Of all the sermons that have been preached, none is more famous, more profound, or more convicting than the one Jesus preached on the mountain. It is timeless, ever-relevant, and never dull.

We can read Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount in 15 minutes or less. No teacher or preacher has ever packed more truth into such a brief period of time. Our hope in this study is to glean a few fresh, practical insights that will enable us to stay on course in living lives that are distinctively different.

As Christians, we must focus on making a lasting impact for good—influencing others without resorting to force or other means of control. The crucial question is how? Jesus’ answer in Matthew 5 is still the best.

Nothing Jesus stated was ever more profound than His Sermon on the Mount. In the section of Scripture we’ll examine in this lesson, Jesus discussed the Christian’s relationship to the Mosaic Law. At the heart of His instruction is righteousness—the state of having sufficient grounds to stand before a holy God.

In His greatest of sermons, Jesus addressed marriage. As He did, He went deeper than the letter of the Law. He made it clear that marriage requires absolute faithfulness, and personal relationships require absolute truthfulness.

In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus offered revolutionary, even strange, advice for His people. Without pulling His punches, Jesus addressed the very best way to handle sensitive situations with those who threaten our personal rights. He offered countercultural counsel and dared us to obey.