The Sermon on the Mount refers to Jesus Christ’s famous sermon as recorded in Matthew chapters 5-7. It contains some of Jesus’ most profound and memorable teachings that give insight into the kingdom of God and how followers of Christ should live. The sermon has been one of the most widely quoted and influential parts of the New Testament. It includes the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, teachings on topics like anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, loving enemies, giving to the needy, prayer, fasting, money, worry, judging others and the Golden Rule. The Sermon on the Mount lays out Jesus’ moral vision and expectations for disciples.
The setting for the sermon is described in Matthew 5:1-2 – “Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. And he opened his mouth and taught them…” Based on this, Jesus likely delivered this teaching on a mountainside near Capernaum on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee. Matthew specifies that the primary audience was Jesus’ close disciples, though others were likely within earshot as well. The contents of the Sermon on the Mount have strong echoes of Jesus’ teachings throughout the Gospels as well as the ethical teachings found in the Old Testament Law and Prophets.
Major Themes of the Sermon on the Mount
Here are some of the main themes covered in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
The sermon opens with a series of statements that describe the character of those who are blessed in God’s kingdom. These beatitudes elevate virtues like humility, mourning, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity and peacemaking. Jesus suggests his followers should aspire to these virtues even when they contradict the values of the world.
Christ Fulfills the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
Jesus makes it clear he did not come to abolish the moral commandments in the Old Testament Law, but to fulfill them. He warns that unless one’s righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, they will not enter the kingdom. True righteousness is a matter of the heart, not just external acts.
Teachings on Anger, Lust, Divorce and Oaths (Matthew 5:21-37)
Jesus contrasts the letter of the Law with the spirit of the Law. He condemns not just murder, but anger that insults a brother. He condemns not just adultery, but lustful intent. He teaches that unlawfully divorcing and remarrying is adultery. And he condemns swearing falsely or frivolously.
Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5:38-48)
Jesus tells his followers not to retaliate against evil but to turn the other cheek, go the extra mile and love enemies. This contrasts with the Old Testament principle of “an eye for an eye.” Loving enemies reflects God’s mercy and perfection.
Giving to the Needy, Prayer and Fasting (Matthew 6:1-18)
Jesus teaches that righteousness must exceed that of the hypocritical religious leaders. Giving, prayer and fasting should be done humbly before God, not to impress people.
Treasures in Heaven, Not on Earth (Matthew 6:19-24)
Followers of Christ should store up eternal treasures rather than earthly treasures. One cannot serve both God and money.
Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
Jesus teaches that rather than worrying about food, drink and clothing, his followers should trust God to provide for their needs. Seeking God’s kingdom should be their first priority.
Do Not Judge (Matthew 7:1-6)
Jesus warns against hypocritically judging others when you yourself are not perfect. He teaches that we should examine our own faults before trying to remove specks from another’s eye.
Ask, Seek, Knock (Matthew 7:7-12)
Jesus encourages his followers to keep asking, seeking and knocking in prayer. God rewards those who earnestly seek Him. Do unto others what you would have them do unto you summarizes the Law.
Narrow and Wide Gates (Matthew 7:13-14)
Jesus warns that the gate to life is narrow while the gate to destruction is wide. The ways of God are narrow and few find them.
A Tree and Its Fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)
Jesus warns of false prophets who seem wholesome but produce bad fruit. You will recognize them by their fruits.
Lord, Lord (Matthew 7:21-23)
Jesus warns that not all who sound religious or do miracles will enter God’s kingdom, but only those who do His will.
The Wise and Foolish Builders (Matthew 7:24-27)
Jesus ends the Sermon on the Mount by contrasting those who hear his words and obey them by building on the rock versus those who hear but do not act by building on sand. When storms come, the first house stands while the second falls.
Key Elements of the Sermon on the Mount
Here are some of the most important components covered in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
The Beatitudes form the beginning of the Sermon on the Mount and lay out the core virtues Jesus expects his followers to embrace. These include qualities like humility, mourning, meekness, righteousness, mercy, purity of heart and peacemaking. Living out the Beatitudes may lead to persecution but also blessing.
Christ Fulfilling the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
An important theme in the sermon is that Jesus did not come to abolish the moral laws in the Old Testament but to fulfill them. However, he makes it clear that true righteousness is a matter of the heart, not just external obedience. Our righteousness must exceed that of the Pharisees.
Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5:38-48)
A core part of the sermon is when Jesus tells his followers to love their enemies and pray for those who persecute them. This contrasts with the Old Testament principle of “an eye for an eye.” Loving enemies reflects God’s mercy and perfection.
Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
When Jesus teaches his disciples how to pray, he gives them the Lord’s Prayer as a model prayer. This includes reciting God’s name, asking for his kingdom to come, requesting daily bread, asking for forgiveness and deliverance from evil.
Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
Part of the sermon includes Jesus stating the Golden Rule: “So whatever you wish that others would do to you, do also to them.” This summarizes the heart of God’s law.
Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:13-14)
Jesus teaches that the gate leading to life is narrow while the gate leading to destruction is wide. This emphasizes that the way of God is narrow and difficult and only a few find it.
Tree and its Fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)
Jesus warns his followers to watch out for false prophets who seem wholesome but produce bad fruit. This metaphor emphasizes recognizing them by their fruits, not just their words.
House on the Rock (Matthew 7:24-27)
Jesus ends the sermon by contrasting those who hear his words and obey them by building on rock versus those who don’t obey by building on sand. When storms come, the first house stands while the second falls.
Outline of the Sermon on the Mount
Here is an outline summarizing the key sections in Matthew 5-7 covered in Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount:
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
– The poor in spirit
– Those who mourn
– The meek
– Those who hunger for righteousness
– The merciful
– The pure in heart
– The peacemakers
– Those persecuted for righteousness
Christ Fulfills the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
Teachings on Anger, Lust, Divorce, Oaths (Matthew 5:21-37)
Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5:38-48)
Giving, Prayer, Fasting (Matthew 6:1-18)
Earthly and Heavenly Treasures (Matthew 6:19-24)
Do Not Worry (Matthew 6:25-34)
Do Not Judge (Matthew 7:1-6)
Ask, Seek, Knock (Matthew 7:7-12)
Narrow and Wide Gates (Matthew 7:13-14)
A Tree and Its Fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)
Lord, Lord (Matthew 7:21-23)
House on the Rock (Matthew 7:24-27)
Key Teachings in the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount contains some of Jesus’ most important moral and spiritual teachings. Here are some of the key lessons:
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
The beatitudes elevate virtues like humility, mourning, righteousness, mercy, purity and peacemaking. This contrasts worldly ideas of blessing.
Christ Fulfilling the Law (Matthew 5:17-20)
Jesus fulfilled the moral laws of the Old Testament. True righteousness is a matter of the heart, exceeding external obedience.
Love Your Enemies (Matthew 5:38-48)
Jesus commanded radical love – to turn the cheek, go the extra mile, and bless those who persecute you. This reflects God’s perfection.
Lord’s Prayer (Matthew 6:9-13)
The Lord’s Prayer provides a model prayer to approach God with praise, ask for needs, seek forgiveness and deliverance from evil.
Golden Rule (Matthew 7:12)
Treating others as you want to be treated summarizes the ethical laws in the Old Testament.
Narrow Gate (Matthew 7:13-14)
The way to life is narrow and difficult, while the way to destruction is broad and easy.
A Tree and Its Fruit (Matthew 7:15-20)
You will recognize false prophets by their fruit, not just by their words. Good trees bear good fruit.
House on the Rock (Matthew 7:24-27)
Those who hear and obey Jesus’ words will stand, while those who don’t obey will fall.
Application of the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount has powerful implications for how Christians should live. Here are some lessons to apply:
Strive for the virtues in the Beatitudes
Followers of Christ should pursue spiritual virtues like mercy, righteousness, purity of heart and peacemaking, not worldly ideas of blessing.
Obey from the heart
Don’t just externally follow moral laws, but obey God with the right heart motives and attitudes.
Love and pray for enemies
Do good to those who harm you. Reflect Christ’s radical love to stand out from the world.
Trust God for needs
Rather than worrying about food, drink and clothing, seek first God’s kingdom and trust that He will provide.
Store up heavenly treasures
Build your life around eternal rewards rather than pursuing worldly possessions and money.
Examine yourself before judging
Before judging another person’s faults, take an honest look at your own shortcomings.
Build your life on Christ’s words
Don’t just hear but apply and obey Jesus’ teachings from the Sermon on the Mount.
Summary of the Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount records Jesus’ longest teaching in the Gospels. It contains the Beatitudes, the Lord’s Prayer, teachings on ethics, loving enemies, giving, prayer, fasting, worry, judging others, false prophets and the need to obey Jesus’ commands. This famous sermon lays out Jesus’ moral expectations for his followers, upholding the spirit of the Old Testament Law. It has deeply impacted the Church for centuries and contains some of Jesus’ most important teachings. By learning and applying the valuable lessons in the Sermon on the Mount, we can draw nearer to the kingdom of God.