This year, in my individual Bible study, I’m doing a deep dive on the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). I know that doesn’t sound like much. It’s only three chapters, and just a little over five pages in the print Bible I’m currently using, maybe two or three scrolls on a phone or tablet. But let me explain why I’m going to spend a good chunk of my time on these three chapters, and why I think you should too. 

In Matthew’s account of Jesus’s life, this is the first of several extended sermons or teachings from Jesus to His followers. If you look back a few verses, this comes right after He called the first disciples to leave their fishing business and follow Him. As they went with Him, more and more people started following Jesus. This sermon is the first big lesson He gave them. I think that’s significant enough for me to pay extra attention to it.

I’m also intrigued by the listeners. At the end of chapter four, there is a list of people Jesus was attracting: “Jesus traveled throughout the region of Galilee, teaching in the synagogues and announcing the Good News about the Kingdom. And he healed every kind of disease and illness. News about him spread as far as Syria, and people soon began bringing to him all who were sick. And whatever their sickness or disease, or if they were demon-possessed or epileptic or paralyzed— he healed them all. Large crowds followed him wherever he went—people from Galilee, the Ten Towns, Jerusalem, from all over Judea and from east of the Jordan River” (Matthew 4:23-25). These descriptions paint a pretty amazing picture. Jesus was interacting with religious people, sick people, needy people, even demon-possessed people. When He went up on the mountainside to teach (Matthew 5:1), imagine what He saw when He looked at that crowd. It must have been amazing to see that mix of humanity looking up expectantly at what He had to say.

Whether you call this a proper sermon or a collection of teachings, I think this is a good overview of what Jesus was all about—and what He wanted His followers to be about as well. I want to follow Jesus better in 2024. I want to learn from Him, and I’m inviting you to join me. I think these three short chapters are a good place to start. 

When Jesus called His first disciples, He invited them to come along with Him and learn a new way of life. As they listened and learned from Him, their lives were transformed, and they became the leaders of the Church. Jesus is still calling people, including you and me, to follow Him, learn from Him and be transformed by Him.

Dig Deeper

Here’s a good practice for Bible study: read the Sermon on the Mount two or three times quickly, then go slowly through it another time or two. That will give you both the big picture and a chance to zero in on the things that really jump out at you.

Daily Readings