Introduction to the Sermon on the Mount

The Sermon on the Mount is the longest recorded sermon of Jesus that we possess in Scripture. It is 2490 words long, and it took approximately 15 minutes for Him to deliver. It contains some of the most incredibly important instruction concerning the Christian life, and how to become a follower of Jesus. It is a message that I believe will be life-changing for you, as it has for me. As you study the Sermon on the Mount, you will see so clearly the heart of Jesus for His disciples. He reveals how greatly He desires to transform their lives, but He also explains how these changes can actually happen.

However, the liberal church has a very different interpretation of the Sermon on the Mount, which is basically a prescription for how to experience world peace. But that is not its message Jesus is teaching, because He is addressing His instruction to His disciples alone, not the world. The legalistic church looks at the Sermon on the Mount as just a set of rules and regulations that we must follow, but this is not the theme of this sermon either. The message that Jesus preached is a message, gets to the heart of what the Kingdom of God is all about, and how a disciple of Christ can be sure that they will actually enter His Kingdom.  

If you want to be absolutely sure what the theme of this sermon is, you must simply listen to what Jesus said was His reasoning. Jesus declared in Matthew 5:20, “For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus makes very clear that this sermon was to guide His disciples into a righteousness that would allow them to enter His Kingdom. It was a righteousness that is completely opposite from the righteousness of the religious leaders of His day. If you want to enter His Kingdom, then you need to know what it means that your righteousness must exceed the righteousness of the scribes and the Pharisees.

So, what did Jesus mean by this statement? In Matthew 23, Jesus talked about the Pharisees, and He said that they were a bunch of white washed sepulchers? He taught that the religious leaders of that day looked good on the outside, but inside they were full of dead men’s bones. Why did Jesus teach this? Because the Pharisees and scribes only had an external righteousness, but their hearts were far from Him (Mark 7:6-7). Jesus wanted His disciples to have hearts that were changed and transformed from within, that would bring a true righteousness. This sermon will explain to you how you can have a righteousness that is real, and not just external. That is why this sermon is more than just a bunch of rules and regulations, that you must try to fulfill externally. Jesus wants to give you a new heart. He wants to get inside of you, and make you like Himself. Jesus is going to explain how you can be the real thing, a real disciple of Christ.

You must understand that there will never be world peace, until the Prince of Peace comes to this earth and sets up His Kingdom here on the earth. Therefore, we need to stop looking for some new political leader that will change the world. We need to pursue the only change that will bring real change to our world. You need to become changed! That change is something that comes from within your heart. When you are changed and transformed into a true disciple of Christ, you will affect change in those that are around you. You will affect your family, your church, and the non-Christians you work with at your place of employment. Jesus wants to change you from within! The Sermon on the Mount will address the core issues that will enable this change, and how you can become a true follower of Jesus.

The Beatitudes

Matthew 5:1-6

So, let us read these first few verses. Matthew chapter 5 and verse one.  “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.  Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled” (Matthew 5:1-6).

As you look at these first few Beatitudes, you realize that they describe the essential attitudes you must have toward the Lord. As you read and study all the Beatitudes you will see that Jesus addresses three aspects of your character. In verses 3-6 Jesus speaks to your character and attitude towards God. Then in verses 7-9 He addresses your attitudes and behavior towards others. Finally, in verses 10-12 He instructs you concerning your attitude toward suffering. In each of these Beatitudes Christ reveals the character of a true disciple. Why would Jesus first want to focus on a disciple’s character? Because your character is the core of your life, and the central part of who you are. Character is a heart issue. In Philippians 2:20-22, Paul spoke about his good friend, Timothy, and explained what he believed was the most important quality that he wanted to see in the life of someone with whom he was going to minister. Paul said, “For I have no one like-minded, who will sincerely care for your state.” From Paul’s perspective, Timothy was somebody who sincerely cared about other people. Paul went on to say, “For all seek their own, not the things which are of Christ Jesus. But you know his proven character that as a son with his father he served with me in the gospel.” Paul made it clear that Timothy was not a selfish individual, which is what revealed his character. So, what is character? How can you determine what good character is? What is proven character? Paul believed that someone with a proven character was a person who sincerely loved other people in an unselfish way.

Now remember, Jesus declared that the Pharisees did not sincerely love others. They lived their life in pretense and for show. In Matthew 23, Jesus explained that these religious hypocrites could tell everyone what they needed to do, but they would not lift a finger to help anyone actually do what was required. They were anything but servants, which revealed their lack of character. You must understand that character is who you are inside, that is morally and spiritually. Character reveals the real you, your loving service to others, integrity, and honesty.  Your attitude, words, and behavior will always reveal your character. Jesus was encouraging His disciples to have a specific type of character that will be the result of being transformed by their relationship with Him. 

