The Beatitudes

1. Read: Matthew 5:1-12

2. About the Text:

1) This is at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry in Galilee.

2) Matthew chapters five through seven are the content of this great sermon.

3) These teachings were often repeated by Jesus and the apostles.

3. Ref. to S, T, P, O, and A.

1. The Greek word for blessed is makarios.

1) It means “happy.”

2) It originally referred to the state of a life beyond care, labor, and death.

3) The Greeks often counted men blessed who had earthly, outward things.

4) It was often found in songs of victory.

2. In the Bible, blessedness is an attribute of God.

1) “the Creator, who is blessed forever” (Romans 1:25).

2) “The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who is blessed forever” (2 Cor.11:31).

3) “which in its own times he shall show, who is the blessed and only Potentate, the King of kings, and Lord of lords” (1 Tim.6:15).

3. Jesus’ beatitudes focus on the heavenly and inward.

1) Blessedness expresses intrinsic contentment, not dependent upon external things.

2) A person who considers himself blessed is not looking for anything else.

3) It also looks forward to the fruits that having such an attitude brings.

4) Jesus counts people as blessed even though some contemporary Jewish wisdom said, “Call no man blessed (markarios) before his death.”

5) Jesus said, “It is more blessed to give than to receive” (Acts 20:35).

6) “So then those who are of faith are blessed with believing Abraham” (Galatians 3:9).

4. Blessedness is the state of a person in the kingdom of God.

1) “saying, Blessed are they whose iniquities are forgiven, And whose sins are covered” (Romans 4:7).

2) “But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it” (Luke 11:28).

5. Blessedness sees the present in light of a glorious future.

1) “For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed to us-ward” (Romans 8:18).

2) “For our light affliction, which is for the moment, worketh for us more and more exceedingly an eternal weight of glory” (2 Cor.4:17).

1. The beatitudes are attitudes that we are supposed to “be.”

1) Each statement represents a certain mindset of the citizen of God’s kingdom.

2) They are poor in spirit, mournful, meek, hungry and thirsty for righteousness, merciful, pure in heart, peaceful, and “persecuted.”

2. Some are seemingly paradoxical in nature with the outcome.

1) To be poor in spirit is to have the kingdom of heaven.

2) To mourn is to be comforted.

3) To be meek is to inherit the earth.

4) To be hungry and thirsty is to be filled.

5) To be merciful is to receive mercy.

6) To be persecuted is to have the kingdom and a reason to rejoice.

3. Two appear more consistent with the nature of the outcome.

1) To be pure in heart is to be of a character to see God.

2) To be a peacemaker is to be a child of God.

4. What are the attitudes?

1) Poor in spirit: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Heaven is My throne, And earth is My footstool. Where is the house that you will build Me? And where is the place of My rest? For all those things My hand has made, And all those things exist,’ Says the Lord. ‘But on this one will I look: On him who is poor and of a contrite spirit, And who trembles at My word’” (Isaiah 66:1-2).

2) They that mourn: “Those who sow in tears Shall reap in joy. He who continually goes forth weeping, Bearing seed for sowing, Shall doubtless come again with rejoicing, Bringing his sheaves with him” (Psalm 126:5-6).

3) The meek: “But the meek shall inherit the earth, And shall delight themselves in the abundance of peace” (Psalm 37:11).

4) The hungry and thirsty: “They shall neither hunger nor thirst, Neither heat nor sun shall strike them; For He who has mercy on them will lead them, Even by the springs of water He will guide them” (Isaiah 49:10).

5) The merciful: “With the merciful You will show Yourself merciful; With a blameless man You will show Yourself blameless” (Psalm 18:25).

6) The pure in heart: “Who may ascend into the hill of the Lord? Or who may stand in His holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, Who has not lifted up his soul to an idol, Nor sworn deceitfully” (Psalm 24:3-4).

7) The peacemakers: “Who is the man who desires life, And loves many days, that he may see good? Keep your tongue from evil, And your lips from speaking deceit. Depart from evil and do good; Seek peace and pursue it” (Psalm 34:12-14).

8) The persecuted: “[enduring persecution] is manifest evidence of the righteous judgment of God, that you may be counted worthy of the kingdom of God, for which you also suffer” (2 Thessalonians 1:5).

1. The blessed are already content, but they receive more not from desire, but from station.

2. What are the blessings of the blessed?

1) The Kingdom of Heaven: “And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it. And I will give you the keys of the kingdom of heaven, and whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven” (Matthew 16:18-19).

2) They will be comforted: “Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort those who are in any trouble, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God” (2 Corinthians 1:3-4).

3) They will Inherit the Earth: “Therefore let no one boast in men. For all things are yours: whether Paul or Apollos or Cephas, or the world or life or death, or things present or things to come—all are yours. And you are Christ’s, and Christ is God’s” (1 Corinthians 3:21-23).

4) They will be filled: “And Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life. He who comes to Me shall never hunger, and he who believes in Me shall never thirst” (John 6:35).

5) They will have mercy: “who once were not a people but are now the people of God, who had not obtained mercy but now have obtained mercy” (1 Peter 2:10).

6) They will see God: “Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is” (1 John 3:2).

7) They will be called children of God: “Behold what manner of love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God! Therefore the world does not know us, because it did not know Him” (1 John 3:1).

8) The Kingdom of Heaven: “And the Lord will deliver me from every evil work and preserve me for His heavenly kingdom. To Him be glory forever and ever. Amen!” (2 Timothy 4:18).

1. Those who are citizens of God’s kingdom have …

1) The State of Being Blessed

2) The Attitude of the Blessed

3) The Blessing of the Blessed

2. Invitation