The Sermon on the Mount::

Context:

- the 12 disciples have been selected.

- people were coming from Galilee and the Decapolis, from Judea, Jerusalem, Tyre and Sidon.

- they wanted to hear what Jesus had to say.

- they wanted to be healed of their diseases.

- they wanted to be freed of demons.

- the audience was large.

- Jesus sat down on the mountain and gave the most important sermon of all time.

- His teaching was to His disciples, with many onlookers.

Jesus works closely with a few. Many others are affected.

Which group are we? Are we close or peripheral onlookers?

- He taught that God’s values were radically different than the culture of the day.

- Are God’s values radically different than the culture of our day?

The Beatitudes: Matt. 5:3-12, Luke 6:20-23

Matthew 5:3 “...Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven...”

Luke 6:20 “...Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God...”

Who are the poor in spirit?

- those without resources, either material or spiritual.

- in Jewish circles the Aramaic term meant the pious and oppressed who trusted solely in God.

Luke 5:11 “...And when they had brought their boats to land, they left everything and followed him...”

How are they blessed?

- theirs IS the kingdom of heaven.

- what’s the difference between WILL BE and IS? Is the kingdom immediately available?

How can having resources hinder people?

- self sufficiency prevents surrender and dependence.

- is independence contrary to the intentions of God?

Contrasting Woe:

Luke 6:24 “...But woe to you who are rich, for you have received your consolation...”

Why is the consolation of the rich not enough? It’s a temporary status and benefit, which doesn’t translate to the kingdom of God.

Matthew 5:4 “...Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted...”

Luke 6:21b “...Blessed are you who weep now, for you shall laugh...”

Who mourns and weeps?

- those who have lost something that they valued (loved ones, favor).

- those who are sorry for the things that are happening.

- those who are pained by the situations and sin that surround them.

What is the blessing for those who mourn or weep?

- they SHALL BE comforted. They SHALL laugh.

How can this assurance of coming blessing be an encouragement?

- Jesus is aware of all our pain.

- a promise from Him that it will turn to laughter allows us to patiently process life.

Contrasting Woe:

Luke 6:25b “...Woe to you who laugh now, for you shall mourn and weep...”

Which side will we be on when the tables are turned?

Matthew 5:5 “...Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth...”

What does it mean to be meek?

- Wesley said it’s those that hold all their passions and affections evenly balanced.

- Wikipedia defines meek as God fearing, righteous, humble, teachable, and patient.

- to quietly and graciously trust all to God.

- to bear with the insults of life without harshness.

- meek is not weak!

What is the blessing for the meek?

Psalms 37:11 ”...But the meek shall inherit the land and delight themselves in abundant peace...”

Who gets the earth as an inheritance? Do you want it?

Matthew 5:6 “...Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied...”

Luke 6:21a “...Blessed are you who are hungry now, for you shall be satisfied...“

What does it mean to hunger for righteousness?

- desire for rightness in all aspects of life, as opposed to the wrong that currently exists throughout the earth.

Is hungering for justice the same as hungering for righteousness?

- justice is a part of righteousness, but when desire for judgment becomes a central theme, we lose sight of the glory of God’s plans for reconciliation.

What is the blessing for hungering for righteousness?

- satisfaction.

Contrasting Woe:

Luke 6:25a “...Woe to you who are full now, for you shall be hungry...”

Matthew 5:7 “...Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy...”

When can a hunger for justice be the opposite of mercy?

- when we want judgment rather than reconciliation, we don’t have the heart of God.

James 2:13 “...For judgment is without mercy to one who has shown no mercy. Mercy triumphs over judgment...”

- mercy offers forgiveness for the guilty and kindness toward all.

What is the blessing for being merciful?

- receiving mercy.

Matthew 5:8 ”...Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God...”

What is heart purity?

- the rabbis developed a complex system of laws for maintaining ceremonial purity.

- their effort to maintain external purity failed to create heart purity.

- a pure heart has no self driven agenda, but is totally consistent with God’s perfect intentions for humanity.

How does one obtain heart purity?

1 Peter 1:22 “...Having purified your souls by your obedience to the truth for a sincere brotherly love, love one another earnestly from a pure heart...”

- obedience to the truth is believing and acting upon the reality of the redemption available through Jesus Christ.

