When Heaven Came to Earth and Turned Everything Upside Down
Series: Who is Jesus: Gospel of Matthew
In our pluralistic secular society today in Canada & in the western, there is a common belief espoused that “all religions are basically the same… and that humanity is basically good…just be a good person” idea
I now offer a proposition that goes CONTRARY to that widely held narrative
Many including Gandhi elevate this passage as full of “good teachings”
4:35-5:1
Large crowds of Jewish people follow him as He ASCENDS to the mount to teach.
Mountains are significant in the Bible
Abraham, sacrifices Isaac on Mount Moriah,
Moses - Mount Saini Moses gets the law from God
Mount Carmel Elijah shows Gods power by calling fire down from heaven
Mountains are places where God’s voice and power intersect with human experience
Now – Jesus is on a mountain ready to speak
Matt 5:17
“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.
Six times Jesus cites the OT law (the Torah 613 laws) “You have heard that it was said …but I SAY TO YOU”
5:21, 27. 31, 33, 38, 43
And so Jesus is speaking to a very spiritually educated group here – they KNOW Gods Word
They likely thought of themselves as Holy or Good – as do most Canadians when you randomly interview them
But hear 5:20 “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.
INTERVIEW
- Please share a brief summary of your personal religious background and education. Before you and I first connected what was your view of God and the Bible, and Messiah? 3 mins
- Please share how it was that we met, and the nature of our ongoing conversations abut the Messiah of Israel. What motivated you to continue the conversations. 5 mins
- You will recall that during the first year of our almost weekly talks I never read to you from the New Testament. One day that changed, and I asked you if I could do so. Share what section of scripture that was and how it impacted you as an orthodox Jewish person. 5 mins
- What happened next in your relationship with God? (Share about the call where we spoke, then you prayed to invite Him in to your life). Touch on Bible College, and your life of ministry after that. 3 mins
- As we wind up our time together today, and you reflect on your spiritual journey with the Messiah Yeshua, what words would you have to the friends joining us right now? 2 mins
“The Sermon on the Mount is not a set of principles to be obeyed apart from identification with Jesus Christ. The Sermon on the Mount is a statement of the life we will live when the Holy Spirit is getting his way with us.”