Matthew 5:1-48

What is the theme of this chapter?

The Picture of Kingdom Life.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 20 and 48

For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.

You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

I will keep the timeless principles found in this chapter (e.g., show mercy, be pure in heart, love my enemies, etc.) only as I walk in the Spirit.
  
Additional observations/questions:

I often think that we are too careless when discussing Scripture.  We speak in broad generalities where Scripture is specific, or conversely, we insist on specific interpretations where Scripture speaks in generalities.  Recently I came across an article entitled, "Is the Sermon on the Mount for the Church?"  There are several things wrong with this title.  Of course the Sermon on the Mount is for the Church.  All Scripture is God-inspired and profitable.  There are many truths we can learn from the  Sermon on the Mount.  But while all Scripture is for us, not all was written about us or addressed to us.  Our private mail, so to speak, is found in the Epistles of Paul, God's appointed apostle for this time period.  What the above writer should have asked is: Is the Sermon on the Mount addressed to, or meant specifically for, the obedience of the Church today, "the one new man" which Paul designates as "the Body of Christ" (Eph 2:15-16; 4:12).  The answer to this question is no.

Stam says it well here:

"To understand the Sermon the Mount we should bear in mind that our Lord, while on earth, was, and taught His disciples to be subject the Law of Moses (Matt 22:2-3) ... In case after case our Lord quotes the Law of Moses, or the general teachings about the Law and then sets an even higher standard, judging the very motives of the heart.  Clearly, then, 'the fullness of the time,' referred to by Paul in Gal 3:13 and 4:4-5, had not yet come, for rather than redeeming His hearers from what Paul calls 'the curse of the law,' our Lord made His precepts and prohibitions even more searching and binding.  And this for a very good reason.  It was meant to impress further upon men their depraved condition and the impossibility of their rendering perfect obedience to God — hence their deep need of a Saviour."

Matthew 5:21-48

“You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire. So if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there before the altar and go. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift. Come to terms quickly with your accuser while you are going with him to court, lest your accuser hand you over to the judge, and the judge to the guard, and you be put in prison. Truly, I say to you, you will never get out until you have paid the last penny. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell. And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body go into hell. “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery. “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King. And do not take an oath by your head, for you cannot make one hair white or black. Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil. “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also. And if anyone would sue you and take your tunic, let him have your cloak as well. And if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles. Give to the one who begs from you, and do not refuse the one who would borrow from you. “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be sons of your Father who is in heaven. For he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust. For if you love those who love you, what reward do you have? Do not even the tax collectors do the same? And if you greet only your brothers, what more are you doing than others? Do not even the Gentiles do the same? You therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect.


You fool! - "...or empty-headed." (Ryrie)

hell of fire - "The word translated 'hell' is Geenna, or Gehenna, a place in the valley of Hinnom where human sacrifices had been offered (cf. Jer. 7:31) and where the continuous burning of rubbish made it an apt illustration of the lake of fire (Mark 9:44; James 3:6; Rev 20:14)." (Ryrie)

you will never get out until you have paid the last penny - "The words contain an allegorical exhortation to Israel.  It is a short outline of their history the Lord here introduces.  Following the expansion of the law concerning murder and hatred, that which they were about to do with their own Brother, it is significant.  Israel were the adversaries of Him who had come, and treated the royal Person in their midst as an adversary.  They did not agree with Him and have been put into the prison (nationally) under punishment till the last farthing is paid.  The lord will perform His whole work (punitive) upon Mount Zion and on Jerusalem (Isaiah 10:12), and then it will be 'that her warfare is ended' or, as the marginal reading gives it (Isaiah 40:2), 'her punishment is accepted,' and 'her iniquity is pardoned and she hath received of the Lord's hand double (in blessing) for all her sins.'  Thus explained these words fit in the whole." (Gaebelein)

everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent  - "The lustful desire in one's heart can lead to the sinful act." (Ryrie)

if your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away - "This is strong language, used to emphasize the comparison; i.e., sin is so dangerous, because it leads to eternal condemnation, that it would be better to lose hands or eyes temporarily than to lose life eternally." (Ryrie)

