SERMON ON THE MOUNT - JESUS and The Scripture // August 2nd 2026

Devotional

Day 1: Jesus Restores the Blueprint, Not the Ruins

Scripture isn’t being demolished but resurrected in Christ. Like workers preserving a historical building, Jesus fulfills every promise and pattern in the Law and Prophets without discarding a single stone. His life doesn’t erase the old story but completes it, revealing how every covenant, prophecy, and command points to Him. To dismiss even the “smallest letter” is to miss the fullness of God’s design. Righteousness begins by trusting the One who makes all things whole. [03:48]

“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.” (Matthew 5:17, ESV)

Reflection: Where have you been tempted to view parts of Scripture as outdated or irrelevant? How might Jesus’ fulfillment of them deepen your trust in their purpose?

Day 2: Feeding Faith with More Than Water

A plant starved of nutrients withers, just as faith fades without Scripture’s nourishment. Jesus warns that thriving in God’s kingdom requires more than surface-level obedience—it demands a steady diet of His Word. Studies show lives anchored in daily Scripture reading see radical transformation: less anger, more forgiveness, vibrant witness. The difference isn’t rule-keeping but roots drinking deeply from Christ, the Living Word. [24:25]

“All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.” (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV)

Reflection: What “nutrients” is your soul lacking? How could four days of Scripture engagement this week reshape your habits or relationships?

Day 3: Beyond Red Letters: Christ in Every Line

Jesus didn’t come to highlight His own words but to illuminate all words pointing to Him. The Pharisees studied Scripture yet missed its heartbeat—the Messiah stepping into their midst. Every law about sacrifice, every psalm of lament, every prophet’s cry finds its “yes” in Christ. To read the Bible without seeking Him is like admiring a necklace while ignoring the jewel at its center. [19:43]

“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me.” (John 5:39, ESV)

Reflection: When reading difficult Old Testament passages, how might you ask, “Where is Jesus here?” What blind spots need His light?

Day 4: Heart Soil, Not Hand Gestures

Righteousness surpassing the Pharisees isn’t about perfect performance but transformed desires. They polished outward actions while harboring pride, greed, and judgment. Jesus demands heart-level surgery: anger addressed as murder, lust as adultery, forgiveness as non-negotiable. True greatness in God’s kingdom isn’t measured by how much we teach but how deeply we’ve let the Word reshape our inner world. [33:26]

“For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.” (1 Samuel 16:7, ESV)

Reflection: What “outward appearance” have you relied on to feel spiritually secure? What heart attitude does Jesus want to recalibrate today?

Day 5: Building on the Rock of Obedience

Knowledge without practice breeds hypocrisy. Jesus ends His sermon warning that hearing His words without doing them is like building a house on sand. The storms of life—disappointment, temptation, crisis—expose flimsy foundations. But those who obey, even in the “smallest strokes,” discover unshakable resilience. Obedience isn’t a ladder to heaven; it’s the proof we’ve received heaven’s gift. [30:22]

“Everyone then who hears these words of mine and does them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” (Matthew 7:24, ESV)

Reflection: What specific teaching from Scripture have you struggled to put into practice? What one step can you take this week to build on the Rock?

Sermon Summary

Jesus meets a serious misunderstanding at the start of his ministry. His words and works looked so radical that some people thought he had come to tear down everything Israel believed, like workers destroying a historical building when they are actually restoring it. Jesus says, “Do not think that I have come to abolish the law and the prophets.” He has not come to discard, dismantle, or make Scripture obsolete. He has come to fulfill it.

Matthew uses fulfill again and again to show that the Old Testament reaches its highest point, its climactic moment, in Jesus. The law, the temple, the kings, the prophets, the covenants, and the promises were all leading somewhere. Jesus stands at the center of it all. Nothing in Scripture is wasted or thrown away, because everything finds its yes in him.

