Sermon on the Mount Bible Study
Study the Bible with Me | Kim Howard
Conclusion of Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount
Matthew 7:28-29 28 And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings (His first sermon), people were astonished at his doctrine: 29 For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
Jesus’ teachings in Matthew 5 - 7 focused on clarifying the purpose of God’s laws and commandments. He presents a vision of life in God’s Kingdom that is radically different from outward religion or rule-keeping. Jesus begins by describing the kind of people who belong to the Kingdom—those who are humble, merciful, pure in heart, and hungry for righteousness.
He taught a series of lessons that God not only looks at the outward behavior, but that of the inward behavior. He taught that hypocritical or performance-based shallowness is not real righteousness. God knows the difference and expects His people to do more than serve out of selfishness and pride.
He then explains that true righteousness goes deeper than external obedience; it reaches the heart. Anger, lust, dishonesty, retaliation, and hatred are addressed not merely as behaviors to avoid, but as symptoms of deeper heart issues that must be transformed.
Throughout the sermon, Jesus contrasts superficial religion with genuine faith. He warns against practicing righteousness for human approval and teaches that prayer, fasting, and generosity are to be done in secret before God. He calls His followers to trust their heavenly Father rather than live in anxiety over material needs, emphasizing that God knows and provides for His children.
The sermon concludes with a call to decision. Jesus makes clear that hearing His words is not enough—His teaching must be lived out. True discipleship is shown by obedience, producing a life built on a firm foundation that withstands the storms of life. Jesus reveals that Kingdom living flows from a transformed heart, expressed through love, humility, truth, trust, and obedience to God.
Matthew, having finished his report of Jesus’ sermon, describes the crowd as “astonished.” The people had never heard such teaching like this before. They were genuinely surprised by what Jesus said. Rather than speaking as someone passing along the wisdom of others (such as the scribes), Jesus spoke as the Source and Authority of the things he taught. As One having authority.
A Call to Salvation
Will you truly make Jesus your Lord and Savior today? Yesterday is gone and tomorrow is not promised. Today is the day of Salvation (2 Corinthians 6:2), call on Him now in the accepted time, this is the accepted time, behold today is the day of salvation. Start today, hear and do Jesus’ words, and you will not stand before him ashamed on the day of His coming (1 John 2:28).
But the end of all things is at hand: be ye therefore sober, and watch unto prayer (1 Peter 4:7).
Watch ye therefore and pray always, that ye may be accounted worthy to escape all the things that shall come to pass, and stand before the Son of man (Luke 21:36).
How must we be saved? Read Plan of Salvation on this blog.
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