Come Be My Follower - Jehovah's Witnesses Official Media Web Site

C H A P T E R 5
“All the Treasures
of Wisdom”
IT IS a spring day in 31 C.E. Jesus Christ is near Capernaum,
a bustling city on the northwest shores of the Sea
of Galilee. Up on a mountain in the vicinity, Jesus has
prayed in solitude the entire night. As the morning unfolds,
he calls his disciples, and from among them he
chooses 12, whom he names apostles. Meanwhile,
great crowds of people—some from considerable distances—have
followed Jesus to this location and are assembled
at a level place on the mountain. They are eager to hear
what he has to say and to be healed of their ailments. Jesus
does not disappoint them.—Luke 6:12-19.
2 Jesus approaches the crowds and heals all who are sick.
Finally, when not one among them feels the pain of serious
illness, he sits down and begins to teach. His words
spoken in the spring air that day must surprise his listeners.
After all, they have never heard anyone teach as he
does. To give weight to his teachings, he appeals neither
to oral traditions nor to well-known Jewish rabbis. Rather,
he repeatedly quotes the inspired Hebrew Scriptures. His
message is straightforward, his wording simple, his meaning
clear. When he is finished, the crowds are astounded.
The discourse Jesus delivered that day has come to be known as
the Sermon on the Mount. As recorded at Matthew 5:3–7:27, it contains
107 verses and would likely take just 20 minutes or so to deliver.
1-3. What is the setting for the sermon that Jesus delivers on a spring
day in 31 C.E., and why are his listeners astounded?
46
“The crowds were astounded at his way of teaching”