Jesus says that not the smallest letter or least stroke of a pen will disappear until everything is accomplished. Scripture matters down to every purpose of God revealed within it. The law and the prophets were signposts, a guardian and tutor, pointing forward to someone. Jesus says, “It’s me.” The written Word brings people to the living Word.

Scripture cannot be rightly read apart from Christ. Difficult passages should not simply be dismissed, but neither should Scripture be read without looking for Jesus. Christ rebukes those who search the Scriptures yet refuse to come to him for life. The Spirit likewise points to Christ, so a church filled with the Spirit will glorify Jesus.

Jesus then presses the matter into practice. Those who dismiss even the least commands and teach others to do so are called least in the kingdom, while those who practice and teach them are called great. Scripture is not merely for talking about, debating, or collecting information. Scripture is meant to get into the heart and reshape the life.

Righteousness must surpass that of the Pharisees, not through a stricter checklist, but through a deeper transformation. Pharisees could look right on the outside while remaining corrupt within. God looks at the heart. Anger exposes murder in the heart, lust exposes adultery in the mind, and love reaches even enemies.

Jesus gives the righteousness that he requires. His cross does more than cover sin. Christ takes sin and gives his own righteousness to those who trust him. The kingdom is entered not by achieving perfect law-keeping, but by faith in the one who fulfilled the law perfectly.

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Key Takeaways

1. Jesus fulfills, never discards, Scripture [08:53] Jesus does not treat the Old Testament as a problem to get past. The law, prophets, promises, sacrifices, and stories find their full meaning in his life, death, and resurrection. Scripture becomes clearer when Christ is seen as its center rather than treated as an optional add-on. [08:53]
2. Read Scripture looking for Christ [19:43] Scripture can become mere information when it does not lead a person to Jesus. Difficult texts require patience, study, and humility, but they must be read through the lens of Christ. The written Word gives life as the Spirit uses it to bring hearts before the living Word. [19:43]
3. Practice reveals Scripture’s real hold [29:55] Scripture was never meant to remain a topic of conversation or a set of facts held in the mind. Jesus connects greatness in the kingdom with practicing and teaching his commands. Obedience does not earn righteousness, but it reveals that grace has begun transforming the inner life. [29:55]
4. God looks beneath religious appearances [32:38] Pharisaic righteousness can look impressive while leaving the heart untouched. Jesus moves the law inward, exposing anger, lust, unforgiveness, and hatred as matters of the heart. God is not impressed by polished outward religion when the inward person remains far from him. [32:38]
5. Christ gives the righteousness required [35:52] The demand for righteousness greater than the Pharisees should leave every person aware of personal inability. Christ fulfilled the law in the way no sinner could. The cross brings the beautiful exchange: Christ takes sin and gives his righteousness to those who place faith in him.

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Youtube Chapters

[00:00] - Welcome
[01:43] - Jesus and the Authority of Scripture
[03:22] - Restoring, Not Destroying
[05:10] - The Law and the Prophets
[08:53] - Jesus Fulfills God’s Story
[12:24] - Every Purpose of Scripture Matters
[15:52] - Practicing and Teaching the Commands
[18:35] - Reading Scripture Through Christ
[21:34] - Thriving Through God’s Word
[28:14] - Scripture Is Holy and Transforming
[30:42] - Righteousness Beyond the Pharisees
[32:07] - God Looks at the Heart
[35:52] - Christ Gives His Righteousness
[37:39] - Coming to the Table by Grace

Bible Study Guide

Bible Reading

Matthew 5:17-20
“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.”
[00:01:43] [00:05:04] [00:12:24] [00:15:52] [00:30:59]

John 5:39-40
“You search the Scriptures because you think that in them you have eternal life; and it is they that bear witness about me, yet you refuse to come to me that you may have life.”
[00:20:35]

Luke 24:27
“And beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted to them in all the Scriptures the things concerning himself.”
[00:19:28]

