Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon On The Mount                       12-17-24

In our study of rewards we will begin with one of the most quoted and read passages of Scripture in the Bible.The passage's relevance is discovered when we find out just what Jesus was teaching. Is this a passage about salvation? As the Phillipian jailer asked Paul,"What must I do to be saved?"Could Paul have answered by directing him to this passage? No,he could not have.This passage has nothing to do with going to heaven.Let's take a look.A chronology of sorts is significant for our understanding of this teaching.

According to Matthew 4:12-17,Mark 1:14-15,and probably Luke 3:20 Jesus began His public ministry after John the Baptist was arrested.

Matt 4:12-17

"Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum........ 

..........From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

Mark 1:14-15

"Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

In John's Gospel Jesus gives two discourses about personal salvation early on.(John 3:1-21 and 4:1-26)These two discourses took place before the Sermon on The Mount.We can determine this by the references in John 3:24 and 4:1,which show that John the Baptist was still active.If you consult a harmony of the Gospels you will see that Jesus spent a good deal of time with His disciples before He launched His public ministry.This is significant,for Jesus spent much of that time indoctrinating the disciples about the truths of salvation and eternal life.We know this by the references in John 1:35-51 and John 2:11 that speak to the disciples already being believers.They are with Him as He evangelizes Sychar in John 4.

OK Ronnie so what?Just this.There is no good reason that the disciples shoulder would have construed the sermon as being a pathway to eternal life. This sermon was not a discourse on what was required to enter the Kingdom of God.They were already believers.So what was the Sermon all about.It was a message about the true righteousness of God.It was an explanation of what kind of righteousness God required to enter His Kingdom based on one's merit. In other words what were the works that God requires if we are to go to heaven on our own goodness.Look at Chapter 5:20.

"For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."

This is the basis for the entire sermon.In first century Israel there was a fervor that the Messiah was soon to come.People were asking what kind of righteousness would the Messiah be looking for?What was required to enter the Kingdom?The Pharisees of the day taught a righteousness based on observance of the Law.That is why we read about the controversies on Sabbath keeping, blasphemy, adultery, eating with sinners, on and on and on.Religion dependent on outward observence, rather than inward conformity.

Jesus comes along and says 'OK you want to know what kind of law righteousness God requires?I will show you.'The "righteous demands" of the Law and Prophets."

Jesus had a dual audience here a crowd of followers and the disciples.

Probably most were believers,but it is assumed some were not.At any rate these chapters describe what salvation and eternal life would look like if it were based on human merit.This is what First Century Judaism looked like.Pharaisacal righteousness.This same question confronts 21st Century people.Do we require works for justification? Repentance,turning from sin, lifestyle change? Going to church, tithing....?If we do, then these chapters are a tiny sampling...a small taste of the demands of the Law.Every jot and every tittle must be observed.If you violate the tiniest command you are guilty in all,ALL points.Let's look at just a few examples of what this means.This is the type of righteousness that"exceeds"the Pharisees.This will get you into heaven based on your goodness.

Jesus picked out 6 commandments of the Mosaic Law and contrasted them with the Pharisees notion of righteousness.Look at Matthew 5:21-47.

1)Murder as opposed to anger.

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire.

2)Adultery as opposed to lust.

“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."

3)Divorce

“You have heard that it was said, You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart."(Ladies this has a dual application (smile))

4)Oaths

“Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn."

In those days if you made a promise to God or man it had to be fulfilled.Every word that came out of your mouth while making this oath to God OR man had to be performed.Else you became a lawbreaker, condemned to damnation.

5)Retaliation

“You have heard that it was said, An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil."

In a word non resistance.

60 Love your enemies

“You have heard that it was said, You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust."

If you violated just one time any to the above mentioned commandments you were doomed.Now,add the Law in it's totality,613 separate commandments required of God.You were liable to judgment if you violated just one. Wait there's more.Not only did the Law require outward ceremonial observance,it required INWARD conformity.What do you mean Ronnie? In verses 3 though 12 of Matthew 5,Jesus introduces the idea of character.These Beatitudes show that God's righteous requirements were also character based.Not only were you responsible for your behavior, you were also to have purity of heart and motive ALL the time.If you missed the mark in the area of character, you were a lawbreaker.One single impure thought or motive....lawbreaker.Total,absolute purity and perfection in thought and deed.Does this give us a clue about how hopeless the human condition truly is? You see..if there were any way that we as humans could atone,God would have done it.There was no such way.Only the cross would suffice.With that understanding of the righteousness and Glory of God,do you see the insanity of telling an unbeliever that they must stop doing something,or start doing something to keep from going to hell? It happens every day.Most of the time it has to do with sins that are obvious.Rarely are folks told that they have to stop being angry with their brother or sister.Even more rare is anyone told that they have to be perfect in thought and deed.And if that is not enough, we teach that salvation is free, but one must have good works to maintain it.Or worse yet,one is told that if they don't continue in good works until they die, then they were never saved in the first place.That may sound ludicrous and it contradicts every passage in the New Testament that speaks to salvation being a free gift; and that eternal life being just that..eternal.Neverending,everlasting.As I said in my first post...NO HUMAN WORK WILL SATISFY GOD'S REQUIREMENT FOR JUSTIFICATION,SALVATION.Either in the present tense of the unbeliever's life or in the future tense of the new believer's life.Not initial repentance, not confession of sin or remorse of any type, not asking Jesus into your heart, praying the sinner's prayer, quitting any of the multitude of sins that pervades our entire being,NOTHING.

God requires only one condition to be delivered from hell, the lake of fire.ONE AND ONLY ONE.What is that Ronnie. BELIEF. PERIOD. Here are a few samples.

John 3:16

“For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life."

John 5:24

"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."

Ephesians 2:8-9

"For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast."

Revelation 22:17 (One of the last sayings of the risen King)

"The Spirit and the Bride say, “Come.” And let the one who hears say, “Come.” And let the one who is thirsty come; let the one who desires take the water of life without price."

Well,Ronnie if the Sermon on the Mount isn't about getting into heaven, what is it about? Glad you asked. This beloved passage introduces us, among other things,to the vast body of Old and New Testament Scripture concerning the doctrine of future, eternal rewards.

If you don't get anything out of this entire post, please get this.

Salvation is a free gift of God requiring only a belief in the Lord Jesus Christ.In the nest post we are going to take a look at the Biblical concept of belief.What does it mean to believe in Jesus?What does it mean to have faith in Jesus?Once we get that settled, we will look into the details of this doctrine of rewards.

All we must do is believe.

God Bless