Matthew 5 Summary - Quick Bible Study

* You can download this outline under the “Resources” tab of the website.

MATTHEW 5 SUMMARY IN 5 MINUTES

• WHEN:

  • The birth of Jesus probably occurred around 4 B.C..

  • From Luke 3:23, we know Jesus began His ministry when He was about 30 years old.

  • This would place the events of Jesus’ ministry roughly between 26-31 A.D..

• CHARACTERS:

  • Jesus - The Messiah. The Son of God who came to save the world from sin.

  • Disciples - Men and women who followed Jesus and respected His teachings.

• WHERE:

  • We aren’t told the specific mountain on which these words were spoken.

  • There is a tradition that the Sermon on the Mount was delivered on what has come to be known as the Mount of the Beatitudes, which sits just northwest of the Sea of Galilee.

  • *see the map above.

• OUTLINE: THE SERMON ON THE MOUNT (MATTHEW 5-7)

  • THE BEATITUDES (5:1-5:12):

    • Jesus went up on a mountain and began teaching His disciples.

    • He started by talking about those who would be blessed by the Kingdom of Heaven.

    • Blessed are the... poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, the persecuted, the reviled, and the falsely slandered.

  • CHRISTIAN INFLUENCE IN THE WORLD (5:13-5:16):

    • Jesus compared His disciples to salt and light.

    • Salt should influence the taste of food.

    • Candles are intended to fill their surroundings with light.

    • In like manner, Christians ought to positively influence those around them.

  • JESUS’ RELATIONSHIP TO THE LAW OF MOSES (5:17-5:20):

    • Jesus came to the earth to fulfill the Law, not to undermine it.

    • The Law of Moses and the work of Jesus were both part of God’s unified plan.

  • JESUS TEACHES ON VARIOUS TOPICS (5:21-5:48):

    • Jesus spoke about the danger of anger.

    • Reconciling broken relationships.

    • Avoiding lust and guarding your heart against evil intent.

    • Restrictions on divorce.

    • He told His disciple not to swear or take oaths, but to keep their word.

    • He taught them to be kind to their enemies and not to return evil for evil. In doing so, they would be sons of their Father in Heaven.

• BIG PICTURE:

  • God’s original laws, delivered through Moses, had served their purpose and accomplished exactly what God had intended for them to accomplish.

  • But the time had come for something new.

  • God sent Jesus to the earth to communicate His new covenant.

  • The Sermon on the Mount and other teaching sessions were used by Jesus to communicate the way God wanted His followers to live moving forward.

• APPLICATION:

  • In verse 37, Jesus taught, “Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’.

  • Jesus wanted His disciples to be people of their word, and to not have to go to extreme lengths (taking oaths and swearing) to be considered trustworthy.

  • His instructions are easy to understand, but few people apply them.

  • We are quick to go back on commitments, we come up with excuses to get out of things we agreed to do, and we overschedule ourselves and have to break promises (all these things are normal in our society).

  • But what if Christians were known as people who never broke their word.

  • Something so simple could have a positive impact on the way people view disciples.