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Keys to the Sermon on the Mount – Matthew 5-7
John Hepp, Jr.
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The Sermon
on the Mount, as found in Matthew 5-7,
is a foundation for everything Jesus taught. These keys do not
attempt to explain the details of that sermon but merely to suggest a
correct approach to it. The study of the sermon, and obedience to
it, should last a lifetime.
1. Its
position of importance. The Sermon on the
Mount is found in its fullest form at the beginning of the Lord’s
public ministry as told in Matthew. This shows its importance.
Matthew is by design the gate to the New Testament. And of the
Lord’s recorded public discourses in Matthew, it is first and
longest. (The Olivet Discourse, Matthew 24-25,
was spoken only to the apostles, as was the Farewell Discourse in
John 13-17.)
Such discourses mark the ends of sections in Matthew. One recurring
pattern in this Gospel is that after each of five narrative
sections there is a discourse (chs. 5-7, 10, 13, 18, and 23-25)
followed by this expression: “When Jesus had finished…”
(KJV, 7:28;
11:1; 13:53;
19:1; 26:1).
The first such section begins at Matthew
4:17 and quickly moves to this sermon, which is its main
emphasis.
2. Its royal Speaker. Matthew presents Jesus as the
King. His royal title is Christ, that is, Messiah. He
is Ruler of the promised kingdom, the “Coming One”
anticipated across the centuries. Matthew shows that Jesus fulfills
the pictures of the King found in the prophetic Word: He is
David’s descendant, born of a virgin, born in Bethlehem.
Matthew’s introductory chapters show Jesus’ legal
right to rule (ch. 1), Gentile recognition (ch. 2), recognition
by the forerunner and by the Father (ch. 3), and His moral right
to rule (ch. 4). As recorded by Matthew 4:17-25,
the King begins His public ministry before He goes up on the
mountain to speak this sermon.
3. Its repetition of history. There is another picture
of the King besides the one in prophecy: He can be seen in the
sacred history of God’s people. For Messiah is the true
Israel and—as such—He relives parts of Israel’s
history. This theme is important in Matthew. It explains why,
for example, Matthew
2:15 says that Hosea
11:1 was “fulfilled” when the Father brought
Jesus out of Egypt. What happened to God’s son, the nation
Israel, happened also to His Son, the Messiah.
How does
this affect our approach to the Sermon on the Mount? By making us
aware of parallels to the Exodus. When God began to redeem
Israel (as told in Exodus), Moses led his followers to the
mountain to hear the words of God’s covenant. In Matthew
Israel has a new Prophet and Lawgiver, a greater Moses, who also
leads His followers to a mountain. Consider the following
statements, which are true for both sets of followers.
a. They have a leader whom God marvelously preserved as
a child and set apart to save them.
b. They
expect God soon to fulfill the promises to their forefather Abraham.
c. They
expect the kingdom of God to begin soon.
d. They
have been seeing God’s miracles of deliverance.
e. They have been washed in anticipation of hearing God’s
Word. (Cf. Exod.
19:10, 14.)
f. They have been led to the mountain. (Cf. Exod.
19:2, 3, 20; 24:12.)
g. At the mountain they will hear God’s
authoritative laws teaching them how to be righteous.
h. These
laws will be part of a covenant later ratified with blood.
Besides
these parallels there are instructive contrasts. For example, in
Exodus the people did not dare approach the lawgiver; in Matthew,
they follow Him right up the mountain. In Exodus the result was a
curse; in Matthew, the blessings expressed in the Beatitudes. In
Exodus the covenant was ratified with the blood of animals; in
Matthew, with the blood of the Lawgiver. In Exodus the laws are
written on stone tablets; those of Matthew, by God’s Spirit on
human hearts.
4. Its hearers, expecting the kingdom. To whom does
the King preach this sermon? Directly, He addresses “disciples”
(5:1),
those who profess to accept His authority. He repeatedly calls
God their Father, whom they should be like (5:48).
