In this article we discuss the Sermon on the Mount in the context of the general preaching work of Jesus.
The kingdom and Isaiah
The preaching of John the Baptist, Jesus, and the disciples has a common theme: “Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Mt. 3:1-2; 4:17; 10:7). Their preaching is a fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah, “The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the poor” (Isa. 61:1 RVmg). Luke explicitly states that Jesus was fulfilling these words (Lk. 4:18-21).
Over and over again, Matthew makes the same point. “And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel (good tidings, RVmg) of the kingdom, and healing…all manner of disease among the people …And Jesus went about all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every sickness and every disease among the people…Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and show John again those things which ye do hear and see: the blind receive their sight, and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the poor have the gospel (good tidings, RV) preached to them” (Mt. 4:23; 9:35; 11:4-5; cp. Isa. 35:5-6).
Beatitudes based on Isaiah 49 and 60-62
This connection between the teaching of Jesus and Isaiah is clearly evident in the beatitudes. Each of the beatitudes points back to some aspect of Isaiah’s prophecies of the kingdom as foretold in Isaiah 49 and 60-62.
In his book on Isaiah, Bro. Harry Whittaker noted the links between Isaiah 60-62 and Isaiah 49 — “Lift up thine eyes roundabout, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee” (Isa. 60:4 cp. 49:18); “thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be carried in the arms” (Isa. 60:4 RV cp. 49:22); “Thou shalt also suck the milk of the Gentiles, and shalt suck the breasts of kings” (Isa. 60:16 cp. 49:23); “I the LORD am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the mighty One of Jacob” (Isa. 60:16 cp. 49:23); “that I may be glorified” (Isa. 60:21 cp. 49:3).
Poor in spirit
“Blessed are the poor inspirit” (Mt. 5:3) is based on’ The Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the poor” (Isa. 61:1 RVm) and “The garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness” (Isa. 61:3).
They that mourn
“Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted” (Mt. 5:4) echoes “He that has mercy on them shall comfort them…for the Lord has had mercy on his people, and has comforted the lowly ones of his people” (Isa. 49:10,13 LXX); “The days of thy mourning shall be ended” (Isa. 60:20); and “To comfort all that mourn; to appoint unto them that mourn in Zion…the oil of joy for mourning” (Isa. 61:2-3).
The meek
“Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth” (Mt. 5:5) points back to “I will preserve thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, to raise up the land, to make them inherit the desolate heritages” (Isa. 49:8 RV); “Thy people…they shall inherit the land for ever” (Isa. 60:21); and “Thus they shall inherit the land a second time” (Isa. 61:7 LXX).
Hunger and thirst
“Blessed are those which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled” (Mt. 5:6) is based on “They shall not hunger or thirst” (Isa. 49:10); “I will make…thy taskmasters righteousness” (Isa. 60:17 RVmg); “Thy people shall be all righteous” (Isa. 60:21); “That they might be called trees of righteousness” (Isa. 61:3); “He hath covered me with the robe of righteousness” (Isa. 61:10); “The Lord GOD will cause righteousness and praise to spring forth before all the nations” (Isa. 61:11); and “For Zion’s sake will I not hold my peace, and for Jerusalem’s sake I will not rest, until the righteousness thereof go forth as brightness, and the salvation thereof as a lamp that burneth. And the Gentiles shall see thy righteousness, and all kings thy glory” (Isa. 62:1-2).
The merciful
“Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy” (Mt. 5:7) echoes “He that has mercy on them shall comfort them…for the Lord has had mercy on his people” (Isa. 49:10,13 LXX) and “In my favor have I had mercy on thee” (Isa. 60:10).
Pure in heart shall see God
“Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God” (Mt. 5:8) is based on “Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the LORD is risen upon thee. For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the peoples: but the LORD shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee. And nations shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Lift up thine eyes round about, and see…Then thou shalt see, and be lightened, and thine heart shall tremble and be enlarged” (Isa. 60:1-5 RV) and “He hath sent me to bind up the brokenhearted” (Isa. 61:1).
Called sons of God
“Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called sons of God” (Mt. 5:9 RV) recalls “I will also make thy officers peace” (Isa. 60:17); “From my mother’s womb he has called my name…And he said to me, It is a great thing for thee to be called my servant” (Isa. 49:1,6 LXX); “They shall call thee, The city of the LORD, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel” (Isa. 60:14). “But ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God” (Isa. 61:6); “Thou shalt be called by a new name, which the mouth of the LORD shall name” (Isa. 62:2); and “They shall call them, The holy people, The redeemed of the LORD: and thou shalt be called, Sought out, A city not forsaken” (Isa. 62:12).
