PASSAGE: Matthew 7:28-29

SERIES SUMMARY 

As Jesus steps onto the scene of history, Matthew paints a picture of him that invites our participation in what Jesus is doing. The portrait is that Jesus is the True King who is bringing the kingdom of heaven to earth. This good news is not reserved for especially religious people in a distant future; it’s good news, right now, for ordinary people who come to Jesus in faith. 

And while Jesus inaugurated the kingdom among us through teaching and serving in dozens of ways, he ultimately brought heaven to earth by embracing the cross as his throne and wearing thorns as his crown. In doing this, he broke the powers of the kingdom(s) of this world and opened up God’s new world through his resurrection. Now, because of these things, discipleship to Jesus is about praying and living “Your kingdom come, Your will be done.” It is about whole-life transformation and embodying kingdom realities. It is about becoming people who naturally live out what Jesus taught. Today, because of Matthew’s witness and Jesus’ ministry, the kingdom is coming in our own lives, “on earth as it is in heaven.”

PASSAGE GUIDE

Matthew closes the Sermon on the Mount by showing us the crowd’s response to Jesus: “the crowds were astonished at his teaching.” After three chapters about life in the kingdom of heaven, Matthew does not first tell us what the crowd did. He tells us what they felt. They were struck by the weight, clarity, and authority of Jesus’ words. This was not ordinary religious instruction. Jesus was not simply offering helpful advice or repeating the opinions of other teachers. He spoke as One who knew what was true and had the right to say what life under God is really like.

The crowd was astonished because Jesus taught “as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.” The scribes taught by appealing to other authorities, but Jesus spoke as the authority. Throughout the Sermon on the Mount, He said, “You have heard that it was said…but I say to you.” Jesus did not merely clarify a few religious ideas. He authoritatively redefined blessing, righteousness, prayer, generosity, anger, desire, anxiety, enemies, judgment, and what it means to build a life that will last.

This passage also confronts the other voices we often trust. Everyone lives by some vision of the good life. Our culture often tells us that the good life is found in achievement, comfort, control, reputation, financial security, self-protection, and low anxiety. Jesus gives us a very different vision. He says the blessed are the poor in spirit, those who mourn, the meek, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those who are persecuted for righteousness. His words invite us to rethink what we call blessed, good, secure, successful, and wise.

But astonishment is not the same as trust. It is possible to be amazed by Jesus’ teaching and still walk away unchanged. These verses come immediately after Jesus’ words about the wise and foolish builders. Both builders heard His words. Both houses faced storms. The difference was not what they heard or what happened to them; the difference was whether they built on His words. Matthew 7:28-29 asks whether Jesus’ words merely impress us or actually become the foundation of our lives.

The good news is that Jesus’ authority is not harsh, cold, or burdensome. The One who teaches with authority is also the One who gives His life for broken and sinful people and rises with authority over death. Jesus does not call us to perform the Sermon on the Mount in order to be accepted by God. He calls us to trust Him, receive His grace, and learn from Him as He forms kingdom life in us one step at a time.

HIGHLIGHTS

• Big Idea: Jesus doesn’t just teach amazing truth; He authoritatively redefines everything we think we know about God, life, and faith, calling us to trust Him and build on His word.
• Thru Line: Jesus has the authority to tell us what life is really about, and He invites us to move from being amazed by His words to actually trusting Him and building our lives on them.
• Jesus’ authority reaches every part of life. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus speaks to our anger, desires, words, motives, money, prayer, anxiety, relationships, enemies, judgment, and foundation.
• Astonishment is not the same as trust. The crowd was amazed by Jesus’ teaching, but Matthew 7:28-29 calls us to more than admiration. Jesus’ words are meant to be heard, trusted, practiced, and built upon.

*We are a church located in Greenville, South Carolina. Our vision is to see God transform us into a community of grace passionately pursuing life and mission with Jesus.

SUGGESTIONS FOR COMMUNITY GROUP QUESTIONS    

Remember, these are “suggested” questions. You do not have to go through every single one of them. You DO NOT need to listen to both sermons at both campuses to participate in the discussion.  

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS (Read Matthew 7:28-29)

*Remember the text is the focus, the sermon is a commentary, discuss and apply in the group.

1. What has the Spirit taught you this past week from God’s Word or His people?
2. What stood out to you from the text (not simply the sermon or the speaker)?
3. The crowds were “astonished” at Jesus’ teaching. What do you think made Jesus’ teaching so astonishing?
4. Jesus taught “as one who had authority.” What is the difference between receiving Jesus as someone who gives good advice and receiving Him as the One who has authority over life?
5. Where do you find it easy to trust Jesus’ wisdom, and where do you tend to trust another voice more?
6. The Sermon on the Mount challenges our vision of the “good life.” Where might Jesus be inviting you to rethink what you call blessed, good, secure, successful, or wise?
7. Matthew 7:28-29 comes right after Jesus’ words about the wise and foolish builders. What is the difference between hearing Jesus’ words, agreeing with them, and actually building your life on them?
8. What is one burden, fear, relationship, or area of anxiety where Jesus’ wisdom feels like an invitation to trust Jesus and treat Him as the wisest authority there?
9. Jesus’ authority can expose places we would rather keep hidden. How does the grace of the gospel help you respond to Him with honesty instead of defensiveness or shame?
10. What is one specific area of life where you sense Jesus inviting you to move from being amazed by Him to taking a next step of obedience this week? How can this group encourage you in that?

CLOSING PRAYER

• Ask, “Where is Jesus inviting me to move from being amazed by Him to actually trusting Him?”
• Each person shares briefly, as they feel comfortable.
• Group prays that they would trust Jesus’ wisdom, receive His grace, and take one next step of obedience.
• Close by thanking Jesus that His authority is good, His words lead to life, and His grace helps us build on the rock.