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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…

The sermon on the mount represents the single longest recorded teaching of Jesus in the New Testament. The breadth and depth of the sermon are utterly amazing despite its brevity by modern standards. The sermon can be read in just twelve minutes, but covers a plethora of subjects including character, ethics, marriage, authentic religion, and happiness.  Jesus challenges His hearers to ascend to the mountain top of Christian living. Today, we will embark on that journey for the higher perspective in Christ. But first a warning, Jesus’ teachings are not always easy, comforting, or agreeable, but neither is climbing a mountain. 
 

“And seeing the multitudes”
Jesus was surrounded by need. We may recall that people clamored for Him in various situations (Mark 2:4, 5:31). The multitudes were sick, hungry, desperately alone, and spiritually broken.  The multitudes were gathering around Jesus because of His immense power, pure life, and pervading voice. Multitudes need this sermon more than ever! We pride ourselves in our individualistic modernity and pluralism, in which everything seems relative, but Jesus emphatically says, not so! The only way to achieve mountain top living is under the mantle of His lordship and teaching.
 

“He went up on a mountain”
The Messiah ushering in the new covenant from the mountain is typologically tied to Moses delivering the law at Sinai. The Hebrew writer declares that Jesus is “counted worthy of more glory than Moses, inasmuch as He who built the house has more honor than the house” (Heb. 3:3). Jesus is the fulfillment of prophecy and successor of Moses as promised centuries beforehand (Deut. 18:15,16) (Acts 3:22). The mountain plays a significant role in Jesus’ life. It was a place of solitude and prayer (Matt. 14:23), temptation (Matt. 4:8), transfiguration (Matt. 17:1-13), and redemption on Golgotha (Mark 14:22). Jesus preaches from the mountain and urges us to see things from a higher perspective. But more importantly, to live out what we learn.
 

“He was seated”
Jesus assumed the position of sitting which was the traditional posture for teachers and rabbis during their discourses. His teaching was marked by unprecedented spiritual authority. Jesus made no reference to other notable rabbis as was custom but only to the law and his declaration, “But I say unto you.” The sermon concludes with Matthew’s observation, “He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes” (Matt. 7:29). Jesus’ teaching was sometimes described as a “hard saying,” and caused questioning, anger, or astonishment (Jn. 6:60, Mk. 2:20, Lk. 4:28). Yet, when chosen as with Mary, the sister of Lazarus, described as that “which will not be taken away” (Lk. 10:42). Jesus’ teaching was not limited to his words but was divinely demonstrated in His life (I Pet. 2:21) (Heb. 4:15). 
 

“His disciples came to Him”
Will you answer Jesus’ call to follow even unto the mountain or the cross? Albert Schweitzer famously wrote, “He comes to us as One unknown, without a name, as of old, by the lakeside, He came to those men who knew Him not. He speaks to us the same words: ‘Follow thou me!’ and sets us to the tasks which He has to fulfill for our time. He commands. And to those who obey Him, whether they be wise or simple, He will reveal himself in the toils, the conflicts, the sufferings which they shall pass through in His fellowship, and, as an ineffable mystery, they shall learn in their own experience Who He is.” 

This post is the first in a series taken from Dr. Rushing's forthcoming book, Mountaintop Living. Preorder your copy by clicking here! 
 

“He is the image of the invisible God.”

The nature of humankind was fundamentally changed in the fall of Adam. The image of God in man was defaced and vitiated because of sin. The Apostle Paul notes, “in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2:2,3).

Our estrangement and rebellion from God necessitated a Savior. This is the very message of the Bible even back in the garden. A Savior is promised as the “Seed of woman” which would crush the serpent’s head and curse of sin (Genesis 3:15). Our Savior would also have to be God because of humanity’s inability due to our contingent and creaturely complexion. The spiritual predicament required that God enter human flesh and restore His own image in mankind. This is exactly what the Bible reveals about the historical person known as Jesus of Nazareth.

The concept of God becoming human, or flesh is known as the doctrine of the incarnation. The word itself is of Latin origin but built on the Greek phraseology found in (John 1:14), John states that the eternal Word “became” (ἐγένετο) “flesh” (σὰρξ ). This is also a reference to the Torah and Yahweh with the word “dwelt” or tabernacled (ἐσκήνωσεν), from the time in the wilderness additionally substantiating Christ’s divinity (Exodus 29: 42-46). This doctrine is also consistent with the nativity story of Jesus being miraculously born of the virgin Mary (Matthew 1, Luke 2) and designated, "Son of God" (Matthew 3:16, 16:18, John 1:14, 3:16).

Jesus of Nazareth is described as the Eternal Word. (John 1:1-4) “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made. In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.”

The Bible puts in no uncertain terms that Jesus is eternal God. From the prophetic voice of the Old Testament to the book of Revelation, Christ is revealed as deity. (Isaiah 9:6) “For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.” The Apostle Paul enjoined by describing Jesus as, “being in the form of God” (Philippians 2:6).

