The Gospel of the Kingdom - Matthew - The Magna Carta of the Kingdom - the Beatitudes

 

Text: Matthew 5:1-2  – “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying….”

Back in January of this year we did a series of devotions about the Beatitudes given in this 5^th chapter of Matthew. We will not duplicate these studies, but will make a couple of observations about the section Matthew 5:3-  

A quick review of where we are, consider:

·      Chapter 1 gives the Genealogy – People want to know that the King is legitimate

• ·      This is followed by His Birth account
• o   Two accounts with the birth record, and two without. 
• §  Matthew and Luke – King and man
• §  Mark and John – Servant and God
• ·      Then in chapter 2, we have the early days of His life – some parallel to Moses
• ·      Chapter 3 introduces John the Baptisizer – Jesus’ baptism
• ·      Chapter 4 has
• o   The temptation of Jesus by Satan
• §  Lust of the flesh
• §  Lust of the eyes
• §  Pride of Life  (Gen. 3) (1 John 2:16)
• o   Calling of 4 Disciples – Peter, Andrew, James, and John (2 sets of brothers)

That brings us up to where we read now – the building of the fame of Jesus. He taught (like a teacher), preached (was a herald), and healed many. His fame spread quickly Great multitudes began following Him.

I want to draw our attention now to seeing the multitudes around Him.

Jesus is always aware of those around Him. The Word used here to see means

• ·      i.e. to turn the eyes, the mind, the attention to anything
• ·      to pay attention, observe
• ·      to see about something
• o   i.e. to ascertain what must be done about it
• ·      to inspect, examine
• ·      to look at, behold

One thing that we notice about Jesus in the Gospel accounts – He is constantly aware of the people around Him. In this passage, this was not a casual glance that Jesus gave – He was looking intently, observing those that were following Him.

He does the same today.  He intently observes each and every one of us.

When He had observed closely those following Him, He then went up on a mountain to instruct them. Very often the noting of the place where a particular utterance was made supplies a key to its interpretation.

For example, in Matthew 13:36, Christ is seen entering " into the house," where He made known unto His own the inner secrets of His kingdom.  In Luke’s Gospel Christ is seen as a man (the perfect Man) among men, and there He delivers a sermon "in the plain" (6:17)—descending as it were to a common level.

But in Matthew, His royal authority is in view, and consequently, He is seen again in an elevated place. Being on the mountain carries a picture of His position – consider:

• ·      In the seventeenth chapter, we behold Him transfigured on the mount.
• ·      In chapter 24:3, He delivers His great prophetic discourse from a mount.
• ·      Then in chapter 28:6, we see the Conqueror of death commissioning His disciples from the mount.

 So here in verse 1, He ascends the mount when about to give forth the manifesto of His kingdom. Many scholars think that Matthew probably recalls Moses' revelation on Mount Sinai (Ex 19:3) here.  In Exodus, we find the giving of the Law to Moses on Mt. Sinai. Here we find Jesus explaining Kingdom Living under Grace.

If so, Jesus' superior revelation also makes him superior to those who "sit in Moses' seat" (Mt 23:2) (i.e. the Pharisees), and the One greater than Moses, first encountered in 2:13-20, has begun his mission.

Tomorrow we will consider the idea of Him sitting down.