"Christ warned His hearers to remove the cause of the offense.  He was not teaching mutilation, for a blind man can lust, and a man with no hands can have unlawful desires.  Christ taught that one must deal with the sin of lust because this was the root of the problem of adultery.  It is not enough to merely abstain from lust's outward manifestation, that is, adultery." (Pentecost)

except on the ground of sexual immorality - "It is disallowed except for unchastity, which may mean (1) adultery, (2) unfaithfulness during the period of betrothal (see Matt 1:19), or (3) marriage between near relatives (Lev. 18; Acts 15:29)." (Ryrie)

"God forbade adultery in the law.  The Pharisees saw adultery as an illegal sexual union.  But to refrain from the physical act did not fulfill the spiritual demands of the law, for the law demanded not only abstinence from a physical act but from the lustful desire that would produce the act.  The law demanded purity of thought as well as abstinence from an act.  Christ warned that the one who lusts is guilty of adultery and has thus violated the law." (Pentecost)

you shall not swear falsely - "...or perjure yourself.  Oaths taken in the name of the Lord were binding, and perjury was strongly condemned in the law (Ex 20:7; Lev 19:12; Deut 19:16-19).  Every oath contained an affirmation or promise and an appeal to God as the omniscient punisher of falsehoods, which made the oath binding.  Thus we find phrases like 'as the Lord lives' (1 Sam 14:39).  The emphasis on the sanctity of oaths led to the feeling that ordinary phrasing need not be truthful or binding.  Jesus, however, taught (v. 37) that we should say and mean yes or no and never equivocate." (Ryrie)

"Since Christ allowed Himself to be put under an oath (Matt 26:63-64), we conclude that He did not forbid His hearers to put themselves under an oath.  He was telling them that their character, reputation for honesty, and word should be so true, undefiled, and without duplicity that no one would think it necessary to put them under an oath, for no one would suspect them of deception.  When the Pharisees took an oath, they affirmed something that could be understood in more than one way.  They had mental reservations about what they were affirming.  Christ told His listeners that when they made a statement, they should let their yes be yes and their no be no.  Yes cannot mean no, and no cannot mean yes (cf. 2 Cor 1:17-20).  These words are not open to several interpretations.  Believers should affirm only what is true.  Christ demanded trustworthiness in speech." (Pentecost)

tunic - "An undergarment." (Ryrie)

cloak - "An outer garment." (Ryrie)

if anyone forces you to go one mile, go with him two miles - "Palestine was occupied by Roman armies.  In order to transport goods from one place to another, a Roman soldier had the right to requisition a person to carry his things.  But to protect the conquered citizens from injustice, the Roman law said that a soldier could compel one to carry his burden for only one mile.  But Christ said if one is conscripted to carry a burden, righteousness will compel him to carry it two miles (Matt 5:41)." (Pentecost)

love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you - "A new teaching, found nowhere in the OT." (Ryrie)

therefore must be perfect, as your heavenly Father is perfect - "The Sermon, and its Beatitudes, showed the hearers how to have good human relations, but they did not deal with the impossibility of man's achieving this in his present sinful condition.  Like the Law, the Sermon on the Mount taught its most important lessons historically, for after more than 1900 years it is surely evident that man, in his present state cannot, surely does not, live up to the Sermon on the Mount." (Stam)

Matthew 5:13-20

“You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet. “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven. “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. For truly, I say to you, until heaven and earth pass away, not an iota, not a dot, will pass from the Law until all is accomplished. Therefore whoever relaxes one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do the same will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven. For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.


salt - "...preserves, creates thirst, and cleanses." (Ryrie)

"To show the influence of those who accepted His word and became His true disciples our Lord used two figures.  The first was the figure of salt (Matt 5:13).  While salt is used today as a preservation, it does not seem to have been so used in biblical times.  It was the function of salt to create a thirst so that the body might retain the proper amount of fluid to maintain its health.  Salt created a thirst which, when satisfied, would maintain life.  Believers are in the word to create a thirst, both by their life and by their words, for the One in whom they have found their satisfaction." (Pentecost)

of the earth - "Men and women are of the earth.  It is impossible for us to escape from the material, while we are in the material, and of the material; and we need have no desire to escape from it.  But Jesus said you are to be the sale of the earth.  You are to live in the midst of men and women who live in earthly conditions, and are material, in order to influence that side of the things with an aseptic influence.  You are to save men, render possible their salvation by hindering corruption on that side of their nature that is distinctly of the earth." (Morgan)

