Mt. of Beatitudes - Sermon on the Mount

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Introduction

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Welcome to the Mount of Beatitudes. One of the most significant events from the Bible took place here. Here are the highlights.

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• This is the location of the Sermon on the Mount. The longest sermon of Jesus recorded in Scripture.

• Just imagine multitudes of people gathered here to listen to the powerful and impactful words of Christ.

• Scripture says the people were astonished at the teachings of Jesus, and He taught them like no one else.

• It's no surprise that Jesus taught from here, as it has a breathtaking view of the Sea of Galilee.

 

Location

 

1. The Mount of Beatitudes is located on a hill overlooking the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee.

 

2. It has a spectacular view of the sea.

 

3. It has great acoustics.

 

Historical Background

 

1. This sermon is the most complete and famous teaching Christ preached.

 

2. It’s 3 chapters long and is found in Matthew 5–7.

 

3. In the same way the Law was given on Mt. Sinai, many theologians see the Sermon on the Mount as the summary of the New Covenant.

 

4. In this sermon, Christ clarifies many Old Testament meanings and misinterpretations by constantly saying, “You have heard it said, but I say to you.”

 

5. The view from the Sermon on the Mount is spectacular and provided a perfect backdrop for Christ’s hearers to see as they contemplated His powerful message.

 

6. It was no accident that Christ chose this setting as He used nature and creation to aid in much of His teachings.

 

7. A Byzantine church was erected here in the 4th century and was used until the 7th century. Its ruins have been discovered just a little downhill from the present church here today.

 

8. Today, the Church of the Beatitudes is an octagonal building located on this site. It was built in 1938 for a Franciscan order of nuns. The eight sides of the church represent the eight beatitudes shown in Latin in the upper windows.

 

Places of Interest 

 

1. Entrance

2. Mount of Beatitudes
3. Sea of Galilee
4. Church of the Beatitudes
5. Beatitude Monastery

6. Monumental Rock (Below Mt. of Beatitudes)

7. Job's Spring (Below Mt. of Beatitudes)

 

The Sermon on the Mount in the Bible

 

1. In the 8 beatitudes, everything is flipped or reversed from what most of us would understand as blessings.  
Matt. 5:1–12: Seeing the crowds, he went up on the mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 And he opened his mouth and taught them, saying: 3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. 12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

2. Christ addressed the true essence of anger, adultery, divorce, keeping our word, how to treat our enemies, giving, prayer, and what genuine salvation looks like.

 

3. He taught about storing our riches in heaven and how to handle worry and stress.
Matthew 6:19–20: Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

 

Matthew 6:25–34: Therefore, I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? 26 Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? 27 And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? 28 And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, 29 yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these. 30 But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31 Therefore do not be anxious, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the Gentiles [nonbelievers] seek after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. 33 But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. 34 Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

 

4. Christ ended His message with a sober warning about the importance of obeying and living out His words, not just listening to them.
Matthew 7:24–29: Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock. 25 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat on that house, but it did not fall, because it had been founded on the rock. 26 And everyone who hears these words of mine and does not do them will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. 27 And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and beat against that house, and it fell, and great was the fall of it." 28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

 

Faith Lesson from the Sermon on the Mount

 

1. Christ began His sermon by clarifying the principles of true blessings in life. Do we understand each principle and are we living them out?

 

2. Christ focused on the heart attitude behind His commands. Do we understand that Christ looks at our hearts and motives for why we obey or don’t obey His commands?

 

3. Christ stressed the importance of storing our riches in heaven and living for eternity. Do we care about our treasures in heaven or are we mainly just focused on this life and the treasures it has to offer?

 

4. Christ defined a wise person as one who lived out what He taught. He defined a foolish person as one who heard but did not put into practice what He taught. Do we tend to know what to do but not actually live it out?

 

5. Are we building our lives on the sand or on the rock?