When my daughter and I visited Israel in 2019, we learned about the ritual cleansing baths called mikvehs. Mikvehs were closely associated with the temple so that priests could be cleansed before entering to offer sacrifices. Often, one set of steps led into the water, and another set of steps led out of it. Mikvehs were designed this way so that the priest would not be recontaminated on the same steps he entered. By full immersion, the priest was considered clean. Mikvehs were also used to demonstrate the conversion of someone who wanted to practice Judaism. These proselytes became just as Jewish as those who had been raised in Judaism. All who entered the water recognized their need for cleansing, went down the steps into the water, and came out prepared to meet with God. Keep this picture in mind as we consider the Gospel Jesus preached in His Sermon on the Mount, recorded by Matthew in chapters 5-7.
Those who study the Beatitudes recognize the parallel formation of the sayings. In Matthew’s rendition, verse 3 begins with the Kingdom of Heaven and verse 10 ends with the Kingdom of Heaven. Charles Spurgeon, in his sermon on the Beatitudes, likened the parallel formation to a “ladder of light,” adding that they “rise one above another, but they spring out of each other, as if each one depended upon all that went before. Each growth feeds a higher growth, and the seventh is the product of all the other six.” (The Beatitudes, Spurgeon, 15-16.)
However, with the lowliness that each new beatitude introduces, Spurgeon’s picture might actually be inverted, much like a convert descending into the baptismal waters to picture the full cleansing of his newfound faith!
Unbeknownst to me before this study, the word “gospel” did not originate with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. In fact, none of that had happened yet when Jesus began preaching His gospel.
And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of sickness and all manner of disease among the people. Matthew 4:23.
William Barkley relayed in his commentary that a gospel was delivered by a herald directly from a king. This message was authoritative, announcing the king’s laws, commands, and decisions. The message held none of the herald’s opinions. He strictly stuck to what the king had commanded him to say. Jesus’ gospel demanded repentance because God’s Kingdom had arrived and things needed to change. (The Gospel of Matthew, volume 1, Barklay, 69-70).
From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Matthew 4:17
Matthew’s recording of the Sermon on the Mount included all of Jesus’ teachings to His disciples on how God intended His servants to act within His Kingdom, though it is unlikely that Jesus preached all of this in one sitting. The Beatitudes were the foundation of His message, with the rest of chapters 5-7, the practical application of that foundation. In other words, while those who thought they were obtaining God’s favor patted themselves on the back, Jesus proclaimed what God had in mind with His Laws all along. Those who recognized their utter inability to earn God’s favor were the only ones in a position to enter His kingdom.
As we approach Easter Sunday, this King’s gospel will be heralded in Bible-preaching churches across the world. Even though the Gospel is the good news of Jesus’ death in our place, and His resurrection is the power that gives us eternal life, His original message of repentance is the only way to enter His Kingdom. Sadly, too many Christians have moved beyond the preaching of Jesus to live out what they think is His truth. Hinging on His message of love and grace, every person does that which is right in one’s own eyes. However, the King had a set of commands that He expected His followers to embody. His message began with repentance, and the beatitudes demonstrate what repentance means. If you have ever wondered what it looks like to be a Christian, Matthew 5-7 is the perfect place to find out. Want to study along with me? I have an online Facebook group you can join, if you’d like. Message me for an invitation. I will include the first lesson in a pdf below. There are also many resources for studying Jesus’ message found online and in book form. I encourage you to choose to reacquaint yourself with the King and His Kingdom this Easter! Have a blessed Resurrection Weekend, my friends!
His Song in the Night 