You are the light of the world - "Example is not enough to save a man, but example is a great force in the growth of the man who is saved.  It is a great force also in luring a man toward salvation.  We are not called upon to shine on men, revealing to them the truth concerning human life, the possibilities of human life, the principles that underlie human life, giving them to see what life may be; we are called upon to be light.  Now, notice the sphere of its operation—the world.  'Ye are the light of the world,' not the age, but the world, the cosmos.  A great word, which includes not merely the life, but the whole created order.  Here Jesus declares that His people are to illuminate other men as to their relation to the whole order of which they form a part, and as to the necessary laws which govern it." (Morgan)

Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. - "What is the meaning of 'to fulfill'?  It means to give the fullness, to make full, to fill out the law and the prophets.  The wrong interpretation comes generally from having only the ten Commandments in view, but there is more than that more than the Lord's full obedience to the law and fulfilling Himself all that which the law the prophets had spoken concerning Him.  In the true sense of the word the meaning is, that He came to make good the whole scope of the law and prophets.  He is come to reveal the completeness of that which the law and the prophets had but pointed out.  All that which the law and the prophets teach and predict, the fullness, is of Him and will be fulfilled in Him who came and who will come again." (Gaebelein)

"It is true that our Lord fulfilled the Law for us law-breakers' in a two-fold way: He perfectly obeyed the Law in His life and He died as a law-breaker, paying the penalty of the broken Law for us in His death.  However, we do not believe that our Lord had this in mind when He said that he had not come to destroy, but to fulfill the Law and the prophets.  It is not until much later, in Matthew 16:21, that we read: 'From that time forth, began Jesus to show unto His disciples how that He must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer ... and be killed, and be raised again the third day.'  Thus, in our Lord's Sermon on the Mount He could hardly have been speaking of His coming death for sin.  Nor should we read Paul's God-given doctrine of imputed righteousness into the Sermon on the Mount, for we are clearly told that when Jesus began to tell His disciples about His coming death and resurrection, Peter rebuked Him for thinking He would be killed (Matt 16:22), and none of the twelve understood what He was even talking about (Luke 18:34).  Here in Matthew 5:17 our Lord states that He had come to fulfill the Law and the prophets.  This corresponds to the message which He and His apostles had been preaching: 'the gospel of the kingdom.'  This kingdom, so long prophesied and so graphically described in the Old Testament Scriptures, will be based upon the principles and precepts of the Sermon on the Mount, which in turn was based upon the Mosaic Law.  Thus, when our Lord reigns as King, and His subjects follow the principles of the Sermon on the Mount, the Law and the prophets will be fulfilled.  Not only will God have 'put the law within their hearts,' so that they will spontaneously obey it, but the glorious descriptions of Messiah's reign, called by Peter, 'the times of refreshing,' will also be fulfilled.  We repeat, this will take place only when Messiah reigns and the Holy Spirit takes control of His people and causes them to do His will, as we have seen from Ezek. 36:27.  How very erroneous, then, to make the theme of our Lord's Sermon the theme of our message to mankind today!  What folly to suppose that this will be a better world if we just tell people what they ought to do and how they ought to live!" (Stam)

not an iota, not a dot - "The smallest Hebrew letter or iota is yodh, which looks like an apostrophe (').  A dot or stroke is a very small extension or protrusion on several Hebrew letters, which distinguish these letters from similar ones (like, in English, an R from a P).  The Lord's point is that every letter of every word of the OT is vital and will be fulfilled." (Ryrie)

your righteousness - "We may understand this as 'your practice of religion.'  The Pharisees' righteousness was external; it should be internal." (Ryrie)

"The Sermon, and its Beatitudes, showed the hearers how to have good human relations, but they did not deal with the impossibility of man's achieving this in his present sinful condition.  Like the Law, the Sermon on the Mount taught its most important lessons historically, for after more than 1900 years it is surely evident that man, in his present state cannot, surely does not, live up to the Sermon on the Mount." (Stam)

Matthew 5:1-12

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, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.


