The Well: Sermon Audio

At the time Jesus gave the Sermon on the Mount, there was much discord in Israel, with four primary religious groups that were trying to establish their authority: the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes and the Zealots. While fully aware of the presence of the crowds surrounding them, it was in this environment that Jesus taught His disciples, proclaiming the gospel, and the rule and reign of God on the earth. Not a self-help guide, the Sermon on the Mount is meant to expose the hearts of people and continually point them back to their need for a Savior.

After His victorious confrontation with the devil in the Judean wilderness, Jesus heads north to Galilee, setting up His base of operations for ministry in the city of Capernaum. In doing this, Jesus fulfills prophecy and begins to preach His central message: "Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand." The presence and power of God's Kingdom arrives with Jesus, calling His people to repentance, obedience and restoration.

After His coronation by the Spirit and affirmation from the Father as the coming King, Jesus enters into a time of intense temptation from the devil in the barren Judean wilderness. The battle that follows will reveal that Jesus is truly the Son of God who defeats the tempter. It will also show those who belong to Jesus that He can relate to our battles in temptation, and He longs to show us the pathway to victory over them.

As we go through the second chapter in Matthew, we will look at the events of Jesus’ childhood and the world He was born into. It will cause you to rethink what you think you know of the nativity as we walk through the Magi’s visit to young Jesus, Herod’s decree of infanticide, the fleeing of Mary, Joseph and Jesus to Egypt for His safety, and finally, the family’s return to Nazareth.

In the years following the accounts in the book of Acts, early church leaders were intent on keeping the theology of Christ pure and accurate, so much so that they were willing to die for those beliefs. Yet many people today are quick to dismiss parts of Scripture because some passages are strange and difficult to understand. One such area is the virgin conception of Jesus. Though the concept is tough to get our heads around, the inerrancy of the Bible means it is not optional. Understanding the scriptural birth of Christ gives clarity to Jesus being both fully God and fully man, as well as being born without sin, meaning only He is able to be a blameless atonement for the sins of humanity.