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(click on a study, copy and paste it---and it's yours)Jesus' Sermon on the Mount (Introduction)
God’s Plan to Bring Life (Blessing) Back to His Creation:
A. The Problem: God created everything very good (see Genesis 1:31), but we human beings allowed evil, violence and death to take over the world (see Genesis 3-5). What would God do about that? He could have destroyed everything, or he could get rid of all evil and bring life back to his creation. The Bible tells the story of how God began to work with one man and his family to do just that.
B. The Plan: A Partnership with Abraham I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you. I will be your God and you will be my people. Genesis 12:2-3
C. The Terms of the Partnership: I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess. But if your heart turns away and you are not obedient, and if you are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them, I declare to you this day that you will certainly be destroyed. I have set before you life and death, blessings and curses. Now choose life so that you and your children may live… Deut. 30:16-19.
D. The People’s Affirmation of it: “We will do everything the LORD has said.” Ex. 19: 8; 24:3, 17; Deuteronomy 5:27; 26:17, Joshua 24:18, 21, 23.
E. The History of the Partnership:
- The LORD warned Israel and Judah through his prophets: “Turn from your evil ways. Observe my commands….” But they would not listen. They rejected his decrees and the covenant he had made with their fathers… They imitated the nations around them. So the LORD rejected all the people of Israel; he gave them into the hands of plunderers…. 2 Kings 17:13-15, 20
- Punishment and Exile: Israel 722 B.C., Judah 586 B.C.
- Hope: (Did God give up on his plan?)
- Comfort, comfort my people. Say to the towns of Judah, Here is your God! Look! The sovereign LORD comes with power! Isaiah 40: 1, 10
- For to us a child is born, to us a son is given, and the government will be on his shoulders. Of the increase of his government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over his kingdom establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness for ever. The zeal of the LORD almighty will accomplish this. Isaiah 9: 6, 7
- Look! Here is my servant. I will put my Spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. Isaiah 42:1; cf. 11:1-9; 49:1-7; 50:4-11; 52:13 – 53:12; 61:1-3
- In my vision at night I looked, and there before me was one like a son of man, coming with the clouds of heaven. He was given authority, glory and sovereign power; all nations and people of every language worshiped him. His dominion is an everlasting
dominion, and his kingdom is one that will never be destroyed. Daniel 7: 13, 14
- The eagle that you saw coming up from the sea is the fourth kingdom that appeared in a vision to your brother Daniel. As for the lion…roaring and reproving the eagle for his unrighteousness, this is the Messiah whom the Most High has kept until the end
of days…. He will destroy them but in mercy he will set free the remnant of my people… 2 Esdras 12:11, 3-34
- Return and wait (538)
- When a group of God’s people returned to Jerusalem, was the exile over? No!
- Although the Temple was rebuilt, the glory of the LORD was never said to have entered it.
- Foreign armies still occupied the land.
- Wait for What?
- Restoration, vindication, the LORD coming to fight for his people. God would then take full control of the world and his Kingdom of justice and peace would be here.
- God would take control of the world through a Messiah=Anointed One or a new king David (Ps 2, 110, Dan. 9), a servant, or “the prophet” (Deut. 18:15/Jn 6:14). “The son of man” (from Daniel 7) was the term Jesus used to identify himself as the one whom God sent to establish his kingdom.
- Different groups offered different ways to wait until the Messiah came:
- Pharisees: Everyone keeping the whole Law, purity, Jewish identity, separation from non-Jews was essential.
- Sadducees: Participation in Temple worship, rituals, feasts
- Zealots: People zealous/passionate for the LORD; prepared to fight for the LORD
- Essenes: Withdrawal to form separate, pure community
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