Journey WitnessesSample

Matthew Chapter 5 is certainly a sermon as well as specific instructions on what a disciple of Jesus ought to look like. But Matthew 5 is also the beginning of a revolution. It is in this sermon that Jesus begins to counter much of the religious teaching of the Jewish elite. Israel had continually failed to be who God intended her to be as a light to the rest of the world. Israel reflected the world more than she reflected God. Jesus’ words were not only a reminder of who Israel ought to be, but a scathing reminder of what she was not and the legalistic slavery the religious leadership had the people under. Additionally Jesus lays the groundwork for the Church to see Him as the ultimate example for life, faith, and the plan God had for salvation. Jesus’ words in the Sermon on the Mount serve as groundwork for the gospel message proclaimed by the apostles in the first-century church and through today. As believers in Christ, we are called to be witnesses and proclaim the good news of God's blessing to the entire world. We are called to the same mission of being a light in the darkness. We, too, are called to bear witness and speak about what we have seen and heard about the risen Christ. At this moment, how prepared do you feel for the task?