Not Fans or Followers, but Friends of Jesus

"1And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2And he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying," (Matthew 5: 1-2)

Since I have grown in grace and knowledge of the Lord Jesus and all that He is and has and does for us, as we receive from Him, I have noticed that while He was on earth, Jesus had a two-fold ministry.

1. Bring the Law of Moses back to its pristine, absolute, and humanly impossible standard

2. Announce the Gospel: that through the death and resurrection of Christ Himself, we would be made righteousness before God.

For years, I had heard preachers and pastors tell me that the Sermon on the Mount was a guideline for living, or that these precepts would demonstrate what every person would become when they were born again.

When we allow the Holy Spirit to guide our understanding of God's Word, we find that Jesus is speaking to different groups of people, all of whom have different understandings, or different agendas.

To the multitudes, Jesus was a celebrity, someone whom they found fascinating.

To the disciples, Jesus was a great teacher, someone from whom they could learn how to live.

Jesus wants us to be His friends, and moreover God the Father wants us to receive Him as Father, that we may be His Sons:

"9But we see Jesus, who was made a little lower than the angels for the suffering of death, crowned with glory and honour; that he by the grace of God should taste death for every man.

10For it became him, for whom are all things, and by whom are all things, in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through sufferings. 11For both he that sanctifieth and they who are sanctified are all of one: for which cause he is not ashamed to call them brethren," (Hebrews 2: 9-11)

and

"1Behold, what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God: therefore the world knoweth us not, because it knew him not. 2Beloved, now are we the sons of God, and it doth not yet appear what we shall be: but we know that, when he shall appear, we shall be like him; for we shall see him as he is. 3And every man that hath this hope in him purifieth himself, even as he is pure." (1 John 3: 1-3)

and

"Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world." (1 John 4: 17)

The Sermon on the Mount is for disciples, not friends or sons, and Jesus is inviting us to be Sons and receive all things from God the Father through this Spirit of Sonship (Romans 8: 15; Galatians 4: 6)