Explore the Bible Lesson Preview January 3, 2016 The King s Expectations Background and Lesson: Matthew 5:1-16

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1 Explore the Bible Lesson Preview January 3, 2016 The King s Expectations Background and Lesson: Matthew 5:1-16 Motivation: Matthew carefully records Jesus plan: His purpose is announced at His baptism. His process is confirmed through the temptation in which less worthy methods are refused. His partners are chosen as disciples. Now we see His program outlined. The Beatitudes provide a great framework for differencemakers! I. The New Moses (1-2) A. The Occasion When He saw the crowds (1) Pastor Gregg has often said that we view people as scenery, machinery or ministry. Sometimes the crowds wore Jesus out (Mt. 8), but more often he dove right into the crowds and healed, comforted or, as in this case, related truth. B. The Setting He went up on the mountain (1) Luke describes it as a level place (Luke 16:17-19). Luke and Matthew may have described two different events, or a natural amphitheater between two elevations. Such a location exists near Capernaum and is the traditional site. C. The Ministry and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to teach. (1b-2) HCSB, p. 1617: 5:1 Jesus ascended a mountain when He saw the crowds because He deemed the mountainside to be a better setting for teaching a large group. As the new Moses, His delivery of God s message from a mountaintop provides yet another parallel with the ancient Moses. The Greek words translated He went up on the mountain 1 / 7

2 are used three times in the Greek OT (Ex 19:3; 24:18; 34:42), and all three fall in the section describing Moses ascent of Mount Sinai. This fits with Matthews repeated theme of drawing out parallels between Moses and Jesus. For instance, Jesus birth paralleled several events surrounding Moses birth. Herod attempted to kill the infant Christ by ordering the slaughter of Bethlehem s boys (Mt. 2:16-18) much as Pharaoh ordered the execution of newborn male Israelites (Ex 1:15-18, 22). Furthermore, the angel s pronouncement that danger had passed ( Those who sought the child s life are dead, Mt 2:20) is a clear echo of Ex 4:19, All the men who wanted to kill you are dead II. The New Blessings (3-12) A. Right Result 1. BLESSED how happy how fortunate (Greek: makarios, a god-like joy). Makarios was often applied to the island of Cyprus because it was deemed to need nothing from outside the island to be blessed. Often we consider only external circumstances as blessings: a new possession, good health, a raise, or a gift. However, Jesus teaching reminds us that, like Cyprus, we have everything we need to be blessed (2 Peter 1:3) Remember our recent study of the seven Beatitudes of Revelation 1:3, 14:13, 16:15, 19:9, 20:6, 22:7, 14) 2. ARE Note that these qualities do not describe a pie in the sky by & by. The reward of these attitudes and actions apply to the here and now. (Matt. 11:28-29). B. Right Attitudes 1. the poor in spirit (3) Our own righteousness cannot earn us a place in heaven (Ephesians 2:8-9). It is only the person who realizes their spiritual bankruptcy and turns in repentance and faith to Christ who will have a place in the Kingdom of God (Luke 18:11-14). HCSB, p : 5:3 Since Matthew introduces the Sermon on the Mount by highlighting the connection between Jesus and Moses, the Beatitudes (Mt 5:3-12) should probably be read against the backdrop of Moses teachings. The only time the adjective Blessed ( 2 / 7

3 Gk makarios ) was used by Moses was in his blessing on Israel (Dt 33:29): How happy you are, Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the Lord? He is the shield that protects you, the sword you boast in. Your enemies will cringe before you, and you will tread on their backs. Israel s blessing had both a historical and future focus. Saved by the Lord referred to Israel s exodus from Egypt. The remainder of the blessing assured the Israelites of success in their conquest of the promised land. Against this backdrop, the blessings of the new Moses identify Jesus disciples as the new Israel who will enjoy a new exodus and conquest. The new Moses is a spiritual deliverer rather than a political one, and His promises must be understood in that light. In the Beatitudes, the new Moses pronounces spiritual salvation (Exodus from slavery to sin) and promises spiritual victory (Conquest and inheritance of a new promised land) to the new Israel. This background is confirmed by the allusion to Israel s exodus and conquest in the promise that the meek will inherit the earth (5:5). In the OT, the poor were those who cried out for God s help, depended entirely on Him for their needs, had a humble and contrite spirit, experienced His deliverance and enjoyed His undeserved favor (Ps 86:1-5). In light of this background, Jesus was describing His disciples as unworthy sinners who depend on God s grace for salvation. Although the promises in Mt. 5:4-9 are expressed in the future tense, the affirmation the kingdom of heaven is theirs is in the present tense (5:3, 10). This suggests that the kingdom had already arrived through the coming of Jesus but that the fulfillment of many kingdom promises will occur only in the future. This future fulfillment awaits Christ s second coming. The statement the kingdom of heaven is theirs appears at the beginning and end of the main body of the Beatitudes (5:3, 10). This bracketing device suggests that the Beatitudes constitute promises only to those who belong to the kingdom. Isaiah 61:1 promised that Messiah would bring good news to the poor. This beatitude serves as a fulfillment of that prophecy (Lk 4:16-21). 2. Those who mourn (4) - This is the strongest Greek word for mourn, literally to mourn as for someone who has died. Intense grief and happiness seem to be mutually exclusive, unless the grief is over sin. Isaiah s reaction to a holy God was grief Woe is me, for I am undone. (Isa. 6:5) Spiritual pride causes a haughty spirit like the Pharisees. When we recognize the damage that sin does and respond in repentance and faith, then we shall be comforted. 3. The gentle (5). This word describes the person who is controlled by God. Numbers 12:3 describes Moses as very meek. 3 / 7

