#thewordsofjesus

Today’s post begins the greatest sermon EVER delivered in the history of the world - the Sermon on the Mount.

Jesus began His sermon with the Beatitudes, which are absolutely breathtaking. I highly recommend listening to the linked sermon playlist in the Comment section of this post to gain a better understanding of them.

God Bless! ✝️🤍🙏🏻

And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying:

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled. Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you."

What does it mean to be a “fisher of men”?

When Jesus called on Peter and Andrew to follow Him, it was more than just about following Him. When He said He would make them “fishers of men”, He was telling them that their mission would be to spread the message of the gospel so that more people would be saved from the bondage and eternal consequences of sin.

Jesus’ message was not only for His apostles, but for everyone who follows Him - past, present, and future. No true Christian is ever content with only their own salvation. No true Christian is ever ashamed of sharing the gospel because they know what’s at stake. True Christians share the gospel out of love, and a fervent desire to bring everyone to the path of righteousness that leads to God’s eternal kingdom. We’re all fishers of men. ---------------

And Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you fishers of men.”

They immediately left their nets and followed Him. - Matthew 4:18-20

I pray that you're enjoying this series so far. Today's post contains an important message, directly from Jesus Himself. It illustrates the fact that Jesus does not turn a blind eye to sin. He preached repentance. Any belief that Jesus forgives without the need for repentance is a lie. He endured the full wrath of God for our sins, suffering before and during His crucifixion. The whole point of His sacrifice was so that we would repent and turn away from the very thing that He suffered for. Don't disrespect His atoning sacrifice.

Now when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee. And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

“The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles: The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light, And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death Light has dawned.”

From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

- Matthew 4:12-17

Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

- Matthew 4:8-11

Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’”

- Matthew 4:5-7

Red Letter Post of the Day:

Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.