September 8, 2012
Title: Week 1 — Let My People Go: Jesus as the new Moses
Series: The King’s Speech
This is the beginning of our new series called The King’s Speech (Sermon on the Mount). At first glance, Matthew’s introduction to the Sermon on the Mount may appear mundane. However, a closer look demonstrates that the introduction is packed full of theological significance. It was clearly designed to do more than simply express the occasion and location of the sermon and describe Jesus’ posture while he taught. Instead, it signals that the great Teacher is a fulfillment of one of the most important prophecies of the Old Testament. Matthew often highlights the fact that Jesus fulfilled the Old Testament by using the fulfillment formula “now all this took place to fufill what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet.” In Matthew 5:1, 2 Matthew highlights Jesus’ fulfillment of the Old Testament promises in a more subtle but equally powerful manner. Jesus’ ascent of a mountain to deliver his authoritative words about the kingdom is strangely reminiscent of Moses’ ascent of Sinai to receive and deliver the law of God.