Joy to persecuted
“Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” (Mt. 5:10) points back to “thy destroyers and they that made waste…them that oppress thee…them that afflicted thee…all they that despised thee…thou hast been forsaken and hated” (Isa. 49:17,26; 60:14,15). And “Rejoice and be exceeding glad” (Mt.. 5:12) recalls “Sing, O heavens; and be joyful, 0 earth” (Isa. 49:13) and “I will greatly rejoice in the LORD, my soul shall be joyful in my God” (Isa. 61:10).
Kingdom of heaven
“For theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3,10) reminds us of “Thou shalt also be a crown of glory in the hand of the LORD, and a royal diadem in the hand of thy God” (Isa. 62:3); and”Ye shall be named the Priests of the LORD: men shall call you the Ministers of our God” (Isa. 61:6), which is based on the original call of Israel: “Ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation” (Exo. 19:6; see also! Pet. 2:9).
Isaiah summarized, “I the LORD…will make an everlasting covenant with them. And their seed shall be known among the Gentiles, and their offspring among the people: all that see them shall acknowledge them, that they are the seed which the LORD hath blessed” (Isa. 61:8,9).
The reward of the righteous
Throughout the Sermon, Jesus tells us that our eternal destiny is determined by the way we think and live now. Those who are doing the will of our Heavenly Father will enter the kingdom of God. Those who are not doing the will of our Heavenly Father will be cast into the everlasting destruction of Gehenna.
In short, the Sermon on the Mount is Jesus’ call to enter the kingdom of God which is an integral part of his overall message.
The first and last beatitudes highlight this call. The “poor in spirit” and “they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake” are “blessed” because “theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3,10).
The other beatitudes emphasize the future blessings of the kingdom. Mourners shall be comforted. The meek shall inherit the earth. The hungry and thirsty shall be filled with righteousness. The merciful shall obtain mercy. The pure in heart shall see God. Peacemakers shall be called the sons of God. And the allusions to the kingdom do not end there.
Those who are persecuted for Jesus’ sake should “rejoice and be exceeding glad: for great is [their] reward in heaven” (5:12).
Because he came not to destroy, but to fulfill the Law, Jesus says, “Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” (5:19).
The Old Testament again
In reference to swearing, Jesus cites Isaiah, who wrote about the place where God will dwell, “Thus saith the LORD, The heaven is my throne, and the earth is my footstool: where is the house that ye build unto me? and where is the place of my rest? For all those things hath mine hand made, and all those things have been, saith the Lord: but to this man will I look, even to him that is poor and of a contrite spirit, and trembleth at my word” (Isa. 66:1-2). He also cites the Psalmist, who wrote about the future glory of Jerusalem, “Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised in the city of our God, in the mountain of his holiness. Beautiful for situation, the joy of the whole earth, is mount Zion, on the sides of the north, the city of the great King” (Psa. 48:1-2).
Jesus tells us that if we do our alms in secret, if we pray in secret, if we fast in secret, then “[our] Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward [us] openly” (Mt. 6:3,6,18).
In the Lord’s prayer, we are taught to pray, “Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven…For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever. Amen” (6:9-10,13).
“Enter ye in at the strait gate…Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it” (7:13,14).
The destruction of the wicked
In contrast to the rewards reserved for those who “seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness,” Jesus also stresses the punishment of the wicked.
“If the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men” (5:13).
“Whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment …Whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment …Whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell (Gehenna, RVm) fire” (5:21-22).
“Lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing” (5:25-26).
“It is profitable that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell (Gehenna, RVmg)” (5:29,30).
“Take heed that ye do not your alms (righteousness, RV) before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven” (6:1).
“Wide is the gate, and broad the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat” (7:13).
Jesus’ warning, “Beware of false prophets” (7:15), is connected to the coming of the kingdom in the Olivet prophecy, “Many false prophets shall rise, and shall deceive many…there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders; insomuch that, if it were possible, they shall deceive the very elect” (Mt. 24:11,24).
“Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire” (7:19; cp. Mt. 3:10).
“Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord…And then will! profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity” (7:22,23; cp. Mt. 25:41).
The criteria
Jesus makes the entrance requirements clear.
“Except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven” (5:20). The righteousness that exceeds the self-righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees is the righteousness that is freely given to us because we have faith. We are justified by faith. “They which receive abundance of grace and of the gift of righteousness shall reign in life by one, Jesus Christ” (Rom. 5:17).
“If ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses” (Mt. 6:14-15).
“Judge not, that ye be not judged. For with what judgment ye judge, ye shall be judged: and with what measure ye mete, it shall be measured to you again” (7:1-2).
Powerful exhortation
“Not every one that saith unto me, Lord, Lord, shall enter into the kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven” (7:21).
Therefore, let us “seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness” (6:33).
The Origin of the Organic World – Part One