Season 2 Podcast 88 The Sermon on the Mount Part III
The Sermon on the Mount Pt III
In the Sermon on the Mount Christ teaches us how to live what later becomes known as The Two Great Commandments and what James calls the Royal Law. He teaches us how to love the Lord with all our heart and how to love our neighbor as ourselves. For economy of time, I won’t list all the requirements but surely it could be summed up in what has become known as The Golden Rule: “Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.” This is strongly reinforced in the following: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.” And “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you.”
Immediately following that, Christ reinforces his theme: “That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven.” Which is also a recurring theme of the Beatitudes: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven”, “inherit the earth,” “shall see God,” “Shall be called the children of God”
Christ teaches us how to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven.
3 ¶ Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: 14 Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. (Matthew 7:13-14)
As strait, spelled s-t-r-a-i-t is a narrow water way that connects two larger bodies of water. The strait gate is generally equated with baptism.
Matthew records the baptism of Jesus in the following way:
13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: (Matthew 3:13-16)
John, referred to as John the Baptist, is the forerunner of Christ. John held the priesthood through his father. Christ traveled from Galilee to Jordan. Scholars estimate that to be about a 60 mile walk. John recognizing his own sinful state says the obvious, “I have need to be baptized of thee.” That question is understandable when you consider that the purpose of baptism is to cleanse us from sin, and John the Baptist knew that Christ was sinless. In fact John taught his disciples:
11 I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: (Matthew 3:11)
Christ’s answer is very revealing, “Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.” That is when John understood why. Christ set the standard. If Christ must be baptized to fulfill all righteousness, then how much more should we being unholy be baptized to fulfill all righteousness. Matthew adds, “Then he suffered him.”
We are baptized that we might have our sins washed away through the blood of Christ. Christ was baptized that he might be filled with the Holy Ghost and be prepared against all temptation.
Paul tells us
15 For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Hebrews 4:15)
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