The Beatitudes, Matthew 5:1-12, NKJV

Blessed to Be a Blessing: The Power of the Beatitudes

Bible Passage: Matthew 5:1–12

Summary: The Beatitudes represent the core of Jesus’ teaching on the Kingdom of Heaven, outlining the characteristics and attitudes of those who are truly blessed by God.

Application: This passage encourages Christians to cultivate humility, mercy, and a thirst for righteousness, reminding them of their identity in Christ and their role in reflecting God's love in a broken world. It comforts believers in their struggles, assuring them that their hardships can lead to divine blessings.

Teaching: The sermon teaches that true blessedness comes not from worldly success or status, but from embodying the values of Christ's Kingdom. Each Beatitude unveils a deeper truth about how God's grace transforms our lives and perspectives.

How this passage could point to Christ: The Beatitudes point to Christ as the ultimate fulfillment of the law and the prophets, portraying His heart for the marginalized and His call to righteousness. They show that through Christ, the promise of blessing is extended to all who follow Him, especially those who are poor in spirit or persecuted.

Big Idea: In a world that often values power and possessions, the Beatitudes remind us that true joy and fulfillment come from living out the radical values of God's Kingdom and those things are often contrary to the way the world thinks and what the world values.

Recommended Study: As you prepare for this sermon, consider exploring the historical and cultural context of the Beatitudes in Matthew 5. Look into parallels in the Old Testament, such as the blessings in Deuteronomy, and examine different translations of key terms using Logos. Pay attention also to commentaries that discuss the theological implications of being 'blessed' in light of both the earthly and eternal perspectives.

1. Poverty of Spirit

Matthew 5:1–3 “And seeing the multitudes, He went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him. Then He opened His mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

What does poor in Spirit mean? Does it mean they have very little of the Holy Spirit? No, the poor in spirit (Matt. 5:3) are those who consciously depend on God, not on themselves; they are “poor” inwardly, having no ability in themselves to please God, they rely on the Spirit of God to and not of themselves (Louis A. Barberi Jr., The Bible Knowledge Commentary) This is absolutely anti-pharisaical, the pharisee relied on themselves and their ability to please God through sacrifices and self-righteousness. Blessed are those who rely not upon their own self, but on God.

And what is the blessing we receive when we are “poor in Spirit”? Each of the theses blessed states have a specific blessing the poor in spirit, scripture says is “For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” When we as believers rely on God and not upon ourselves to be made righteous we belong to God through our adoption by Jesus Christ. This means we follow all the commands Jesus left for us, we live our lives through Christ who gives us strength and we are without a doubt Christians. Because of all of this, our eternity in Heaven is secure, therefore Jesus says, “For theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.”

Louis A. Barbieri Jr., “Matthew,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed. J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 2 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985)

2. Paths to Comfort

Matthew 5:4–6 “Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted. Blessed are the meek, For they shall inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, For they shall be filled.”

“Blessed are those who mourn, For they shall be comforted.” Jesus is reminding us that though we may die to this earth, we have eternity to live. We may be saddened when we lose a loved one who died in Christ, but Jesus tells us we will be comforted by God, the only one who can truly comfort us in such a devastating time. I often use this scripture when I preach a funeral, to remind the mourning that God has not forgotten them, that even in times of great grief and sadness we can find Joy in our relationship with God. We have an eternal hope in our confession of faith in Christ Jesus, because He died and rose again, so shall we and all those who die in Christ. I know that this realization gives me deep comfort in those darkest of days when the loss of a loved one is so strong.

Verse 5 says, “Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Does this mean the weaklings and cowards are going to inherit the earth? No, the biblical use of meek here is one who is capable yet restrained. The meek aren't cowards, they are believers and followers of Christ who himself was considered by many to be meek, because the Jewish Messiah was supposed to bring conquering war to the enemies of Israel and Christ instead dies for our sins. Why does God bless the meek who are restrained and not fighting, because the battle is His and not ours. By being meek we show God that we trust in His plan for our redemption through Christ and that His word that tells us how the world will end and that Christ will rule is the truth we rely on, because we rely on God and all that He has given us and taught us. We are rewarded because we are obedient to Christ, and that reward is that we will inherit the earth.