Blessed are the poor in spirit!

Jesus began His sermon with these words, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 5:3). To be poor in spirit is the first and most important aspect of your character and attitude before God. But, what does it mean to be poor in spirit, and what will you experience if you are poor in spirit? These are very important questions to answer. Notice also that in Matthew 7:21-23, Jesus ends this sermon with a warning again about entering the Kingdom. So, this subject was very important to Jesus. So, let me answer these questions.

First, to be poor in spirit describes an attitude and character quality that is absolutely essential for your relationship with God? You must be poor in spirit, if you want to experience the kingdom of God. What does this mean? To be poor in spirit refers to how you see your true spiritual state. Do you see yourself as spiritually poverty-stricken in before God? To be spiritually poverty-stricken before God, means that you realize you have nothing to give Him, and nothing to boast of before Him. You have no goodness that will ever cause you to be acceptable to Him. You realize that your acceptance before God is based only on what He gives you by grace. The best example of this attitude of being poor in spirit is revealed in a parable that Jesus taught concerning the Pharisee and the publican.  In Luke 18:9-14, Jesus said, “He spoke this parable to some who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and despised others.  Two men went up to the temple to pray, one a Pharisee the other a tax collector.  The Pharisee stood and prayed thus with himself, ‘God I thank You that I am not like other men – extortioners, unjust, adulterers, or even as this tax collector.  I fast twice a week; I give tithes of all I possess.’  And the tax collector, standing afar off, would not so much as raise his eyes to heaven, but beat his breast, saying, ‘God be merciful to me a sinner.’” And then Jesus said, “I tell you this man went down to his house justified rather than the other, for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled and he who humbles himself will be exalted.” Therefore, to be poor in spirit is just simply having a humble and honest view of yourself. You acknowledge that you have nothing to boast of before God, and you are relying completely on His mercy. The opposite of being poor in spirit is, the attitude of the self-righteous Pharisee. One man came to God pleading mercy, and the other came pleading his good deeds. One was accepted and the other was rejected.

Therefore, this type of honesty is essential if you want to experience the Kingdom today, and enter it one day when you die. You must realize that you have nothing to offer God, and beat your breast as the publican did and declare, “God be merciful to me a sinner.” You cannot come to Him pleading, “God I’ve done this, and I’ve done that, and list of all of your good deeds and accomplishments. Many times, when I speak with people about their need for Christ, they turn around and tell me what a good person they are, and that this is why God should accept them. They list all of their good works, all of the things that they have done, and they think they are going to get into the Kingdom based on these deeds. However, that person will not enter the kingdom, because salvation is by grace, not by works, not by any good deeds they have done. Salvation is by His mercy alone. The Pharisee obviously did not see his need before God, because he thought he was good guy. Do you think you are a good person, or do you see yourself as a sinner in need of a Savior? The reality is that you are not a good person, and neither am I. The Bible teaches that, “There is none righteous, no, not one… There is none who does good, no, not one” (Rom. 3:10-12). So, I hope you see the truth about yourself as Paul affirms here?

Now I want you to see the balance of this truth concerning humility, so you won’t fall into what the Bible calls, false humility (Col. 2:18; Col. 2:23). Many times, you will hear people confess, “I’m such a terrible person. I’m not worthy of anything. I’m just a terrible, rotten, dirty sinner, and I just can’t do anything right. I am so worthless.” I believe many times these kinds of statements are just false humility, and reveal a lack of biblical understanding. Sometimes people make this declaration because they want you to tell them they really are a good person. False humility is not what it means to be poor in spirit. Other times, a person really does think that they are too wicked to ever be saved, because of the sense of guilt they have experienced because the sins they have committed. However, the balance of this truth is vital. You must see your sin honestly, but then turn your gaze upon the love of God that has cleansed you from all sin, and enabled you to follow Him. Remember, Christ died for you, because He loved you enough to take your place on the cross. This thought must be paramount in your mind when you come to Him each day. Paul declared in Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Even though Paul knew his own past the sin of persecuting the church, he also believed he was in Christ, which meant that he was assured that the Lord would enable him to do whatever he was commanded to do in the Kingdom. Paul also saw the grace of God that overwhelmed his guilt over the past (1 Cor. 15:9-10). So, keep that balance, it is vital for your relationship with Him.

