What Makes the Sermon on the Mount the Greatest Sermon Ever Preached?
VIDEO TRANSCRIPT
What do the Apostle Paul, Charles Spurgeon, and Billy Graham all have in common? These were some of the greatest preachers to ever walk the face of the earth. But there is one preacher who surpasses them all, and it’s not even close. His sermon still shakes the world today and it is my honor to announce that we are starting a brand new series on the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest preacher to ever live: The Sermon on the Mount, a mountain of a sermon, the greatest sermon ever told.
In this video, we’ll introduce the series, provide some background and context, and take a close look at the first few verses in Matthew chapter five. In the videos to follow, we’ll provide an in-depth study of this legendary sermon spanning three chapters. Together, we’ll tackle The Sermon on the Mount section by section, one video at a time.
I strongly encourage you to watch every video in this series. And I promise: you will be inspired… you will be convicted… and, if you receive these words with a humble heart, you will be transformed. This sermon isn’t meant to be admired—it’s meant to be understood and applied, and it can change your life.
The Sermon on the Mount begins in Matthew chapter five. But for context, in chapter four, we read, “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’” This was the message of John the Baptist. Friends, Jesus’ preaching picks up right where John’s left off, but it would go much further than John’s ever did.
After He calls His first disciples, we read in verse twenty-three,
“And He went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and affliction among the people. His fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought Him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and He healed them. And great crowds followed Him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.”
Friends, Jesus didn’t perform miracles just to impress the crowds. In this case, He used them strategically to gather the people—so He could teach them.
We are now in chapter five.
“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:”
“And seeing the multitudes…” Jesus has been performing miracles all over Galilee and rumors of these signs and wonders have spread throughout the surrounding regions. By this point, great crowds of people are following Him to witness these things and hear what He has to say.
“He went up on a mountain…” The setting is somewhere on the Northern shore of Galilee. They are likely on a sloped hill with green grass, beautiful flowers, and a panoramic view of the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding area.
“And when He was seated…” This was the common posture back then. In churches today, the preacher typically stands while the audience sits. However, in Jesus’ day, it was reversed—the preacher would sit and the audience would stand.
“His disciples came to Him.” We already know from the context (and from Luke’s gospel) that Jesus is speaking to a multitude of people. Sometimes, when the bible uses the word “disciples” it is referring exclusively to the twelve. Other times, it’s used in a broader sense to include additional followers of Jesus. And in this context, it’s quite possible that it’s used in an even broader sense to include followers of Jesus and even potential followers of Jesus.
“Then He opened His mouth and taught them…” A sermon from the mouth of God Himself. His message has forever since been referred to as The Sermon on the Mount, the greatest sermon ever preached.
The 33rd president of the United States, Harry Truman, once said, “I do not believe there is a problem in this country or the world today which could not be settled if approached though the teaching of the Sermon on the Mount.”
It has been said that if you took all the great advice for how to live ever uttered and boiled it down to the real essentials, you would be left with a poor imitation of this great sermon.
Delivered by the Son of God, Savior of the World, and Author of Life Himself, this sermon is unlike any other teaching you will ever encounter. There are five key points I would like us to keep in mind throughout this series:
Number one. All scripture is “God-breathed” and authoritative. If you have a red-letter Bible, the red letters are not more inspired than the rest. But perhaps they are unique… When I read the Apostle Paul’s epistles, I can accept by faith this is 100% the inspired Word of God. And yet, I can still see Paul’s personality and writing style in the text.
The same is true of any other biblical author. Take, the Apostle John, for example. I can read his note about running faster than Peter and say, “Yeah… there’s John.” Here’s my point: like the rest of Scripture, this sermon is 100% the inspired Word of God. But unlike the rest of Scripture, it is delivered through the mind, heart, and personality of God Himself.
Number two. If you were a first-century Jewish believer, there are many things you would want Jesus to set the record straight on. The religious leaders in His day debated how to interpret certain passages in the Old Testament and many of them were teaching things that went completely against the heart of God’s Word. Throughout the sermon, Jesus addresses many of these misunderstandings and misinterpretations. Several times you will hear Him say, “This is what you have been taught… but I say to you, ‘It’s like this.’”
Number three. While Jesus does set the record straight on many topics, His sermon presents a radically different agenda than what the Nation of Israel would have expected from their Messiah. Remember, during this time, the entire region is under Roman military and political dominance. And yet, nowhere in the sermon does Jesus promise freedom from Roman oppression. On the contrary, He encourages His followers to love their enemies. And by the way, if a Roman soldier forces you to carry his pack for a mile, then as a follower of Jesus, He calls us to walk an extra mile in love.
Number four. Interestingly enough, Jesus doesn’t explicitly explain how to be saved in this sermon. There is no direct mention of the cross or the glories of the New Covenant. God would later reveal those truths clearly and beautifully through the apostles. Instead, Jesus lays the perfect and essential foundation for the Gospel. The Sermon on the Mount reveals our need for a Savior.
As the late John MacArthur wrote, “Christ expounded the full meaning of the law, showing that its demands are humanly impossible. This is the proper use of the law with respect to salvation: it closes off every possible avenue of human merit and leaves sinners dependent on nothing but divine grace for salvation.”
Number five. Don’t make the mistake of reading the Sermon on the Mount and thinking to yourself, “This is what I need to do to get right with God.” We are made right with God by placing our faith in Christ’s perfect life and sacrifice on the cross.
The Sermon on the Mount doesn’t tell you how to become a Christian. It tells you how to live as one. It describes what life looks like when Jesus is your King and His Spirit empowers you to live differently from this world.
So—how does the greatest preacher to ever live capture His audience’s attention and introduce the greatest sermon ever told? Find out in our next video. I truly hope you’ll join us for every episode of this journey and your life is blessed as a result. From all of us here at Christianity Engaged, God bless you all!
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