The Gospel of Matthew, Part 2

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Objective

In this lesson we’ll discover how Matthew highlights Jesus’ teaching ministry through five major discourses that reveal His divine authority and the principles of kingdom living.

Key Verse

Matthew 7:29: For He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.

Introduction

In our previous lesson, we discovered that Matthew presents Christ as the King and develops the central theme of the kingdom of heaven throughout his Gospel. But Matthew does something unique among the Gospel writers—he carefully organizes Jesus’ teachings into five major discourses that show us the heart of Christ’s ministry.

More than any other Gospel writer, Matthew records the extensive teachings of Christ. He structures these teachings in a very deliberate way, creating five great teaching passages that each conclude with the identical phrase: “When Jesus had finished.” This repeated ending helps us recognize that Matthew is presenting Jesus not just as a king who rules, but as a teacher whose words carry divine authority.

Think about the most influential teachers you’ve encountered in your life. What made their teaching memorable? Usually it was the combination of their knowledge and their authority to speak on the subject. When Jesus taught, people immediately recognized that His teaching was unlike anything they had ever heard. The religious leaders of His day quoted other rabbis and built elaborate arguments from tradition, but Jesus spoke with the direct authority of God Himself.

These five teaching sections reveal different aspects of what it means to live under God’s rule and prepare us to understand the full scope of Christ’s ministry. As we study them together, you’ll see how Jesus systematically taught His followers about the character, methods, and future of God’s kingdom.

In this lesson, we’ll explore these five powerful teaching passages:

• The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)
• Instructions for ministry (Matthew 10)
• Parables of the kingdom (Matthew 13)
• Life together in God’s kingdom (Matthew 18)
• The end times and faithful living (Matthew 24-25)

The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7)

The first and most famous teaching passage in Matthew is known as the Sermon on the Mount. While portions of this teaching appear in Luke’s Gospel as well, Matthew presents it as a complete discourse that establishes the fundamental principles of kingdom living.

The Sermon on the Mount is essentially Jesus’ comprehensive guide to godly living. Rather than giving us a list of rules to follow, Jesus teaches us about the heart attitudes and character qualities that mark those who truly live under God’s rule. The central theme that flows through every part of this sermon is that God sees and values the heart that is humble and obedient—this is where God’s reign is genuinely established.

Jesus begins His sermon by describing the kind of person that God blesses. These famous verses, known as the Beatitudes, show us that Jesus emphasizes the attitudes of our hearts before God rather than our outward religious performance.

Matthew 5:3-12: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

Notice how different these blessings are from what the world values! The world celebrates the powerful, the successful, and the popular. But Jesus says God blesses those who recognize their spiritual poverty, who grieve over sin, who show gentleness, who long for righteousness, who demonstrate mercy, who maintain pure hearts, who work for peace, and who willingly suffer for doing what is right.

Jesus then teaches that we are called to be fundamentally different from the world around us. We are to live by completely different standards because we serve a different King.

Matthew 5:16: In the same way, let your light shine before others, that they may see your good deeds and glorify your Father in heaven.

Next, Jesus makes a startling claim about His relationship to the Old Testament Scriptures. He didn’t come to destroy or replace what God had already revealed, but to fulfill it completely.

Matthew 5:17: 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.

Then Jesus demonstrates what this fulfillment looks like by showing that true obedience to God’s law must come from the heart, not just from external compliance. We need a righteousness that goes far beyond what the law by itself can produce.

Matthew 5:20: For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven.

How can our righteousness possibly surpass that of the Pharisees, who were famous for their meticulous attention to religious rules? This righteousness comes only from Christ as He dwells within our hearts and transforms us from the inside out.

2 Corinthians 5:21: God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Throughout the rest of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus quotes from the law five times, each time saying, “You have heard that it was said,” followed by “But I say to you.” In each case, Jesus shows that true obedience to God comes from the heart, not just from outward conformity to rules. (Notebook Moment: Think about a time when you followed rules without your heart being engaged. How was that different from times when you obeyed because you genuinely wanted to please God?)

