The Exposition of Matthew 7:12-27
(Sermon on the Mount)
Questions to be answered in this study
- What is probably the best-known verse in all of Scripture and the least practiced?
- Where does the phrase “The Golden Rule” originate?
- Does success and popularity equal what is right? For example, if the president of the United States is highly popular, does that mean he is apparently on the right track?
- Why is it so important to study the Bible consistently?
- How do we know the difference in a true Bible teacher and a false one?
- What are the two kinds of builders that Jesus refers to as an example, and what is the difference in them?
- I heard Oprah Winfrey say there are more ways than one way to go to heaven. How do we know she is dead wrong?
- When the end comes and we stand before Jesus in the judgment seat of Christ, what will be the final test?
- When the day of reckoning comes, those who choose the broad way will stand before Jesus. What is the name of that judgment?
Introduction
Today we come to the end of Jesus’ sermon on the mount, a sermon on true righteousness. In today’s study, Jesus reveals the secret to a successful marriage and lasting friendships. Matthew 7:12 is probably the best-known verse in all of Scripture and the least practiced. In Verse 12, Jesus’ gives a summary of His teaching on righteousness and how it acts: “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,” Matt. 7:12.
Jesus stated here a summary of true righteousness in two short sentences. In the unbelieving Roman, Emperor Alexander Severus was the first to call this “the Golden Rule.” Severus was so impressed by this maxim of Jesus that he had it engraved in gold on the walls throughout his palace. Today parents and teachers everywhere teach this as a rule of good behavior. This maxim suggests that actions speak louder than words. You can say you are a Christian, but do you act like one. Jesus said that this maxim is the standard of true righteousness in the life of true believers in everything. There is no guessing as to what action we should take with others in every situation. Just put yourself in the other person’s place to determine how to respond to them ideally, whether at home with a spouse, your children, while driving, at work, and yes, at Church. In the golden rule, we have a course of action that consistently works the best.
It would make a difference if we were willing to treat others as we want to be treated. Rather than a selfish, self-centered approach, this considers what helps others, and that is the secret to its success. It removes your pride and ego, the sins that so often besets us and bring turmoil into our lives. Pride and ego always look out for #1 and ignores others and their feelings. Alexander Severus, although an unbeliever, came up with the best name for this great saying of our Lord. It indeed is the “Golden Rule” and yet so often avoided even by believers, though it can be an opportunity for God to bless eternally.
At the end of v.12, Jesus adds the “Law and Prophets.” Back at the beginning of His sermon in chapter 5, verse 17, Jesus said, “Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” Jesus wanted his listeners and especially the Pharisees to know that His teaching was centered in the Word of God and not the false teaching of the Mishna. The beginning of His sermon matches the end; this is called an “incluseo.” From beginning to end, Jesus has taught true righteousness from the accurate Word of God. Those listeners in that day were somewhat like the Church today; they had little Bible knowledge. Today more than ever, we need to decern the truth from lies and false teaching. In the final part of this sermon, we shall see a contrast between spiritual truth and spiritual untruth.
Jesus uses three contrasts. The first one is in verse 13 & 14. “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: 14Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it,” Matthew 7:13.
The first contrast is between a wide gate and a narrow gate. Cities in the first century had high walls for protection with several gates depending on the size of the city. Jerusalem was a large city with several gates of different sizes according to need and purpose. It was necessary for the main entrance to be wide since it had the highest traffic. My wife, Margaret, and I passed through the present gate that leads to Old Jerusalem. It is an impressive entrance. It is broad with a very high arch joined on each side by the high wall surrounding Old Jerusalem. The wide gate is the one that attracts most people in today’s world. It leads to all the worldly things to which people are generally attracted; it is very easy to enter. The broad road is one everyone is on from birth, and it is so easy to travel it until death.
On the other hand, there is a narrow gate that is not so easy to enter. You have to search for it. It is out of the way for most traffic, and it is not as glamorous as the broad gate, so few find it or even care to enter it. Naturally, the larger gates were the preferred entrance for most people who traveled on these roads. All that is necessary is to continue the way you are going conveniently and not go out of your way; follow the crowd; this is the way of the world that leads to destruction. According to Jesus, finding spiritual truth requires going a different way than the majority. Jesus compares finding spiritual truth to entering into the hard-to-find narrow gate. It is not the broad and easy way that requires no effort or difficulty.
Finding spiritual truth requires a change in direction from the crowd and the world. When it comes to entering into the narrow gate, which represents spiritual truth, or the way to the Kingdom, we can’t follow the wisdom of the crowd or the majority. America is much like the Jews of Jesus’ day who thought they were spiritually OK because they were God’s chosen people. Today, many Americans think they are Christians because they live in a Christian nation. Conventual knowledge is not adequate, as the science of the day; it leads to the broad gate. According to Jesus, the world’s masses are entering the broad gate, which leads to destruction. In context with the sermon on the mount, when Jesus speaks of destruction, He means specifically the Lake of Fire, or the Second Death, which leads to eternal separation from God. The contrast is, eternal life is the narrow path, and everlasting destruction is the wide path. The ideology of the day is that the majority is always right. That is the democratic way of thinking. The largest is the best in today’s way of thinking, or there is safety in numbers. Those thoughts lead to the broadways.