2 Corinthians 5:21
“For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.”
[00:36:16]

Observation questions

In Matthew 5:17-20, what does Jesus say he has not come to do, and what does he say he has come to do instead? [00:08:19]
What examples are given of parts of the Old Testament that lead to and find their fulfillment in Jesus?
What two mistakes can people make when reading Scripture, especially difficult passages? [00:18:35]
According to Matthew 5:20, what kind of righteousness is required for entering the kingdom of heaven, and how is Pharisaic righteousness described? [00:32:07]

Interpretation questions

Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets rather than abolishing them. How does that change the way a believer should approach Old Testament laws, stories, promises, sacrifices, and prophecies? [00:10:01]
John 5:39-40 warns that a person can search Scripture carefully and still refuse to come to Jesus. What might it look like for someone to know many biblical facts while missing the life Christ gives? [00:19:43]
Jesus connects greatness in the kingdom with both practicing and teaching his commands. Why is knowledge of Scripture alone not enough for a healthy Christian life? [00:29:49]
If anger, lust, hatred, and unforgiveness expose what is happening in the heart, why can outward religious behavior never make a person truly righteous before God? [00:33:39]

Application questions

When you read the Bible, do you usually come looking to meet Jesus, or mainly looking for information, answers, or encouragement? What could help you read this week with Christ more clearly at the center? [00:20:47]
Is there a difficult part of Scripture you have tended to avoid, dismiss, or explain away? What would it look like to approach it with humility, prayer, and a desire to see how it points to Christ? [00:18:35]
Scripture is meant to be practiced, not merely discussed. What is one command of Jesus you understand but have found difficult to put into practice in a relationship, at work, at home, or online? [00:29:55]
God looks beneath outward appearances to the heart. Where have anger, resentment, lust, pride, or unforgiveness been easier to hide behind a respectable outward life? What would honest repentance look like? [00:34:18]
Think about your current rhythm with God’s Word. When you are not regularly in Scripture, what changes do you notice in your attitudes, desires, or relationships? What is one realistic step toward a more steady rhythm? [00:22:48]
The righteousness required by God cannot be achieved by checking enough boxes. Where are you tempted to measure your standing with God by your recent performance rather than by Christ’s righteousness? [00:36:45]
Jesus takes the sin of those who trust him and gives them his righteousness. How does that truth bring both comfort when you fail and courage to pursue a changed life? [00:36:16]

Sermon Clips

49s

#RighteousnessByGrace

“Now here's the beautiful irony. The one who tells us that our righteousness surpassed that, should surpass that of the Pharisees is the one who gives us the righteousness that we could never achieve. Because Jesus did to the law what we could never do. He lived the perfect sinless life. And so part of the cross of Christ is not just the the covering of sin. It's not just the the blood shed to cleanse you, white us, know, and to forgive you. It's actually to give you righteousness. So he takes our sin and he gives us his righteousness.”

56s

#TransformedBySpirit

“Not the action so much as the heart, but the the beautiful things through the presence of the Holy Spirit in us is transformation that begins on the inside actually begins to change our outward nature. It's a beautiful gift of God. We're gonna take communion together today. And we come to the table this morning, not because of our righteousness, but because of his. We come to the table today, not because we have fulfilled the law, but because he has. We come to the cross and we partake in the blood and body of Jesus through the through the juice and the bread because of the sacrifice he made. What a beautiful twist to the story.”

67s

#GraceOverLaw

“If you could if you could really take the whole chunk of the gospel of Matthew, Jesus comes, gives this great declaration. Kingdom of God is here. Here's the kind of people that part of the kingdom is, shares the beatitudes. Then he speaks of this, and all of a sudden you're like, oh. And then he gives all this deep weighty teaching. And I don't know if you're like me, but sometimes I hear that I'm like, oh, shoot. I've broken that law and I've broken that law and I've broken that law. I don't know how many times I've murdered someone in my heart. Man, I've cove I coveted a lot. I don't know if I'm right more righteous than the Pharisees. And then all of a sudden, the man who taught that goes to the cross in your place and offers you forgiveness and grace.”

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