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The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Parts 1 & 2 Text: Matthew 5:1-12 Scripture Reading: Matthew 11:28-30 The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Mt. 5:1-6 PART 1 The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” INTRO Matthew 5:1-12 (vss. 1-6) 1. When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” INTRO Matthew 5:1-12 (vss. 7-12) 7. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Intro What is a “Beatitude?” The word “beatitude” is transliterated from the Latin “beatus” which is equivalent to the English word “blessed,” translated from the Greek word makarios (G3107): Thayer says of this word: A prolonged form of the poetical makar (meaning the same); supremely blest; by extension fortunate, well off: - blessed, happy(-ier). Jerome translated the Latin Vulgate in 400 AD – Latin spoken for over 1,000 years! These “beatitudes” are not simple statements, but exclamations Literally, each sentence reads, “O the blessedness of…” Though the Greek word for “blessed” is often translated “happy,” the reward must not be reduced to mere happiness. The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Intro It is as though Jesus was answering two questions people might have been asking… “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “What benefits do they receive?” The citizens of God’s Kingdom and the benefits they receive are summed up as “Blessed!” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “The poor in spirit!” It means “convicted of one's own spiritual poverty” Exemplified by David – Ps. 51:17 Exemplified by the tax collector – Lk. 18:13 Such people God will accept into His good favor – Is. 57:15; 66:1-2 (Like Paul – I Tim. 1:15) Is. 66:1-2 1. Thus says the LORD, "Heaven is My throne and the earth is My footstool. Where then is a house you could build for Me? And where is a place that I may rest? 2. "For My hand made all these things, Thus all these things came into being," declares the LORD. "But to this one I will look, To him who is humble and contrite of spirit, and who trembles at My word. The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” The opposite of “poor in spirit” would be “proud of heart,” like: ” The Pharisee in Lk. 18:9-14 The Laodiceans in Rev. 3:17-19 Lk. 18:10-12 10. "Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11. "The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: 'God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12. 'I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.' The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” “What benefits do they receive?” “The Kingdom of Heaven!” Mt. 4:17: The Kingdom of Heaven was preached to be “at hand” – Those in that Kingdom are: Are under the kingly rule of Christ (Col. 1:13, 18; I Tim. 6:15) Are in a spiritual kingdom The “church,” the present manifestation of the “kingdom of heaven” – Mt. 16:18; Col. 1:13; Rev. 1:9 Involves the “new heavens and new earth” in the kingdom's future and eternal manifestation – Mt. 25:34; II Pet. 1:10,11; 3:13; Rev. 2122 The first (5:3) and last (5:10) beatitudes have this reward To inherit the Kingdom of Heaven, both present and future, we must be “poor in spirit!” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:4 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “Those who mourn!” “Mourn” literally means “to bewail, lament, mourn for” (G3996 pentheo) Not speaking about the mourning over the loss of a loved one, but rather Jesus advocating “godly sorrow” for one's sins (II Cor. 7:10-11; Js. 4:8-9). Sorrow according to the will of God produces repentance (Ps. 38:18). They mourn over the cause of their separation from Ps. 38:18 (NKJ) God (Js. 4:8-9). Repenting of sin, they have For I will declare my forgiveness, thus consolation and peace are the results iniquity; I will be in anguish over my sin. (Js. 4:10). Like David after adultery with Bathsheba – Ps. 51:3-4 The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted” “What benefits do they receive?” “They shall be comforted!” This is in reference to those who mourn over their sins and spiritual poverty: They are comforted even now – II Cor. 1:3-5; Js. 4:10 They shall be comforted in the future – Rev. 21:1-4 Mt. 11:28-30: Jesus promises to the weary and “heavy-laden” who come to Him to give them “rest” – Heaven will be the ultimate “rest” and “comfort” one could ask for! To have the “comfort” of Heaven we must mourn our sins and make our lives right with God! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:5 “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “The gentle!” (KJV, NKJ: “Meek”) The word “gentle” or “meek” carries the idea of both gentleness as well as strength Gentleness = G4240 prautēs [prah-oo'-tace]: mildness, that is, (by implication) humility: - meekness (KJV, NKJ). (NAS: II Cor. 10:1: “Meekness”; Titus 3:2: “Consideration”; Js. 1:21: “Humility”) The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” Greeks defined “meek”as one of the highest ethical words Aristotle defined “meekness” as between “excessive anger” and “excessive angerless.” He defined it as, angry at the right time, in the right measure, & for the right reason. Thus, it could read, “Blessed is the man who is angry at the right time, and never angry at the wrong time.” The Greeks used this word (G4240) to describe an animal that had been domesticated and trained to obey its master. Thus the verse could read, “Blessed is the man who has every instinct, impulse, and passion under control.