What is the blessing for purity of heart?

- purity allows for perfect love.

- only God is perfect love.

- purity leads to seeing God.
Matthew 5:9 ”...Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God...”

What is the peace toward which peacemakers labor?

- perfect shalom would be completeness and wholeness in every area of life, including relationship with God, neighbors, and nations.

- true peacemakers are simply God’s agents for God’s purposes on earth.

How does our nation fail to demonstrate this peace?

- our nation is filled with aggravated tension, turmoil, and combative philosophies.

What is the blessing for being a peacemaker?

- being called sons of God.

Matthew 5:10-12 ”...Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you...”

Luke 6:22-23 ”...Blessed are you when people hate you and when they exclude you and revile you and spurn your name as evil, on account of the Son of Man! Rejoice in that day, and leap for joy, for behold, your reward is great in heaven; for so their fathers did to the prophets...”

What are some different forms of persecution that Christians face?

- being killed for their beliefs.

- being opposed for their beliefs.

- having evil spoken against them for their beliefs.

How should we respond?

- rejoice and be glad.

- leap for you.

What IS the blessing?

- the kingdom of heaven.

- great reward in heaven.

Contrasting Woe:

Luke 6:26 ”...Woe to you, when all people speak well of you, for so their fathers did to the false prophets...”

Lord of the Sabbath:

Matthew 12:3-8 "...He said to them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and ate the bread of the Presence, which it was not lawful for him to eat nor for those who were with him, but only for the priests? Or have you not read in the Law how on the Sabbath the priests in the temple profane the Sabbath and are guiltless? I tell you, something greater than the temple is here. And if you had known what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice,’ you would not have condemned the guiltless. For the Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath...”

Mark 2:25-28 "...And he said to them, “Have you never read what David did, when he was in need and was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God, in the time of Abiathar the high priest, and ate the bread of the Presence, which it is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those who were with him?” And he said to them, “The Sabbath was made for man, not man for the Sabbath. So the Son of Man is lord even of the Sabbath...”

Luke 6:3-5 "...And Jesus answered them, “Have you not read what David did when he was hungry, he and those who were with him: how he entered the house of God and took and ate the bread of the Presence, which is not lawful for any but the priests to eat, and also gave it to those with him?” And he said to them, “The Son of Man is lord of the Sabbath...”

Context:

- Ex.20:8, the 4th of the 10 commandments that was to be a distinguishing feature of God's people.

- work for six days, rest on the seventh.

- the Pharisees developed an extensive set of laws as their interpretation of how to obey the commandment.

- there were 39 different classes of work prohibited: sowing, plowing, reaping, etc.

- there were set distances that people were allowed to travel on the Sabbath: not more than 1 to 2 thousand cubits (approx. 1/2 mile).

- you could say that in their zeal, they took religious ownership of the Sabbath.

What did David do that was a violation of Israel's laws?

- he was fleeing from Saul.

- he lied to the priest at Nob.

- he requested, and received, the consecrated "bread of the presence".

- the sacrificial bread was set out weekly for the Lord, and only the priests were allowed to eat it when new bread was set out.

What did the priest do that profaned the Sabbath?

- they worked on the Sabbath.

Why was it okay for the priests to work on the Sabbath?

- the law of Moses commanded it (Numbers 28:10)

- the temple work superseded the Sabbath commandment.

Why did the Pharisees consider the disciples unlawful?

- it was okay to help yourself to other's fields on non-Sabbath days.

- on the Sabbath, they were considered to be working (reaping, threshing, and winnowing).

Why did Jesus tell the Pharisees that "...something greater than the temple is here..."

- if temple work was legit, something greater than the temple would also be legit.

Is God serious about how He tells us to live?

2 Chronicles 36:20-21 "...He took into exile in Babylon those who had escaped from the sword, and they became servants to him and to his sons until the establishment of the kingdom of Persia, to fulfill the word of the Lord by the mouth of Jeremiah, until the land had enjoyed its Sabbaths. All the days that it lay desolate it kept Sabbath, to fulfill seventy years..."

- the Lord enforced the sabbatical years for the land (every 7th) that Israel and Judah had failed to keep.

Did Jesus discard the 4th commandment?

- He clarified, He didn't abolish.

