Jesus Speaks with Authority

We believe in Jesus Christ as our Lord and Savior. We are saved by grace through faith. We are born again by the power of the Holy Spirit. We have new, eternal life. Now what? What happens after we believe? What are we here for? What is this thing called the Christian life? How do we know our faith is authentic? In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches us with authority how authentic faith is expressed in kingdom living. Not a new set of rules but describes the character, the virtues, and practical lifestyle, the culture believers, kingdom citizens. Not the way to salvation but the way of obedience. Authentic faith is expressed through obedience, living the kingdom life. We must understand the Sermon on the Mount in light of what the Bible teaches us about the kingdom of God.

1.  The Kingdom of Heaven is near … is here!

Matthew 4:17 — “From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” 

The kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God, is the central message of Jesus’ life, his teachings, his ministry, his death, his resurrection and glorification. In Jesus Christ God’s kingdom arrived. For us, the kingdom of heaven is no longer near. It is here! It is real! Jesus Christ is the Lord came to restore the kingdom. Jesus Christ is the Savior because through him we can enter the kingdom.

Let’s go back to Genesis. “Then God said, “Let us make mankind in our image, in our likeness, so that they may rule over the fish in the sea and the birds in the sky, over the livestock and all the wild animals, and over all the creatures that move along the ground.” (Gen. 1:26)

We are created in God’s image to be his representatives, to rule over his creation with him and for him. God created us to be kings. God created us to be priests. We serve God by taking care of his creation. We worship God by obeying him and living in fellowship with him.

Then we messed things up. We rebelled against God’s rule and authority. We wanted to rule by ourselves, for ourselves. We wanted to rule without God. We want to be our own gods. The beautiful, good, blessed kingdom life of perfect peace was destroyed.

However, in his amazing love and grace God launched his mission to save the world and restore his kingdom rule. God called and saved Israel to live under his rule as his people and so be an instrument of this mission. God told them, “‘You yourselves have seen what I did to Egypt, and how I carried you on eagles’ wings and brought you to myself. Now if you obey me fully and keep my covenant, then out of all nations you will be my treasured possession. Although the whole earth is mine, you will be for me a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’” (Ex 19:4-6) [INTERESTING NOTE—CONTEXT—ON MOUNTAIN JUST BEFORE GIVING THE 10 COMMANDMENTS—WAY HOW GOD’S PEOPLE SHOULD LIVE AS A KINGDOM OF PRIESTS AND A HOLY NATION]

God promised that through Israel he will send his Messiah, who will bring into the world and restore God’s kingdom. Jesus came and now God’s kingdom is already here. And this is what Jesus did. 

Rev 1:5-6, “To him who loves us and has freed us from our sins by his blood, and has made us to be a kingdom and priests to serve his God and Father.” Rev 5:9-10, “You are worthy to take the scroll and to open its seals, because you were slain, and with your blood you purchased for God persons from every tribe and language and people and nation. You have made them to be a kingdom and priests to serve our God, and they will reign on the earth.” That is what we are! Kings, queens, priests.

Yes, the kingdom is not yet fully realized. Jesus is coming back to fulfill his kingdom. And look what happens at the end, in the new creation. 

Revelation 20:4,6—“I saw thrones on which were seated those who had been given authority to judge. And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony about Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshiped the beast or its image and had not received its mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and reigned with Christ a thousand years … Blessed and holy are those who share in the first resurrection. The second death has no power over them, but they will be priests of God and of Christ and will reign with him for a thousand years.”

Revelation 22:3-5—“The throne of God and of the Lamb will be in the city, and his servants will serve him. They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads. There will be no more night. They will not need the light of a lamp or the light of the sun, for the Lord God will give them light. And they will reign for ever and ever.”

God’s kingdom is here. Dallas Willard says it well, “The kingdom is not something to be ‘accepted’ now and enjoyed later, but something to be entered now (Mt. 5:20; 18:3; Jn 3:3,5). It is something [a reality] that already has flesh and blood citizens (Jn 18:36; Ph 3:20) who have been transformed into it (Col. 1:13) and are fellow workers [with God] in it (Col. 4:11).”

We repented. We turned away from our old life. We believed. We have entered the kingdom. Now what? Between now and the end we must learn to live as God’s royal priesthood, as God’s holy people (1 Pet 2:9), as kings and priests. We must learn to live the kingdom life. We learn to live the kingdom life by following Jesus.  

2. Follow Jesus

Jesus called his first disciples. “As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” At once they left their nets and followed him. Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.” (Mt 4:18-22)

Follow me! They immediately obeyed and followed. They did not make conditions. They did not follow Jesus on their own terms like others whom Jesus called. “Lord, first let me go and bury my father.” “I will follow you, Lord; but first let me go back and say goodbye to my family.” (Lk 9:57-62) Or like the rich man who could not follow Jesus because he preferred, loved, and chose his great wealth above Jesus, above the kingdom (Mk 10:17-31). No, at once, immediately, they left everything behind—their family, their livelihood, their securities. 

If Jesus walks in here today and calls us, “Follow me!” Will we? He already called us to follow him. But are we truly following him with complete abandon, surrender, and submission to his authority? Or are we following him on our terms? Is Jesus truly our Lord, our focus, our first priority? Have we become like little children? Jesus said, “unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt 18:2-5). 

“Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Jesus’ call to follow is grace. We’ve done nothing to deserve this call. We have a choice, obey and follow Jesus. It is in following Jesus that we learn to be disciples and make disciples. In following Jesus we train for the kingdom, and we proclaim the kingdom. From Jesus’ life and teachings we learn how to be kings and priests in God’s kingdom here and now. We are training and preparing for that time when we will be kings and priests in the new creation. At the same time we are proclaiming the kingdom to the world by living the kingdom life. 

And that brings us to the Sermon on the Mount. Here Jesus teaches us how to live the kingdom life.

3.  Live the Kingdom Life

Matthew 5:1-2; 7:28-29 — “Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, and he began to teach them. … When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were amazed at his teaching, because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law.”

Interesting notes and parallels here — After God saved and called Israel, he spoke with power and authority to his people from Mount Sinai, and gave them his commandments on how they should live as his people, as kings and priests in the world. Here Jesus went up on the mountain. He sat down. He opened his mouth and taught them. All expressions to indicate that here Jesus assumes the role of a rabbi, a teacher. He is now teaching his followers and those who want to follow him. [SHOW PICTURE OF MOUNTAIN ACCORDING TO TRADITION—LUKE, PLAIN, TAUGHT REPEATEDLY]

Jesus teaches with divine authority because he is the Son of God. He is the living Word. He speaks directly as the voice of God. Therefore, his teaching as the living Lord must be taken seriously. 

In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus teaches, describes, explains what he, as our Lord, wants his followers to be and to do. Follow me, put my words into practice. True followers of Jesus, citizens of God’s kingdom are called to be completely, radically different from the world. One of the key phrases of the Sermon on is, “Do not be like them.” Same as God’s words to Israel in Lev 18:3, “You must not do as they do.” We are called to live an alternative counter-cultural lifestyle so that we can be the salt and light of the world, so that we can proclaim and show the kingdom of God to the world. 

This is not an option. This is authentic faith expressed through obedience. We cannot ignore, explain away, soften up, or water down the Sermon on the Mount. This is discipleship and the cost of discipleship. The test of our discipleship is whether we “put into practice” his words. “Impossible! It’s very difficult!” we say.

Impossible? No. The kingdom life is possible by the grace of God, by the power of the Lord Jesus Christ who lives and works in us through the Holy Spirit. When we abide in Christ, when we walk in step with the Holy Spirit every moment of our lives, we will bear fruit. The character of Christ will grow in us, and we will live the kingdom life. When we say, impossible, we deny the power of God working in us. We deny the work of the Holy Spirit that already happened and is happening in you. 

Is it difficult? Yes. It is difficult when we follow Jesus on our own terms and with conditions. Is there some part of your life which you have not surrendered to Jesus’ rule? Is there some sin you have not repented from, that you don’t want to give up? Living the kingdom life, faithful obedience, is possible only by the power and grace of Jesus Christ, but we must plug in to that power. 

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Mt 11:28-30)

We are not perfect, yet. But that’s not an excuse for sin, or to sit back and do nothing. Jesus knows we are not perfect. But he calls us and say, Come, follow me and become perfect, learn with me, learn from me. That call we must obey. We are free people with a free will and a choice. Obey, follow, and learn how to become perfect along the way. 

You want to play Beethoven. When you have never played the piano you cannot sit down and play perfectly Beethoven’s 5th symphony. Learn to read music notes, the keys, play scores. Practice and practice. Make mistakes. Difficult. Hard. Don’t give up. Play easy songs and musical pieces. Begin to learn Beethoven. Painfully slow. Make mistakes. Learn from those. Try again. Persevere. Play your first concert. Mistakes. Go back. Practice, practice. More concerts. Not perfect yet. Then one day comes the grand concert. Because you practiced, you perfected. And you play it perfectly.

It’s the same with kingdom living. The more we put Jesus’ words into practice, and practice them, the easier it will become. It’s sad that we spend so much effort and resources on the other skills we need and want to learn — money, time, practice, training, discipline, etc. But when it comes to kingdom living, we are very skimpy and try to get away with as little as possible. Lazy? Take Jesus seriously? Filled with the Holy Spirit, but we must submit. We can walk in step with the Holy Spirit only when we take his hand, and follow his lead.

We are kingdom citizens. From the moment we believed until the end, we are learning, training and practicing now to be and live as the kings and priests we already are, and one day will be in the new creation. That should motivate us to try our utmost best, and not to give up. 

And we don’t have to do this alone. Jesus calls us to this in community, in fellowship with one another within in his body, the church. I invite you to join me on this journey to learn how to live the kingdom life. Let us learn and practice together. Let us encourage one another. And when some of us fall and make mistakes along the way, as we all surely will do, let us not judge, but come next to each other, practice grace, forgiveness, and love, pick up that brother or sister, and help them to continue with the journey. Follow Jesus. Step out boldly and with courage. Leave behind everything that is holding you back. May we learn and practice the kingdom life together so that our church will become a radical, counter-cultural kingdom community that will shine as a bright light in our community so that others will come to know Jesus, follow Jesus, and glorify our Father in heaven.