To be poor in spirit then is to be honest in your thinking about yourself. Paul said in Romans 12:3, “For I say through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.” To think soberly means to think seriously or honestly about yourself. Therefore, God has given to each Christian today a measure of faith so that you can follow Him, not with false humility, but with honesty humility. You are a sinner, but you are a sinner who is redeemed in Christ.

Why are humility and poverty of spirit so important? It is the door into the Kingdom! It is where you must begin if you want a relationship with God through Jesus Christ. Remember, Jesus told His own disciples in Matthew 18:3-4, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore whoever humbles himself as this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.” Here in these verses in Matthew, Jesus connects humility with entering the Kingdom. Note that you cannot enter the kingdom without having this conversion that turns you from arrogant self-sufficiency, to humble dependence upon Jesus. This conversion takes place as you choose to humble yourself under His mighty hand (1 Peter 5:6). Conversion is the first step to true discipleship. The word converted means to turn around and to move in the opposite direction. The obvious next question is, have you been converted? Have you turned from your sinful lifestyle and begun to follow Christ? This conversion results from seeing your own spiritual poverty and need before God.

Do you want the Lord to respond to you, look to you, and hear you? Being poor in spirit is an essential aspect to your relationship with God. This is the attitude you have to come to Him with every single day. God says in Isaiah 66:2, “But on this one will I look: on him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word.” Note in this verse that God is defining for us what it means to be poor in spirit. Poverty of spirit means that you must have a contrite heart, one that trembles at God’s Word. This means that you have an internal sensitivity to Him. Do you possess this attitude and sensitivity to His voice? Remember this attitude of heart is the door into the kingdom. It is, in fact, the only door into the Kingdom. There is no side door, there is no back door! This is the only door by which you can enter the Kingdom. You must see your need before Him and come!

Blessed are those who mourn!

The second Beatitude is, “Blessed are those who mourn for they shall be comforted.” What does Jesus mean by mourning, and why is mourning important? Mourning is the result of you looking at yourself, and seeing that you are poverty-stricken spiritually. Mourning results from seeing your own sinfulness. It is essential to put these two Beatitudes together. I am in great spiritual need. I am spiritually poverty-stricken. I must see myself for what I am. I have grieved the heart of God by the sin I have committed against him, and by the hurt and harm my sin has caused other people. This means you won’t excuse your sin, or rationalize what you have done. You won’t blame-shift and declare, “Well, I wouldn’t have done that sin if he or she hadn’t done what they did to me.” That is shifting the blame and excusing what you have done! Blame-shifting is the opposite of mourning for sin. You cannot excuse yourself in any way. Some people say, “Well, the reason I’m the way I am is because I had such a terrible childhood.”  Yes, other people’s sin and your upbringing do have an effect on your life, but your choices are yours alone. What you need is sorrow for your sin, and what you have done, regardless of what others have done. Mourning is an essential aspect if you want to come into God’s kingdom. True godly sorrow for your sin will bring mourning that ultimately will bring God’s comfort! 

In 2 Corinthians 7:10, Paul said, “For godly sorrow produces repentance leading to salvation.”  This sorrow is not talking about growth in your relationship with Christ. No, this sorrow is what is needed to get into the kingdom and to experience His salvation. You need godly sorrow, and a sorrow that leads to what? True repentance! Paul is talking about what true conversion looks like. Remember, conversion is turning around and going in the opposite direction in your life. Godly sorrow for sin is what turns you from your sinful lifestyle, to following God. 

I’m sure that you have seen people who have prayed a prayer, or gone forward at a service to receive Christ, but then you see absolutely no change in their life. This is not conversion. The reason the conversion does not take place is that they have no grief over their sin. There is still that rationalization and excusing that is going on within their minds. They want to justify themselves and continue living their current lifestyle. This is why the repentance does not occur. James wrote to the church in James 4:8-10 and said, “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; and purify your hearts, you double minded. Lament and mourn and weep! Let your laughter be turned to mourning and your joy to gloom. Humble yourselves in the sight of the Lord and he will lift you up.” James declares here the necessity for mourning, which comes from true humility. A person cannot be laughing at sin. There must be mourning for sin. I must acknowledge and repent of my sin. Note that mourning and humility must go together. This is why Jesus put these two Beatitudes together. That is also why James associated them together. True poverty of spirit will naturally bring the sorrow for your sin into your heart that will bring true repentance.

