Introduction:
The way Matthew ends the sermon on the mount is purposeful.
There are no throwaway lines in Scripture.
It has purpose from a literary point of view.
The formula, “When Jesus had finished” is used by Matthew to mark the end of five major discourses in this gospel account (7:28, 11:1, 13:53, 19:1, 26:1).
It also has purpose from a theological point of view.
It is theologically significant because he follows those words with a description of how the sermon on the mount affected the people who heard it.
He doesn’t just tell us that the sermon was over; he tells us the impression left upon the crowds who heard the sermon.
FOR MATTHEW, AND FOR US, THERE IS SOMETHING IMPORTANT TO BE GATHERED FROM HOW THE SERMON AFFECTED ITS HEARERS.
I’ve often thought about it — what would it have been like to hear Jesus preach?
What would it have been like to have encountered my Lord when He was on earth?
Every indication that we get in Scripture points us to two paradoxical impressions.
TO ENCOUNTER JESUS WAS TO ENCOUNTER A MAN.
There was something about Him that made like Him like everyone else. He was normal. He was truly human.
TO ENCOUNTER JESUS WAS TO ENCOUNTER A MAN LIKE NO OTHER.
There was something about Him that made him unlike anyone who had ever lived.
This second impression Scripture explains for us. Scripture goes on to informs us, that when you met with Jesus you were meeting with Yahweh. Here was Immanuel; God with us. Our Creator on earth in human flesh.
Tonight, we finish the sermon on the mount by considering the affect that the sermon had on the people who heard it, and the message that is communicated to us by that response.



• WHAT MOST AFFECTED HIS HEARERS
The first thing we note is what was most left with this people when they finished listening to the sermon.
• THEY WERE POWERFULLY AFFECTED
This is the first thing that Matthew leaves with us. The crowds were “astonished” at his teaching.
This was the general affect. This was not something that one or two, or a handful of people, would have said was the affect of the sermon. This was what was left with the crowds.
ἐκπλήσσω Att. ἐκπλήττω MPol 7:3; 1 aor. ἐξέπληξα; in NT (and LXX) only in pass.—impf. ἐξεπλησσόμην; 2 aor. ἐξεπλάγην (Hom. et al.; LXX, TestSol; TestAbr A 3 p. 80, 13 [Stone p. 8]; TestJob; ApcrEzk [Epiph. 70, 12]) to cause to be filled with amazement to the point of being overwhelmed, amaze, astound, overwhelm (lit. strike out of one’s senses), act. τινά someone (Appian, Mithrid. 116 §566; Ammonius Hermiae in Aristotle, Lib. de Interpr. p. 66, 6 Busse τὸν ἀκροατήν; Jos., Bell. 7, 419) B 1:3 (Himerius, Or. 39 [=Or. 5], 7 of an ‘overwhelming’ sight).—Pass. in act. sense be amazed, overwhelmed w. fright (Dio Chrys. 80 [30], 12) οἱ μαθηταὶ ἐξεπλήσσοντο σφόδρα the disciples were terribly shocked Mt 19:25; Mk 10:26; or wonder (Dio Chrys. 71 [21], 14; SIG 1168, 46 [IV b.c.]; Jos., Ant. 8, 168; 17, 110;142) Mt 13:54; Mk 6:2; 7:37; Lk 2:48 the parents of Jesus were dumbfounded; MPol 7:3. W. the reason given: ἐπί τινι at someth. or someone (X., Cyr. 1, 4, 27 ἐπί τῷ κάλλει; Dio Chrys. 29 [46], 1; Aelian, VH 12, 41) Mt 7:28; 22:33; Mk 1:22; 11:18; Lk 4:32; 9:43; Ac 13:12; B 7:10; 16:10.—M-M.
People were ENORMOUSLY moved by what they heard.
There was a sense of power.
It was power felt in their own person.
It was amazing. It was moving. It was SOMETHING UNLIKE ANYTHING THAT THEY HAD EVER HEARD.
John MacArthur —"Ekplēssō (were amazed) literally means to be struck out of oneself, and was used figuratively of being struck in the mind, that is, of being astounded or beside oneself. The crowd was totally dumbfounded by the power of what Jesus said. They had never heard such comprehensive, insightful words of wisdom, depth, insight, and profundity. They had never heard such straightforward and fearless denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees or such a black and white presentation of the way of salvation. They had never heard such a fearful warning about the consequences of turning away from God. They had never heard such a powerful and demanding description of true righteousness or such a relentless description and condemnation of self-righteousness.”
• THEY WERE POINTEDLY AFFECTED
And we are not left to wonder about what was most striking to them. The Spirit of God tells us.
Jesus was teaching them as ONE WHO HAD AUTHORITY.
“authority having” with ἐξουσίαν placed for emphasis.
Authority is what stood out to them.
His teaching was unlike the scribes.