Matt5v1-4
Men’s Bible Study –1st Wednesday each month -10:00am
Matthew 5:1-4 – handout
Here the Lord sets forth the foundational truths of the gospel of the Kingdom that He came to proclaim.
Mal. 4:6 – “…He will turn the hearts of fathers to their children…lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
This account begins with a series of blessing termed: the beatitudes. Matthew 5-3-12
The Law demonstrates man’s need of _S_____________ and the New Testament message offering the savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This sermon clarifies the reasons for the curse showing that man has no R___________ to survive the scrutiny of God.
The blessedness Christ offers is not dependent on self-effort, but on the new nature God gives. Read and apply: John 18:35
How is this a true statement: “The Old Testament is the book of Adam, whose story is tragic.”
The New Testament Begins with a different man (a second Adam) and out come will be?
The first Adam was tested in a garden and thus where was the 2nd Adam tested?
The first Adam was a thief and cast out of paradise. The 2nd Adam was placed on the cross as a thief; however these words prove what? “Today you shall be with Me in paradise” (Luke 23:43)
Whereas the Old Testament ends with a curse, the New Testaments ends how? (Rev. 22:3)
The Old Testament gave the law to show man in his misery whereas the New Testament shows man in _______.
The Sermon on the Mount is a masterful revelation from the great King that offers blessing instead of a curse to those that come on His terms to true righteousness.
What was the Political Context of Jesus Day with the Jews?
What did the Jews expect of their promised one?
When Jesus answers Pilate (John 18:36) it showed what the attitude of the Jews should have been… That is?
(Handout: Outline from Logos Bible Software on the Trial of Jesus Christ.)
The Pharisees believed that right religion consisted in divine laws and religious tradition. Their primary concern was for fastidious observance of the Mosaic law of every minute detail of the traditions handed down by various rabbis over the centuries. They focused on adhering to the laws of the past.
The Sadducees focused on the present. They were the religious liberals who discounted most things supernatural who modified both Scripture and tradition to fit their own religious philosophy.
The Essenes were ascetics (Es.sene (noun) Member of the ascetic Jewish group who believed that right religion meant separation from the rest of society. They led austere lives in remote, barren areas such as Qumran, on the northwest edge of the Dead Sea.
The Zealots were fanatical nationalists that thought that right religion centered in radical political activism. These Jewish revolutionaries looked down on fellow Jews who would not take up arms against Rome.
Thus, in essence,
- the Pharisees said, “Go back”; and were traditionalists
- the Sadducees said, “Go ahead”; and were modernists
- the Essenes said, “Go away”; and were separatists
- the Zealots said, “Go against.” And were activists
Jesus would direct His words to each group using this verbiage:
- To the Pharisees – that true spirituality is internal, not external.
- To the Sadducees – that it is God’s way, not man’s way.
- To the Essenes – that it is a matter of the heart, not the body.
- To the Zealots – that it is a matter of worship, not revolution.
KEY: Matthew 5:20 – “I say to you, that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the scribes and Pharisees, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven” – God’s message in really is that His Kingdom is first and above all a matter of the inside, the soul. Right “theology” would be essential!
Why is the Sermon on the Mount important?
First, it shows the absolute necessity of the new birth. The standards of the Sermon on the Mount go far beyond those of Moses in the law demanding not only righteous actions but righteous attitudes—not just that men do right but that they be right. No part of Scripture more clearly shows man’s desperate situation without God.
Second, the sermon intends to drive the listener to Jesus Christ as man’s only hope of meeting God’s standards. Man needs a supernatural power to enable him to do it.
Third, the sermon gives God’s pattern for happiness and for true success. It reveals the standards, the objectives, and the motivations that, with God’s help, will fulfill what God has designed man to be. Here we find the way of joy, peace, and contentment.
Fourth, the sermon is perhaps the greatest scriptural resource for witnessing, for reaching others for Christ. A Christian who personifies these principles of Jesus will be a spiritual magnet, attracting others to the Lord who empowers him to live as he does. The life obedient to the principles of the Sermon on the Mount is the church’s greatest tool for evangelism.
Fifth, the life obedient to the maxims of this proclamation is the only life that is pleasing to God.