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” Gentleness/Meekness is often misunderstood to be Weakness – It is strength under control! Moses: Not spineless but full of conviction! (Num. 12:3: KJV – Meek & NAS – Humble). Meekness caused him to shed his shoes in the presence of God at the burning bush, yet obeyed God in walking up to the most powerful king in all the world (at that time) and demanding freedom for the people of God! (Ex. 5:1) Jesus: Mt. 11:28-30: Jesus is “Gentle” (G4239 praus: mild, meek, humble) and “Humble” (G5011 tapeinos: humble, lowly, fig. or lit. humiliated) – Mt. 21:1-5 (Quoted from Zech. 9:9): A Gentle (Meek) King! Jesus displayed such humility on the cross! He had the authority to lay down His life and take it back (Jn. 10:18), He submitted to the Father’s will yet had the power to stop it (Mt. 26:39, 53), and allowed Himself to die on the cross (Lk. 23:46). Col. 3:12: Saints are to “put on” gentleness/meekness! (Phil. 4:5) The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” “What benefits do they receive?” “They shall inherit the earth!” This does not mean they will obtain all that is in the earth, IE: oil wells, houses, businesses, etc… In one sense, they inherit it now: As a result of putting the kingdom of God first – Mt. 6:33; Mk. 8:36; 10:29-30 Though they may have less than some who are wicked, God enables them to enjoy it more! – Eccl. 5:19-6:2 This explanation seems to be consistent with the context of Ps. 37, from which the phrase was taken – Ps. 37:1-11, 16-29 (esp. 37:11, 29) The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth” “What benefits do they receive?” “They shall inherit the earth!” This does not mean they will obtain all that is in the earth, IE: oil wells, houses, businesses, etc… In another sense, there yet remains a promise concerning a “new earth” for those in the kingdom now: II Pet. 3:10-13; Rev. 21:1-4: A Future inheritance of the “new heavens and new earth.” To have the promise of inheritance of the “new heavens and new earth” we must be gentle! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:6 "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!” Hunger and thirst are considered to be some of the strongest appetites or desires of man This beatitude recognizes that man needs more than food and drink for the Body (Mt. 4:4). Citizens of God's kingdom crave righteousness! (Mt. 6:33) Ps. 42:1-2 1. For the choir director. A Maskil of the sons of Korah. As the deer pants for the water brooks, So my soul pants for You, O God. 2. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; When shall I come and appear before God? The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness!” Hunger and thirst are considered to be some of the strongest appetites or desires of man To “hunger and thirst” suggests not a half-hearted search, but one exemplified by: David in Ps. 19:9-14 Paul in Phil. 3:7-15 Those who hunger for righteousness will be filled when they go to God's word (Jesus – Jn. 1:1; Rev. 19:13), the Bread of life – Jn. 6:35, 48 (6:35-58): Jesus is the Bread of Life! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied” “What benefits do they receive?” “They shall be satisfied (NKJ: “filled”)!” That is: Filled with the righteousness which we so desperately need, found only in Christ – Phil. 3:8-9; Mt. 6:33 (Requires us to “seek” Him first!) – Eccl. 12:13-14 (“Man’s all”–NKJ); Jn. 14:15 Received presently, through the precious blood of Christ – Rom. 5:9 Received in fullness when adorned in the white linen of righteousness in preparation for the marriage of the Lamb – Rev. 19:5-9 To be filled with the glory of Christ we must “hunger and thirst” for righteousness! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Conclusion (Part 1) Such are the characteristics of those who will be citizens of the kingdom of heaven: They are poor in spirit (realizing their sinfulness) Thus they mourn (for their sins) They are meek (gentle toward God and others) They hunger and thirst for righteousness (which they desperately need)! The Lord has provided the necessary instruction for us to grow! Let us strive to be the ideal citizen of the kingdom of heaven! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Child of God: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22) The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Mt. 5:7-12 PART 2 The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” INTRO Matthew 5:1-12 (vss. 1-6) 1. When Jesus saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain; and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. 2. He opened His mouth and began to teach them, saying, 3. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4. "Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted. 5. "Blessed are the gentle, for they shall inherit the earth. 