Firm Foundations: Chapter 6, The Ancient Son

🕰️ Estimated Teaching Time: 90 mins

📖 Self-Guided Reading Time: 50 minutes

Firm Foundations- Chapter 6, The Ancient SonA Kingdom Far Far Away, Inc.

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✦ Introduction

The prophets once spoke of light piercing the darkness, but none could imagine how fierce the dawn would blaze. Israel had endured centuries of silence, their hopes buried beneath exile and empire. Then, without trumpet or procession, the voice that split Sinai’s sky returned — clothed not in fire, but in the quiet breath of a carpenter’s son from Nazareth. Son of Joseph, son of David in one man.This chapter lifts the veil on mysteries long concealed. You will discover why demons trembled at His approach, why the desperate reached only for the fringe of His robe and were made whole, why His parables revealed heaven’s secrets to some while blinding others in their pride. You will uncover the hidden weight behind His chosen name — the Son of Man — and trace how every covenant, promise, and prophecy found its breath and heartbeat in Him.The story is on the edge of its most breathtaking eruption. Israel’s Long-Awaited-Messiah steps into view. The main character of the Bible, veiled for ages, emerges in flesh and blood. What you will learn in this chapter: Section 1: Jesus in the Gospels. Unveiling Jesus not as a mere teacher but as something much more. Dive into a supernatural encounter unlike anything the world has ever seen before or after. Israel’s Messiah shocked the world, taught an unleashed their holy scriptures which the world embraced. We continue to look at the first four books of the New Testament (unknown as the Gospels) to uncover these events. Section 2: The Kingdom of God. Watch the Kingdom of Heaven collide with earth — unlike Caesar’s or Pharaoh’s empire. Hidden in parables, revealed secrets, scandalous truths; this Kingdom reshaped history. Section 3: Messiah’s Identity. We wrestle with why He called Himself the Son of Man and what He revealed about the nature of God. Here, the nature of a being unlike anyone who ever walked is revealed: the servant who kneels, the sovereign who reigns, salvation wrapped in scandal. Section 4: The Sermon on the Mount. Climb with Him as He fulfills the Law, not as echo but as fire. The thunder of Sinai is sharpened into words that pierce hearts, unveil hidden motives, and call souls into a higher life.

The silence is broken. The Author of life has stepped into His own story, and promises to shake both heaven and earth. The world will never be the same — and you are about to stand at the cliff’s edge of revelation.

Now turn the page and step into Section 1, where the Gospels open like windows and reveal the Messiah in motion.

✦ Section 1: Jesus in the Gospels (The Living Word Made Flesh)

What most people don’t realize about Christianity is that it is not a breakaway religion, but the fulfillment of Judaism through Israel’s Messiah, Yeshua. Around the first century AD, a great number of faithful Jews accepted Yeshua (known to us as Jesus) as the long-awaited Messiah. They had finally received the One their prophets promised — and then, in faith, they released Him to the world. This is where the New Testament begins: the written accounts of what these witnesses saw and heard in this fulfillment.

The Gospel of John begins by taking us back to the very first page of Scripture: the Word who spoke creation into being is the same Word who stepped into history in flesh and blood. The Gospel of Luke shows us Jesus unrolling Isaiah’s scroll and proclaiming that the prophecy was fulfilled in their hearing that very day. And Matthew anchors His ministry in the Law itself, revealing Him as the one who came not to abolish it but to fulfill it.

But be warned: this is not the kind of Messiah you may imagine. What He revealed was so deep, so dense, that the world has spent centuries trying to unravel it. What many once thought were only metaphors are proving themselves to be the Living Word — reshaping human thought, rewriting even the sciences, and pointing the world toward peace under His interpretation of the Torah.

And so we turn to one of the most startling moments at the beginning of His ministry:

Jesus is not only the messenger of the Kingdom — He is its embodiment. He is the greatest Rabbi ever known to history, the great Teacher who explains the Scriptures, and yet He Himself is the subject of the Scriptures.

