Jesus And Anger Series

The Great Commission

Part 5 – Sermon on the Mount – Jesus and Anger

Pastor Bruce A. Shields

House of Faith – www.PS127.org

WELCOME

INTRODUCTION TO SERMON

† The Sermon on the Mount – The Beatitudes

† We are the Salt, staying pure with God’s Holy Word

† We are the Light, showing that Word to the World

† Jesus and the Law

I. INTRODUCTION

We’ve been going over the life of Jesus to gain better understanding of the Great Commission.

We’re looking at the first recorded Sermon of Jesus which took place approximately 1 – 1 ½ years after His baptism.

We studied last week that Jesus has not come to abolish the Law, but to fulfill it.

He fulfilled it in the way He lived, keeping the commandments, and He fulfilled the prophecies about His birth, life, death and resurrection, and He fulfilled the requirement of the Law with His atoning sacrifice.

This is the atoning sacrifice that makes relationship with our Father in heaven possible.

Today we are going to look at verses 21 – 24 in Matthew 5 where Jesus addresses anger.

II. SCRIPTURE READING

MATTHEW 5:21-24

“21 You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ’Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.’ 22 But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, ’Raca,’ is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, ’You fool!’ will be in danger of the fire of hell.

23 "Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.

III. KILL OR MURDER

Various translations exist of the sixth commandment; the Hebrew words are variously translated as "thou shalt not kill" or "thou shalt not murder".

Older Protestant translations of the Bible, those based on the Latin Vulgate and Roman Catholic translations usually render it "Thou shalt not kill", whereas Jewish and newer Protestant versions which use the critical text instead of the textus Receptus or the Latin Vulgate, tend to use "You shall not murder".

The Hebrew word for "kill" is - "harog", while the Hebrew word for "murder" is - "retzach".

The Hebrew word which is found in the Old Testament is - "lo tirtzach".

So the accurate translation of the Hebrew and the commandment IS “Thou shalt not commit murder.”

Jesus clarifies which word is used in the Hebrew for us as well in the Greek when He says in Matthew 5:21 “ou-phoneuo” which means “do not murder”

What does this matter?

To kill and to murder are 2 different things.

To kill may happen in defense of your home, your family or your country.

We see many examples where God’s people were instructed by God to war against others.

Killing took place.

But to murder, as Cain did, or King David did, and so on, murder is different.

And this is why I point this out, because it happened more than once to me.

When sharing your faith with others, you may meet with someone who will challenge your belief and understanding of the scriptures.

We are instructed to “always be prepared to give an answer to our faith”, which only comes from a constant reading and studying of God’s word.

If you were to say to someone, “and the 10 commandments say – thou shalt not kill…”

And the person you’re talking with says, “Then why did God have His people kill so many others in the Bible?”

Because God did not say thou shalt not kill, He said thou shalt not murder.

IV. ANGER WITHOUT CAUSE

So we see Jesus referring to the Law that He just told us a few verses before, He did not come to destroy but fulfill.

The Law of Moses.

And He says to those listening, who know the Law, “you have heard it was said thou shalt not murder, who ever commits murder shall be in danger of The Judgment. BUT I SAY TO YOU,”

Jesus tightens the belt on understanding here.

Remember last week when Jesus talked about those who “loosen the law”.

Verse 19, “Whoever shall break one of the least of these commands…”

Remember the literal Greek does not mean break, but to loosen.

People loosen the Word of God, Jesus tightened it back up.

Jesus wants us to understand, and so He tightens the law here.

Why…

Because at this time the Pharisees thought that they were righteous and right with God, as so many do today.

This is called self-righteousness.

They believed they had no need for a savior.