Verse 6 says, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.” One thing is constant with believers, we seek to know Christ more and more everyday. I like the way Christ wrote this, “those who hunger and thirst for righteousness” He uses a physical need to explain the way we are driven to seek the righteousness of Christ as a physical need. The desire we have to know Christ can be just like that, we yearn to know more and as we learn more we want more. When we find out that Jesus is the son of God, place our trust in Him, we receive the Holy Spirit and are granted a new life through the renewing and regenerating work of the Holy Spirit who continually through the rest of our lives fills us with truth and very righteousness we each hunger for, thereby fulfilling the promise Jesus makes us here and fills us completely.

These three verses show us how God comforts us because we are living our lives through Christ and for Christ, and that pleases God.

3. Peacemakers of Heart

Matthew 5:7–9 “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, For they shall see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, For they shall be called sons of God.”

Verse 7, “Blessed are the merciful, For they shall obtain mercy.” Mercy is being compassionate within your power to do so. For instance a Judge who sentences a murder to life in prison and not the death penalty. Or a mother who grounds her child verse spanking them. Or a man who gives a second chance to an employ that he could fire for not being on time or at work. The list can on and on. But if we show mercy to others as Christians, then God promises to show us mercy as well.

Verse 8, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” When we follow the teaching of Christ we become pure at heart, and when we become pure at heart we will blessed by seeing God. As we live our lives in Christ, the closer we walk to Him, the more often we see His hand in everything, and the more the truth of the gospel is made known to us. We become aware of God in our lives and see His work in everything.

Verse 9, “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.” This isn't a reference to just the police as I have often seen it used, but certainly the police can be peacemakers. A peacemaker is someone who is willing to forgive others even at their own expense. A person who wishes to exalt Christ even in conflict to their own interests. They are not weak and overly compromising but strong and convicted to seek an outcome that honors Christ and others.

4. Perseverance in Persecution

Matthew 5:10–12 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, For theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.”

If we each are following Christ and His commands and are seeking to make our lives look like His, then we will embody the previous seven beatitudes, and when we do we are starkly different from the world around us. The world doesn't like when you're different. So when you follow Christ you stick out, and when you stick out it gets noticed and you get persecuted. Verse 10 says, “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” When we follow Christ we stick out, when we stick out we get noticed, when we get noticed we are persecuted for following Christ, Christ is righteous, we are persecuted for Christ because we belong to Him, and because we belong to Him we are saved and will spend eternity in Heaven.

Verse 11 says, “Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake.” People who don’t Christ or hate God love to revile and speak evilly about you. They will make up all kinds of lies to make you look bad. We saw this in full effect for the last four years, anytime the mainstream secular world celebrated anything unbiblical they would point out how we as Christians hated them and try to vilify us for our disagreement with their evil and spiritually destructive lifestyles. This isnt new, this has been done by the enemy and those who belong to him since the fall of man in the garden. And it will continue until Christ returns.

So strangely enough we should rejoice in our persecution for following Christ, because it signals our reliance and trust in Christ and ultimately our salvation and redemption.

Applications:

Become rich in Christ, don’t focus on the world and what it values, but on the spirit and the things God values.

2. You might find it difficult to maintain peace at home, especially during disagreements with family members. The Beatitudes remind us that "blessed are the peacemakers" (Matthew 5:9). This week, I challenge you to commit to being a peacemaker. When a conflict arises, pause before reacting. Take a moment to pray and ask God for the wisdom to respond with grace. Show empathy by actively listening to the other person's perspective, and seek common ground rather than winning the argument. This can transform your home into a place of harmony.

3. In a polarized society, expressing your faith can often lead to ridicule or misunderstanding. Remember that "blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake" (Matthew 5:10) serves as a reminder of the cost of discipleship. This week, look for an opportunity to gently share your faith story in a public setting—whether it be a casual conversation or a community meeting. Prepare your heart to respond in love and patience if negativity arises. Embrace this moment as a chance to stand firm in your faith, knowing you are in good company with the faithful throughout history.