Why is Jesus often considered the greatest Rabbi in Jewish history? For one, the Gospels record that His authority astonished His audiences — unlike other teachers, He spoke as if the Torah itself originated in Him (Matthew 7:28–29). He debated Pharisees and Sadducees with unmatched precision, leaving them without reply (Mark 12:34). His use of parables was revolutionary, shaping Jewish and later world literature. And His teachings, such as the Sermon on the Mount, continue to influence ethics, law, and philosophy across nations and centuries. Historically, even many outside Christianity — Jewish, secular, and academic voices — have acknowledged His unparalleled impact as a rabbi within first-century Judaism.

How did Jesus bring the Torah to the world in a way no rabbi before Him had? The temple in Jerusalem was destroyed in 70 AD, leaving Judaism itself with the pressing question of how atonement and cleansing would continue without sacrifices. The Gospels claim that Jesus anticipated this and offered His own life as a once-for-all sacrifice, making forgiveness possible beyond the physical temple. This is why His followers believed He had established a new kind of temple — not of stone, but of His own body (John 2:19–21). Whether one accepts this claim or not, the historical fact is that His movement carried the Torah’s ethical and moral framework into the Greco-Roman world, where it shaped civilizations far beyond Israel’s borders.

This presents a challenge and an invitation. If Jesus’ interpretation of the Torah truly extends cleansing and peace to the world without a temple, then the question is not whether He fits Israel’s hope — but whether ignoring Him leaves part of that hope unexplored.

The very fact that a Jewish man has transcended nations, uniting people regardless of race, and inspiring the world to read the Jewish Torah and Tanakh, is itself the legacy of Israel’s Messiah. No other Jewish man in history has carried such influence for two thousand years, with a following that has grown larger than any movement before or since. And those who truly follow His words, embrace and love Israel, adopting them like Ruth did Naomi. No other figure in all of Jewish history has accomplished this.

Pause and Reflect

Why might Jesus’ claim in the synagogue — that He was the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy — have been both thrilling and threatening to His Jewish audience?

For His Jewish audience, Jesus’ claim in the synagogue was both thrilling and threatening because it touched the very heart of their hope. Thrilling, because every faithful Israelite longed for the day when Isaiah’s words would finally be fulfilled — liberty for the captives, sight for the blind, good news for the poor. To hear someone declare “Today this Scripture is fulfilled” was to taste the possibility that centuries of waiting were reaching their climax.

But it was also threatening, because such a claim carried immense weight. If true, it meant that God’s promises were unfolding right before their eyes. If false, it was dangerous blasphemy. For devout Jews, deeply protective of God’s holiness, this was not a light matter. Jesus’ words confronted them with a choice: to believe or to resist.

Christians today can read this moment with deep gratitude, but also with respect for the weight it carried for His first hearers. Their caution was not unbelief without reason, but the natural gravity of a people who loved the Torah and guarded God’s promises carefully. In love, we can understand their tension — while still bearing witness to the joy of seeing those promises fulfilled in Jesus.

Workshop

Take one Old Testament prophecy or image (for example, the Passover lamb, the suffering servant in Isaiah, or David’s throne) and trace how it is fulfilled in Jesus. Write it in two sentences: one describing the ancient Jewish expectation, and one describing how the New Testament shows its fulfillment in Christ.

✦ Section 2: The Kingdom of God - Scandal and Salvation

When Jesus declared the Kingdom of God, His hearers thought of Caesar, Herod, or even a new David. They expected a warrior-king to crush Rome. But instead, Jesus’ Kingdom began in parables and servanthood.

• A mustard seed growing unnoticed.

• A treasure hidden in a field.

• A feast open to the poor and outcast.

This Kingdom confronted every empire. Pharaoh had enslaved. Nebuchadnezzar had conquered. Rome taxed and crucified. Yet Jesus’ reign would come without legions or swords — it would begin in human hearts.

