A Kingdom Like No Other Series

A Kingdom Like No Other

Jeffery Anselmi / General Adult

The World of Jesus / Kingdom / Matthew 5:1–20

Jesus has come to fulfill the law, not do away with it. However, the focus shifts to Jesus’s way of fulfilling the law, rather than Moses’s.

INTRODUCTION

• Today we begin a new series called The World of Jesus—Understanding the Context of His Life, Ministry, and Teaching.

• Jesus did not carry out his work and ministry in a vacuum, devoid of any external impact or influence.

• Rather, we can best understand Jesus’s work when we understand the culture in which he lived.

• This series will look at some of the underlying challenges Jesus faced within his culture.

• Along the way, we will see the importance of what he accomplished at the cross and how it still applies to us today.

• Every kingdom has a way of defining who matters, what power looks like, and how people are supposed to live.

• In the world of Jesus, Rome ruled with strength, fear, and force.

• Religious leaders ruled with rules, boundaries, and expectations.

• And then Jesus steps onto a mountain—not into a palace—and begins describing a kingdom that looks nothing like either one.

• If someone watched your life for a week, what kingdom would they think you belong to?

• What shapes your values?

• What defines success for you?

• What tells you whether you’re doing well or falling behind?

• Jesus opens the Sermon on the Mount by making something clear: following Him doesn’t just add a few spiritual habits to your life—it places you under an entirely different reign.

• In Matthew 5, Jesus invites us to see the world differently, live differently, and belong to a kingdom like no other.

• Jesus invites us into a kingdom like no other—a kingdom that changes lives as we are connected to Him and sent to reflect God’s reign.

• “Today we’re seeing how Jesus announces a kingdom like no other…”

• Let’s begin with Matthew 5:1-12, the Beatitudes.

Matthew 5:1–12 NET 2nd ed.

1 When he saw the crowds, he went up the mountain. After he sat down his disciples came to him.

2 Then he began to teach them by saying:

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.

10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to them.

11 Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you and say all kinds of evil things about you falsely on account of me.

12 Rejoice and be glad, because your reward is great in heaven, for they persecuted the prophets before you in the same way.

SERMON

MAIN POINT 1 SLIDE

I. A Kingdom That Redefines Blessing

Verses 1-2 set the scene for this famous sermon.

• Jesus sees the crowds, goes up on the mountain, and sits down—the posture of an authoritative teacher.

• This moment echoes Moses on Mount Sinai, but with a crucial difference:

• Moses delivered the Law.

• Jesus interprets life in the kingdom.

• His audience is made up of ordinary people—poor, burdened, overlooked—living under Roman rule and religious pressure.

• Jesus opens His ministry like a new Moses—on a mountain—but instead of giving commands first, He gives identity.

• The values Jesus shared with the assembled crowd seemed strange and contradicted the expectations of his listeners.

• Jesus entered a culture that valued power, status, and success.

• This sounds amazingly like today.

• In Jesus’ kingdom, blessing is not based on power, status, or success—but on dependence, faithfulness, and trust in God.

• The poor in spirit are blessed—not the spiritually confident.

• The meek inherit—not the strong.

• The persecuted belong—not the protected.

• Some blessings Jesus spoke of are present realities (“theirs is the kingdom”), while others are future promises (“they will be comforted”).

• We have to keep in mind that Jesus is speaking to people shaped by Roman oppression and religious legalism.

• He announces that God’s favor is not earned through dominance or rule-keeping but received through humble trust in Him.

As we move to verses 3-10, Jesus redefines what it means to be blessed.

• Each Beatitude confronts the assumptions of Jesus’ culture—and ours.

• “Blessed are the poor in spirit”—not the spiritually confident, but those who know they need God.