Sermon on the Mount for Kids — Sunday School Lesson & Activities New

One day, Jesus went up on a mountainside and taught a great crowd of people. In fact, Jesus spent a great deal of his time teaching people about the Kingdom of God (remember those parables we learned about?). But there was one famous sermon that is a great example of Jesus' teaching: the Sermon on the Mount. This will be a somewhat unconventional lesson in that we will both teach the story (the setting, characters, etc) as well as some of what Jesus was teaching.

Where Did Jesus Teach the Sermon on the Mount?

This is the longest single teaching recorded in the Gospels. It is actually early on in Jesus' ministry. You may have noticed that we aren't going exactly chronologically through the Gospels as it is difficult to place all the stories in perfect chronological order. There are stories around the beginning of Jesus' ministry, a cluster of them based on themes (Parables, Miracles, Jesus Ministers), and then the beginning of the Passion Week and into the Crucifixion and Resurrection.

The Sermon on the Mount is named as such because Jesus gave this sermon on a mountain. Which mountain? Well, we don't exactly know which one. Matthew 5:1 just says, "Jesus saw the crowds. So he went up on a mountainside and sat down." We are pretty sure it was in Galilee because the verses preceding it in Matthew 4:23-25 indicate that Jesus was teaching all throughout Galilee. BibleWalks.com has a nice page with an overview of the Sea of Galilee and the surrounding towns and mountains that you can use to teach your students about Galilee.

Jesus was teaching both his disciples and great crowds of people. From the Matthew account, Jesus went up onto a hillside by himself and his disciples and the crowds followed him.

What Did Jesus Teach in the Sermon on the Mount?

Some of the most famous teachings of Jesus are contained in the Sermon on the Mount. Here are some highlights:

The Beatitudes (or Blessings)

 The Beatitudes are found in Matthew 5:2-12.  Jesus teaches us that no matter where we are in life (in mourning, poor in spirit, suffering, persecution, etc), we can find complete contentment in God because the Kingdom of Heaven is available to us.

Salt and Light

Jesus' teachings comparing his followers to salt and light are found in Matthew 5:13-16.

First he said, "You are the salt of the earth." Jesus wants those in his kingdom to be useful to the world, both in preserving goodness and in bringing the unique flavor of the Kingdom of Heaven to those around them. 

Then he said, "People do not light a lamp and put it under a bowl."  Jesus tells us that we shouldn't be ashamed about the fact we are His. We shouldn't hide our light. The world needs us to shine his light so they can see how wonderful he is.

Turn the Other Cheek

In Matthew 5:38-42, Jesus tells us that we shouldn't react to our enemies or people who persecute us the way people of the world would react.

The Lord's Prayer

Jesus teaches us how we should pray in Matthew 6:9-15. Some call this "The Lord's Model Prayer" because it gives us a template of sorts that we can use to guide our prayers. Even though this is one of the most memorized sections of scripture and recited in many different contexts, Jesus warned us not to pray with many words or by rambling on to somehow get God to listen to us, or to show others how righteous we are. 

Do Not Worry

In Matthew 6:25-34, Jesus tells us that the birds of the air and the flowers of the field don't worry about food and clothing, and neither should we! God cares about us and will provide. Matthew 6:33 is a great memory verse: "But put God’s kingdom first. Do what he wants you to do. Then all those things will also be given to you."

The Plank in Your Own Eye

In Matthew 7:1-5, Jesus teaches us that it is not our place to judge others. We all sin and we tend to pay more attention to little things that others do wrong and ignore the big things we do that are wrong.

The Wise and Foolish Builders

In Matthew 7:24-27, Jesus tells us that if we listen to his words, but don't put them into practice, we're like a man who built a house on sand. It doesn't last when the waves come crashing in! We should put what he says into practice and then we'll be like a man who builds his house on a rock.

Lessons from the Sermon on the Mount for Kids

The key lesson from the whole Sermon on the Mount is found in his conclusion. First, we must understand that if we follow Jesus, our behavior should be based on his teachings, not the way the world teaches. And second, we must put those teachings into practice. These lessons are accessible to everyone, but challenging to everyone, which is why the Sermon on the Mount has become the essential teaching of Jesus. You can easily talk to kids about how they respond when someone is mean to them, how they talk to God, what they worry about, tattling on others, and more.