- when man's interpretation misses God's intentions, we need the Son of Man to help us understand.

Why the phrase "...I desire mercy, and not sacrifice..."?

- same phrase we heard in Matt.9:13 when Jesus was eating with tax collectors and sinners.

- Hosea 6:6 "...For I desire steadfast love and not sacrifice, the knowledge of God rather than burnt offerings..."

- when man's interpretation of the law interferes with God's ultimate intention, man has focused on the wrong thing.

Does Jesus have the right to do something on the Sabbath that is contrary to religion's interpretation of the Sabbath command?

Does mankind have the right to do whatever they want on the Sabbath without consequences?

- it would be wise to stay very close to Jesus when addressing this issue.

Did Jesus ever break the ultimate intention that led His Father to give the 4th commandment?

A Withered Hand:

Matthew 12:11-13 "...He said to them, “Which one of you who has a sheep, if it falls into a pit on the Sabbath, will not take hold of it and lift it out? Of how much more value is a man than a sheep! So it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.” Then he said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” And the man stretched it out, and it was restored, healthy like the other..."

Mark 3:3-5 "...And he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come here.” And he said to them, “Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill?” But they were silent. And he looked around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, and said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was restored..."

Luke 6:8-10 "...But he knew their thoughts, and he said to the man with the withered hand, “Come and stand here.” And he rose and stood there. And Jesus said to them, “I ask you, is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do harm, to save life or to destroy it?” And after looking around at them all he said to him, “Stretch out your hand.” And he did so, and his hand was restored..."

Context:

- Jesus has already been challenged about His disciples actions on the Sabbath.

- now He enters their synagogue where there's a man with a withered hand.

- some think the man was planted in the synagogue specifically to create an incident.

- is it lawful to heal on the Sabbath?

Why was it okay to heal on the Sabbath?

- God desires mercy, not sacrifice.

- Jesus caught the Pharisees in the hypocrisy of their thinking.

How well did the Pharisees respond to truth?

Matthew 12:14 "...the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him..."

Why do people conspire against the truth of Jesus today?

- same reason as when He walked the earth.

- they want what they want, not what God wants.

In the Mark and Luke accounts there is a bit more information. To what was Jesus referring with the words "...to do good or to do harm, to save life or to kill..."?

- legality of war on the Sabbath?

What was Jesus response to the silence he received (Mark 3:4,5)? Why was He angry and grieved?

- people have hard hearts.

When the truth challenges our presuppositions, are our hearts hard?

Authority:

John 5:19-20 "...So Jesus said to them, “Truly, truly, I say to you, the Son can do nothing of his own accord, but only what he sees the Father doing. For whatever the Father does, that the Son does likewise. For the Father loves the Son and shows him all that he himself is doing. And greater works than these will he show him, so that you may marvel..."

Context:

- The Jews though it was their religious duty to kill Jesus.

- His punishable crimes included breaking the Sabbath and making himself equal to God.

How did Jesus know what to do?

- The Father showed Him.

- Jesus did nothing of His own accord, but only what He saw the Father doing.

How do we know what to do?

John 15:5 "...I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing..."

- abide in Christ (take up residence, live with Him).

- we do nothing with eternal significance apart from Christ.

Eternal Life:

John 5:21-24 "...For as the Father raises the dead and gives them life, so also the Son gives life to whom he will. The Father judges no one, but has given all judgment to the Son, that all may honor the Son, just as they honor the Father. Whoever does not honor the Son does not honor the Father who sent him. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life..."

Who gives life?

- the Father and the Son.

Who gets life?

- the one the Son chooses.

Why is dishonoring the Son also dishonoring the Father?

- Jesus was sent by the Father.

- failure to honor an ambassador is failure to honor the one who sent them.

Who has eternal life?

- whoever hears the words of Jesus and believes the sender.

Faith Work:

John 5:25-29 "...Truly, truly, I say to you, an hour is coming, and is now here, when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God, and those who hear will live. For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. And he has given him authority to execute judgment, because he is the Son of Man. Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment..."

Are those who died without contact with Jesus excluded from eternal life?

- the dead will hear his voice.

- those who hear will live.

Is eternity the same for all who hear?

- those who have done good - resurrection of life.

