Within the kingdom message goes out
section (Matthew 4:12–7:29), a further subdivision can be made: 1
Early Galilean Ministry (Matthew 4:12–25)
First discourse: The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1–7:29)
Setting (Matthew 5:1–2)
Introduction (Matthew 5:3–16)
Relationship of law to new covenant (Matthew 5:17–48)
Inward righteousness (Matthew 6:1–18)
Social ethics (Matthew 6:19–7:12)
The two paths (Matthew 7:13–27)
Conclusion: Jesus’ authority (Matthew 7:28–29)
In the introduction to his sermon (Matthew 5:1–16), Jesus highlighted the pattern of life to which kingdom citizens ought to aspire. Belonging to God through faith in the King, we must expect blessings to be seen not in the present but the future. We must recognize our dependence on God and need for his mercy.
The body of Jesus’ sermon is bracketed by an inclusio, a reference to the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:12; Matthew 7:12). 2 In this body, he sets out the lifestyle that kingdom citizens must pursue. His demands are stringent: God’s people must aspire to perfection as their Father is perfect (Matthew 5:48).
17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.