Sermon on the Mount “Jesus &

Righteousness”

Matthew 5:17-20

The Kingdom is Coming

The Kingdom is Here

The Kingdom is Now:

1.Established by God’s suffering servant

2. Concerned for the poor and needy

3. Characterized by Righteousness (obedience, surrender, dependence and humility)

4. Righteousness means Right Relationships inside (our hearts) and out (seen by our actions)

5. Intended For All Nations

6. Breaking INTO History

THIS PRESENT AGETHIS PRESENT AGE

THE NEW AGETHE NEW AGEJESUS

JESUS

New age breaks into the present age in the coming of Jesus

The present age will end with Jesus’ Return.

Matthew 5:17-18;

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. 18For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished.

Matthew 5:19;

19 Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew 5:20;

20For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

Scribes• Members of the learned class in ancient Israel who studied the

Scriptures and served as copyists, editors, and teachers.

• They interpreted God’s word & prescribed the rules of conduct and behavior for the Jews. Their interpretations were considered binding on the people and eventually, in practice at least, their views were elevated above the written word of God.

• Some you may be familiar with; Hillel, a famous scribe in the time of Christ. Josephus, the well-known ancient Jewish historian was a scribe. Other famous scribes during the time of Christ included Gamaliel, who was the teacher of Saul of Tarsus, and, Nicodemus, the member of the Sanhedrin council who came to Jesus by night.

• Interpreters of the Law.

Pharisees• The Pharisees made up one of the three religious parties of the

Jews in the time of Christ. The three groups were the Sadducees, the Pharisees, and the Essenes. The roots of the Pharisaic party went back to the revolt of the Maccabees in 167 BC. In those days the Jews came under the rule of Syria.

• The Essenes & Sadducees withdrew from everyday society and lived in communes, believing that the best hope of preserving their faith was to remove themselves completely from polluting cultural influences.

• The Pharisees stayed in society and endeavored to shore up and sustain Judaism among the populace by enforcing its practice.

• Enforcers of the Law.

Scribe & Pharisee “Righteousness”1. They were known to be men who didn’t practice what they preach - Mt 23:1-4

From them many parents got the saying "Do as I say, not as I do“

2. They were known to be men who loved to be noticed by others - Mt 23:5-7

They enjoyed wearing religious garments that separated them from others, and delighted in places and titles of honor.

3. They were known to be men who neglected parts of God’s Law - Mt 23:23-24

In their case, they would emphasize the "lighter" matters of the law, while neglecting the "weightier" commands. Or as we would say today, they "majored in minors and minored in majors”.

4. They were known to be men who were Lovers of Money - Lk 16:13-15

"Mammon" was their god, though they would be quick to deny it and try to justify themselves before men.

• Such was the level of "righteousness" the scribes and Pharisees as a group.  Not all scribes and Pharisees were guilty of such things (e.g., Nicodemus, Jn 3:1; 7:45-52; 19:38-42).

Kingdom “Righteousness”We Learn from the Sermon on the Mount:

1. We cannot "say and not do" - Mt 7:21;

2. We cannot "do things to be seen of men" - Mt 6:1;

3. We cannot "neglect" ANY commandments of God's law - Mt 5:19;

4. We cannot be "lovers of money" - Mt 6:24;

• What an upward call for us all.

Scribe & Pharisee “Righteousness”

•From Self

•For Self

•Outward first (white washed tombs) Inward (dead mans bones)

•Not really Righteousness

Kingdom Righteousness

•From God

•For God

•Inward (heart) then Outward (actions)

•About right relationships

OT Fulfillment in MatthewJesus came to fulfill

1:22; 2:15, 17, 23 4:14 8:17 12:17 13:14, 35 21:4 26:54, 56 27:9

Jesus main message:

The Kingdom

His ministry is going to fulfill the Laws and the Prophets.

I have come to fulfill the Law and Prophets.•Astounding statement.

•Become the Israel God always wanted (NTW)

•Live out fully the spirit of the OT, love and reference for God and love and respect for man.

•Demonstrate the ultimate meaning of the law

•Do what the law and the prophets said the “One” would do.

I have come to fulfill the Law and Prophets.

•Bring the Kingdom the law and the prophets foretold.

•Complete the OT so that it will have served its purpose.

•And the dream of the OT will have come true.

•Embody the Law and the Prophets so that its fulfillment stands before us

•Raising the bar, but developing the heart.

Watch out for legalism.

Don’t get tripped up.

1. “He didn’t say anything about … so there is no rule.”

2. “You should not take communion but get up and leave church if you remember that someone in the church who isn’t there has something against you. It would be wrong to take communion.”

3. He said “If someone sues you.” He didn’t say we couldn’t sue someone else.

4. He says, “Don’t judge, so you shouldn’t be giving me correction.”

5. “It doesn’t matter how complicated his marriage situation is and how the kids would be affected, this couple needs to separate even after ten years. They committed adultery when they married.”

Everything about the Beatitudes moves away from legalism.

Everything about Jesus’ statement about the Pharisees moves away from legalism.

There is a difference in emphasizing

obedience and legalism.

Jesus calls for obedience [to the deeper principle] but he hates straining out gnats and swallowing camels.

Matthew 23:24

Don’t think laws and rules

Think “Kingdom Principles”

Don’t think laws and rules

Think “the spirit of the law not just the law.”

Don’t think laws and rules

Think “Kingdom Ethos”

Don’t think laws and rules

Think “Kingdom Ethos”

Ethos (Greek):

The character or fundamental values of a person, people, culture, or movement