56 – Sermon on the Mount Part 7; Matthew 7:28-8:1

Matthew 7:28 [a]When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; 29 for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as their scribes.

8:1 When [b]Jesus came down from the mountain, [c]large crowds followed Him.

Footnotes

a. Matthew 7:28 Lit And it happened when

b. Matthew 8:1 Lit He

c. Matthew 8:1 Lit many

Commentary

Since this section is so short, it seems appropriate to take a look at the person of Jesus in some further detail. The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew “Joshua”, which means “salvation of Yahweh” (see Matthew 1:21). Because Jesus was a common name at the time of Jesus’s birth, the gospels often refer to Him as Jesus of Nazareth or Jesus Christ.

As I mentioned in the last study of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus expressed Himself and His teaching in ways that were common in Greek thought at the time. This may due, in part, to the fact that the Jews were under Roman rule and that many of the cities of the Decapolis and surrounding areas had become Hellenic in culture, embracing the Greek language and philosophy. While Jesus spoke in Aramaic (the language of the common man, to whom He addressed most of His teaching), He certainly would have been exposed to Greek language and thought and was very possibly bilingual.

Regarding the study passage for this week, the Sermon on the Mount was spoken to an audience who is presumed to believe in Jesus as the Messiah. “[Jesus] is the personal embodiment of all His teachings. Thus, when He had finished the discourse, the people were astonished. Lenski (p. 314) notes that as Jesus spoke, crowds were in rapt attention, but when He ceased, attention relaxed and shocking amazement engulfed them” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1190).

Also recorded in the scripture selection from this week is a comparison of Jesus to the scribes. “The scribes were the copyists of the law and the theologians of their day. The scribes had to rely on tradition for their authority, whereas Christ was His own authority. This undoubtedly disturbed the Pharisees for He had no approval as an official teacher in their system. Rather than quoting the opinion of tradition, Jesus spoke as if He personally knew what He was talking about” (Nelson KJV Bible Commentary pg. 1190). Most of the scribes belonged to the Pharisaic party themselves, and this may have ironically created the opportunity for Jesus to teach in the first place because Pharisees tended to err “on the side of leniency for fear of unwittingly opposing truth. Gamaliel’s advice of caution (Acts 5:38f.) is typical of this approach. When the Sadducean Caiaphas was considering the threat of Jesus to the Jewish hierarchy, he displayed a devotion to political expediency which no Pharisee would have expressed so unequivocally (John 11:48)” (The Zondervan Pictorial Encyclopedia of the Bible, Vol. 3 pg. 504).

Part of the Pharisees’ objection to Jesus’s teaching was His authoritative delivery and assertion of absolute truth, but it’s the very authority with which He speaks that makes the message all the more sobering. If we don’t follow His teaching and believe in Him, there are grave consequences.

See the next post here https://onthepath.online/2020/04/24/a-centurions-faith/

Scripture Reference

Verse 7:28

Matthew 11:1 After Jesus had finished instructing His twelve disciples, He went on from there to teach and preach in the nearby towns.

Matthew 13:53 When Jesus had finished these parables, He withdrew from that place.

Matthew 13:54 Coming to His hometown, He taught the people in their synagogue, and they were astonished. “Where did this man get such wisdom and miraculous powers?” they asked.

Matthew 19:1 When Jesus had finished saying these things, He left Galilee and went into the region of Judea beyond the Jordan.

Matthew 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

Matthew 26:1 When Jesus had finished saying all these things, He told His disciples,

Mark 1:22 The people were astonished at His teaching, because He taught as one who had authority, and not as the scribes.

Mark 6:2 When the Sabbath came, He began to teach in the synagogue, and many who heard Him were astonished. “Where did this man get these ideas?” they asked. “What is this wisdom He has been given? And how can He perform such miracles?

Mark 11:18 When the chief priests and scribes heard this, they looked for a way to kill Him. For they were afraid of Him, because the whole crowd was astonished at His teaching.

Luke 2:47 And all who heard Him were astounded at His understanding and His answers.

Luke 4:32 They were astonished at His teaching, because His message had authority.

Luke 7:1 When Jesus had concluded His discourse in the hearing of the people, He went to Capernaum.

John 7:46 “Never has anyone spoken like this man!” the officers answered.

Commentary

Matthew 1:21 She will bear a Son; and you shall call His name Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.”

Acts 5:38 So in the present case, I say to you, stay away from these men and let them alone, for if this plan or action is of men, it will be overthrown; 39 but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them; or else you may even be found fighting against God.”

John 11:48 If we let Him go on like this, all men will believe in Him, and the Romans will come and take away both our place and our nation.”