4 a. Balanced Aristotle used this word to describe the perfect medium between too much and not enough. (Prov. 30:7-9) b. Bonded Gentle was used to describe a horse that was perfectly trained to obey commands, and was under control of the master at all times. c. Broken Finally, this word conveys the sense of true humility (Matt. 23:12; James 3:10; 1Pet. 5:6); a person possessing gentleness would be teachable, forgiving, and open to correction. This is the kind of kingdom citizen who will inherit the earth. (Phil. 3:20-21) HCSB, p. 1618: 5:5 Like the preceding Beatitudes, this one parallels Is 61. Isaiah 61:7 (LXX) uses the words they will inherit the land, an exact parallel to Mt 5:5b. The first three Beatitudes thus confirm Jesus identity as the Servant of Is 61. This identification is important for understanding the sacrificial nature of Jesus death since Is 52:14-53:12 describes the Servant as suffering the punishment that sinners deserved (see Mt. 8:17 and 12:17-21 which appeal to Is 53:4 and 42:1-4). The beatitude also echoes Ps 37:11 in that which the gentle are those who stubbornly trust God and surrender to His authority even when they cannot make sense of their circumstances. Inherit the earth (land) in the OT refers to inheriting the promised land of Canaan. Thus most of Jesus hearers recognized that His disciples were a new Israel that would inherit the land promised to Abraham. In the context of the Sermon on the Mount of the Gospel of Matthew as a whole, inheriting the earth involves more than the promise of living in Palestine. It refers to living in a recreated earth over which Christ rules eternally. Matthew 19:28 anticipates the renewal of earth and assures Jesus disciples that they will enjoy great reward in the eternal kingdom. 4. Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (6) The normal Greek sentence construction having to do with hunger and thirst is in the genitive case: I want something to 4 / 7

5 eat, I want a drink of water. This teaching is unusual in that Jesus spoke in the direct accusative which would indicate a desire for all that is available. Realizing that hunger and thirst in first century Palestine were not inconveniences but rather life threatening, the blessing is promised to those who intensely desire all the righteousness available from God. Notice that this is not conditioned on achievement, but on desire. The reward they will be filled does not go to the brightest or most fortunate, but to the one who truly desires righteousness. (Romans 10:4; Matt. 6:33) C. Right Actions 1. The merciful (7) William Barclay comments that this word involves much more than pity or sympathy, but is a word that describes action. Literally, it means to crawl inside another person s skin and feel what they feel. It is the quality demonstrated when He crawled inside the skin of a human to show us ultimate mercy (Romans 5:8, 12:15-16; John 1:14). It is the condition for receiving mercy (James 2:13; Matthew 18:35). 2. The pure in heart (8) The word pure is kathoros which we transliterate catharsis. It means clean and was used in classical Greek of corn that has been separated from all chaff or an army purged of all discontented, cowardly, unwilling and inefficient soldiers. (Barclay, p. 106). The person who is pure of heart is cleansed of impure motives and has single-mindedness toward God unmixed with selfish interests. If we focus on heaven in this manner we will see God. 3. The peacemakers (9) The Hebrew word for peace is shalom and meant more than the absence of strife; it involved everything needed for a person s best. a. Peacemaking within yourself One must learn to appropriate God s power to calm the inner storms and strife. Jesus said, Peace I leave with you, my peace I give to you (John 14:27). 5 / 7

