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The Sermon on the Mount is likely familiar to you, even if you don’t realize it at first. Many of us know its words and phrases, even if we were not aware of their source. For example, “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” “turn the other cheek,” or “do unto others as you would have them do unto you” have made their way into our everyday vocabulary. Even Jesus’ model prayer, “Our Father in heaven,” comes from this sermon.

Some of the most well-known teachings in the Sermon on the Mount include:
“Blessed are the…” (the Beatitudes)
The call to be salt and light
Jesus’ teaching on anger, lust, and loving our enemies
“Turn the other cheek”
“Do not worry about tomorrow”
The Lord’s Prayer (Our Father)
“Judge not, that you be not judged”
The Golden Rule
The warning about the narrow and wide paths
The house built upon the rock

Because these sayings are so familiar, it’s easy to treat the Sermon on the Mount like a collection of wise sayings, helpful tips for living a better, more moral, or more successful life. But Jesus isn’t offering inspirational advice. This sermon is a radical call into a kingdom, spoken by a King who teaches with authority and demands a response. At the end of Matthew 7, the crowds were astonished, not because Jesus was clever, but because He spoke as one who had the authority to define reality itself.

Over the next seven weeks, we will walk through the Sermon on the Mount together. We’ll hear the call of the kingdom, we’ll see what it means to live in the kingdom, and ultimately we’ll face a call to choose where we walk and where we build our lives. Jesus confronts false righteousness, puts things back into proper order, and calls us to a deeper way of life. It’s not a checkbox type of religion, but transformed hearts shaped by the reign of God.

This Sunday, we begin where Jesus begins: with the Beatitudes. What are they? Why do they matter? And why does Jesus begin His teaching this way? The Beatitudes show us what life under God’s reign actually looks like. They will correct us, welcome us, and prepare us for everything Jesus says next.

It’s worth noting that Luke records a shorter version of this sermon in his Gospel, reminding us that these teachings were central to Jesus’ message wherever He went. This is not a side note in the Christian life. 

We invite you to join us this Sunday as we begin this journey together, listening again to the words of our King and learning what it truly means to live as citizens of His kingdom.