Even as believers, we need to think much more about the sorrow we need for our sin. We also need to do much more grieving over our sin rather than self-justification. Many Christians I have met have a very superficial view of sin. They have what I call “easy grace.” They look at their sin and say, “Oh, well, God will forgive me.” There is no grieving over your sin with this attitude. You should be smitten in your heart with deep conviction. There should be brokenness in your heart over what you have done. When conviction is present in your heart, brokenness should be the result. If there is no brokenness of heart, there is no grieving. If there is no grieving for sin, there is no humility. If there is no humility and repentance, then that person will not change! Therefore, mourning for sin is essential to come to Christ, and it is essential for grow in your relationship with Christ. But remember, if you grieve for your sin, then God will also comfort you. That is the promise in this Beatitude! Do you want God’s comfort? If you want His comfort, then you must grieve and mourn over your sin. God’s comfort is where the life of Christ will always be found. God promises in Isaiah 61:2 that He “will comfort all who mourn.” Don’t miss the comfort of God.

Blessed are the meek!

The third Beatitude is, “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.” This command of Christ is much misunderstood. Many times, people think immediately when they read this that Jesus is talking about meekness in our relationships with one another. Yes, meekness is important in your relationship with other people, but first meekness is something that takes place between you and God. Remember, these first few Beatitudes relate to your attitude toward God. So, remember this is the context. Meekness is vital to your relationship with the Lord. Note this truth found in James 1:21 where he declared, “Therefore lay aside all filthiness and the overflow of wickedness, and receive with meekness the implanted word which is able to save your souls.” Notice that James tells us under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit that meekness is needed to receive the Word of God within your heart. Where does this meekness come from? It comes from seeing yourself as spiritually poverty-stricken. It also results from mourning before God for your sin. But then, this meekness enables you to hear God’s Word. Meekness enables you to obey His Word and yield to it. Meekness is what allows the Word to be implanted in your life.

Now, consider the application of this truth. Many times, Christians tell me that they will read the Scripture and they don’t get anything from it. They see the reading of the Bible as a duty they must perform, but then they do not get anything out of it. Why is this? It is because their heart is in need of brokenness before God. When I read the Scripture, and I don’t get anything out of it, I realize that I am not in a good place. My heart is not right in the sight of God. It’s that simple. It’s the same reason why you can come to church and listen to a sermon, but it does not affect your behavior. Why is this? It is because you need meekness in your heart toward God to be able to hear it, and for it to be planted inside you. Remember, if God’s Word is planted inside your heart, it will bring forth fruit. But the Word only brings forth fruit when you honestly acknowledge your need for what it is teaching, and then sincerely choose to obey it. The Word brings repentance, conviction, and the power to make the corrections needed in your life. The Word of God is essential to getting you saved, and enabling you to change and become a true follower of Christ.

Once you experience meekness in your relationship toward God, do you know what happens next? All of a sudden you sense meekness in your relationship with others! Moses was described as the meekest man on the earth. This meekness with men was the natural result of his meekness toward God, and his obedience to His commands. Scripture declares over and over that, Moses obeyed the commands of the Lord. He heard God’s Word and he obeyed it. Jesus also described Himself in Matthew 11:29 as, “Meek and lowly at heart.” Some translations read, “I am gentle and lowly in heart.” But the word gentle there is the Greek word for meek.  Also, notice that Jesus couples together meekness with humility. These two always go together within your heart. Therefore, an arrogant Christian is not a meek Christian. Arrogance and meekness are complete polar opposites. An arrogant Christian has not been broken by the realization of their own sin. In Zephaniah 3:12, notice what the Lord says there concerning his people. He said, “I will leave in your midst a meek and humble people.” And what will this meek and humble people be like? He goes on to say, “And they shall trust in the name of the Lord.” Notice that meekness causes you to trust in the Lord. Let the Lord transform you in this way, bringing you to that place of trust and brokenness before Him. 

The word meek is also a word used in classical Greek for a horse that was broken and controllable by the reigns of the rider. The Scripture uses the same comparison in a negative sense when it talks about men and women in their unregenerate state. God calls those who have not surrendered to Him as wild horses and donkeys. David commanded us in Psalm 32:9, “Do not be like the horse or like the mule, which have no understanding, which must be harnessed with bit and bridle.” I don’t know whether any of you have ridden horses much, but a well-trained horse is described as a meek horse. The slightest movement of the reins, or the shifting of the weight of the rider, and that horse will turn. You don’t have to spur a meek horse or yank the reigns, you just touch them with your heel, and they will move in the direction that you want them to go. That is a meek horse. Therefore, does God have to yank you here and there to get you to respond to His commands, or are you meek towards God? Are you that sensitive to hear His voice and to respond to Him in this way? 