"The Sermon on the Mount and progressive revelation: We recognize in the Bible a system of doctrine, a line of teaching, a progressive, historical revelation ... Comparing Exodus or Matthew with Ephesians, for example, it is evident that God has dealt differently with men of different ages, according to their knowledge of Himself.  There has been development and progress, historically, in the knowledge of God and His purposes ... Let us consider briefly the subject of the Messianic kingdom, for example: (1) The kingdom was promised in Old Testament times (Jer 23:5). (2) It was proclaimed at hand during our Lord's earthly ministry (Matt 4:17). (3) It was offered at Pentecost, after the death and resurrection of Christ (Acts 3:19-21). (4) It was rejected as the book of Acts shows (Acts 7:54-8:3; 28:25-28). (5) It was postponed and is being held in abeyance until a future time (Matt 23:39); Rom 11:25). (6) Finally, when our Lord returns to judge and reign, the kingdom will be established on earth (Rom 11:26).  Then, for the first time since the fall of man, this world will become a scene of true peace, prosperity and blessing.  The establishment of the kingdom of Christ on earth is the very goal of Old Testament prophecy, but the epistles of Paul explain how the prophetic program was  interrupted by grace.  Thus the true condition of this world today can be understood only as we recognize progressive revelation in Scripture." (Stam)

"To understand the Sermon the Mount we should bear in mind that our Lord, while on earth, was, and taught His disciples to be subject the Law of Moses (Matt 22:2-3) ... In case after case our Lord quotes the Law of Moses, or the general teachings about the Law and then sets an even higher standard, judging the very motives of the heart.  Clearly, then, 'the fullness of the time,' referred to by Paul in Gal 3:13 and 4:4-5, had not yet come, for rather than redeeming His hearers from what Paul calls 'the curse of the law,' our Lord made His precepts and prohibitions even more searching and binding.  And this for a very good reason.  It was meant to impress further upon men their depraved condition and the impossibility of their rendering perfect obedience to God — hence their deep need of a Saviour.  As with the Law, the Sermon on the Mount taught its greatest lesson historically.  It demonstrated that man needs Christ, not first as a King to reign over him and show him a felicitous way of life, but as a Savior to pay the penalty for his sins and deliver him from the judgment to come.  We freely concede to the preachers of the 'social gospel' that the Sermon on the Mount teaches good government, good human relations, and good conduct in general, but it does not deal with the utter impossibility of fallen man achieving this goal, human nature being what it is.  The time for this had not yet come.  But will human nature ever change?  Will such happy relations as described in the Sermon on the Mount ever actually exist?  Yes, they will, when Christ returns to earth to reign.  It is in connection with the coming Messianic kingdom that the 'new covenant with the house of Israel with the house of Judah' will be fulfilled (Jer 31:31-34; Ezek 36:24-28).  According to the terms of this covenant God says to His erring people: 'And I will put My spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statues, and ye shall keep My judgments and do them (Ezek 36:27)." (Stam)

on the mountain - "Chapters 5-7 contain the widely known and loved Sermon on the Mount.  It is one of the five long discourses by Christ found in Matthew, the others being 9:35-10:42; 13:1-52; 17:24-18:35; and 23:1-25:46.  The Sermon on the Mount does not present the way of salvation but the way of righteous living for those who are in God's family, contrasting the new Way with 'old one' of the scribes and the Pharisees.  For the Jews of Christ's day this message was a detailed explanation of 'Repent' (3:2); 4:17).  It was also an elaboration of the spirit of the law (5:17, 21-22, 27-28).  For all of us it is a detailed revelation of the righteousness of God, and its principles are applicable to the children of God today." (Ryrie)

"The first question we must ask in considering the Sermon on the Mount is: To whom was our Lord addressing His remarks?  To all men?  Most assuredly not, for not only was He sent to none 'but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel,' but he clearly instructed His apostles not to go to the Gentiles, or even to the Samaritans, but only to 'the lost sheep of the house of Israel' (Matt 15:24; 10:5-6).  But He was not even addressing the people of Israel as such at this time, for we read that 'seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain' and that there He addressed 'His disciples' (Matt 5:1).  Indeed, all through this sermon our Lord distinguishes His disciples, His followers, from the world, even the religious world, about them." (Stam)

Blessed - "The Beatitudes (Blessed means 'happy') describe the inner qualities of a follower of Christ and promise him blessings in the future.  They contrast sharply the characteristics of the Pharisees, who were proud, thinking they had already attained righteousness." (Ryrie)

are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven - "The millennial kingdom will be made up, not of those who are spiritually smug and self-satisfied, but rather of those who realize their spiritual need.  There is nothing that God hates like pride, and it will not be tolerated under the reign of Christ.  Rather His kingdom will be built on humility and love.  But sinners today are not asked to be anything to inherit a position in Christ, but only to trust in Him who died for our sins." (Stam)

