Jumping Back into the Sermon on the Mount
As we move forward in our Matthew series from our backtracking to Matthew 1 & 2 for Advent, we’ll be jumping back into the sermon on the mount. In the coming weeks I’ll be sharing resources and writing summaries on our sermons and topics for this important section of Christ’s teaching.
So to start realigning our hearts and minds to where we’re at in the Sermon on the Mount, let’s look at some broad points and the theological flow of it. One interesting thing about the Gospel of Matthew is how it sets Jesus up to be the new and better Moses, giving the law on a mountain, and even better, being the fulfillment of the law, which is what our next sermon covers from Matthew 5:17-20.
The Sermon on the Mount is structurally similar to the Mosaic law, beginning with a reminder of God’s blessing in the Beatitudes, and describing what the new way of life of the Kingdom of God, just as the Israelites were to be mediators of God’s character to the rest of humanity, and closing with descriptions of the blessing that comes to those following the teaching or the troubles that come to those who do not. This is not to say that these are requirements for acceptance as Kingdom Citizens, as it is assumed those being taught directly have already responded to Jesus Call to follow Him (Matthew 4:18-22). [GTB]
“Jesus shows us through his teaching that God is after our hearts, not just our actions.” That’s the big challenge from the Sermon on the Mount. As humans we’re tempted to want a list of actions to complete to gain a sense of security knowing we got everything correct, but that is not the security that Jesus brings, because we ourselves cannot get it all correct, and therefore inherently need a savior. “Jesus said he came to fulfill the Law. This is good news because no one had yet taught, understood, or obeyed it perfectly.” [SG]
“Jesus shows us through his teaching that God is after our hearts, not just our actions.”
So as we jump back into our Matthew Series, take some time getting your hearts and minds ready to hear the truths of the Gospel found in the Sermon on the Mount with fresh ears. Look back at our previous posts from the series, and check out some other resources, such as this devotional and video by the Spoken Gospel.