A Heart That Honors the King / Matthew 7:12-29
Friends, it is good to be with you here this week. If you have your Bibles, we are in Matthew chapter seven, verse 12 and following. A special welcome to the guests who are with us and those joining us via video over at our Fig Garden campus. I am so stoked that you are here.
I don’t know if anybody here or watching on video is an MMA fan. Anyone into that? Supporting violence shamelessly? I don’t mind watching it occasionally, but I am not necessarily a huge fan. A couple of weeks ago, my daughters were playing volleyball, so I was doing the dad-life volleyball tournament routine in Las Vegas—which is definitely not my favorite city. After the fire-breathing show in the pizza parlor—because it’s Vegas and they do that kind of thing there—an MMA fight came on the screen.
I had no idea who the two fighters were. One guy came out dancing around like, “Yo, check me out!” But the other guy walked out with a look on his face like, “I’m about to hurt somebody.” I thought, I like that guy. This huge African American fighter stepped into the cage. He wasn’t dancing around, he wasn’t pointing at his name, and he wasn’t high-fiving anybody. He had a job to do. I finished eating my pizza and told my daughter, “Let’s stay and watch to see what happens.” It’s like modern-day gladiators, right? So I was ready to watch a full MMA fight.
Ding, ding, ding. The fight started, and twenty-six seconds later, it was completely over. That fighter went right after his opponent, popped him once, popped him twice, the guy’s knee buckled, and boom, boom, boom—it was done. I sat there thinking, That’s it? Twenty-six seconds? It reminded me of the old-school pay-per-view days when you would buy a Mike Tyson fight and it would be over in thirteen seconds, and you were out fifty bucks.
What struck me about that fight was that it really wasn’t much of a contest at all. That poor guy just got whooped on. It was over instantly. When we arrive at the end of the Sermon on the Mount, the scene is remarkably similar. Jesus has completely deconstructed the religious leaders of His day. The fight is over, and they have just taken an absolute pounding.
The difficulty with the Sermon on the Mount is that we have to understand its historical context. This was not an epistle written directly to a Gentile Christian church; this was Jesus speaking directly to Jewish religious leaders. So during our time together, I need to dual-wield in some ways: I want to show you what Jesus was saying to the religious leaders of His day, and then ask and answer the question, “What are the implications for us in our day?”
The Bookends of the Kingdom
If you are familiar with the literary concept of an inclusio, think of it like conceptual brackets. Inclusios are used all throughout your Bible, and the Sermon on the Mount contains a profound one. Look back for a moment at chapter five, verse 17, where the core teaching begins:
Matthew 5:17 (NASB)
’Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I did not come to abolish but to fulfill.
Jesus points directly to “the Law and the Prophets.” For the rest of chapters five, six, and into seven, Jesus explains the entirety of the Law and the Prophets through the expression of His kingdom—a kingdom with Him as King. This is an upside-down kingdom, completely different from anything the world has ever seen. It is a kingdom where the first is last, the last is first, the greatest among you is the servant, and whoever wishes to save his life must lose it for His sake.
Now, look down at chapter seven, verse 12:
Matthew 7:12 (NASB)
’In everything, therefore, treat people the same way you want them to treat you, for this is the Law and the Prophets.
That is the second bracket of the inclusio. He begins in chapter five, verse 17, and wraps up the overarching concept in chapter seven, verse 12. The fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets is everything contained in between. If you have ever wondered what it looks like to live under the King and His kingdom, and what it looks like to live out the heart of the Law and the Prophets, read Matthew chapters five, six, and seven.
Verse 12 gives us the summation of the Law, which you and I often call the Golden Rule: “Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.” Every kid gets taught that. I remember coming home from Dry Creek Elementary back when our mascot was the Blue Devils. I was a chubby fourth-grader, and the kids had made fun of me, calling me “Bradley Watermelon Belly.” I came home crying to my mom. She asked, “What did they do?” I said, “They called me chubby!” She asked, “How did that feel?” I said, “It feels awful.” She said, “Good. Remember that. The next time you think about making fun of somebody, remember how it feels to be made fun of.” That was my mom’s version of the Golden Rule right there. People possess intrinsic dignity because they are created in the image of God. Treat people with a sense of shared humanity. Do not mock others, but treat them with the honor they deserve.