What was the setting for this chapter?
Who was the preacher that spoke on His own authority without any recognized sources?
How as this a model message with the topic, the Kingdom?
a. the citizens – 5:13-16
b. Righteousness of the Kingdom – 5:17-7:12
c. Exhortation to enter the Kingdom – 7:13-27
d. the effect of the sermon on its hearers – 7:28-29
THE STYLE?
The rabbi commonly sat down and taught – Jesus spoke while standing or walking.
When Jesus sat down on the Mount, He spoke from His divine chair with absolute authority as the sovereign King.
The Content:
The sermon established a standard of living counter to everything the world practices and hold dear. This was an utterly new approach to living in joy, not despair. This would make the believers have a distinctive life-style that should characterize the direction, though not perfect.
This new way of living comes from a new way of thinking… It made clear the internal changes also bring external changes.
Point: When our attitudes and thinking are right, our actions will fall in line. If our inner life does not make our outer life better, our inner life is deficient or nonexistent. “Faith without works is useless,” James says (James 2:20). Paul tells us that we are “created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them” (Eph. 2:10).
What is the step beyond learning God’s Word?
Faithful Christians are concerned about the letter of God’s Word – however, they want to go beyond to understand the spirit, the deeper will and purpose that lie behind the letter. This level of concern reveals an obedient heart filled with the desire to glorify God.
The Beatitudes Matthew 5:3-12
3 “God blesses those who are poor and realize their need for him,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 God blesses those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.
5 God blesses those who are humble,
for they will inherit the whole earth.
6 God blesses those who hunger and thirst for justice,
for they will be satisfied.
7 God blesses those who are merciful,
for they will be shown mercy.
8 God blesses those whose hearts are pure,
for they will see God.
9 God blesses those who work for peace,
for they will be called the children of God.
10 God blesses those who are persecuted for doing right,
for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
11 “God blesses you when people mock you and persecute you and lie about you and say all sorts of evil things against you because you are my followers. 12 Be happy about it! Be very glad! For a great reward awaits you in heaven. And remember, the ancient prophets were persecuted in the same way. NLT
If one reverses the Beatitudes one can understand the impact better:
Wretched are the spiritually self-sufficient, for theirs is the kingdom of hell.
Wretched are those who deny the tragedy of their sinfulness, for they will be troubled.
Wretched are the self-centered, for they will be empty.
Wretched are those who ceaselessly justify themselves, for their efforts will be in vain.
Wretched are the merciless, for no mercy will be shown to them.
Wretched are those with impure hearts, for they will not see God.
Wretched are those who reject peace, for they will earn the title “sons of Satan.”
Wretched are the uncommitted for convenience’s sake, for their destination is hell.
Matthew 5:3 – Blessed (Makarios) are the poor in spirit…
The Greek word (Makrios) means happy, fortunate, blissful and is the kind of happiness God desires for His children. (Phil 4:11-13)
Strong’s Dictionary: 3107 μακάριος [makarios /mak·ar·ee·os/] adj. A prolonged form of the poetical makar (meaning the same); … AV translates as “blessed” 44 times, “happy” five times, and “happier” once. 1 blessed, happy.
“Blessedness” only found where or how?
How is this statement true: “that the most common danger is trying to meet almost every need with physical things”?
False teachers, preaches, and writers are busy with the health, wealth, success, prestige and prosperity message.
The Value of comparing translations: – look at Titus 1:10 with the underlined phase…. What meaning do you get? – Now look at the text taken from the NLT (New Living Translation) and what meaning is most understandable?
Titus 1:10,11a – 10 For there are many who are insubordinate, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision party. 11 They must be silenced… esv
Titus 1: 10,11a – 10 For there are many rebellious people who engage in useless talk and deceive others. This is especially true of those who insist on circumcision for salvation. 11 They must be silenced,… NLT
Does not the Sermon of the Mount not take one to a new way of life based on a completely new way of thinking &/or of being?
The standard of R _____________ or of H_________ is the standard of being S____________ and thus the opposite of man’s fallen impulses and unregenerate nature.
