Summer on the Mount Series

Blessed Prosperous Happy and Abundant!!

The Sermon on the Mount comes from when Jesus was just beginning his early ministry after being baptized by John and was traveling through Galilee. On a mountainside, not far from Capernaum, Jesus stopped to give his longest and most popular sermon, giving this event the name "Sermon on the Mount." Jesus' teachings in this message include what's known as the Lord's Prayer as well as the Beatitudes. The focus of the Sermon on the Mount was how to live a life pleasing to God and the characteristics of Christian discipleship. The scriptures often associated mountains with deeper revelations of God and His Character

Abraham – Mount Moriah offers His son Isaac as a sacrifice.

Moses – Mount Sinai he receives the 10 Commandments, instructions on how to follow the Lord.

Elijah – Mount Carmel calls down fire from heaven and God responds.

So, mountains are bridges to hear form the Lord and Jesus delivers his first sermon from there!

It’s interesting in Matthew who writes to the Jews of his time convincing them that Jesus is the Christ the one they have waited for and is a better Abraham, Moses, and Elijah and speaks from a mountain where Luke’s similar sermon is from the plains.

By contrast, in Matthew the ascent of Jesus to a hillside to address his early followers is taken to ring a bell in the minds of many of the gospel’s early readers, and to recall how on an earlier famous occasion in the history of Israel a mountain was the setting for the people of God to assemble and receive from their leader the revealed law of God.

Jesus as a new Moses was presenting the new Israel with a new Torah, or divine law, from the mount, and the section containing this particular sermon of Jesus was being presented as ‘a symbolic Sinai’, 

(110) The Chosen Scene: Jesus Gives the Beatitudes - YouTube (show video at this time)

The Sermon on the Mount Matthew 5:1-12

5 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.

Beatitude - Blessed Prosperous Happy Abundant

Oh how we love those words!! 

But Jesus was coming to present an upside down kingdom!!

A different attitude and way to be blessed prosperous and abundant!

Instead of list of thou shall not he uses phrase of what we should become. 

Each of these speak to who the person is and not just a checklist to follow.  Jesus teaches that it is not through wealth or power, or strict obedience to the law, it by becoming meek and lowly a peacemaker. 

It becomes who we really are and not just what we do!!

This sermon was a revelation through Jesus to His people. It served as a radical wake-up call for Christians to live wholeheartedly for God through faith, not simply through external actions of keeping the law. Our Savior used this passage to teach us how to live with the Kingdom of God in mind. The Sermon on the Mount is not simply a list of rules to follow, it is an invitation to live under grace and experience blessings and rewards from a living Christ-like. 

The Beatitudes

² And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

The phrase "poor in spirit" speaks of a spiritual condition of poverty. It describes the person who recognizes his or her need for God. "The kingdom of heaven" refers to people who acknowledge God as King. One who is poor in spirit knows he or she is spiritually bankrupt apart from Jesus Christ.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those who humbly recognize their need for God, for they will enter into his kingdom."

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

"Those who mourn" speaks of those who express deep sorrow over sin and repent from their sins. The freedom found in forgiveness of sin and the joy of eternal salvation is the comfort of those who repent.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those who mourn for their sins, for they shall receive forgiveness and life eternal."

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

Similar to "the poor," "the meek" are those who submit to God's authority and make him Lord. Revelation 21:7 says God's children will "inherit all things." The meek are also imitators of Jesus Christ who exemplified gentleness and self-control.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those who submit to God as Lord, for they will inherit everything he possesses."

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

"Hunger" and "thirst" speak of deep need and driving passion. This "righteousness" refers to Jesus Christ. To "be filled" is the satisfaction of our soul's desire.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those who passionately long for Christ, for he will satisfy their souls."

⁷ “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

have received great mercy will show great mercy. Mercy is shown through forgiveness, kindness, and compassion toward others.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those who show mercy through forgiveness, kindness, and compassion, for they will receive mercy."

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

The "pure in heart" are those who have been cleansed from within. This is not outward righteousness that can be seen by men, but inward holiness that only God can see. The Bible says in Hebrews 12:14 that without holiness, no one will see God.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those who have been purified from the inside out, being made clean and holy, for they will see God."

⁹ “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons^[a] of God.

The Bible says we have peace with God through Jesus Christ. Reconciliation through Christ brings restored fellowship (peace) with God. 2 Corinthians 5:19-20 says God entrusts us with this same message of reconciliation to take to others.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those who have been reconciled to God through Jesus Christ and bring this same message of reconciliation to others. All who have peace with God are his children."

¹⁰ “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,

Just as Jesus faced persecution, so will his followers. Those who endure by faith rather than hide their faith to avoid persecution are genuine followers of Christ.

Paraphrase: "Blessed are those daring enough to openly live for Christ and suffer persecution, for they will receive the kingdom of heaven."

¹¹ “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

What a way to start!

To introduce Himself!

To bring in His Kingdom!

And if we want to rule and reign with Him, we must become like Him.

Who was the ultimate example of

Who humbly recognized His need for the Father….Jesus was.

Who submitted to God in everything as we as meek…Jesus was.

Who passionately longed for righteousness….Jesus was.

Who was a peace maker…Jesus was.

Was persecuted.

Made fun.

Spit in His face.

Mocked Him.

And ultimately died.

Jesus was!!

So He preaches the very thing that he is!!

Want to be blessed, happy, abundant, and prosperous.

LIVE LIKE HIM!!