are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted - "There are many Old Testament Scriptures which indicate that Israel will not be saved until she turns in repentance to her crucified and long-rejected Messiah. This will be the occasion of her 'mourning.' Then, and not until then, will the prophecies be fulfilled (Zech 13:1; Isa 40:1-2; Isa 51:11-12). The historical order of the events discussed in these verses are clearly brought out in one brief passage in Isa 61:1-3: 'The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; to grant to those who mourn in Zion—to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he may be glorified.'" (Stam)

are the pure in heart, for they shall see God - "This beatitude, like all the others, is based upon Old Testament Scripture.  Indeed it is one of the great Millennial Psalms, Psalm 24, that our Lord seems to be referring to here.  The 3rd and 4th verse of this Psalm read: 'Who shall ascend into the hill of the Lord? or who shall stand in His holy place?  He that hath clean hands, and a pure heart...'" (Stam)

are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven AND are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account AND rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven - "It should be observed that verses 10-12 are actually one beatitude, having to do with the persecution through which our Lord's disciples were to pass.  Thus the Beatitudes open and close with the promise to our Lord's faithful followers that 'theirs is the kingdom of heaven (Vers. 3,10,11) ... But were not our Lord's disciples looking forward to reigning with Him in Heaven?  Not, for the kingdom of heaven is to be set up on earth (Jer 23:5; Lk 2:14; Matt 5:5; 6:10).  These and a host of other passages regarding the coming kingdom should help us to understand God's program for Israel, for they emphasize the fact that 'the kingdom of heaven' is to be set up on earth ... But does not our Lord promise His hearers,  in this last beatitude: 'great is your reward in heaven'?  This is true, but we must not read into this that He referred to a reward which they were to receive when they reached heaven.  In 1 Pet 1:4 peter, the apostle of the circumcision, declares to his readers that their inheritance is 'reserved in heaven' for them.  Likewise in Rev 22:12, a passage having to do directly with the return of Christ to earth to reign, we read His words: 'And, behold, I come quickly, and My reward is with Me, to give to every man according as his work shall be.'  That the apostles did rejoice in their sufferings for Christ is verified by the record of the Acts.  In the closing verses of Acts 5 we read how the religious leaders lowered themselves to the level of common bullies as, finding no just reason to condemn the apostles, they had them beaten and further commanded them not to speak in the name of Jesus before letting them go.  But the lashes did not bring only suffering and pain, for were not the apostles bearing them for the blessed Messiah, with whom they  hoped soon to be reigning?  Thus the record continues: 'And they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name.  And daily in the temple, and in every house, they ceased not to teach and preach Jesus Christ' (Acts 5:41-42)." (Stam)

"In our exegesis of the three chapters [chapters 5-7], (which of necessity we have to condense considerably) we shall always  in every part look upon the sermon on the mount as the proclamation of the King concerning the Kingdom.  That Kingdom is not the church, nor is the state of the earth in righteousness, governed and possessed by the meek, brought about by the agency of the church.  It is the millennial earth and the Kingdom to come,  in which Jerusalem will be the city of a great King.  We read in the Old Testament that when the Kingdom comes, for which these Jewish disciples of our Lord were taught to pray, the law will go forth out of Zion and the  Word of the Lord from Jerusalem.   While we have in the Old Testament the outward manifestations of the Kingdom of the heavens as it will be set up in the earth in a future day, we have here the inner manifestation, the principles of it.  Yet this never excludes application to us who are His heavenly people, members of His body, who will share the heavenly throne in the heavenly Jerusalem with Him.  Israel's calling is earthly; theirs is an earthly kingdom, ours is altogether heavenly.  'In the sermon on the mount we have, then, the principles of the Kingdom of heaven, with very plain references to the millennial earth.  Yet let is not be thought that this takes from us the application to ourselves which Christians seek in it.  The fuller revelation only completes the partial one; the higher blessing transcends the lower ... The Kingdom has, then, a heavenly and an earthly side.  Both are seen in the discourse, but the earthly is predominant." (Gaebelein)

Matthew 4:1-25

What is the theme of this chapter?

His temptation and inauguration.

What is the key verse(s) of this chapter? Verses 10 and 17

Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,“‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

What can I apply to my life from this chapter (things to do/avoid)?

Christ's temptation reminds me of the verses in Hebrews which say that because He suffered temptation like I do, yet without sin, He is able to sympathize with me.  It is so comforting to know that He knows exactly what I am going through.

For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted (Heb 2:18).

For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin (Heb 4:15).
  