Then came the moments that no one could have predicted. He went to places people were terrified to go. His followers were shaken by real encounters with the unseen. Voices spoke from thin air, shrieking in terror, “You are the Son of God! Have You come to torment us?” (Mark 1:24). The supernatural was not distant myth — it was breaking into daylight before their eyes. Demons trembled and fled at His command. Ancient sources, even beyond the Gospels, reflect that in the culture of His time spiritual beings were believed to recognize true spiritual authority. The fact that hostile spirits obeyed Him is presented in the records as observable: they identified Him, cried out, and fell silent. The evidence is that these encounters were public, leaving crowds astonished that even unseen forces responded immediately to His words.

People on the edge of ruin — moments away from despair, suicide, or death — would suddenly find Him standing before them. His voice, like thunder, broke chains of darkness and restored them beyond anything medicine could claim, even today. The desperate pressed through crowds, reaching for nothing more than the fringe of His robe (Luke 8:43–48), and when they touched it, wholeness surged into their broken bodies. From the Gospel writers’ standpoint, these events were not described as magic tricks but as the natural outcome of faith colliding with authority. Jesus consistently told people that it was their faith in His authority that made them whole. It was as if the hold on them that caused suffering was broken, and they were set free simply by believing that He was who He claimed to be. Time and again He said, “Your faith has made you well” (Mark 5:34, Luke 17:19). The records show that people believed, reached out, and trusted — and it was this faith that opened the way for healing and deliverance. It was eerie, unexplainable, overwhelming — and yet undeniable.

And still there was more. The Gospels tell of a man who even the elements obeyed. Storms silenced at His rebuke, waves flattened at His word (Mark 4:39). A fig tree withered at His curse, shocking His disciples (Mark 11:20–21). And on the day He was killed, the earth itself groaned — the sky blackened, the ground quaked, and rocks split apart (Matthew 27:45, 51). These are scenes like a film etched in terror and awe: nature convulsing as if bowing before its Creator. No prophet, no warrior, no king had ever wielded such authority. Only this man, who spoke and the world trembled, revealed Himself as one with true power — before whom even creation itself bent low.

His parables carried the same otherworldly weight. Jesus only ever spoke in parables and stories, using them to paint a greater picture that pointed beyond the surface. The humble were permitted to see, but the prideful were blinded from receiving this wisdom. The New Testament is filled with these stories and riddles, many explained by His apostles as they were passed down — yet even today they continue to reveal deeper layers of truth. To the humble, they unlocked secrets of heaven. To the proud, they closed the door and left them stumbling in confusion (Matthew 13:10–17). A living book that can even conceal or reveal, depending on who reads it. Every word, every act carried the hidden weight of His chosen name — the Son of Man — a name Daniel once saw robed in everlasting dominion (Daniel 7:13–14). In Him, every covenant, every promise, every prophecy began to breathe as one.

Many stumbled at this. For some, a suffering Messiah was scandal, not salvation. Yet His works revealed a power deeper than Rome’s — the power to restore creation itself. His Kingdom was not measured in coins or armies, but in lives reborn. But more than that, just the very use of His name made demonic activity cease, wounds healed and even first hand accounts of resurrecting the dead (John 11:43–44). The people of his time knew they saw a great light, except for a single group... the religious leaders. Oddly they became jealous, saw their power slipping as joy, healing and peace was being proclaimed by the very people He touched.

But let us step back in time, before these wonders. Scripture does tell us of His life before the miracles began. He was born in Bethlehem (Luke 2:4–7), grew up in Nazareth (Matthew 2:23), and learned the trade of a carpenter (Mark 6:3). He kept the customs of His people, attending synagogue (Luke 4:16), celebrating the feasts, and living under the Law. He was called Rabbi not only for His teaching later, but because He moved within Judaism’s stream from the start.

What sort of person was He? The Gospels describe Him as growing in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men (Luke 2:52). He was humble, obedient, and wise beyond His years, amazing teachers in the temple as a boy (Luke 2:46–47). Even then, some resisted Him. Those who clung to their power, or feared disruption, eyed Him with suspicion long before His first miracle at Cana (John 2:1–11).

When His time came to step into public ministry, He spoke with awareness of His identity. As a boy He had already said, “Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?” (Luke 2:49). He knew Himself as the one sent by the Father, and from that point on, His miracles would confirm what He already knew within: that He was Israel’s Messiah, come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets.