- those who have done evil - resurrection of judgment.

Is it faith or is it works that lead to the resurrection of life?

Ephesians 2:8 "...For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,..."

Ephesians 2:10 "...For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them..."

- saved by grace through faith, but created for good works.

Matthew 25:31-46 “...When the Son of Man comes in his glory, and all the angels with him, then he will sit on his glorious throne. ... he will separate people one from another ...he will place the sheep on his right, but the goats on the left. Then the King will say to those on his right, ‘Come, you who are blessed by my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you welcomed me, I was naked and you clothed me, I was sick and you visited me, I was in prison and you came to me.’ Then the righteous will answer him, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? And when did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? And when did we see you sick or in prison and visit you?’ And the King will answer them, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.’ “Then he will say to those on his left, ‘Depart from me, you cursed, into the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you gave me no food, I was thirsty and you gave me no drink, I was a stranger and you did not welcome me, naked and you did not clothe me, sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’ Then they also will answer, saying, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to you?’ Then he will answer them, saying, ‘Truly, I say to you, as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to me.’ And these will go away into eternal punishment, but the righteous into eternal life.”

- eternal life or eternal punishment according to what was done to the least of these.

James 1:22 "...But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves..."

- hearing without doing is deception.

James 2:17 "...So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead..."

- without works, faith is not alive.

The Will and Glory of God:

John 5:30-37 "...I can do nothing on my own. As I hear, I judge, and my judgment is just, because I seek not my own will but the will of him who sent me. If I alone bear witness about myself, my testimony is not deemed true. There is another who bears witness about me, and I know that the testimony that he bears about me is true. You sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. Not that the testimony that I receive is from man, but I say these things so that you may be saved. He was a burning and shining lamp, and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. But the testimony that I have is greater than that of John. For the works that the Father has given me to accomplish, the very works that I am doing, bear witness about me that the Father has sent me. And the Father who sent me has himself borne witness about me. His voice you have never heard, his form you have never seen,..."

Who bore witness to the validity of Christ?

- John the Baptist.

- the works that the Father gave.

- the Father himself.

- the scriptures.

John 5:38-42 "...and you do not have his word abiding in you, for you do not believe the one whom he has sent. You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life. I do not receive glory from people. But I know that you do not have the love of God within you..."

What did the Jews lack?

- the abiding word.

- belief.

- life.

- the love of God.

What did they miss in their study of scripture?

- the connection between scripture and the presence of Christ.

- they didn't connect their knowledge with reality!

John 5:43-47 "...I have come in my Father’s name, and you do not receive me. If another comes in his own name, you will receive him. How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another and do not seek the glory that comes from the only God? Do not think that I will accuse you to the Father. There is one who accuses you: Moses, on whom you have set your hope. For if you believed Moses, you would believe me; for he wrote of me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe my words?...”

What was the underlying problem that led to disbelief?

- seeking personal glory, glory from one another.

- not seeking the glory from God.

Dining with Sinners:

Matthew 9:9 "...Jesus passed on from there, he saw a man called Matthew sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him..."

Mark 2:14 "...And as he passed by, he saw Levi the son of Alphaeus sitting at the tax booth, and he said to him, “Follow me.” And he rose and followed him..."

Luke 5:27 "...After this he went out and saw a tax collector named Levi, sitting at the tax booth. And he said to him, “Follow me...”

Why did Levi (Matthew) follow Jesus?

- Jesus met him where he worked.

- Jesus made him an offer.

Matthew 9:12-13 "...But when he heard it, he said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. Go and learn what this means, ‘I desire mercy, and not sacrifice.’ For I came not to call the righteous, but sinners...”

Mark 2:17 "...And when Jesus heard it, he said to them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners...”

Luke 5:31,32 "...And Jesus answered them, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I have not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance...”

** Why did Jesus come?

- to call sinners.

Call sinners to what?

- to repentance.

What was the Pharisees reaction to Jesus dining with tax collectors and sinners?

When does religion miss the purposes of God?

- when it focuses on appearance rather than the purposes of God.

2 Timothy 3:5 "...having the appearance of godliness, but denying its power. Avoid such people..."

1 Thessalonians 5:21-22 (KJV) "...Prove all things; hold fast that which is good. Abstain from all appearance of evil..." But NIV, ESV, NASB simply say "...avoid every kind (form) of evil..."