As Jesus said this, the religious leaders standing there were likely nodding along, thinking, Yes, that’s right. That’s exactly what we do. But starting in verse 13, Jesus starts throwing punches. These leaders had drifted from adhering to the Law as an expression of a heart for God to an external adherence that actually opposed a heart for God. Throughout this sermon, Jesus has been showing them that they were obeying on the outside while completely missing the point on the inside. Following Jesus is not about mere behavioral modification or just being more moral; it is about complete heart renewal.
From verse 13 through verse 27, Jesus throws four rapid punches: two gates, two trees, two professions, and two foundations. Each one carries an indictment and a severe warning.
The Two Gates
Jesus begins His concluding assault by setting two gates before His listeners:
Matthew 7:13-14 (NASB)
’Enter through the narrow gate; for the gate is wide and the way is broad that leads to destruction, and there are many who enter through it. ’For the gate is small and the way is narrow that leads to life, and there are few who find it.
Here we see two contrasting gates, one of which leads to destruction. In this statement, Jesus clarifies the narrowness of the gospel and the invitation of the kingdom. The invitation is broad and inclusive in terms of who is invited to come, but the means by which someone enters is narrow and exclusive.
The wide gate is the way of the world. Many enter through it, living life on their own terms and doing their own thing. But notice the tragic end: that broad path leads directly to destruction. In contrast, there is a small gate and a narrow way that leads to life, and few find it.
Jesus is drawing a clear line and utterly rejecting universalism—the modern notion that all roads lead to heaven, that as long as you are sincere on your path, you will be fine, and that everyone will eventually be saved. The Apostle John later clarified this exact truth:
1 John 5:11-13 (NASB)
And the testimony is this, that God has given us eternal life, and this life is in His Son. He who has the Son has the life; he who does not have the Son of God does not have the life. These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, so that you may know that you have eternal life.
Entrance into the kingdom of God is narrow. It is exclusive. It is through Jesus Christ and Jesus alone.
The Two Trees
The cultural religious crowd listening to Jesus had the right heritage and practiced the right behaviors. In their minds, they were thinking, We’re doing pretty well. We’re living this out. They knew the letter of the scriptures, but they had completely missed the point of the text. They missed the forest for the trees. So Jesus introduces His next contrast in verses 15 through 20:
Matthew 7:15-20 (NASB)
’Beware of the false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly are ravenous wolves. ’You will know them by their fruits. Grapes are not gathered from thorn [bushes] nor figs from thistles, are they? ’So every good tree bears good fruit, but the bad tree bears bad fruit. ’A good tree cannot produce bad fruit, nor can a bad tree produce good fruit. ’Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. ’So then, you will know them by their fruits.
Jesus warns them about false prophets—those who claim to speak on behalf of God but lead people astray. He describes them as predators: wolves in sheep’s clothing. How do you identify a false teacher? You know them by their fruit—by how they live over time. The Greek word used here for “know” is epiginosko, which means to know fully, intimately, and clearly over time. Their true nature will inevitably be revealed by their fruit.
This passage is often misunderstood because people assume it is primarily about the fruit in an everyday Christian’s life. While other passages clearly teach that believers bear fruit to authenticate their faith—such as John 15 and Galatians 5—the immediate context of Matthew 7 is specifically about identifying false spiritual leaders.
John 15:8 (NASB)
’My Father is glorified by this, that you bear much fruit, and [so] prove to be My disciples.
Galatians 5:22-23 (NASB)
But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, self-control; against such things there is no law.
In Matthew 7, the good tree and the bad tree specifically indict false teachers. The religious leaders in the crowd were starting to feel the blows land. A false teacher is someone charged with shepherding God’s flock who instead feeds them the religious heresies of the day.
The Two Professions
It would have been easy for a listening scribe or Pharisee to think, Well, He must be talking about those other guys down the street, not me. So Jesus delivers His third punch in verses 21 through 23:
Matthew 7:21-23 (NASB)
’Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [will enter]. ’Many will say to Me on that day, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, and in Your name cast out demons, and in Your name perform many miracles?’ ’And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; DEPART FROM ME, YOU WHO PRACTICE LAWLESSNESS.’
Entrance into the kingdom of heaven is not based on cultural proximity, religious participation, group affiliation, or family heritage. It is not about what your granddaddy did, and it is not about a system of self-righteous performance. Entrance into the kingdom is not on our terms; it is entirely on His terms.
Many people know facts about God. Notice what these people say in verse 22: “Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in Your name, cast out demons, and perform miracles?” They point to their busy religious calendars and impressive credentials. Yet Jesus confronts them with devastating clarity: “I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness.”