Jesus’ own self-understanding is also evidence of His deity. Christ forgave sins which is the prerogative of God. Christ forgave the sins of the man afflicted with paralysis in which He shockingly said, “Which is easier, to say, ‘Your sins are forgiven you,’ or to say, ‘Rise up and walk?” We find later in the house of the pharisee, a woman washes and anoints Jesus’ feet. Jesus exclaims, “Your sins are forgiven” (Luke 7: 36-50). Moreover, on the cross to thief, “today you will be with Me in Paradise” (Luke 23:43).

God became flesh or incarnated in the person of Jesus of Nazareth.

“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth” (John 1:14). Furthermore, “For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh” (Romans 8:3,4).

Jesus also confirms by powerfully alluding to His self-existence prior to human birth. Jesus answered, “If I honor Myself, my honor is nothing. It is My Father who honors Me, of whom you say that He is your God. Yet you have not known Him, but I know Him. And if I say, ‘I do not know Him,’ I shall be a liar like you; but I do know Him and keep His word. Your father Abraham rejoiced to see My day, and he saw it and was glad.” Then the Jews said to Him, “You are not yet fifty years old, and have You seen Abraham?” Jesus said to them, “Most assuredly, I say to you, before Abraham was, I AM” (John 8:54-58).

Jesus was born physically that we might be born spiritually which is restorative in eternal salvation. (John 1:12,13) “But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.”

No wonder when Thomas saw the risen Jesus he confessed, “My Lord and my God.” It is through Jesus that we find the image of God created again, “For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren. Moreover, whom He predestined, these He also called; whom He called, these He also justified; and whom He justified, these He also glorified” (Romans 8: 29, 30).

Christ came to earth to initiate a new creation and kingdom. “Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new. Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (II Corinthians 5:17-19).

It is into His kingdom we are born through water baptism and spiritual regeneration. (John 3:3-8) "Jesus answered and said to him, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.' Nicodemus said to Him, 'How can a man be born when he is old? Can he enter a second time into his mother’s womb and be born?' Jesus answered, 'Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. Do not marvel that I said to you, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows where it wishes, and you hear the sound of it, but cannot tell where it comes from and where it goes. So is everyone who is born of the Spirit.”

 “And you, who once were alienated and enemies in your mind by wicked works, yet now He has reconciled.”

God created the world and humanity good. Yet, we find in our world the stubborn fact of sin. In one sense, our greatest dignity and identity is wrought through free will, but choice also makes possible our sinfulness and rebellion. The first truth concerning sin is that it is not ontologically sourced in God.

The Bible clearly depicts the perfection and goodness of our heavenly Father. “Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.  But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death” (James 1:13-16). Moreover, “God is light and in Him is no darkness at all” (I John 1: 5).

The Bible gives the story of the original fall which details temptation and the eternal existential consequences. The Apostle Paul reveals that something profound happened to humanity in the fall of Adam. “Therefore, just as through one man sin entered the world, and death through sin, and thus death spread to all men, because all sinned” (Romans 5:12). Sin entered the world through Adam and proliferated with the result of physical and spiritual death. “Till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; For dust you are, And to dust you shall return” (Genesis 3:19). The Apostle Paul relates, “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Romans 6:23).

According to Vine’s Expository Dictionary, sin means literally “missing the mark.”

(I John 3:4) “Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.” The word is related to an action or behavior which is contrary or deficient from the standard required, commanded, and expected by God. It also in some Biblical contexts carries the notion of power. Sin can exert hegemony and control over a person. Jesus relates, “Most assuredly, I say to you, whoever commits sin is a slave of sin.” The Scriptures also say, “Therefore do not let sin reign in your mortal body, that you should obey it in its lusts.  And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6: 12-14).

Sin spiritually estranges us from God which isolates us from life and being itself. (Isaiah 59: 1,2) “But your iniquities have separated you from your God; And your sins have hidden His face from you.” The Scriptures characterize humanity’s dilemma as spiritual death because of sin. “And you He made alive, who were dead in trespasses and sins, in which you once walked according to the course of this world, according to the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience, among whom also we all once conducted ourselves in the lusts of our flesh, fulfilling the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and were by nature children of wrath, just as the others” (Ephesians 2: 1-3). Salvation must come in terms of a new birth (John 3). “Those who are born once (physically) will die twice (physically and eternally); however, those who are born twice (physically and spiritually) will die only once (physically).” (Geisler 2004)

The holiness of God stands in contrast to our sinfulness. The Bible puts this into stark terms, “For whoever shall keep the whole law, and yet stumble in one point, he is guilty of all” (James 2:10). Isaiah when confronted by an appearance of the Lord reacted, “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The Lord of hosts” (Isaiah 6:5). Peter similarly with Christ, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord!”

We are sinful. (Romans 3:23) “For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.” Our recalcitrance is rooted in our own inner being “The heart is deceitful above all things, And desperately wicked; Who can know it?” Our salvation must be found in God. The Apostle Paul details the magnificent grace and intervention of the Father through Jesus Christ, “in whom we have redemption through His blood, the forgiveness of sins” (Colossians 1:14).