Yet this awareness also stirred fierce reactions. To many, He was a rebel, a blasphemer, a man who dared to confront the establishment. He was cast out of synagogues for speaking words too bold (Luke 4:28–29). He was accused of undermining the religious leaders when He healed on the Sabbath or forgave sins. And in a sense, He did rebel — not against God’s Law, but against the corruption of those who twisted it. His relationship with the traditionalists was harsh because He saw pride, cruelty, and blindness where there should have been mercy and truth.

This does not surprise us, because in Ezekiel 34 the Sovereign Lord Himself declares that He will come as the Good Shepherd to rescue His scattered sheep and to bring judgment upon the shepherds who abused and exploited them: “Woe to the shepherds of Israel who only take care of themselves! Should not shepherds take care of the flock? … I myself will search for my sheep and look after them … I will rescue them from all the places where they were scattered … I will place over them one shepherd, my servant David, and he will tend them.” (Ezekiel 34:2, 11–12, 23). This prophecy was a direct rebuke to corrupt leaders and a promise that God Himself would intervene: “Thus says the Lord God: “Behold, I am against the shepherds, and I will require My flock at their hand; I will cause them to cease feeding the sheep, and the shepherds shall feed themselves no more; for I will deliver My flock from their mouths, that they may no longer be food for them.” (Ezekiel 34:10)

When Jesus called Himself the Good Shepherd (John 10:11), He was signaling the fulfillment of Ezekiel 34 — God had arrived to confront the false shepherds and reclaim His flock. This was no gentle metaphor. It was a declaration of divine authority, a warning that their power was crumbling. For some, this brought confusion; for others, jealousy and rage to preserve their influence. This turbulence between the Great Rabbi Jesus and the leaders of Israel explains why He was branded a rebel — not for earthly rebellion, but because He embodied the suffering Servant of Isaiah 53, who would be despised and rejected, and who would lay down His life as a sacrifice even for those who hated Him. And in His final words before He died, Jesus, forgave all those involved against Him (Luke 23:34). Thus we are reminded, Christianity is not about pointing the finger are past divisions, but forgiveness to those who persecute us.

 Jesus became an advocate for the underdog, challenging the Sanhedrin in hopes they would see their error. Some did, and followed Him. To the commonfolk He was gentle, lifting up the voiceless. To the powerful leaders He was bold, direct, and honest. All He ever promoted was love, kindness, the oneness of God, servitude, forgiveness, and mercy — and this is what made Him dangerous to the hypocrites who feared losing their grip on power and their own established wealth. And yet, anyone today can read for themselves all about His miracles, hear the witness proclamations of His divinity in the Gospels, see the fulfillments recorded in the books of the prophets, and much more by opening the New Testament. But the purpose of the New Testament is not hinged on a single thought of “This is who Jesus is. Celebrate, love, and go on living how He taught, the end.” Far from it. The writings from the Messiah’s followers are often haunting: they speak of dark histories of massacre, of love letters between the churches preparing believers for martyrdom, of God’s secret plan revealed before men and angels. And finally, they close with the most haunting book of all — a prophecy of the last days, where the world continues on track with eerie precision toward events foretold, and the promise of Jesus’ return.

Pause and Reflect

Section 2 shows us that the Kingdom of God shattered expectations. It was not a kingdom of armies, but of parables, mercy, and supernatural encounters. Jesus entered places of fear, lifted the broken, and challenged corrupt power. His words divided the humble from the proud, and His very name carried authority that even spirits obeyed. Today, religion often risks becoming about tradition, image, or power — the very things He opposed. The challenge is this: do we align ourselves with the humility and mercy of His Kingdom, or are we at risk of becoming like the leaders who resisted Him, clinging to pride and control?

Workshop

Take one small action this week that reflects the Kingdom Jesus revealed. It could be serving someone in need, forgiving a wrong, or lifting up a person others overlook. Keep it simple, but do it with intention and humility. Then pause and ask yourself: What does this act teach me about living under His authority today?