Now, what does it mean when Jesus said in this verse that, “They shall inherit the inherit the earth?” In Young’s Literal Translation of the Scripture says, they shall inherit the land. How?  This is a phrase that is used all through the Scriptures. You find it in the book of Genesis where God promised Abraham that he would inherit the land of promise. It referred to their physical inheritance of the land. It says in Psalm 37:11, “But the meek shall inherit the earth, and shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace.” Now when will that take place? When the Lord comes to set up his kingdom here upon this earth! This is the only time that peace is going to reign over this earth, because the Prince of Peace will be reigning in Jerusalem. That is why peace will be experienced in abundance, because He will control this earth. Also, in the same Psalm, David declared, “Wait on the Lord, and keep His way, and He shall exalt you to inherit the land” (Ps. 37:34). This is God’s promise. One day we are going to live and reign with Christ on this earth. He will restore the earth just the way it was in the Garden of Eden. This time is called the millennial reign of Christ where He fulfills all of His unfulfilled promises to the nation Israel. You will be with Him if you are a believer reading this today. Therefore, fix your eyes on your Blessed Hope, because He is coming! Don’t put your hope in this this world. 

Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.

The fourth Beatitude Jesus declared was, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they shall be filled.” I love this promise, “They shall be filled.” Now why would a person hunger and thirst after righteousness? Simply because they realize they have none. When a person realizes that they are poverty stricken before God, they see that they have no righteousness of their own. Therefore, they pursue the One who does have righteousness, and who gives His righteousness to those who believe (Rom. 3:21-24). Jesus does not say, blessed are those that hunger after possessions, that you will be filled with life. Neither does He say, blessed are those that hunger after position, or power, or recognition, or acceptance, or honor. He does not promise these things in this life. No! Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst after righteousness.” This is where you will be filled and find true satisfaction. If you hunger to be right with God and to do what is right before Him, only then will you be filled with the life that He promises. If there is anything that reveals your heart, it is what you pursue in this life. What you hunger for, is what will motivate your behavior. What you hunger for is what you believe will satisfy you. Do you hunger for His righteousness, or for something else? Are you concerned for what is right before God, or only what men think is right?

In Acts 4:19, the disciples are told by the religious leaders not to preach anymore in His Name. What was Peter’s response? Peter said, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge.” In other words, Peter said to them, you make the call what is right before God. Should we listen to God, or to you? He put the question right back onto them.  Peter and John knew what was right, and what was right in God’s sight. Peter was only concerned about one thing, what was right in God’s sight. Is that the primary concern of your heart? 

The only way you can obtain this attitude is when your heart is poverty-stricken, is mourning and grieving over your own sin, and one who has come meekly to receive God’s implanted word. Do you realize that His Word gives you that understanding of what is right in His sight?  When you see that your attitude is not right toward God or others, what should you do? Simply stop and ask God to forgive you and change your heart. If you are unsure about what is right, go to the Word and begin searching for what God has said, and how He would have you respond. He will show you. He will fill you because that is Christ’s promise in this Beatitude. Remember, “You shall be filled.” I do this on a regular basis when I see wrong attitudes in my own heart. We are all alike, so go to Him and ask. 

Now, I want to leave you with an important truth and assurance. God will always satisfy your hunger and thirst for Him. Jesus was very clear about this truth. He said in John 6:35, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to me shall never hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst.” Do you believe that? Are you hungry for the Bread of Life? If you are you empty and unsatisfied, you only need to come to the Bread of Life, and he will satisfy your emptiness within. Hunger describes that gnawing emptiness inside that comes from not eating. A spiritual hunger causes a similar spiritual emptiness in your heart. Can a Christian have that hunger too?  Yes, absolutely! Just begin hungering and thirsting after the wrong things, and you will sense that emptiness all over again. For those of you that have never made a commitment of your life to Christ, this is what you need to do. There is only one person who can fill that void inside of you, that’s Jesus Christ. Just turn to Him now and ask Him to forgive you and to take over your life. Once He comes to live in you, He will satisfy. Jesus said in John 7:37-38, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” His living water is what satisfies your spiritual hunger and thirst. There is only one place to get it, and that is from Jesus. So, if you are hungry today, come to Him. Acknowledge that you are poverty-stricken spiritually. Grieve over your sin, and ask His forgiveness. Let the living water of His Holy Spirit come now to refresh and satisfy your soul! Just humble yourself, and ask!