A Few Thoughts About the Beatitudes
Jesus’s Sermon on the Mount—The Beatitudes as found in Matthew 5:1-12 WEL
Matthew 5:1 Seeing the large crowds, he went up to a mountain, and after sitting down, his disciples came to him,
2 And opening his mouth, he started teaching them saying,
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are humble, gentle people, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
11 “You are blessed when people verbally abuse and persecute you and say all kinds of evil, wicked things about you falsely for my sake.
12 “Rejoice and be very happy, for your reward in heaven is great, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you in this way.
Matthew 5:1 Seeing the large crowds, he went up to a mountain, and after sitting down, his disciples came to him,
B1 The setting is on a mountain, that’s all we know.
B2 The Lord Jesus went up to a mountain because He saw the large crowds.
B3 Most agree that sitting was the common posture of Jewish teachers.
2 And opening his mouth, he started teaching them saying,
3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs.
B1 Blessed is the Greek word μακάριος makários. It means happy, cheerful, contented, etc. The opposite is wretched, miserable, distressed, etc.
B2 Short term blessings are from people, etc., but long-term blessings come from God.
B3 Poor in spirit has the idea of humble, not forceful, not self-seeking, someone who is destitute of influence, needy, etc. It is used here of an attitude of an honest evaluation of needing help, especially in a spiritual sense. Jesus is that Savior who can help this needy person. God has a poor opinion of those who believe they are self-sufficient and in need of nothing.
B4 Kingdom of heaven is the same as Kingdom of God.
C1 Matthew 4:17 NIV From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”
C2 Mark 1:14-15 NIV After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!“
B5 The Kingdom of heaven/God is the place where God reigns and His will is done voluntarily. Some facts about the Kingdom of heaven/God:
C1 Not everyone will be there: Matthew 7:21 NIV Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven.
C2 Righteousness is required: Matthew 5:20 NRSV For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.
D1 No human is sinless.
D2 No human can enter heaven.
D3 Jesus, God the Son, is sinless.
D4 Jesus is the substitutionary atonement.
D5 Jesus placed conditions on humans as to who can be justified.
D6 Faith, that is, believing Jesus and His message: Acts 16:31 NRSV They answered, “Believe on the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved, you and your household.
C3 It is not here yet. Jesus will set up His kingdom.
D1 Matthew 6:10 NRSV Your kingdom come. Your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven.
D2 Luke 22:18 NRSV for I tell you that from now on I will not drink of the fruit of the vine until the kingdom of God comes.
D3 Parallel passage: Matthew 26:29 NRSV I tell you, I will never again drink of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you in my Father’s kingdom.
Vincent’s Word Studies on 2 Timothy 4:18: Heavenly kingdom (τὴν βασιλείαν τὴν ἐπουράνιον) The phrase N.T. Ἑπουράνιος heavenly only here in Pastorals. Mostly in Paul and Hebrews. Heavenly kingdom, here the future, glorified life, as 1Co 6:9, 1Co 6:10; 1Co 15:50; Luk 13:29. In the same sense, kingdom of Christ and of God, Eph 5:5; kingdom of their Father, Mat 13:43; my Father’s kingdom, Mat 26:29; kingdom prepared for you, Mat 25:34; eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 2Pe 1:11.
Revelation 11:15 GNB Then the seventh angel blew his trumpet, and there were loud voices in heaven, saying, “The power to rule over the world belongs now to our Lord and his Messiah, and he will rule forever and ever!” Comment from Robertson’s Word Pictures: The kingdom of our Lord and of his Christ (tou kuriou hēmōn kai tou Christou autou). Repeat hē basileia from the preceding. God the Father is meant here by kuriou (Lord), as autou (his) shows. This is the certain and glorious outcome of the age-long struggle against Satan, who wields the kingdom of the world which he offered to Christ on the mountain for one act of worship. But Jesus scorned partnership with Satan in the rule of the world, and chose war, war up to the hilt and to the end. Now the climax has come with Christ as Conqueror of the kingdom of this world for his Father. This is the crowning lesson of the Apocalypse.
4 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
5 “Blessed are humble, gentle people, for they will inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be satisfied.
7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they will obtain mercy.
8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God.
10 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.
11 “You are blessed when people verbally abuse and persecute you and say all kinds of evil, wicked things about you falsely for my sake.
12 “Rejoice and be very happy, for your reward in heaven is great, for they persecuted the prophets who were before you in this way.