But to some extent He also takes into account the crowds these
disciples come from. These crowds apparently keep arriving during
the sermon and are “amazed at his teaching” because
of His authority (7:28-29).
Two things have attracted these disciples and crowds. The first
is the message constantly preached by John the Baptist and now
by Jesus: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has drawn
near” (Greek, 3:2;
4:17).
This means to turn from sin to God because the kingdom is ready
and can begin. But what kingdom is this? The Jews used three
terms in the same sense: kingdom of heaven, kingdom of God,
and kingdom. All these terms referred to the future kingdom
pictured by the prophets: the restored Davidic rule, the goal
of all history, for Israel and for the world, involving political,
material, social, and “spiritual” blessings. It
would be the kingdom of heaven because it would come
from heaven to fill the earth (Dan. 2). Since John and Jesus
never define this term, they must want the Jews to understand
it in the same way.
Everything
Jesus says about the kingdom in the sermon will fit this meaning.
First, consider the times He mentions it by name:
- At the beginning and end of the Beatitudes (5:3,
10), He refers to the kingdom as the disciples’
great prize.
- In the thematic statement (5:19,
20), it is their goal.
- In the model prayer (6:10),
it is what they ask the Father to bring.
- Again in the body of the sermon (6:33),
it is their greatest concern.
- In the epilogue (7:21-23),
it is the destiny to which the King will admit some and not
others.
Often He refers to the kingdom without naming it. For example,
it is (a) inheriting the earth (5:5)
and (b) the “life” awaiting those who enter the
narrow gate and travel the narrow road (7:14).
5. Its hearers, impressed by the King. The disciples
and crowds are also attracted by Jesus’ authority and
power, in two aspects. (a) He has taught in the synagogues (4:23).
This sermon demonstrates His authority in teaching (7:28-29).
(b) He has also healed “every disease and sickness”
(4:23),
and many have come to Him for healing (4:24-25).
That aspect of His authority will be emphasized right after
the sermon, in Matthew 8-10. Thus, Jesus shows both by His words
and His works that He can bring the predicted kingdom.
To
summarize keys 4 and 5: this sermon is primarily for Jesus’
disciples but has some features designed for the interested crowds.
Both groups are attracted to Him by His message and authority.
The disciples are repentant in expectation of the coming kingdom.
Does this sermon speak directly to non-Jews in the twenty-first
century? Yes, for at the end of the same book He sends the disciples
to “all nations…teaching them to obey everything I have
commanded you” (Matt.
28:19-20). Do we dare to exclude this sermon from our teaching?
6. Its prologue (5:3-16). The sermon begins with the
Beatitudes (5:3-12)
and the Similitudes (5:13-16),
describing the disciples and sketching their future. The Beatitudes
include repeated promises of blessing. These constitute the
blessing promised to Abraham (Gen.
12:3), whose Son and Heir is the Speaker (Matt.
1:1).
Whom are
these blessings for? For these disciples who are listening to the
King. They have responded to His call to repent in preparation for
the coming kingdom. Since they are repentant, He describes them as
poor in spirit, mourning, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness.
This description shows that they do not deserve the blessings but
will nevertheless obtain them.
What are the promised blessings?[ note
1] They are future blessings: these disciples “will
be comforted,” “will inherit the earth,” “will
be filled,” “will be shown mercy,” etc. They
are the blessings of the kingdom: “theirs is the kingdom”
(vv. 3, 10).[note
2] This summary promise is found at the beginning and end
of the Beatitudes.[note
3] It cannot mean that the kingdom has begun by the time
of the sermon, for the kingdom is being preached as near (4:17).
Nor does it reinterpret the kingdom, changing its predicted
character. Instead, the Lord is telling who will enter the kingdom
and inherit it. When the kingdom does come, it is theirs.
Would Jesus use the present tense (“is”) to speak
of something future (the kingdom)? Why not? We do it often.