Jesus concludes His teaching on the law with a statement that seems impossible: “Be perfect, therefore, as your heavenly Father is perfect” (Matthew 5:48). How can we possibly be perfect? We can be perfect only through Christ, not through trying harder to keep the law.

Romans 3:20-22: Therefore no one will be declared righteous in God’s sight by the works of the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of our sin. But now apart from the law the righteousness of God has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify. This righteousness is given through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe.

Instructions for Ministry (Matthew 10)

In the second major teaching passage, Jesus gives specific instructions to His disciples as He prepares to send them out as missionaries. This chapter is filled with practical wisdom about ministry that applies to all who want to serve God effectively.

The context for this teaching is important. Jesus had just commanded His disciples to pray that God would send laborers into the harvest field.

Matthew 9:36-38: When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.”

Now Jesus was sending out the disciples as a direct answer to their own prayer! This teaches us an important lesson: when we pray for God to work, we should be prepared for Him to use us as part of the answer.

Matthew 10:1-7: Jesus called his twelve disciples to him and gave them authority to drive out impure spirits and to heal every disease and sickness. These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.'”

In this commissioning, Jesus taught His disciples several essential principles about ministry that remain relevant for us today. First, He taught that we are to give sacrificially and not hold back what God has entrusted to us. What we have to give doesn’t actually belong to us—it belongs to God.

Matthew 10:8: Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give.

Jesus also taught that we must rely completely on the power of the Holy Spirit rather than on our own wisdom or strength.

Matthew 10:20: For it will not be you speaking, but the Spirit of your Father speaking through you.

We are called to follow Christ’s example in all things, understanding that as students we cannot expect to be treated better than our teacher.

Matthew 10:24-25: The student is not above the teacher, nor a servant above his master. It is enough for students to be like their teachers, and servants like their masters. If the head of the house has been called Beelzebul, how much more the members of his household!

One of the most sobering lessons Jesus taught is that we should expect opposition and persecution when we faithfully serve God. This opposition may come even from those closest to us.

Matthew 10:22: You will be hated by everyone because of me, but the one who stands firm to the end will be saved.

Matthew 10:38-39: Whoever does not take up their cross and follow me is not worthy of me. Whoever finds their life will lose it, and whoever loses their life for my sake will find it.

Parables of the Kingdom (Matthew 13)

The third major teaching passage contains a collection of parables that help us understand how God works in the world. Through these simple stories drawn from everyday life, Jesus reveals profound truths about the kingdom of heaven.

Jesus explained to His disciples why He chose to teach in parables. God’s truth is revealed only to those whose hearts are genuinely open to His work.

Matthew 13:10-13: The disciples came to him and asked, “Why do you speak to the people in parables?” He replied, “Because the knowledge of the secrets of the kingdom of heaven has been given to you, but not to them. Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them. This is why I speak to them in parables: Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.”

The most familiar parable in this chapter is the Parable of the Sower. Through this story, Jesus explained how the kingdom of heaven takes root in people’s hearts through the Word of God, and why the same message produces such different responses in different people.

Matthew 13:18-23: Listen then to what the parable of the sower means: When anyone hears the message about the kingdom and does not understand it, the evil one comes and snatches away what was sown in their heart. This is the seed sown along the path. The seed falling on rocky ground refers to someone who hears the word and at once receives it with joy. But since they have no root, they last only a short time. When trouble or persecution comes because of the word, they quickly fall away. The seed falling among the thorns refers to someone who hears the word, but the worries of this life and the deceitfulness of wealth choke the word, making it unfruitful. But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.

(Notebook Moment: Which type of soil best describes your heart when you hear God’s Word? What factors in your life might be preventing the Word from taking deeper root and producing more fruit?)

Through this and the other parables in Matthew 13, Jesus teaches us that God’s kingdom often works in ways that seem small and insignificant to human eyes, but produces results that are far greater than we might expect.