Additional observations/questions:

 

Matthew 4:12-25

Now when he heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew into Galilee. And leaving Nazareth he went and lived in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what was spoken by the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles—the people dwelling in darkness have seen a great light, and for those dwelling in the region and shadow of death, on them a light has dawned.” From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on from there he saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him. And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, epileptics, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan.


Galilee - "We notice a two-fold description of Galilee, namely, as the land of Zebulon and Nephtali and as the Galilee of the nations.  Read Genesis 49:13, 'Zebulon shall dwell at the haven of the sea, and he shall be for a haven of ships and his border shall be upon Zidon.'  Jacob's prophecy outlines the history of the sons of Jacob, that is, the whole nation, and Zebulon signifies the time of their rejection, when they become merchantmen.  Here in Matthew we see Zebulon swelling by the sea.  So that we have the fulfillment of two prophecies before us—the prophecy in the forty-ninth chapter in Genesis and the one in Isaiah.  The same is true of Nephtali.  This means struggler.  'Nephtali is a hind let loose' (Gen. 49:21).  In Jacob's prophecy Nephtali stands for the coming struggling and victorious Jewish remnant.  Here, then, in the land of Zebulon and Nephtali the great light shines first." (Gaebelein)

leaving Nazareth - "According to Luke 4:16-30, He left because they tried to kill him." (Ryrie)

Capernaum - "A flourishing city on the western short of the Sea of Galilee and the base of His ministry in Galilee." (Ryrie)

v 14 - "See Isa. 9:1-2 (cf. Isa. 42:6-7) for the source of Jesus' quote." (Ryrie)

From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” - "Like John the Baptist, Christ also preached the necessity of repentance before the messianic kingdom could be established." (Ryrie)

"From the lips of the King Himself comes now the proclamation, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh' (verse 17).  He announces that the Kingdom has drawn nigh in that He, the King, is standing in their midst to establish that Kingdom.  He never said nor taught of a Kingdom within them.  All spiritualizing on these lines of a Kingdom within, which our Lord is made to teach here in Matthew,  is wrong.  It is the Kingdom John announced which He now preaches.  He prolongs the message of the forerunner for a short time and soon His lips were closed, too.  We preach not the Gospel of the Kingdom, but the Glad Tidings of Grace.  A day is coming when heralds will announce once more the Kingdom to be at hand, and when it will come in the person of the Son of Man coming from heaven with angels of His power in flaming fire (2 Thes 1)." (Gaebelein) 

Follow me - "This was their call to service and illustrates the directness, profundity, and power of Christ's commands (cf. 'go...,' Matt 28:19; 'love one another,' John 13:34)." (Ryrie)

James the son of Zebedee - "This is the apostle James, the brother of John, who was martyred under Herod Agrippa I (Acts 12:2).  Other men are named James in the NT: James the son of Alphaeus, 'the Less' (Mark 15:40), also one of the Twelve (Matt 10:3); James, the half brother of Christ and writer of the epistle of James; James, the father or, less probably, brother of the apostle Judas (to be distinguished from Judas Iscariot; Luke 6:16; Acts 1:13)." (Ryrie)

he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom - "This is the good news that the presence of the King caused the rule of God on the earth 9 in fulfillment of many OT prophecies) to be 'at hand.'  Prerequisites for entrance into the kingdom included repentance (v. 17), righteousness (Matt 5:20), childlike faith (Matt 18:3), or, in summary, being born again (John 3:3).  Because the people rejected these requirements, Christ taught that His earthly reign would not immediately come (Luke 19:11).  However, this gospel of the kingdom will be preached again during the Tribulation (Matt 24:14), just prior to the return of Christ to establish His kingdom on earth (Matt 25:31, 34)." (Ryrie)

and healing every disease and every affliction - "Closely connected with the preaching of the  Gospel of the Kingdom was the healing of every disease not spiritual, but every bodily disease and weakness.  The healing of disease is always connected with the preaching of the Gospel of the Kingdom.  The healings were signs that the King is the Jehovah and that the Kingdom had drawn nigh.  These signs of healing every disease are the powers of the world to come." (Gaebelein)