6 b. Peacemaking between others The Jewish rabbis held that the highest task which a man can perform is to establish right relationships between man and man. (Barclay, 110) Peacemaker is the opposite of troublemaker. c. Peacemaking between people and God - Evangelism is the ultimate peacemaking task. It is only through introducing others to Christ s saving power that they can find peace in their marriage, with their children, with their neighbors and in their heart. (Romans 5:1; Phil. 4:7). For they will be called the sons of God We are never more in our Father s image than when we are reconciling others, bringing about peace. (John 1:12) 4. Those who are persecuted for righteousness (10) We studied in Revelation of the Christian martyrs (Rev. 2:9-10, 18:24). Persecution for the sake of the gospel has been a fact of life from the first century. Barclay notes the trials that Christians of the early church had to face: Unfortunately persecution did not end in the arena. Atrocities against Christians are perpetuated almost daily by ISIS. An estimated 80 believers were executed last year in North Korea for the crime of possessing a Bible. Throughout the Middle East, we re witnessing a modern day genocide of our brothers and sisters in Christ. (Hebrews 11:32-40) Why should those who are persecuted Be glad and rejoice? a) God promises to be with us in a special way in persecution. (Dan. 3:19-25; 1 Pet. 4:13-14) b) God says that persecution put us in select company. (Matt. 5:1; Acts 5:41) c) God will greatly reward those who are persecuted for Him (Rev. 20:4) III. The New Expectations You are the salt of the earth. But if the salt should lose its taste, how can it be made salty? It s no longer good for anything but to be thrown out and trampled on by men. 14 You are the light of the world. A city situated on a hill cannot be hidden. 15 No one lights a lamp 6 / 7

7 and puts it under a basket, but rather on a lampstand, and it gives light for all who are in the house. 16 In the same way, let your light shine before men, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven. (5:13-16) A. Salt is used as a preservative and a seasoning, but is only effective if it has the power to transform its surroundings. HCSB, p.1619 : 5:13 Salt has many uses, but in the OT it is most often a purifying agent (Ex 30:35; Lv 2:13; 2 Kg 2:21; Ezk 16:4). As the salt of the earth, Jesus disciples are to purify a corrupt world through their example of righteous living and their proclamation of the gospel. However, contaminated salt does not promote purity. The verb translated lose its taste indicates foolish and immoral behavior. It refers to a professing disciple whose unrighteous lifestyle promotes destruction rather than purification. Such salt is only good for spreading over ground where you want to kill vegetation. Such is the fatal effect of and unrighteous disciple s lifestyle. Nothing grows where they go. The verb thrown out describes the disposal of something worthless, and the verb trampled alludes to the treatment an immoral disciple receives from the world. B. Light John uses light to describe Jesus and by extension, us. We are His reflected light. HCSB, p.1619: 5:14-16 You are the light of the world is an allusion to Is 9:1-2; 42:6; 49:6 texts that describe the ministry of Messiah, Servant of the Lord. This indicates that Jesus disciples are to be extensions of His ministry, carrying salvation to the ends of the earth. Such ministry is intrinsic to true discipleship. A disciple should no more conceal his righteousness or the gospel message than a glowing city should douse its light at night. The reference to giving light for all combines with the reference to the world to show that Christ s ministry is intended for all people. This anticipates the Great Commission of Mt. 28: Jesus words make clear that the disciple is not the ultimate author of his good works. If the disciple were the author of his good works, he would justly receive praise. However, Jesus taught that only the Father in heaven is to be praised for a disciple s good works, for He is the true source of such works. This must not be overlooked. The righteousness demanded by the Sermon on the Mount is a divine gift that God imparts to Jesus followers. Application: 1. Blessed Christians display the right attitudes. 2. Blessed Christians reflect attitudes with actions. 3. Blessed Christians are Differencemakers. Leader Pack item 13: Poster: Matthew 5:14 No Biblical Illustrator article Notes: **You may access David s Lesson Preview in MP3 format at: ; also, the Highpoint Bible Study (Downtown) is available on MP3 at the HFBC site under the Highpoint link/downloads. Dates: 12/24-25 Christmas Holiday church offices closed; 12/24 Christmas Eve Services 2, 4 & 6:00 p.m.; 12/27 NO LBS; 12/31 Summit NYE Party /1 New Year s Day church offices closed; 1/2-4 PASSION Conf. in Houston; 1/10 SPF Birthday Bash; 1/15-16 Living Proof SSMT; 1/15-16 Summit Women s Retreat; 1/17 AMP/WIRED Sunday; 1/20 Midlink Preview; 1/23 Men:Serve; 1/24 Fitness EXPO; 1/29 Midnight Madness; 1/31 SPF Mentor Celebration. 2/7 SPF Birthday Bash; 2/21 MIYCO; 2/27 - Men:Serve; 2/28 Parent Commitment. 7 / 7

Living in Contradiction

Living in Contradiction Living in Contradiction Genesis 1:27-28 So God created mankind in his own image, in the image of God he created them; male and female he created them. God blessed them and said