It's reported that Herod Antipas received about 5 million dollars per year in taxes from Galilee and Perea.

Levi may have been collecting tax from commercial traffic and even from the fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.

What do you think of government representatives that lay heavy tax burdens on people? Are they sinners?

What does Jesus think of them?

Another example of the difference between "I must remain clean" to "I can make clean".

Not Fasting:

Matthew 9:15-17 "...And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests mourn as long as the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast. No one puts a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment, for the patch tears away from the garment, and a worse tear is made. Neither is new wine put into old wineskins. If it is, the skins burst and the wine is spilled and the skins are destroyed. But new wine is put into fresh wineskins, and so both are preserved...”

Mark 2:19-22 "...And Jesus said to them, “Can the wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? As long as they have the bridegroom with them, they cannot fast. The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in that day. No one sews a piece of unshrunk cloth on an old garment. If he does, the patch tears away from it, the new from the old, and a worse tear is made. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the wine will burst the skins - and the wine is destroyed, and so are the skins. But new wine is for fresh wineskins...”

Luke 5:34-39 "...And Jesus said to them, “Can you make wedding guests fast while the bridegroom is with them? The days will come when the bridegroom is taken away from them, and then they will fast in those days.” He also told them a parable: “No one tears a piece from a new garment and puts it on an old garment. If he does, he will tear the new, and the piece from the new will not match the old. And no one puts new wine into old wineskins. If he does, the new wine will burst the skins and it will be spilled, and the skins will be destroyed. But new wine must be put into fresh wineskins. And no one after drinking old wine desires new, for he says, ‘The old is good.’ ...”

Context:

- Originally there was but one fast a year, on the Day of Atonement. People were to deny themselves, demonstrate humility by wearing sackcloth, mourn and pray.

- In time, the number of fasts increased, and became a sign of repentance and seeking God's mercy.

- John's disciples and the Pharisees fasted.

- People wondered why Jesus' disciples didn't fast.

What reason did Jesus give for his disciples not fasting?

- you don't fast when the bridegroom is with you.

- you don't seek God's mercy when it is standing among you.

Did Jesus abolish fasting?

- He said the days will come to fast.

- This is one of many hints revealing the awareness Jesus had about His future.

Why did Jesus talk about unshrunk cloth and old wineskins?

- what Jesus was preaching and teaching would not work within the framework of rigid traditionalism.

- like an already stretched to capacity wineskin, the existing form of Judaism couldn't contain what Jesus and the Holy Spirit would reveal.

What additional warning does the Luke account offer?

- it's possible to be so satisfied with the old that there is no desire for the new.

- since new wine damages old wineskins, people must choose between desire for new and desire for old.

Healed on the Sabbath:

John 5:6 "...When Jesus saw him lying there and knew that he had already been there a long time, he said to him, “Do you want to be healed?...”

Context:

- Jesus went up to Jerusalem (his second of three trips).

- He went to the pool called Bethesda (house of divine mercy) by the sheep gate.

- there was man there who had been an invalid for 38 years (average life expectancy at that time was 40).

Why would Jesus ask this question?

- Are there people who are defined by their misery, and embrace it?

- Is it important to confess our desires?

Did the man answer the question?

- the man didn't have friends like the paralytic who was lowered through the roof.

- his focus was on what he didn't have.

Do we focus too much on what we don't have?

How long did it take for this invalid of 38 years to be healed?

- he was healed at once.

- does it seem odd that the Jews would be bothered by the man carrying his mat on the Sabbath?

John 5:14 "...Afterward Jesus found him in the temple and said to him, “See, you are well! Sin no more, that nothing worse may happen to you...”

Context:

- Jesus ran into the man later in the Temple.

Why did Jesus bring sin into the discussion?

- Jesus knew that sin creates consequences.

- sin leads to bad things happening to people.

What would be worse than 38 years of being an invalid?

- an eternity in the torment of hell.

John 5:17 "...But Jesus answered them, “My Father is working until now, and I am working...”

Context:

- the Jews were persecuting Jesus because of His activity on the Sabbath.

What is Jesus response to their displeasure?

- My Father works. I work.