How would this be true that the “beatitudes” are pronouncements not probabilities and that they are divine judgment pronouncements? Therefore, the opposite of the blessed life is the cursed life. How would that be illustrated in a person?
How is this statement true: That the Beatitudes are progressive not a random order!
Matthew 5:3 – What does this statement: “poor in spirit” really mean? Matt5v3
Greek Word, ptochos G4434, LN88.57
4434 πτωχός [ptochos /pto·khos/] adj. 2a lowly, afflicted, destitute of the Christian virtues and eternal riches. 2b helpless, powerless to accomplish an end. 2c poor, needy. 3 lacking in anything. 3a as respects their spirit. 3a1 destitute of wealth of learning and intellectual culture …
Key concept is: They know they have no spiritual merit, and they know they can earn no spiritual reward.
How would we describe this type of humility?
WHY do you think this is FIRST?
Read Matthew 18:3-6 for the answer.
How does one become ‘poor in spirit’? Where does it start? What position is “self” in this process?
HOW do we know when we are humble?
1 – We will view ourself in what light? Psalms 131:2
2 – We will be viewing God in what way? 2 Cor. 3:18
3 – When tragedy comes we would say… (1 Peter 4:16, Rom 8:17-18)
4. – We will have “humility of mind” – Phil. 2:3, Rom. 12:10
5 – We will spend out time on our k______.
6 – We will give up certain rights we consider we have within self, such as pride, P_____ C_____ I ____ and more.
7 – We will P _____ and T _____ God for His Grace.
What result would be in being poor in spirit? Luke 12:32 and James 4:10
Next one: Matthew 5:4 – Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
Mourn what and what does one do about it?
What is Godly Mourning? S__________ poverty leads to godly sorrow….
The world says, “Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag, and smile, smile, smile.” Hide your problems and pretend to be happy. The same philosophy is applied to sin. But Jesus says, “Confess your sins, and mourn, mourn, mourn.” (When we do that, our smiles can be genuine, because our happiness will be genuine. Godly mourning brings godly happiness, which no amount of human effort or optimistic pretense, no amount of positive thinking or possibility thinking, can produce.)
How is this true? – That true mourning over sin does not focus on ourselves, not even on our sin. Attitude: Romans 7.
The Result of Mourning
Note this statement by one writer – what are your thoughts? What would you consider to be a “mourn in a godly way”?
The result of godly mourning is comfort: they shall be comforted.
- That is why they are blessed. It is not the mourning that blesses, but the comfort God gives to those who mourn in a godly way.
Comforted is from parakaleō, the same word that, as a noun, is rendered Comforter, or Helper…
John 14:16 – And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another Helper (parakletos -G3875-LN12.19 , to be with you forever… ESV
Matthew 5:4 – “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted (parakaleo, G3870, LN25.150) -esv
Strongs: 3870 παρακαλέω [parakaleo /par·ak·al·eh·o/] v. From 3844 and 2564; TDNT 5:773; TDNTA 778; GK 4151; 109 occurrences; AV translates as “beseech” 43 times, “comfort” 23 times, “exhort” 21 times, “desire” eight times, “pray” six times, “intreat” three times, translated miscellaneously four times, and “vr besought” once. 1 to call to one’s side, call for, summon. 2 to address, speak to, (call to, call upon), which may be done in the way of exhortation, entreaty, comfort, instruction, etc. 2a to admonish, exhort. 2b to beg, entreat, beseech. 2b1 to strive to appease by entreaty. 2c to console, to encourage and strengthen by consolation, to comfort. 2c1 to receive consolation, be comforted. 2d to encourage, strengthen. 2e exhorting and comforting and encouraging. 2f to instruct, teach.
2 Corinthians 1:3 – 3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort (parakletos) Christ is a Christ of comfort and the Holy Spirit is a Spirit of comfort.
Note: Comfort comes after the obedience or it comes after the mourning. 2 Thess. 2:16
What does true mourning over sin involve? Thus, how may we become godly mourners? Thus, the primary hindrance to mourning is S_____.
How can “presumption” hinder true mourning?
How can “procrastination” hinder true mourning?
How would study of God’s Word help us in the process?
QUESTION: How might we know that are mourning is as Christ commands?