Interpreting the Sermon on the Mount
One day Jesus went up on a mountain, his disciples gathered around and he began to teach (Mt. 5:1)… What Jesus taught these disciples is recorded in the Gospel of Matthew 5-7. There is nothing else like the Sermon on the Mount in any literature, anywhere, ever. Jesus establishes here an impossibly high ethical standard. This is the gospel of his kingdom. It is the declaration of a New Covenant. “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill (Mt. 5:17).”
Jesus promises us that if we seek his kingdom, everything else in life will fall into place (Mt. 6:33). What does Jesus mean? What does he expect us to do? What is this vision of the kingdom he is calling us to pursue? Bible teacher Michael Brent takes us through the sermon’s structure and flow of thought, beginning Matthew’s two-part introduction of Jesus in chapters 1-4 and then focusing in on the text of the sermon in Matthew 5-7.
| Matthew's Introduction of Jesus and His Ministry |
| 1. Matthew 1-2 Origin of the King |
We begin our Sermon on the Mount series with a two-part overview of Matthew 1-4 to set up our context. Who is this Jesus? What has he come to do? What is his connection to the Old Covenant? That’s what Matthew has in mind to tell us, starting with the origin of the king in … |
| 2. Matthew 3-4 Gospel of the Kingdom |
In Matthew 3-4, we continue to follow Matthew as he sets up the context for the sermon on the mount. Who is this Jesus? What has he come to do? What is his connection to the Old Covenant? What does he mean that the kingdom of heaven is near? What is this gospel of the … |
| The Sermon on the Mount |
| 3. Matthew 5:1-16 Kingdom Values |
In Matthew 5:1-16, Jesus begins the sermon on the mount with a two part introduction. First, he communicates a series of virtues God affirms by rewarding. And second, he exhorts his disciples to be salt and light in society, presumably by living out the virtues that God values. But what does it look like, really, … |
| 4. Matthew 5:17-32 Kingdom Commandments 1 |
In Matthew 5:17-32, we address the first half of kingdom commandments indicated by Jesus formula, “You have heard it said…but I say to you…” What does it look like to be salt and light for the kingdom of heaven? Jesus is going to tell us. And the standard he sets is going to be very … |
| 5. Matthew 5:33-48 Kingdom Commandments 2 |
In Matthew 5:33-48, we continue with the second half of Jesus’ kingdom commandments. He calls us deeper in and further out, establishing an incredibly high moral standard for entrance into the kingdom of heaven. At this point, we are finally ready to go back and understand the blessings Jesus announced at the beginning of his … |
| 6. Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-18 Kingdom Piety 1 |
In Matthew 6:1-6 and 16-18, Jesus shifts from loving our neighbor to loving our God, a shift from public spiritual life that ought to be seen, to private spiritual life that ought not be seen. Jesus now exhorts us to acts of devotion that bring about lasting reward from God. |
| 7. Matthew 6:7-15 Kingdom Piety 2 |
In Matthew 6:7-15 Jesus further develops his exhortation on genuine prayer. Known as “the Lord’s prayer” and as “the Our Father”, this is not a prayer given us to pray word for word. This is a model of prayer guiding us in the way we should pray. Jesus teaches us how to think about our … |
| 8. Matthew 6:19-34 Kingdom Priority |
In Matthew 6:19-34 we are challenged to ask, “What do I really want out of life?” Jesus uses a series of deceptively simple metaphors that urge us to reorient our lives around heavenly treasure. And he tells us why seeking first the kingdom of heaven is so simple and why it is so hard. |
| 9. Matthew 7:1-12 Kingdom Wisdom |
In Matthew 7:1-12 Jesus gives us wisdom on how to love our neighbor in a sinful, messy world. Love is hard and risky. We need self-awareness, others-awareness and God-awareness to live out the ethic of Jesus. |
| 10. Matthew 7:13-29 Kingdom Decision |
In Matthew 7:13-29 Jesus concludes the Sermon on the Mount with a call to decision. It is an invitation, a challenge and a warning. Every human being has a choice to make. And that choice is about Jesus. What is the narrow way? And who do you trust to take you along the narrow way? … |