was more important than their heart with the LORD.

If we (you and I) want to know that we are on track with Him, this is our gut check. Here we learn how to be obedient to God better, and follow God better, demonstrate the fruit of God better and act like God better.

By the end of this you will know if you have the right heart perspective on His kingdom. You will be able to say, yes I do have it or no I do not. By the time we get done, there is no longer any subjective guessing. You will be able to look at your heart in light of these passages and measure how pure your faith really is.

I want to take us back to those who are in the crowd. The first and obvious are the 11 apostles (minus Judas). The second are His disciples (vs 1). Then all the crowd. The crowd is made of the curious, skeptics, and the enemies. In that list includes the pharisees, Sadducees and even Judas who would betray Him.

There are those who are in this room that fit in each of these categories. Allow me to address the second group first. There are those here who would make it their mission and goal to only believe this stuff on the outside. They are great a faking their faith. They know the words, know the language and know what is an “approved” and acceptable way of life. They even find joy in how they live their lives.

To those who genuinely are faking their faith, I would say the following:

a.      If we are faking, your praise you get here is all you get. (Matthew 6:5)

b.      If you are faking your spiritual life, it is a damning faith. (Matthew 24:24)

But, if you are sincere and are one of His disciples and a part of the Kingdom of Christ:

a.      You will want to have the B attitudes.

b.      You will be the salt and light unto a dark world.

c.      You will give everything that you have and it will fall short in light of what He gave you. You will think that what you give back is not even close to enough and you will enjoy the opportunity to give more. (Philippians 3:8-10). It will be that costly treasure that you are willing to sell everything for!

d.      You will manage your anger, lust, oaths, love for family, enemies and your greed. You will pray correctly, actually fast and store up real treasure. Your anxieties will be put into place and only be anxious for what pleases God. You will righteously discern the fruit of others and handle those around you as they should be managed. You will bear much fruit and be assured that you are a part of HIS kingdom.

In light of these, there is an assurance that you are really where you need to be in Him. It will deepen the relationship with Him. Truly, no other words given to man have this ability to diagnose the faith of a man or woman. If you are willing to put in the effort to apply yourself, you will know where you stand with the Kingdom of God.

To the unbeliever. If you still wonder about this thing called the kingdom. It is Christ Jesus. He is the only means of your salvation. Jesus’s teachings all point to the relationship with Him. Why do you need this relationship? Because no matter your effort, you are incapable of ridding yourself of the debt of sin. He, through His life, death and resurrection provided the means of freedom from that debt.

To conclude, these words are more important than pithy or trendy words added to some dictionary written by man. When words like Rizz, Lewk, cap, run their course, these will remain. They consist of the bread of life that believers must be desperate to measure their lives by. My hope is that by the time we get into this sermon, you see the true heart of the Kingdom of God!