✦ Section 2: Messiah's Identity- The Son of Man

Everything that Jesus said and did was part of a test, a mystery only rooted in scripture. The things He said, expected that scripture was cherished and known. So that when He wore titles, it was like a password that revealed who He was to those who knew the scriptures. This is how it was fulfilled that "He came to reveal who He was to those who were His". If anyone did not know their scripture, he was an enigma: which was the design. Even if they only knew one chapter of the prophets, they could be amazed. But sadly... like today, many claimed to be experts but didn't know anything.

Jesus most often referred to Himself with a title that puzzled His hearers: the Son of Man. This was no casual phrase. It reached back to the vision of Daniel 7, one of the most staggering passages in all of Scripture. In that vision, Daniel saw thrones set in place and the Ancient of Days taking His seat, clothed in radiant fire. Rivers of flame poured forth before Him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood in attendance. Then, in the midst of this overwhelming majesty, came One like a son of man, approaching on the clouds of heaven. Unlike every other ruler in history, this figure was given everlasting dominion, glory, and a kingdom that would never pass away. For a Jew in the first century to claim this title was nothing less than claiming to share in the rule and glory of God Himself. It was breathtaking — and terrifying.

By choosing this name, Jesus declared both His humanity and His divinity. He was fully man, standing with His people, and fully God, receiving authority over all creation. This was a type of King no man had ever seen: the first human with the power and authority of creation — but only because He wore flesh. His true nature was God stepping into the flesh. Not God that is human or a human that is God, for He had walked the earth with the figures of the Old Testament before His birth. Rather, He is God who took on the form needed to accomplish a task: the Lamb who would take away the sins of the world. Humanity was made in His image, and after His resurrection He returned to His glory as the Son of God. Let us not forget: we were made in God’s image, not God in our image. To clarify: God is not human and human is not God as Jesus appeared to be. What He returned to after His resurrection was His eternal image — the very image in which mankind was made — not the temporary image of a man born into this world. Scripture shows that God has taken many forms — one was even a burning bush — for He is not limited in how He reveals Himself. Every time He called Himself the Son of Man, He was drawing His listeners back to that fiery throne room in Daniel 7, hinting that the one they saw before them — walking dusty roads, healing the broken, teaching the crowds — was the very figure Daniel foresaw, the one to whom heaven and earth must bow.

Why did He avoid the more obvious title of Messiah? Because the word carried political weight — the expectation of a warrior who would overthrow Rome. Instead, the Son of Man came not with a sword, but with authority that silenced demons, healed the sick, and forgave sins. It was a title wrapped in mystery: humble, yet filled with power. It drew the attentive closer while frustrating those who demanded a conquering king.

The Scandal of His Identity

But this identity brought scandal. At this point, Jesus revealed something deeper — His holy name, given for His people to call upon, a name carrying real power and authority. Judaism had long held God’s covenant name, Yod-Hey-Vav-Hey (יהוה). Out of reverence for Jewish tradition, this name is often expressed by its letters rather than spoken aloud, as a way of honoring the sacredness of God’s covenant name and remembering it as the seal of His faithfulness. The Gospels never record Jesus speaking this name aloud either, which reflects the same Jewish practice of reverence and restraint. Yet Jesus declared that He and the Father are one (John 10:30), echoing the Shema prayer:

“Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” 

Far from breaking Jewish thought, He was building upon it. He showed that the God of Israel is one, yet revealed in Father, Son, and Spirit. Not three gods, but one being with three angles of self-revelation. To honor one is to honor all. To resist one is to resist the fullness of God.