These religious leaders claimed to represent God, but they had no personal, saving relationship with Jesus. From Genesis to Revelation, the entire Bible points directly to Jesus Christ. When you read Genesis 1, you are reading about Jesus. In rejecting Him, they were rejecting the very center and purpose of the scriptures.
The Two Foundations
Finally, Jesus delivers the fourth punch—the two foundations:
Matthew 7:24-27 (NASB)
’Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them, may be compared to a wise man who built his house on the rock. ’And the rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and [yet] it did not fall, for it had been founded on the rock. ’Everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them, will be like a foolish man who built his house on the sand. ‘The rain fell, and the floods came, and the winds blew and slammed against that house; and it fell– and great was its fall.’
A wise person is someone who hears the words of Christ and acts upon them. Scripture tells us that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. When storms hit—not if, but when—the house built on the rock stands firm.
If you have ever visited Israel, this passage comes alive in a striking way. When you think of the desert in Israel, do not picture rolling sand dunes like the Sahara. The Judean wilderness and the Negev are made of solid rock. The only place you find sand in the desert is at the bottom of deep canyons called wadis. In the dry season, a wadi is a pleasant, shaded place to rest. But when rain falls on the distant mountains, massive flash floods roar down those narrow canyons, sweeping away everything in their path. More deaths occur in the Judean wilderness from flash floods than almost anything else.
A foolish man looks at the sand in the wadi, thinks it looks convenient and comfortable, and builds his house there. But when the floods come, destruction is absolute. Jesus is looking at these self-assured religious leaders and saying, “You think you are safe, but you are in grave danger. You think you are leading God’s people, but you are building your entire life on sand.”
Amazed at His Authority
Then, the sermon ends. It feels almost abrupt, doesn’t it?
Matthew 7:28-29 (NASB)
When Jesus had finished these words, the crowds were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as [one] having authority, and not as their scribes.
When I was a student at Dallas Theological Seminary, they would host luncheons where incoming freshmen could sit with seasoned professors. You might find yourself sitting across the table from men like Chuck Swindoll, John Walvoord, Howard Hendricks, or J. Dwight Pentecost. Dr. Pentecost was an absolute theological giant who taught at DTS for over fifty years. He was the kind of sharp professor where, if you asked, “Dr. Pentecost, may I ask you a question?” he would reply, “You just did. Would you like another?”
One of my buddies worked up the courage to ask him, “Sir, what piece of advice would you give to an incoming freshman?” Dr. Pentecost looked at him, said, “Do not cast your pearls before swine,” stood up, and walked away. My friends sat there wondering, Was that deep wisdom, or did he just insult us?
In a similar way, Jesus finishes this incredible sermon, delivers a complete knockout blow to the religious establishment, and leaves the crowds utterly spellbound. The word “amazed” in verse 28 is in the imperfect tense in Greek, meaning they didn’t just have a momentary flash of amazement; they sat there in continuous, lingering awe.
Have you ever watched a powerful movie and just sat in silence when the credits rolled? I remember watching 42, the Jackie Robinson story, and thinking, I am a better man for having watched this; I just need to sit here in silence. I watched Braveheart with my daughter recently, and when it finished, she just sat there in tears. When you are exposed to true greatness, silence is often the only appropriate response.
The crowds were amazed because Jesus taught with intrinsic authority, not like their scribes. Later, in Matthew chapter 21, the religious leaders would ask Him directly about this:
Matthew 21:23 (NASB)
When He entered the temple, the chief priests and the elders of the people came to Him while He was teaching, and said, ‘By what authority are You doing these things, and who gave You this authority?’
In their culture, you did not simply teach on your own; your authority was derived from the rabbis who trained and commissioned you. One of the greatest highlights of my life was my ordination. The elders of Denton Bible Church laid their hands on me, prayed over me, and conferred authority upon me as a minister of the gospel. My wife and I both wept; it was a sacred honor to have my mentors and elders lay hands on me. But Jesus had no earthly pedigree or human commissioning. His authority came directly from the Father. He is the King of kings and Lord of lords.
What This Means for Us Today
Since this message was spoken directly to first-century Jewish religious leaders, what are the implications for our lives today? Let’s walk through the four contrasts and see what the Spirit of God is saying to us.
1. The Entrance into the Kingdom Remains Exclusive
The means of entrance into the kingdom of heaven is still narrow and exclusive today.
Acts 4:12 (NASB)
‘And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven that has been given among men by which we must be saved.’
