In all of the teachings of Jesus, the Sermon on the Mount is the longest discourse we have recorded. There should be no doubt that what is contained in this sermon is as relevant today as it was the day it was first spoken by the Lord Jesus Christ. The relevance of this sermon is seen in the fact that what the Lord taught is repeated in the epistles to the churches of the New Testament.
It is very important that we know what we believe, but it is equally important to know how to behave. In these three chapters of Matthew’s gospel there is a good balance of doctrinal and practical teaching. In the text of this great sermon we find teachings that can and should be applied to our lives on a daily basis.
I. THE PLACE FROM WHICH THE SERMON WAS DELIVERED
Many times in the Scriptures the Lord is seen teaching and ministering in a mountain. In this particular situation, His being in a mountain is significant for three reasons.
A. It Depicts the Lord’s Humility
1. Matthew 8:20
2. While the Scribes and Pharisees sat in Moses’ chair in the temple perverting and corrupting the Law of God, the Lord Jesus, who not only gave the truth, but was the Truth, was driven out to the desert, and could find no better place than a mountain from which to deliver His life-changing message.
B. It Illustrates Man’s Possibility
1. This was not one of the holy mountains, nor was it one of the mountains of Zion, but it was a common, ordinary mountain.
2. The Lord is illustrating here that there is not just one specified place in which men can approach Him as was the case in the Old Testament. It is our privilege as New Testament believers to be able to approach the Lord anywhere at any time (1 Timothy 2:8).
C. It Manifests Christ’s Royalty
1. The very first verse of Matthew’s gospel speaks of Christ’s royal linage, "The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham" (Matthew 1:1).
2. The purpose of Matthew was to introduce Christ to the Jewish people and to present Him as the promised Messiah.
3. In keeping with the theme of royalty, it is significant that Christ is seen in an elevated place delivering this all important message.
II. THE POSITION IN WHICH THE SERMON WAS DELIVERED
A. Christ’s sitting was Deemed Customary
1. In Jesus’ day, it was customary for the teacher to sit and the students or congregation to stand.
2. This was a custom that Jesus followed throughout His ministry (Matthew 13:2, 24:3, 26:55; Mark 9:35; Luke 4:16-20; John 8:2).
B. Christ’s sitting Denoted Authority
1. In this sermon, Jesus spoke with an authority infinitely transcending that of the Jewish leaders. In this instance, His sitting was emblematic of the King sitting upon His throne, or the Judge upon the bench.
2. Another indication of His authority is found in the words "And He opened His mouth, and taught them..." Whenever the Bible uses this phrase it signifies that what is being said is extremely important (Acts 8:35, 10:34; Ephesians 6:18-19).
3. Without the fear or favor of man, Christ openly set forth the truth, and He did so with liberty and authority. That this is the case can be seen from what we read at the close of the Sermon, "And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine:
For he taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes."
III. THE PERSONS TO WHOM THE SERMON WAS DELIVERED
A. It was for Christ’s Adherents Primarily
1. It seems quite apparent that once He was set, Christ "opened His mouth and taught" the disciples who had come to Him.
2. His disciples would ultimately be given the responsibility of reaching the multitudes, therefore, Christ felt it necessary to instruct them in the ways of righteousness.
B. It was also heard by the Audience in the Periphery
1. Matthew 7:28
2. Obviously, those who were part of the "multitude" that had gathered were also privy to what Christ taught His disciples in this discourse.
IV. THE PURPOSE FOR WHICH THE SERMON WAS DELIVERED
A. The Sermon on the Mount Gives Direction to the Christian life
1. In this sermon we are not told to "live like this to be saved", but rather, "live like this because we are saved." This is how Christians ought to live.
2. Looking to this sermon for direction and following that direction will help to insure the blessings of the Lord upon our lives as His disciples (Matthew 7:24-25).
B. The Sermon on the Mount Reveals Deficiencies in the Christian life
1. God’s intended purpose for every child of His is "perfection" or complete maturity (Matthew 5:48).
2. As we study the teachings of Christ in this discourse, we are made to see how far short of His intended purpose we fall every day.
C. The Sermon on the Mount Adds Dynamic to the Christian life
1. It was after Christ saw the multitudes and their need that He pulled His disciples aside and taught them these dynamic Biblical principles.
2. The world today is looking for, and desperately needs, real Christians. So much of what the lost see today in terms of Christianity is not real. They see that there is no real difference in the lives of those who claim to be born again believers and those who make no claims at all in regards to religion.
3. The lost that we come in contact with on a regular basis need to see that Christ has made a dynamic difference in our life. And what better way to demonstrate that difference than to begin living the Sermon on the Mount.
V. PREPARING TO RECEIVE THE SERMON
As we prepare to hear the words of what was perhaps the greatest sermon ever preached, we must recognize that it is possible to hear and yet go away unchanged. How can we keep that from happening?
James 1:19-25
Three factors must be present to ensure that we receive the full benefit of Christ’s teaching in this sermon:
A. An Eagerness to Hear the Word of God "Wherefore, by beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear..."
1. To receive what the Lord has for us over the next several months, we must be willing to sit and listen to God. We cannot afford to be preoccupied with less significant things than what is being taught from these words of Jesus.
2. Jesus said, "Take heed what ye hear" (Mark 4:24) and "Take heed therefore how ye hear" (Luke 8:18). It’s not only important that we hear the right words, but that we also hear the right way.
B. A Readiness to Receive the Word of God "and receive with meekness the engrafted word"
James gives us some insight into what it means to be ready to receive the Word of God.
1. We must Cast Aside all Hindrances
a. Matthew 13:1-9, 18-23
b. The seed that fell among thorns and was choked out represents the crowded heart that allows sin to crowd out the Word of God.
b. A heart that is preoccupied with the presence and practice of sin, will not be open to accepting the truth of the Word, but will instead be prejudiced against it.
2. We must Come with an Attitude of Humility
a. James tells us that we are to receive the Word with meekness.
b. Arrogance and pride have no place in the heart of one who is eager to hear and ready to receive the Scriptural truth found in the Bible. Like the great apostle, we must be willing to acknowledge that we have not yet "arrived" in terms of spiritual truth (Philippians 3:13), and that we still have a lot of learning to do.
c. Any serious student of the Word will readily admit that the more they learn of Jesus Christ, the more there is to learn. Therefore, in order to press on and understand the things of God better, they must maintain a teachable spirit.
d. The idea of receiving the Word has a connotation of showing hospitality. In the same manner in which we welcome guests into our home, we are to welcome the Word of God into our hearts.
C. A Willingness to Obey the Word of God "But by ye doers of the Word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves."
1. Ideally, a child of God is to hear the Word, receive the Word, and then obey the Word. However, in reality, the average Christian is more ready to hear and receive than they are to obey.
2. Because we fail to obey the Word, there is a disparity between what we profess and what we possess; what we say we believe and what we actually believe; what we say we are and what we really are.
3. For those who are willing to not only be "hearers" of the Word but are also willing to be "doers" of the word, James says that they will be blessed in their doing.
4. May we be willing to take the truth of the Lord’s sermon into our hearts and let it transform our lives by putting its teachings to practice in our lives.