This was the scandal that shook the Sanhedrin. They heard His claim as blasphemy, but what He revealed was the heart of God’s unity. The Spirit He spoke of was not new. The Hebrew Scriptures mention the Spirit of God many times: In Genesis 1, we see the Spirit of God hovering over the waters at creation. In Judges 6:34, we read of the Spirit of God rushing upon Gideon with power; in Isaiah 61:1, the Spirit anoints the servant to bring good news; and in 1 Samuel 16:13, the Spirit of the Lord comes mightily upon David to guide him as king. In Judges 16:20, we also read of Samson, whose supernatural strength came when the Spirit of the Lord rushed upon him. Yet in his downfall, “he did not know that the Spirit of the Lord had left him.” The same Spirit who gave him power also departed, leaving him as nothing more than a man. This shows how vital and visible the Spirit’s presence was understood to be. For Christians, this becomes a picture of the Holy Spirit: not a magical force, but the living presence of God Himself — an empowering fire who does only God’s will. This same Spirit, Jesus affirmed, was of one essence with the Father and with Himself.

The Old Testament had already prepared the way. When Isaiah spoke of the Servant filled with God’s Spirit (Isaiah 42:1), and when Ezekiel described God placing His Spirit within His people to cause them to walk in His statutes (Ezekiel 36:27), these were shadows pointing forward. Jesus pulled back the veil and showed that what seemed separate was always united. The Father, the Word, and the Spirit were never divided. In Him, the mystery became flesh.

We also see hints of Jesus appearing in the Scriptures as the visible image of God. In Joshua 5:13–15, Joshua confronted a mysterious man with a drawn sword and asked, “Are you for us or for our enemies?” The figure replied, “Neither, but as commander of the army of the Lord I have now come.” Joshua fell to the ground, realizing he was in God’s presence. In Judges 13, the parents of Samson encountered a man who foretold their son’s birth. At first they thought he was only an angel, but after he ascended in the flame of their offering they cried out, “We have seen God!” 

Judges 13: 2-25

This is more Jewish than many realize. The Trinity was not a later invention but the unfolding of truths hidden in Israel’s Scriptures, revealed fully in the Messiah. And this was why some hated Him — not because He broke the Law, but because He revealed the fullness of the Lawgiver. It was scandal to those who could not see, but salvation to those whose eyes were opened.

In this mystery we also see His humility. As Paul wrote: “[He] did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.” (Philippians 2:6–7, NKJV). Jesus taught His followers to pray to the Father directly, promising that whatever they asked in His name would be done. He never instructed them to overshadow the Father in prayer or worship, for He never sought glory apart from the Spirit or the Father. And in His perfect nature, we witness the harmony of the Trinity at His baptism: “And when He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’” (Matthew 3:16–17, NKJV).

Pause and Reflect

The vision of Daniel 7 is not a distant dream but the key to understanding Jesus’ own words. To see Him as the Son of Man is to stand in Daniel’s throne room, watching heaven’s fire and glory, and realizing that the humble Rabbi of Galilee is the same figure who receives worship from all nations. He is the eternal image in which mankind was created, the Spirit who empowered judges and kings, the visible commander who appeared to Joshua and Samson’s parents, and the Son who revealed the Father’s unity. All of Scripture builds to this revelation. If this is true, then we must ask: are we willing to see Jesus not just as teacher or prophet, but as the everlasting King and God Himself made flesh?

Workshop

Read Daniel 7:9–14 slowly. Write down every image that shocks or stirs you — thrones, fire, clouds, dominion. Then reflect: when Jesus called Himself the Son of Man, how do these images change the way you understand His authority and identity?

✦ Section 4: The Sermon on the Mount- The Fulfillment of Sinai

If the Exodus gave Israel the Law on Mount Sinai, then the Sermon on the Mount becomes the fulfillment of Sinai for the people of God. This was not simply another teaching, but the most complete sermon preserved in the Gospels — stretching over three chapters in Matthew and echoing in Luke. Jesus often spoke in synagogues, on hillsides, and by the sea, but none of those moments carried the breadth, weight, or clarity of this one. Crowds pressed in on a Galilean hillside, and when He opened His mouth, His words shook the world. He declared: “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.” (Matthew 5:17). The people were astonished, for He spoke not as a scribe quoting tradition, but with the authority of God Himself.

