Introduction
Read Matthew 5-7
Most Christians know Jesus as Savior, many know Him as Lord. Still others see Jesus as a Prophet,
Priest or a King. Yet Jesus was more than this, He had many roles. This month Foundations Daily
Devotional will focus on Jesus as a Teacher. Jesus was the best teacher that ever walked the earth
and the Gospel of Matthew is packed full of many of His teachings. In fact, Christ’s five discourses
are the backbone of this book of the Bible. Jesus teachings include topics such as how citizens of the
Kingdom are to live (ch. 5-7); how travelling disciples are to conduct themselves (ch. 10); parables
(ch. 13); warnings about entrance into the Kingdom and forgiveness (ch. 18-20) and how human
history will end (ch. 24-25). These five discourses can be viewed as a manual on discipleship. They
give a holistic picture of life lived in obedience to Christ therefore the church has used them to instruct disciples through the ages. Matthew 7:29 tells us that Jesus taught with authority and Matthew 13:54 speaks of His profound wisdom. We know from other scriptures that Jesus is Truth therefore we have much to learn about living as His disciples from these teachings. We will begin by looking at the Sermon on the Mount which is found in Matthew 5-7. It speaks of how Jesus expects His followers to live in this present age as part of His Kingdom and is probably one of the most famous sermons recorded in Scripture. Kingdom life is one of the overarching themes of this sermon as you can see from the following verses: “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:3; “for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:10; “...shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:19; “...shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:19; “...will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven” Mt 5:20; “Your kingdom come” Mt 6:10; “But seek first the kingdom of God” Mt 6:33; “. . . shall enter the kingdom of heaven” Mt 7:21. Why is Kingdom living so important? Why must we focus on the character, duties, attitudes and dangers of the Christian disciple? It is because God cares about our obedience and our devotion to Him. The central theme is actually Christ Himself, for our relationship with Him and our response to His teachings will determine our eternal destiny. The Sermon on the Mount is far from a mere collection of moral precepts, it presents the demands of Jesus the Messiah on all who respond to His preaching of God’s Kingdom.
PRAYER and MEDITATION
1. Saviour, Lord, Prophet, Priest, King and Teacher. Spend some time praising Jesus for His many
roles and for how He fulfills them all.
2. Ask the Lord to show you if you have over or underemphasized any of Jesus roles. Ask Him to
show you how you can have a more balanced view of who He is.
