There are verses in the Bible that we quickly read over to get the more “meatier” text of Scripture. Surely, no one could doubt the importance of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5-7, but the introduction to that sermon, “Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:” (Matthew 5:2), carries with it a tremendous message!

We know the “He” in this verse is Jesus Christ! He is the Master Teacher, “This man came to Jesus by night and said to Him, “Rabbi, we know that You are a teacher come from God; for no one can do these signs that You do unless God is with him” (John 3:2). There are many names given to Him, “For unto us a Child is born, Unto us a Son is given; And the government will be upon His shoulder. And His name will be called Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6). The meaning of “counselor” indicates that He explains the word of God to us, which is the purpose of Matthew 5, “You have heard that it was said, but I say unto you…”

And what did Jesus do in this verse? He opened His mouth…Jesus was a preacher! He was the greatest preacher on the greatest subjects. Preaching has always been a part of God’s plan to save mankind, “How then will they call on him in whom they have not believed? And how are they to believe in him of whom they have never heard? And how are they to hear without someone preaching? And how are they to preach unless they are sent? As it is written, “How beautiful are the feet of those who preach the good news!” (Romans 10:14, 15). To the Jews, preaching Christ was a stumbling block, He was not their Messiah. To the Gentiles, preaching was foolish, they could see no reason or sense in it. But to those that were listening, striving to better their relationship with God, it is the power of salvation!

Not only does Jesus preach but the verse says He taught, that is to give knowledge. We know that the Lord is the Lord of knowledge, “Talk no more so very proudly; Let no arrogance come from your mouth, For the Lord is the God of knowledge; And by Him actions are weighed” (1 Samuel 2:3). God does not expect us to go through life without knowledge, Jesus wants us to be better informed about what He is teaching, “but grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. To Him be the glory both now and forever” (2 Peter 3:18). Having no knowledge is a bad thing, the people of Israel were warned that they would be destroyed for a lack of knowledge (Amos 4:6). Did they “know” God? Of course, they had been taught about Him throughout their history, but they rejected what they were taught. As Christians, we must continue to mature as we discriminate and investigate the knowledge God is giving us.

But who did Jesus preach and teach? Them! The disciples, people that were anxious to learn. Jesus took the position of teacher (sat down) and the disciples drew near and assumed the position and attitude of the learner. The disciple does not try to “teach” the teacher. The disciple is to be humble in their attitude and like a sponge, learning all they can from their master! We know what happened to those disciples, “And when he had found him, he brought him to Antioch. So it was that for a whole year they assembled with the church and taught a great many people. And the disciples were first called Christians in Antioch” (Acts 11:26). There is no greater name to wear…it describes what we are, who we belong to, and where we are going!

A small, overlooked verse to start one of the greatest sermons ever recorded, but filled with so much truth and teaching we cannot overlook it!

By: Justin Odom