BibleProject | Heaven and Earth on the MountainSample

BibleProject | Heaven and Earth on the Mountain

DAY 7 OF 9

Divine Instruction From a Mountain, Jesus-Style

Today, we enter the New Testament, where the Gospel of Matthew describes Jesus on a mountain seven times. Let’s examine the first two.

On the first mountain, Jesus experiences an intensely difficult test on a “very high mountain” (Matt. 4:8). The Satan (or devil) tempts him with unfathomable power and wealth, and all Jesus has to do is ignore God’s instruction. Sound familiar?

This same Satan did the same thing to the first humans. On a mountain, he uses deception to tempt them to ignore God’s instruction (see Day 1 of this plan). They choose poorly and end up exiled from the garden. But Jesus succeeds in staying true to God’s instruction (Matt. 4:8-10).

Matthew’s second mountain scene with Jesus includes Jesus’ most well-known teaching (called the Sermon on the Mount) which echoes Moses’ experience of giving divine instruction at Mount Sinai (see Exod. 19-24 and Day 3 of this plan).

Moses teaches the Israelites how to follow God's torah, that is, his instruction or law, which is designed to form a community where everyone can flourish together—the same intent God had for humanity in Eden. But Jesus transcends Moses’ teaching, fulfilling the torah by revealing the wisdom underneath its laws and challenging people to confront the inner attitudes and desires that lead to harmful behavior (Matt. 5:17-20).

Like Moses, Jesus is leading people into a new way of living as a community—a way to flourish in God’s mountaintop presence wherever they live.

Reflection Questions:
What is the relationship between Jesus' teaching on a mountain and Moses' teaching on Mount Sinai? What does this reveal about the community Jesus is forming?

As you read Jesus' whole sermon in Matthew 5-7, where does he draw on ideas related to the mountain theme that we've discussed so far in this reading plan?

Day 6Day 8

About this Plan

BibleProject | Heaven and Earth on the Mountain

Some of the Bible’s most memorable moments happen on mountains, from God planting the first garden to Jesus’ famous Sermon on the Mount. In this reading plan, we’ll see mountains in the Bible not merely as geographic settings but as sacred places where Heaven and Earth overlap and humanity encounters the wisdom, life, and hope of God.

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