What did He mean by fulfilling rather than discarding the Law? He was not erasing the old to replace it with something new, but bringing the Law to its true purpose. For generations humanity had mishandled it, reducing God’s commands to outward rituals and performances. And without realizing it, many Christians still fall into this trap today. If you are simply checking off commandments like boxes on a list to avoid sin, you are still missing the heart — just as Israel did with the Ten Commandments. Jesus fulfilled the requirements of the Ten by distilling them into two: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul, and love your neighbor as yourself; do unto others as you would have them do unto you. This was not a new teaching, but a reminder that everyone had missed the mark. Jesus peeled back the layers, showing the heart behind the words. The commands were never meant as burdensome rules to manipulate, but as a living pathway into love, mercy, and holiness. In fulfilling the Law, He did what no one else could — embodying perfect obedience, uncovering its deepest meaning, and opening the way for His followers to walk in it with transformed hearts. The Sermon on the Mount was not a rejection of Sinai but its fulfillment — the very voice of God, once thundered from stone, now spoken through the Son.

A Closer Look at the Sermon

Now let us look into this sermon as a whole, in summary form. What Jesus spoke on that hillside was nothing short of revolutionary, and each theme carried the power to change lives.

• He deepens the Law. Jesus takes the commandments beyond outward action into the hidden motives of the heart. “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’ But I say to you that whoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment.” (Matthew 5:21–22, NKJV). And again: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that whoever looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27–28, NKJV). In this way, He calls for purity of heart, not just obedience of hand.

• He teaches prayer, fasting, giving, and forgiveness. These are no longer empty rituals, but intimate acts of life with the Father. “When you pray, go into your room, and when you have shut your door, pray to your Father who is in the secret place.” (Matthew 6:6, NKJV). On forgiveness, He warns: “If you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.” (Matthew 6:15, NKJV). The disciplines are not for show, but for sincerity.

• He calls His followers to be salt and light. Jesus casts a vision for His people as agents of transformation. “You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned?” (Matthew 5:13, NKJV). “You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.” (Matthew 5:14, NKJV). His Kingdom citizens are to shape culture, preserve goodness, and shine truth in a darkened world.

The Sermon on the Mount is not less demanding than the Law — it is more. It pierces the heart and stretches the soul. It reveals that the Kingdom is not a matter of appearances, but of transformed lives lived in the presence of God. It is a manifesto that redefined righteousness, shook the religious norms of its day, and continues to shape every generation that reads it.

But Jesus’ most iconic words were actually in the opening of his sermon, The Beatitudes.

The Beatitudes open the Sermon on the Mount like the sunrise breaking over the horizon. Jesus begins not with commands, but with blessings — a portrait of the kind of people who belong to His Kingdom.

• The poor in spirit are blessed, because their humility opens the door to heaven’s riches.

• Those who mourn find comfort, for God Himself wipes away their tears.

• The meek inherit the earth, not by force or conquest, but through quiet trust in God’s strength.

• Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are filled, their longing satisfied by the justice and goodness of God.

• The merciful receive mercy in return, embodying the very heart of God.

• The pure in heart are blessed with vision, for they shall see God.

• The peacemakers are called children of God, reflecting their Father’s nature.

• Those persecuted for righteousness’ sake are promised the Kingdom of Heaven, their suffering bound up with eternal glory.

Together these blessings invert the world’s values. Power, wealth, and status do not define the citizens of God’s Kingdom. Instead, it is humility, mercy, purity, peace, and endurance in the face of suffering that mark the truly blessed. The Beatitudes announce that God’s Kingdom has broken into the world — and it belongs to the least likely. In this Kingdom, the order of the world is turned upside down: the first will be last, and the last will be first. Those who seemed forgotten and small are lifted up, while those who clung to power and pride are brought low.

HomeworkTo fully grasp its power, go and read the entire Sermon on the Mount in Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 5–7). Read it slowly, reflect on each teaching, and consider how its words still challenge and change the world today.