6. "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” INTRO Matthew 5:1-12 (vss. 7-12) 7. "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8. "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9. "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God. 10. "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11. "Blessed are you when people insult you and persecute you, and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of Me. 12. "Rejoice and be glad, for your reward in heaven is great; for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you. The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Intro The first four of these “beatitudes” (transliterated from the Latin “beatus” which is equivalent to the English word “blessed” from the Greek makarios (G3107)): Blessed are poor in spirit (realizing their sinfulness) – Mt. 5:3 Blessed are those who mourn (for their sins) – Mt. 5:4 Blessed are the meek (gentle toward God and others) – Mt. 5:5 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness (only found in Christ) – Mt. 5:6 As we continue through the next four of these “blessings” let us examine our lives! The citizens of God’s Kingdom and the benefits they receive are summed up as “Blessed!” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:7 "Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “The Merciful!” Merciful = G1655 eleēmōn [el-eh-ay'mone]: From G1653; compassionate (actively): - merciful Mercy is the loving response of compassion that relieves the hurt, assists the downtrodden, & forgives the sinner (“Good Samaritan” – Lk. 10) Trait of God – Ex. 33:19; Rom. 9:15: God revealed Himself to Moses as compassionate; II Cor. 1:3: “Father of mercies;” Js. 5:11: “Full of compassion” Trait of Jesus – Heb. 2:17-18: Merciful and faithful High Priest As children of God we have received mercy – I Pet. 2:10 The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” Col. 3:12-13 12. So, as those who have been chosen of God, holy and beloved, put on a heart of compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience; 13. bearing with one another, and forgiving each other, whoever has a complaint against anyone; just as the Lord forgave you, so also should you. Col. 3:12-13: Put on, or clothe ourselves, with hearts of compassion (forgiving as Christ forgave!) Must show “Compassion” towards others. Genuine sensitivity and heartfelt sympathy for the needs of others. Jude 1:21-23: We are to show mercy (G1656, G1653: compassion) to the lost and weak in faith! Saints must forgive as Christ has forgiven us – Eph. 4:32; Col. 3:13 (Mt. 6:14-15) As Jesus had toward those crucifying Him – Lk. 23:34 As Stephen had toward those stoning him – Acts 7:60 The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy” “What benefits do they receive?” “They shall receive mercy!” Mt. 5:7: Jesus said the one who shows mercy will receive mercy! (Both merciful, G1655, and mercy, G1653, mean “compassionate”) If we are merciful, we shall obtain mercy (James 2:13). But if not show mercy, will not receive mercy! (Js. 2:13; Mt. 18:21-35) Those in the kingdom enjoy the forgiveness of sins now through the blood of Jesus – Eph. 1:7 They shall also be shown mercy in the future by escaping the righteous wrath of God in the Day of Judgment – Rom. 5:8-9 To obtain mercy on the Judgment Day we need to show mercy to others! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:8 "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “The pure in heart!” The word “Pure” (G2513 katharos) means, “sincere, unfeigned, upright, void of evil; clean” To be pure in heart is to sincerely serve God in holiness, without hypocrisy. Such a quality is necessary to see God – Ps. 24:3-4 (David taught this long ago! – Ps. 51:10) The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” Citizens of the Kingdom (saints) are to exhibit this purity because God is pure (I Jn. 3:3): We are to love from a pure heart, free of hypocrisy! – I Tim. 1:5; II Tim. 2:2; Rom. 12:9 (Love as Christ loved us – Jn. 13:34-35; 15:12) We are to serve God with a clear conscience – II Tim. 1:3; Titus 1:15 Pure religion is to visit the widows and orphans and to keep oneself unstained by the world – Js. 1:27 When we sin we not only mourn, but “clean our hands” – Js. 4:8-9 When we stand before God one day as the “Bride of Christ” we are to have our robes white and clean! – Rev. 19:7-8 (The “bright and clean” nature of the robes is from the “righteous acts of the saints!”) The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God” “What benefits do they receive?” “They shall see God!” The church is to be holy and pure (Eph. 5:25-27; Rev. 19:7-8) when presented to God Presently, citizens of the kingdom can see God through their Lord Jesus Christ – Jn. 14:6-7 In future, we shall see him face to face – I Jn. 3:2; Rev. 21:3; 22:3-4 To see God we must love (both God and men) and serve Him from a pure heart! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:9 "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “The Peacemakers!” The peace that is found in the Lord is far different from the kind of peace ordinarily sought by the world The world thinks in terms of no war, no financial worries, or no sickness and trouble. Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you. Do not let your heart be troubled, nor let it be fearful” (John 14:27). This peace is the result of reconciliation with God from whom man has separated himself by sin – Eph. 2:13-16: Christ reconciled man to man (Jew & Gentile) and man to God! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” As Christ is our peace (Jn. 16:33; Rom. 5:1) and has reconciled saints to God (Eph. 2:13-16)… …So must we pursue peace with all men (Rom. 12:18; Heb. 12:14) and with each other! (Rom. 14:19; II Tim. 2:22) Saints are to strive to live peacefully – II Cor. 13:11; Gal. 5:22; Eph. 4:3; II Thess. 3:16 Helping others to be at peace with God by proclaiming the gospel of peace – Rom. 5:1; Eph. 6:15 The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God” “What benefits do they receive?” “They shall be called sons of God!” Rom. 15:33: God is the God of Peace, thus a “peacemaker” reflects the character of God (Jesus– Eph. 2) and so the reward is that such an one will be called the child of “the God of Peace” – I Jn. 3:1-2 As children of God we have the inheritance of Heaven – Rom. 8:14-17; I Pet. 1:3-4 In the future God will call us His children on the day of inheritance! – Rev. 21:5-7 To have the promise of the inheritance of heaven we must be children of God! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Matthew 5:10 "Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” “Who will be the citizens of the kingdom?” “Those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness!” There are some who fall away because of persecution Mt. 13:20-21: The child of God with no “firm root” will “immediately” fall away when persecution arises “because of the word.” The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Jesus suffered unto death that we might live! (Lk. 23:46; Rom. 6:8-13) Persecution serves as a token that one has become a partaker in the sufferings of Christ (Acts 5:41; II Tim. 3:12). Suffering for Righteousness sake means one has entrusted their soul to a faithful Creator in doing what is right according to the Will of the Father (I Pet. 4:19). Evil doers persecute because they see the character of the righteous going against their character and revealing their ungodliness (John 3:19-21). The one who suffers persecution for the cause of Christ must always remember the promised reward of eternal life in heaven (I John 5:13; Mt. 5:12). The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” “What benefits do they receive?” “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven!” It comes full circle: the first (5:3) and last (5:10) “beatitudes” are promised this reward! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “Blessed are those who have been persecuted for the sake of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” Saints need to remember that no matter what the world does or how severe the persecution, nothing is worth losing our souls! (Great reward in Heaven! – Mt. 5:12) Mk. 8:36: No gain even if own the world but lose one’s soul! Rom. 8:18: Nothing in this world, no amount of suffering, can compare to the glory to be revealed! (II Thess. 1:6-10) In Jesus is our eternal rest and comfort (Mt. 11:28-30; II Cor. 1:3-4; II Thess. 2:16-17) Rev. 21:7: The one who overcomes will inherit the Kingdom of God and the eternal rest! To inherit the Kingdom of Heaven we must overcome the trials of life and endure persecution! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Conclusion (Part 2) Such are the characteristics of those who will be citizens of the kingdom of heaven: They are merciful (for they know they need mercy) They are pure in heart (seeking to please God with singleness of heart) They are peacemakers (making peace with others, having found peace with God) They are persecuted for the kingdom of heaven (misunderstood by the proud and arrogant who are still in their sins) Is the kingdom of heaven worth the effort to develop such qualities of character? Is the kingdom of heaven worth whatever persecution we might endure? Phil. 3:7-11: Paul says a resounding, “YES!” Obtaining Christ is worth whatever price we must pay in this life! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” Conclusion (Part 2) Upon our obedience to the gospel, we have access to the blessings in the kingdom: Poor in spirit, theirs is the kingdom of heaven! Mourning for their sins, they shall be comforted! Meek in their relation to God and man, they shall inherit the earth! Hungering and thirsting for righteousness, they shall be filled! Merciful to others, they shall obtain mercy! Pure in heart, they shall see God! Makers of peace, they shall be called sons of God! Persecuted for righteousness' sake, theirs is the kingdom of heaven! The Lord has provided the necessary instruction for us to grow! Let us strive to be the ideal citizen of the kingdom of heaven! The Beatitudes: “Blessed Are…” “What Must I Do To Be Saved?” Hear The Gospel (Jn. 5:24; Rom. 10:17) Believe In Christ (Jn. 3:16-18; Jn. 8:24) Repent Of Sins (Lk. 13:35; Acts 2:38) Confess Christ (Mt. 10:32; Rom. 10:10) Be Baptized (Mk. 16:16; Acts 22:16) Remain Faithful (Jn. 8:31; Rev. 2:10) For The Erring Child of God: Repent (Acts 8:22), Confess (I Jn. 1:9), Pray (Acts 8:22)