People are often most impressed by what the crowd is doing. They assume that anything with a large following and popular must be the right way to go. Sometimes people select a church by the size or how impressive the building is and that offer a lot of programs, ignoring whether the Bible is taught and preached. The question is, does success and popularity equal what is right. Not according to Jesus; the broad way leads to destruction. The majority are headed that way. Truth is not easily discovered, and the reason is, there are so many diversions from the reality. There are so-called religions that are far from the truth, deceiving many. The Pharisees of Jesus’ day obscured the truth, and many followed them. Jesus taught the truth, and many turned and followed Him no more, according to Scripture. Of the multitude present on the day Jesus preached His sermon, only a few listened and received the truth He preached. It is the same today. According to statistics, on average, even 80% of church members are lost. Now I know that is not true in every church, but nevertheless it is alarming. The multitudes are on the broad road in this world, and the few are on the narrow road. The more I study the Bible, the more I believe that a lot of Bible teaching and preaching misses the mark or is incomplete concerning the truth. It is the individual’s responsibility to study the Bible for himself, in order not to be misled.
According to a survey by Lifeway, church members as a whole don’t read the Bible that much. So, how can they tell if the truth is being preached or taught? The Bible teaches that people will have itching ears in the last day, ready to hear what is pleasant and encouraging and not the hard truth. Sadly, the Church overall is illiterate, concerning the Bible. Consequently, many churches are deceived by people who are content just following the crowd.
Now, we come to the second contrast in verses 15-20: “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves. 16Ye shall know them by their fruits. Do men gather grapes of thorns, or figs of thistles? 17Even so every good tree bringeth forth good fruit; but a corrupt tree bringeth forth evil fruit. 18A good tree cannot bring forth evil fruit, neither can a corrupt tree bring forth good fruit. 19Every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire. 20Wherefore by their fruits ye shall know them,” Matthew 7:15-20.
The contrast in these verses is between the fruit of two trees. In verse fifteen, Jesus warns of false teachers who look good but are dangerous as wolves; wolves can be very harmful to a flock of sheep. The point Jesus is making is that teachers must be chosen carefully to keep on the narrow road. What they teach can hamper accurate spiritual instruction and lead people astray.
The Apostle Peter warns us of such teachers in 2 Peter 2:1 (KJV): “But there were false prophets also among the people, even as there shall be false teachers among you, who privily shall bring in damnable heresies, even denying the LORD that bought them, and bring upon themselves swift destruction.“ Some false teachers are very deceptive, hiding behind sheep clothing. How do we separate the sheep from the wolves? According to Jesus, you tell by the fruit they bear. Is their teaching resulting in stronger Christians, or is it leading them closer to the world and sin?
Now consider the third contrast: “Not everyone that saith unto me, LORD, LORD, shall enter into the Kingdom of heaven; but he that doeth the will of my Father which is in heaven. 22Many will say to me in that day, LORD, LORD, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity,” Matthew 7:21-23. In these verses, Jesus is making a very provocative statement. The context is the same concerning false prophets who think they are right; this is not directed toward true Christians but toward the false teachers who cause harm in the Church.
Notice the focus of these verses is on their works, their prophesying in Jesus’ name, and casting out demons. They look very real but work out of demonic power rather than Holy Spirit power. Satan is able to counterfeit with signs and wonders so that the elect might be deceived. Jesus tells us we can know them by their fruit; Jesus was referring to the Pharisees who were not godly, loving, charitable, forgiving men.
In the final contrast, Jesus focuses His attention on His followers: “Therefore, whosoever heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them, I will liken him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: 25And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. 26And every one that heareth these sayings of mine, and doeth them not, shall be likened unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: 27And the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Matthew 7:24-27.
Beginning with the word “therefore,” Jesus uses His final contrast using a contrast of two builders. In these verses, the builders each hear Jesus’ teaching. There are two kinds of builders here, those who hear Jesus’ teaching and abide by them. These are the few who find the narrow path. These recognize the value of what Jesus teaches. According to Jesus, these people are wise builders building on a solid foundation leading to eternal life. Their building will pass the test when the storms of life come. Secondly, some hear but continue to do their own thing. They hear the teachings of Jesus but prefer the way of the fool who builds upon the sand, which is destroyed when the storms come. What Jesus is implying in all of these contrasts is that to enter the Kingdom of heaven, you must choose the right way.
Not all ways lead to Heaven as Orpha Wimpry and others might indicate there is only one, the narrow path. The narrow path represents placing your faith in Jesus and accepting His righteousness and His work on the cross to pay for your sins. According to Jesus there is only one way to go to heaven: “Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me. Jesus said to him, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me,” John 14:6 (KJV).
Even when we are on the narrow path, we must be alert to the false teachers that would lead us astray. “Ye shall know them by their fruit.” When the end comes, we will pass the test because we have accepted the truth that Jesus teaches. Sadly, when the day of reckoning comes, those who choose the broad way will stand before Jesus at the great white throne judgement where they will face eternal destruction. The bottom line is, choose wisely.