The Character of the King

Now we turn to consider the character of Jesus Himself. He was at once gentle and approachable, yet uncompromising in truth and justice. He modeled humility, compassion for the outcast, courage against corruption, and unwavering obedience to the Father. He commanded His followers not only to admire these traits but to imitate them. Following Him meant minimalism, denying oneself, simplicity, sacrifice, and bearing one’s own cross. It cost careers, reputations, family ties, and even lives, as the earliest disciples discovered when they were persecuted and scattered. Yet those who followed Him were transformed — fishermen became apostles, tax collectors became evangelists, doubters became martyrs. Their courage and unity shaped the earliest church, which faced opposition from Rome, pressure from religious leaders, and division within its own ranks. And yet, with Jesus’ character as their model and His Spirit as their guide, they endured and spread the gospel to the nations. These questions of character, cost, and discipleship take us beyond the words of the sermon into the very heart of the One who spoke them. But most importantly, Jesus gave His followers two "superpowers" which allowed them to break earthly chains and boundaries: the power of using His name, and the Holy Spirit — the Mattan (מתן), a Hebrew word meaning “gift,” God’s own gift poured out to empower and guide them. With faith — believing these truths — His name and the Holy Spirit are what transform people in Christianity. Faith, hope, and love become the foundation: faith in His name, hope as the conduit connecting faith to God, and love as the very nature of God Himself. Then becoming love, which is one with God.

Reading

To close this section, let us listen to Jesus’ prayer for His church, spoken on the night before His crucifixion. In it, He prays for all who would believe in Him, asking that they may share in the same unity He has with the Father:

“I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me. And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one: I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.” (John 17:20–23, NKJV)

In Jewish culture, unity was not merely an abstract idea but a covenantal reality: Israel was called to be one people under one God, bound by the שְׁמַע Shema’s declaration that “The Lord our God, the Lord is one.” When Jesus prayed for His followers to be one as He and the Father are one, He was invoking this deep Jewish understanding of oneness, but extending it to include Himself and the Spirit. God is love, and to be one with Him means to embody that love in community, living as a people whose shared life reflects the unity of God’s own being.

Pause and Reflect

• Which teaching in the Sermon on the Mount challenges you most deeply?

• How is Jesus both raising the bar and offering grace in this sermon?

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Workshop

Choose one teaching from the Sermon on the Mount and write how it might look lived out in today’s world. For example: “turn the other cheek” in online conflict, or “treasures in heaven” in career decisions.

Conclusion: The Turning Point

The Bible’s story has reached its heartbeat. Jesus is the Word made flesh, the Son of Man with everlasting dominion, the King whose Kingdom confounds all others. He fulfills every covenant, every promise, every prophecy. Yet the road of the Kingdom will not climb to a throne in Jerusalem — it will descend to a cross outside its gates.

In the next chapter, we follow Him there. The King who heals and teaches will face rejection. The One who came to fulfill the Law will be condemned under it. The Son of Man will be lifted up, not on clouds of glory, but on wood and nails.

The story bends toward its greatest scandal — and its greatest salvation. And as we step into the next chapter, be prepared to sit on the edge of your seat. The crucifixion was not what anyone expected, yet it altered the course of history and still reaches into your life today. What happened on that hill outside Jerusalem will confront, disturb, and ultimately invite you into the deepest mystery of God’s love.

Join us next in Chapter 7 for deep hidden mysteries that will blow your mind and change the way you see Christianity and Jesus.

Closing Prayer

"Heavenly Father,

We thank You for opening our eyes to see Jesus, the Ancient Son, the fulfillment of the Law and the prophets. We thank You for His words on the hillside, words that pierce the heart and breathe life into our souls. We thank You for the mystery of His miracles, His humility, and His love that reaches across generations.

Lord, make us poor in spirit, meek, merciful, and pure in heart. Teach us to hunger for righteousness, to bring peace, and to endure hardship with faith and courage. Help us to live not for appearances but for the reality of Your Kingdom within us.

We ask for the gift of Your Spirit, the Mattan, to guide us into unity with You and with one another. May Your love transform our thoughts, our words, and our actions until we reflect Your light in this world.

Prepare us, O God, as we enter the shadow of the cross in the next chapter. Keep us steadfast, that we may behold not just the scandal, but the salvation found in Christ alone.

In the name of Jesus, the Son of Man and the Son of God, we pray.

Amen."