Jesus Turns the World Upside Down! - 3/3/2024 Sunday Sermon

The Tabernacle Today

Jesus turns the world upside down! - Matthew 5:1-12

Today we come to Jesus’ great Sermon on the Mount(ain), the first of 5 sermons in Matthew’s gospel. Having called sinners to repentance, the sermon shows the traits Jesus expects of His repentant followers. Doing these things is not the root of salvation – that’s faith in Jesus. Doing these things are the fruit of repentance and true faith in Jesus.

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. - Matthew 6:33 (ESV)

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)

The Sermon begins with the Beatitudes, so named from the Latin word for Blessed, Beatus. As we will see, every Beatitude is the opposite of what the Satanic world system says will make you successful and happy.

Jesus came into a world that does everything upside down from Heaven’s perspective. Jesus was from the “Upside,” Heaven! He brought the “Upside” down so that we would learn how to put the rightside “Up!”

The world says successful and happy are the rich, but Jesus says blessed are the wretched (v. 3)

Jesus starts the beatitudes by going right to the heart of the matter – all people are ‘bankrupt’ spiritually before God no matter how rich they are. The richer we are, the more self-sufficient we tend to be, failing to comprehend our true need as sinners before a holy God.

The word blessed is the Greek word Makarios, which occurs 50 times in the New Testament (9 in this passage). It refers to the inner gladness that will characterize followers of Jesus in this life and later in Heaven.

The world says successful and happy are those who laugh things off, but Jesus says blessed are those who mourn (v. 4)

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. - Ecclesiastes 7:2 (ESV)

Jesus Himself wept at Lazarus’ death, because death is a by-product of sin. And we should take time to mourn what sin has cost the world and look to redemption in Christ.

The world says successful and happy are the mighty, but Jesus says blessed are the meek (v. 5)

When processing what makes something right to do, one cynical philosopher said, “Might makes right.” If you can do it, and no one can stop you, it becomes the right thing to do.

The world says that ‘meekness is weakness.’ But biblically meekness is not weakness but putting any strength we have under God’s control.

The world says successful and happy are those who act on their lusts, but Jesus says blessed are those who desire righteousness (v. 6)

Positional righteousness happens when we trust Christ (Gen. 15:6; 2 Cor. 5:21). Personal righteousness is our desire to do the kind of things that Christ would do if he was living my life for me (Galatians 2:20).

The world says successful and happy are the cruel, but Jesus said blessed are those who show mercy (v. 7)

The world says successful and happy are those who sinfully indulge, but Jesus says blessed are those who get clean (v. 8)

The word for pure is the Greek word catharos. We think of medical people cauterizing something to clean it out so it can heal.

I adjure you, O daughters of Jerusalem…do not stir up or awaken love until its time. - Song of Solomon 2:7; 3:5; 8:4 (ESV, paraphrased)

The world says you are successful and happy if you don’t get involved, but Jesus said blessed are the peacemakers (v. 9)

The Son of God became the Son of Man so that children of men could become children of God!

For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus, who gave Himself a ransom for all. - 1 Timothy 2:5-6a (ESV)

The world says you are successful and happy if you lash out against belief, but Jesus says blessed are those the world persecutes (v. 10-12)

Not only will it be worth it to have lived by faith in Jesus in a world that does not, verse 12 says it will be greatly rewarded in Heaven!