At the beginning of the sermon on the mount, Jesus addresses an objection that was being leveled against him: he did not come to destroy or abolish the Torah. Instead, Jesus claims to offer the correct interpretation of the Torah, as he was the fulfillment of everything it points to.

Discussion Questions

Why is it so important to have solid hermeneutics (tools) when it comes to interpreting the bible? What are some tools that have helped you personally?
Where are you guilty of relaxing the commandments of God? Also, where might you be guilty of adding to the commandments of God?
If you truly believed that your righteousness is a gift of God through Jesus, how would that change your daily thoughts, feelings, actions, and words?
How does this understanding of the sermon on the mount help us tell people who have yet to believe about Jesus?

Prayer Points

Pray that we—as disciples individually and a church collectively—would live with an ever-deepening understanding of Jesus’ gift of righteousness.
Pray that God would help us to study the scriptures with wisdom, clarity, and diligence.
Pray that our evangelism would be full of truth and grace.