For example, we can say, “This is an important
election” long before it takes place. Notice in Luke
20:36 how Jesus speaks about the future resurrection as
present (“they can no longer die…they are….”).
Similarly, Paul says, “All things are yours,”
including even “the future” (1
Cor. 3:21-23). When we know that something is future, it
is often not confusing to speak of it as present.
7. Its
body (5:17 to 7:12). What is the main theme
of Jesus’ sermon, developed in the body of the sermon? It is
true righteousness as the requirement for entering the kingdom.
The body of Jesus’ sermon begins with a thematic statement
(5:17-20)
and ends with a summary (7:12).
In both places He refers to “the Law and the Prophets.”
This expression does not refer just to the law of Moses but
to all of God’s previous written revelation. “Not
the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen” of
God’s demands, He says, can be set aside as unimportant
(“breaks” in 5:19
means “annuls”[note
4]). Every part demands a response (“practices and
teaches,” 5:19) from man. Such response will make one’s
name great in the coming kingdom.
In fact, no one will get into the kingdom without the righteousness
of such response (5:20).
Even “the Pharisees and the teachers of the law”do
not qualify. They perform certain religious actions but harbor
unworthy attitudes. Jesus describes this true righteousness
from 5:21
to 7:12
and summarizes it at 7:12 by the Golden Rule (“this sums
up the Law and the Prophets”). True righteousness is neither
selfish nor superficial. It relates correctly to men (the emphasis
in 5:21-48) and to God (ch. 6) with proper motives (7:1-12).
In this sermon the King proclaims only a few of His “laws”
(“I tell you”); the rest of His laws are like these
and are found in all the Scriptures. In fact, the standard He
requires is perfection, measured by God’s own character
(5:48).[note
5]
8. Its epilogue (7:13-27).
The conclusion to the sermon makes use of three principal contrasts:
two gates (opening to two roads), two trees (bearing two kinds
of fruit), and two houses (built on two foundations). These
illustrate the Lord’s exhortations, especially for the
crowds, to find the narrow way to life (that is, to the kingdom),
not to follow false teachers (nor depend on false profession),
but to build strong lives by obeying His teachings. Hearing
His teachings is not enough; only by obeying can one withstand
the storms of life (7:24-25).
9. Its purpose. The thematic statement (5:17-20)
and epilogue (7:13-27)
make it clear that these are laws to be obeyed to enter the
kingdom. Someone might object that (a) obeying such a perfect
standard is impossible and (b) we are not saved by our works
but by grace (Eph.
2:8-9). Because of these objections, some believe that the
sermon is not really our standard but is only designed to make
us repent. They think that by trying to keep it we come to realize
our sin—the same result as under the law of Sinai (Rom.
3:19-20; 7:7-13).
It is true that Messiah’s law can convict, but that is
not its purpose. His law does not point to something better,
as the Sinai law did, but is eternal. The Sinai law was weak
(Rom. 8:3)
and could not survive; it was to cease at Messiah’s cross
(Rom. 7:7-13;
Col. 2:14).
The law Messiah proclaims in His sermon is far better, not merely
repeating the Sinai law but replacing and fulfilling it (Heb.
7:18-19; Gal.
3:10-24; Rom.
3:31). His law will do what the Sinai law “was powerless
to do” (Rom.
8:3-4).
Others
believe that this sermon is a “constitution” for the
kingdom, to take effect only when the kingdom comes. That view is
inadequate. The sermon does not describe kingdom conditions but
pre-kingdom conditions and those who hope to enter the kingdom. Its
hearers mourn, hunger for righteousness, suffer for righteousness’
sake, are a light in the dark, must love their enemies and not worry
over material needs. They need to fast, persevere in prayer, and
watch out for false teachers. They are not in the kingdom yet but
eagerly look for it.
