Study Questions: Sermon on the Mount #1

Kyle Bartholic   -   April 3, 2025

Distinctively Different

Sermon on the Mount (CGS#1)

Matt. 5:1-12

INTRODUCTION: The Sermon on the Mount might just be the most famous sermon ever preached. There is a good reason for that; it was preached by Jesus. In it, Jesus unpacked the virtues, values, and distinctives of the Kingdom of Heaven. Commentator Leon Morris notes the centrality of grace alongside the call of obedience in the Sermon on the Mount, writing, “Amos Wilder was right on target when he wrote that Matthew 5–7 offers ‘not so much ethics of obedience as ethics of grace.’ ” We miss the point if we see the Sermon on the Mount as nothing other than a series of far-reaching demands. The demands are there, certainly. But the love and the mercy of God are there, too.” We will spend the better part of three months unpacking all of Jesus’ teaching in this two-chapter discourse in Matthew’s Gospel. We will feel the warmth of grace on our hearts and be spurred on in the call towards obedience. Grace and obedience are two essential components of following Jesus in a life-defining way.

 

The first thing that we need to understand about the Sermon on the Mount is that what Matthew writes down in his Gospel account is not a singular sermon in its entirety. Instead, it is the condensed highlights of a longer sermon given by Jesus. And it is very likely that Jesus gave this sermon on more than one occasion. That is why these points stood out for Matthew. It might surprise you to think of it in these terms. However, the Gospel accounts are themselves a condensing of key points of the life and ministry of Jesus. After all, John puts it this way (Jn. 21:25, “Now there are also many other things that Jesus did. Were every one of them to be written, I suppose that the world itself could not contain the books that would be written.” The Gospel writers gave us the most important and critical information when it comes to Jesus and his teachings.

 

So, how does Jesus start this sermon? With a conversation on who is “blessed” in the kingdom of heaven. Reading these “blesseds,” it should stand out to us that Jesus is presenting something very different from our intuition or natural perspective. When we think of blessing, we think of good favor and fortune. Blessed are the poor in spirit, those that mourn, and the persecuted? What is Jesus talking about??? Verse 11 helps us here; “on my account” is why these groups are blessed. That is, those groups are blessed because they know God rightly and live accordingly… “hunger and thirst for righteousness.” The world around us would say that to be blessed is to have power, wealth, and influence. Jesus says to be blessed is to be aligned with him and to be a servant. After all, that is his posture (Mk. 10:45). When Jesus said these words, they were as difficult to digest then as they are today. Rome and its unyielding power dominated the world of Jesus. This sermon is given by Jesus in a region of deep political resistance against Rome. Their expectations of the Messiah and the values of the Messianic kingdom were the overthrow of Rome and political power restored to Israel. Yet, here is Jesus at a high point of his popularity (over two years into his public ministry), talking about being humble (poor in spirit), merciful, and persecuted. That’s no way for a Messiah to talk! Yet, that is exactly what he does and what we are to embody as his followers. Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven has distinctively different values. The question that should percolate to the top for us is, do I embody the distinctive values of the kingdom of heaven? Or do the values of my life align more with the world around me?

 

 

GETTING STARTED – As a group, take time to answer this question. If you were listening to Jesus’ sermon that day as he talked about being poor in spirit and persecution, how do you think you would have responded?

 

 

 

 

IN THE WORD –   Let’s dig back into the passage(s). It is important to strengthen our muscles in reading God’s Word. On Sunday, we walked through the passage in the sermon. Hopefully, that helped you to see the landmarks of the passage with fresh eyes. Now, with your group, go back through it and see what God is saying to you specifically.

First, before you read the passage, take a moment to ask God’s Spirit to quiet your mind and heart and to illuminate the text to you. Second, read the passage aloud to the group. Then, follow the simple method below. (O.P.A)

Observe: Make 8-10 observations from the passage. Pay close attention to observe and note repeated words and phrases, names, places, and themes.

 

 

Principles: From your list of observations, what patterns or big ideas do you see emerging? Can you distill it down into 2-4 big idea truths?

 

 

Apply: Moving from your list of principles, it is time to apply God’s Word. Remember, we believe that God’s Word is living and active and that it can change the way we live Monday- Friday. What is one tangible way to apply a truth from your list above?

 

Note: Another way to approach your time together is to talk through the following questions.

  1. What did you hear God’s Spirit say to you through the passage this week? How does it encourage you? How does it sharpen you?
  2. The Sermon on the Mount concludes in Matt. 7, saying that the people were astonished because Jesus taught them with authority that was even greater than the Scribes. How does Jesus’ authority strike you in these first twelve verses? What is your reaction to his teaching?
  3. If the values of the kingdom of heaven are distinctively different than any earthly kingdom, how does that reframe my expectations of earthly kingdoms and their rulers?
  4. How do the values of the kingdom of heaven shape the way I see and respond to my neighbors, family members, and co-workers?
  5. Poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, desirous of righteous things, pure in heart, peace-loving, and persecuted are all blessed in Jesus’ mind. Which of these values is hardest for me in my personal life? What does that difficulty reveal about my need for growth? What is an intentional step I can take to grow in my understanding and application of that area?