Matthew 4:12 NIV
When Jesus heard that John [the Baptist] had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee.
Matthew 4:17 NIV
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
Matthew 5:1 NIV
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down.
The Sermon on the Mount is a…
1. of Jesus’ teachings.
“The Sermon is the most well-known, most studied, and arguably the most important collection of Jesus’ teachings in the Gospels.” —Jonathan Pennington, The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing
The Sermon on the mount is Jesus’ for human flourishing in the upside-down of God.
2. of the Good Life under Heaven’s .
“The Sermon on the Mount presents the ethics of the Kingdom. It shows what human life and community look like when they come under the gracious rule of God.” — Scot McKnight, Sermon on the Mount: A Beginner’s Guide
3. to live
“Jesus’ teaching in the Sermon on the Mount is not ancillary. It’s the core of His message about what it means to follow Him and live under God’s reign.” Skye Jethani, What If Jesus Was Serious?
The Sermon on the Mount Invites Us—
1. To trust His vision of instead of the world’s.
2. To live from a transformed , not just outward behavior.
It’s not mere external conformity Jesus is after, but an internal transformation. True righteousness needs to occur at the heart level — and if the inside is right, the outside will follow.” –Skye Jethani, What If Jesus Was Serious?
3. To become citizens of a different — one marked by mercy, justice, and love.
“The Sermon on the Mount sketches the quality of life for those who belong to the Kingdom — a life marked by mercy, faithfulness, justice, and wholehearted love.” – D.A. Carson, Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount and His Confrontation with the World
“When Christ calls a man, he bids him come and die.”– Dietrich Bonhoeffer
Prayer of Gregory of Nazianzus
O God, Guide of the humble and Light of the pure,
Cleanse the hidden things of my heart.
Purge out of me the lurking places of pride
Grant me a mind of humility and a heart of purity,
That I may seek peace and pursue it.
Teach me to hunger and thirst for righteousness,
To rejoice in mercy,
To mourn with the mourning,
And to be meek with the meek.
That so, being conformed to Your blessedness,
I may inherit Your promises.
For Further Study—
- “What If Jesus Was Serious?” by Skye Jethani
- “The Sermon on the Mount and Human Flourishing” by Jonathan Pennington
- The Bible Project Podcast (2024 series)
Answer Key: Collection, Core; Manifesto, Kingdom; Vision, Reign; Calling, Blessing; Heart; Kingdom