Life Together in God’s Kingdom (Matthew 18)

In the fourth major teaching passage, Jesus focuses on how believers should live together under God’s rule. Rather than giving abstract theological principles, Jesus provides very practical instructions that address real-life situations we all face in relationships.

Jesus teaches three essential principles for kingdom relationships:

We must be humble and loving toward one another. Jesus used a little child as an object lesson, showing that greatness in God’s kingdom is measured by humility and dependence, not by power or status (Matthew 18:3-14).

We must actively seek to make peace and resolve conflicts. When someone sins against us, we shouldn’t ignore it or gossip about it to others. Instead, we should go directly to that person and work toward restoration (Matthew 18:15-20).

We must be merciful and forgiving toward one another. Jesus told a powerful parable about a servant who was forgiven an enormous debt but refused to forgive a fellow servant’s small debt. The lesson is clear: since God has forgiven us so much, we must be willing to forgive others (Matthew 18:21-35).

These principles transform how we approach relationships in our families, churches, and communities. When we truly understand how much God has forgiven us, it becomes natural to extend that same grace to others.

The End Times and Faithful Living (Matthew 24-25)

The fifth and final major teaching passage is known as the Olivet Discourse because Jesus delivered it on the Mount of Olives. This is the most extensive teaching Jesus gave about the end times, and it helps us understand both what will happen in the future and how we should live in the present.

Jesus outlines three major characteristics of the end times:

It will be a time of great deception. False messiahs and false prophets will arise and deceive many people. We must be careful not to be misled by those who claim to speak for God but contradict His Word (Matthew 24:3-14).

It will be a time of persecution and tribulation upon the earth. God’s people will face intense suffering and opposition. But this suffering will not last forever, and God will preserve His people through it (Matthew 24:15-28).

Christ will come again to judge and reign. Jesus will return visibly and powerfully to establish His kingdom on earth. When He comes, there will be no doubt about His identity (Matthew 24:29-41).

Given these realities, Jesus teaches us how we should respond. We should be faithful and watchful, always ready for His return.

Matthew 24:42: Therefore keep watch, because you do not know on what day your Lord will come.

In the remainder of this discourse, Jesus shows us what it means to be a faithful servant through several parables about wise and foolish servants, prepared and unprepared bridesmaids, and profitable and unprofitable stewards (Matthew 24:45-25:46). The consistent message is that we should live each day in light of Christ’s return, serving Him faithfully regardless of how long we must wait.

(Notebook Moment: If you knew Jesus was returning next week, what would you change about how you’re living today? What does this tell you about adjustments you might need to make in your priorities and daily choices?)

Conclusion

Throughout these five teaching passages, Jesus consistently teaches about the kingdom of heaven and what it means to live under God’s rule. From these profound discourses, we learn several life-changing truths:

God’s kingdom is established in our hearts through obedience. True Christianity isn’t just about believing the right things—it’s about allowing God’s truth to transform how we think, feel, and act.

The Word of God brings about God’s work in our hearts and in the world. Just as the seed in Jesus’ parable produces fruit when it falls on good soil, God’s Word accomplishes His purposes when we receive it with faith and obedience.

We are called to live in obedience to God’s reign right now. The kingdom of heaven isn’t just a future reality—it’s a present way of life for all who follow Christ.

We are to follow Christ’s example in all things as we live in His kingdom. Jesus doesn’t just tell us what to do; He shows us how to do it through His perfect life and ministry.

God’s kingdom will someday be established on earth when Christ returns. Our present obedience is preparation for the eternal kingdom that Christ will establish when He comes again.

We can have complete confidence in everything Jesus taught because His Word never fails and His promises are absolutely reliable.

Matthew 24:35: Heaven and earth will pass away, but my words will never pass away.

The authority that people recognized in Jesus’ teaching wasn’t just the authority of superior knowledge or eloquence—it was the authority of truth itself speaking through the perfect Son of God. When we study and apply these teachings today, we’re not just learning ancient wisdom; we’re discovering timeless principles that have the power to transform our lives and prepare us for eternity.

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