Summer time is fast approaching. Time to think about summer vacation plans. Do you like roughing it while camping or staying in a fancy hotel? The beach or the mountains? Salt water or fresh water? Sand under your feet or a mountain path to hike?
Today, for a little pre-summer adventure, I’m going to lead you on a hike through the mountains in the book of Matthew. Let’s see what we discover.
The Mountain of Temptation
In Matthew 4:8, Satan took Jesus to the top of a very high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world. There the devil tempted Jesus by promising to give them all to Jesus if only Jesus would worship him. Because the Bible doesn’t tell us the name of this mountain, we don’t know exactly where it is. All we know is that it was a very high mountain. Of course, Jesus refused to worship Satan. Though He was tempted, Jesus did not sin.
The Mountain of a Sermon
A mountain is seen again in the next chapter of Matthew—chapter 5. This time it was a small mountain near the city of Capernaum and instead of being tempted, Jesus was preaching what is often referred to as “The Sermon on the Mount.” This sermon of Jesus contained the Beatitudes—a list of conditions under which a person is blessed. Again, the Bible doesn’t tell us the name of this mountain; just that it was near the city of Capernaum.
The Mountain of a Miracle
Jesus is once again on a mountain in Matthew 15: 29-39. Here, He worked a miracle, feeding 5,000 people with only the lunch of one little boy—just five little loaves of bread and two small fish. It was lunch time and the people were hungry. Jesus told them to sit down and they obeyed Him. Then he kept breaking up the little bit of food that was available and sharing it. Miraculously, there was enough to feed all the people with twelve baskets left over! The Bible does not give the name of the mountain but does locate it near the Sea of Galilee.
The Mountain of Transfiguration
Mathew 17:1-9 tells of the “Mount of Transfiguration.” In this story, Jesus took three of his disciples with Him up to a mountain and his appearance changed right before their eyes. His face shone like the sun and His clothes became as white as snow. Moses and Elijah appeared with Jesus and began to talk to Him too. The three disciples stood near Jesus and watched in amazement.
The Mountain of Olives
In Matthew 24, Jesus is on a mountain again and this time the Bible tells its name—the Mount of Olives. Here, Jesus told the crowd listening to Him all about His second coming—the time when He will come back to the earth again.
The Mountain of Ascension
And finally, in the very last verses of Matthew after Jesus had been crucified and rose again, He claimed to have all authority in heaven and earth and He told His disciples to go into the world and tell others about Him in a passage often referred to as “the Great Commission.” Then He went up to heaven and He did all of this from a mountain, which again is not named.
Now we have hiked up and down the many mountains mentioned in the gospel of Matthew. Not the same sort of hikes we will take this summer but an interesting one just the same. It’s interesting to realize that mountains were important in Jesus’ life.
About the Author
Born in Nigeria, West Africa, as the daughter of missionaries, Harriet E. Michael is a writer, gardener, wife of over 35 years, mother of four, and grandmother of one.
She holds a BS in nursing from West Virginia University but has discovered her passion for writing. Since her first published article in 2010, she now has over a hundred and fifty published articles and devotions.
You can learn more about Harriet on her author page at WriteIntegrity.com or on her website.
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