When we understand the gospel, we realize there are no other pieces to add to Jesus. A sovereign Creator formed humanity in His image. In Genesis 3, mankind fell into rebellion and sin, placing all of humanity under the righteous wrath of a holy God. Apart from a divinely provided sacrifice—full deity clothed in human flesh—we have no hope of salvation. Human effort and moral achievement are utterly insufficient.
Ephesians 2:4-7 (NASB)
But God, being rich in mercy, because of His great love with which He loved us, even when we were dead in our transgressions, made us alive together with Christ (by grace you have been saved), and raised us up with Him, and seated us with Him in the heavenly [places] in Christ Jesus, so that in the ages to come He might show the surpassing riches of His grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus.
God in His rich mercy sent Jesus to live sinlessly, die in our place, rise from the dead, and ascend to the Father’s right hand.
John 14:6 (NASB)
Jesus said to him, ’I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me.
As a young believer, I remember reading John 14:6 and thinking, That sounds so arrogant! But it is only arrogant if it isn’t true. If you really are God incarnate, if you really lived without sin, if you paid the penalty for humanity’s sin on the cross, and if you conquered the grave and rose from the dead, then you have every right to declare that You are the only way.
2. We Must Value Character Over Charisma
We still have false teachers and religious manipulators in our world today. We have wolves in sheep’s clothing who exploit the gospel for personal financial gain, cover up scandals, and manipulate sincere people.
Titus 1:10-11 (NASB)
For there are many rebellious men, empty talkers and deceivers, especially those of the circumcision, who must be silenced because they are upsetting whole families, teaching things they should not [teach] for the sake of sordid gain.
Too many churches build ministries around charismatic personalities rather than godly character. Charisma can draw a crowd, but only character can sustain a godly movement. I constantly tell young pastors: settle in, play the long game, do the quiet and unseen work, spend time in secret prayer, set up chairs, roll up cables, and take out the trash.
1 Timothy 5:24-25 (NASB)
The sins of some men are quite evident, going before them to judgment; for others, their [sins] follow after. Likewise also, deeds that are good are quite evident, and those which are otherwise cannot be concealed.
Over time, true character is revealed. One of the blessings and challenges of pastoring here at The Well for nearly twenty years is that you know me. You’ve heard my stories, you’ve seen my shortcomings, and you know my struggles. Over time, fruit becomes evident.
3. We Need an Abiding Relationship, Not Just Religious Activity
Each of us must actively cultivate a deep, personal, and abiding relationship with Jesus Christ. It is not enough to have correct intellectual beliefs about God; we must place our trust and faith in the person of Jesus Christ. Religious activity, church attendance, and busy ministry schedules cannot substitute for knowing Him and being known by Him.
4. We Must Build Our Lives on the Gospel
Finally, we must build our lives daily on the ongoing power of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
1 Corinthians 2:1-5 (NASB)
And when I came to you, brethren, I did not come with superiority of speech or of wisdom, proclaiming to you the testimony of God. For I determined to know nothing among you except Jesus Christ, and Him crucified. I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling, and my message and my preaching were not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power, so that your faith would not rest on the wisdom of men, but on the power of God.
The gospel is not merely the ABCs of how we get saved; it is the foundation upon which we are sanctified day by day. I am so thankful that by God’s grace, I am not the same man I was ten years ago. My prayer is that ten years from now, I will look even more like Jesus as He continues to refine my heart.
There is simply nowhere else to go. When many followers walked away from Jesus in John chapter six, He turned to the disciples and asked if they wanted to leave too.
John 6:68 (NASB)
Simon Peter answered Him, ’Lord, to whom shall we go? You have words of eternal life.
Peter understood the truth: Jesus alone has the words of eternal life. Culture may preach that all roads lead to heaven, but there is only one remedy for human sin, and His name is Jesus.
As Jesus finishes the Sermon on the Mount, the crowds stand amazed at His authority. Let us bow our hearts before the King, build our lives on the rock of His truth, and follow Him with wholehearted devotion.
Closing Prayer
Father in heaven, we celebrate You. As we come to the end of the Sermon on the Mount, we are reminded of the beauty, majesty, and absolute authority of our Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, it breaks our hearts to know that many who rely on external religion will one day hear, “Depart from Me, I never knew you.” Yet we stand in awe of Your grace, which has invited us to feast at the Master’s table and made us new in Christ.
May we walk in a manner worthy of our King. Fill our hearts with joy and genuine worship as we surrender our lives entirely to You. We thank You and praise You in the precious name of Jesus. Amen.