"It is interesting that Christ did not come primarily as a miracle-worker.  He came to reveal the Father.  And He did so by opening up the Scriptures so that people might understand what had been written.  The miracles substantiated the truth of His word.  Matthew and Mark recorded the fact that Jesus Christ not only served as a teacher, but as a preacher (Matt 4:17; Mark 1:14).  As a preacher, He was a proclaimer.  The preacher was a prophet, publicly proclaiming God's message.  But Christ not only served as a teacher, or a rabbi, in the synagogue but also as a prophet who proclaimed God's message.  The message that Jesus proclaimed was identical in content to the message of John, His forerunner.  Both said, 'Repent, the kingdom of heaven is near' (Matt 4:17; cf. Matt 3:2).  Mark referred to Jesus' message as 'good news' (Mark 1:15).  Israel long had waited for the fulfillment of the covenant of promise.  Now the good news being given to them was that the kingdom for which they had waited was near.  Christ, like John, called on the people to repent.  Repentance involved an acknowledgment of sin and resulted in a restoration to fellowship with God from their state of alienation.  It involved offering God the acceptable sacrifice that He demanded.  The announcement that the kingdom 'is near' added an imperative to the message.  Mark noted that the hearers were asked to 'believe the good news.'  The truth of the message that was being preached had to be accepted by faith.  We note that Mark referred to 'the kingdom of God' (Mark 1:15) and Matthew to 'the kingdom of heaven' (Matt 4:17).  The difference in terms does not imply that Jesus was referring to two different kingdoms.  Matthew normally used the term 'kingdom of heaven' rather than 'kingdom of God.'  This was in keeping with the Jewish fear of taking the name of the Lord their God in vain; Matthew substituted God's dwelling place for the name of God." (Pentecost)

the Decapolis - "A district, originally containing 10 cities, S of the Sea of Galilee, mainly to the E of the Jordan River.  These were cities with Gentile populations and typical Greco-Roman structures—pagan temples, hippodromes, etc." (Ryrie)

Matthew 4:1-11

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.” But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’” Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and “‘On their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’” Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’” Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’” Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.


"Satan's intention in the temptation was to make Christ sin so as to thwart God's plan for man's redemption by disqualifying the Savior.  God's purpose (note that the Spirit led Jesus to the test) was to prove His  Son to be sinless and thus a worthy Savior.  It is clear that He was actually tempted; it is equally clear that He was sinless (2 Cor 5:21)." (Ryrie)

"...make a careful comparison between the opening verses of the third chapter in Genesis and the temptations of our Lord.  The Satan there is the same, that old serpent, the devil.  He came to Eve with the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life, and the same he brings to bear upon the Lord.  He said to Eve, 'Is it so that God said?' and to Christ he said, 'If thou art the Son of God.'  It is doubt, unbelief with which he always advances.  He misquoted the Word of God to Eve.  God had said, 'Thou shalt surely die,' and he said, 'Lest ye die.'  He does the same in the temptations of Christ.  These hints will be sufficient to help in the comparison." (Gaebelein)

"Since Christ was under the full control of the Spirit, and since the purpose of the temptation was to demonstrate His sinlessness and thus prove His moral right to be Savior-Sovereign, we must recognize that Jesus was the Aggressor in the temptation.  He forced Satan to put Him to the test so that His true character might be revealed.  (That explains why He spent forty days in the desert before the temptations began.  Satan sought to escape the confrontation.)  Had there been a longer delay, it would have been a concession that Jesus was the sinless One." (Pentecost)

"'If' [in vs 3] may be translated 'Since.'  Satan acknowledged that He had the power to turn stones into bread." (Ryrie)

command these stones to become loaves of bread - "Is there anything wrong in being hungry?  Certainly not.  It is in this that the subtlety of the tempter shows itself.  The enemy comes with a natural want and appeals to our Lord's power to relieve Himself from that want ... If He had entered upon the suggestion of Satan He would have acted according to His own will and that would have been the will of the enemy.  He would have taken His case in His own hands.  All the elements of disobedience and distrust to God are in it involved." (Gaebelein)

"Satan's invitation was based on the sonship which the Father had acknowledged at Jesus' baptism.  The sonship of Christ carried with it the implication that the Son had certain rights and there was no reason why He could not exercise those rights to gratify His appetite and satisfy Himself.  This suggests that man's highest good comes from gratifying his desires and happiness comes from satisfying his fleshly appetites.  The implication is that man is a physical being with physical appetites which are to be gratified; thus, man lives by bread alone." (Pentecost)

But he answered, “It is written - "Quoting Deut. 8:3 (a book whose authority is often rejected and whose contents not well known), the Lord refused to act independently of the Father's power but chose rather to rely on God's Word." (Ryrie)