Still others believe that this sermon was only for Jews: either
those first hearers who were looking for the “Jewish”
kingdom—or other Jews in the future Tribulation. But that
view wrongly restricts the kingdom, which is not just Jewish
but is the goal of the entire worldwide church (Acts
14:21; Gal.
5:21; 1
Cor. 6:9, 10).
To reiterate, Messiah still expects us to hear His words and
“put them into practice” (Matt.
7:24-27). As His “disciples” from “all
nations,” we are taught to “obey everything I have
commanded” (Matt.
28:19-20). We should follow the example of the apostles,
who referred to the Lord’s commands as still in force
(1 Cor. 7:10;
1 Tim. 6:3).
We are still on the way to the kingdom (Acts
14:22; James
2:5) and confess that Jesus is the King (Acts
17:7). We have repented toward God and trusted in the Lord
Jesus (Acts
20:21). We still hunger and thirst for righteousness. And
not only have we been declared righteous (justified); God has
also begun a process in us that He will eventually complete.
We shall attain that “holiness without which no man shall
see the Lord” (KJV, Heb.
12:14), the perfect standard of the Sermon on the Mount.
10. Its fulfillment. How will we obey this sermon?
How are we guaranteed the perfect holiness it requires? Not
by our own power but by the Holy Spirit. As promised, the Lord
has baptized us in the Spirit (Matt.
3:11; 1
Cor. 12:13), who has begun to write God’s laws into
our hearts (Heb.
8:10; 2
Cor. 3:3). This is a new arrangement with God, called the
New Covenant and inaugurated by Messiah’s death (Matt.
26:28). As we behold the Lord’s image (listen to His
“laws” in all of Scripture), the Spirit transforms
us into the same image (2
Cor. 3:18). Thus, the “laws” being made part
of us are the very ones Messiah announced. But even as we become
righteous, we are still poor in spirit; we still mourn—and
hunger and thirst for righteousness. The glory can never be
ours. Both now and when He finishes transforming us, the glory
is His.
His New Covenant is much bigger than we are. It extends to
heavenly things (Heb.
9:23), to the future (“promises” in Heb.
8:6), to converted Israel (Heb.
8:10), in fact, to the whole eternal kingdom. But that which
really belongs to “the future” (1
Cor. 3:21-23) has begun with us in this age, as first described
in the Sermon on the Mount.
Note
1 (return to text) Nearly all the descriptions and promises
in the Beatitudes come from the Old Testament and should be
studied there. For example, the Lord will comfort those that
mourn (5:4),
as promised in Isaiah
61:2. Psalm
37:11 also said that “the meek will inherit the
land” (5:5).
The promise to satisfy the thirsty (5:6)
recalls Isaiah
55:1. The blessing on the merciful (5:7)
comes from Psalm
44:1-3. That on the pure of heart (5:8)
comes from Psalm 24:4
and 73:1.
Note
2 (return to text) “Theirs is the kingdom”
means the same as the promise in Revelation
11:18. When the kingdom is about to begin, the heavenly
elders give thanks to God that “the time has come for
judging the dead, and for rewarding your servants the prophets
and your saints and those who reverence your name, both small
and great—and for destroying those who destroy the earth.”
See also 1
Peter 1:4-6.
Note
3 (return to text) The summary promise is identical in
verses 3
and 10. Then it is expanded in verses
11-12—those persecuted for Messiah’s sake
have great reward now kept in heaven but to be given in the
coming kingdom. See the two previous footnotes and their references.
Note
4 (return to text) Though sometimes translated “break,”
the Greek word luo does not mean “disobey”
but “annul,” “destroy,” or even “free”
(release). For example, NIV translates it “broke down”
in Ephesians
2:14 and “destroy” in John
2:19 and 1
John 3:8. It has the same meaning in John
5:18, 7:23,
10:35,
and here in Matthew 5:19.
Note
5 (return to text) The Greek word twice translated “perfect”
in 5:48
can also mean “mature.” But “perfect”
fits both uses here.