"This temptation was an attempt to pervert Jesus Christ from perfect obedience to the will of God.  He was in the desert in the will of God, and therefore all that He endured while in the desert was part of God's will for Him.  To gratify His own desires would have been to abandon the will of God and substitute His own will, deeming that gratification of His appetite was more important than obedience to the will of God.  'Now, what constituted this a temptation? where lay its evil?  Suppose Christ had commanded the stones to become bread, what then?  To Christ, considering the work He had to do, two things were necessary.  He had to live His personal life (1) within the limits necessary to man, and (2) in perfect dependence on God.  Had He transgressed either of these conditions He had ceased to be man's ideal Brother or God's ideal Son.  Man cannot create; he lives by obeying Nature.  He has to plough, to sow, to reap, to garner and winnow, to bruise and bake his grain, that he may eat and live.  Now, had Christ by a direct miracle fed Himself, He had lifted Himself out of the circle and system of humanity, had annulled the very terms of the nature which made Him one with man.  While His supernatural power was His own, it existed not for Himself, but for us.  The moment He had stooped to save self He had become disqualified to save men.  The ideal human life must be perfect in its dependence on God, absolute in its obedience.  The ideal Son could not act as if He had no Father.  And so His choice was not to be His own Providence, but to leave Himself to the Divine.  He conquered by faith, and His first victory was like His last.' [Edersheim]" (Pentecost)

the pinnacle - "About 600 ft (182 m) above the valley below.  Had the Lord cast Himself off this height and lighted on the temple area unharmed, the people might have acclaimed Him as Messiah." (Ryrie)

for it is written - "Satan, as well as Jesus, quotes the Bible (in this instance, Ps. 91:11-12).  But Satan did not quote accurately, for he omitted a phrase that was not suited to his purpose ('in all your ways')." (Ryrie)

"The Psalm which Satan quotes (Psalm 91) is a Messianic Psalm.  He takes Him to the Holy City, Jerusalem, and upon the pinnacle of the temple, because the second temptation is the temptation of Him as the Messiah.  Standing upon that high place the people below must have seen Him and recognized Him; Satan was hid from their view.  What a test and proof of His Messiahship if slowly He had descended, the laws of gravitation completely set aside, landing unharmed on His feet before the astonished multitude.  Would they not at once accept Him?  Why should He be rejected if by doing this He might become in the shortest order their leader, their King and redeemer from the yoke of the Roman oppressor?" (Gaebelein)

"Now, what was the evil in this suggested act?  It was twofold, evil alike on the Godward and on the manward side.  In the first aspect it meant that God should be forced to do for Him what He had before refused to do for Himself—make Him an object of supernatural care, exempted from obedience to natural law, a child of miracle, exceptional in His very physical relations to God and Nature.  In the second aspect it meant that He was to be a Son of Wonder, clothed in marvels, living a life that struck the senses and dazzled the fancies of the poor vulgar crowd." (G. Campbell Morgan)

Again it is written - "Quoting Deut. 6:16, Christ responded that one cannot expect God to protect when out of His will." (Ryrie)

"Christ responded to this temptation by quoting Deuteronomy 6:16: 'Do not test the Lord your God.'  Once again the tempted One submitted Himself to the authority of the Word of God, accepting it as the will of God rather than submitting to the solicitation of the evil one.  Christ's refusal to put God to the test did not come because He was afraid God could not prove Himself.  To the contrary, Christ's trust was so implicit that He saw no need to put God to a test.  Christ believed God because of His Word, not because of evidence that had been presented that He is faithful.  In this test Jesus Christ showed absolute confidence in God and remained in perfect obedience to God's will." (Pentecost)

I will give you - "Satan, as prince of this world, was within his rights to make this offer (John 12:31)." (Ryrie)

"Notice here particularly the claim the devil set up, and let it not be forgotten that the claim was made in the presence of Jesus.  He claimed some right to the kingdoms of the world, and the claim was based upon certain unquestionable facts.  These kingdoms had become what they were, largely under his control.  They were at the moment submissive to his sway, obedient to his laws, being led captive by  him at his will.  For the larger part, the whole of them were blindly asleep in the arms of the wicked one.  By the very temptation, Satan seems to lay claim to a title, which Jesus Himself gave him incidentally at a later period, 'the prince of this world.'  The fact of his sway is undisputed.  He was then as he is today, exercising authority over all those who are in darkness, and he is perpetually paying his price to those who serve him." (Pentecost)