The Whole Story
Matthew 5-7
Sermon on the Mount Part 1
When Jesus opened His mouth to teach the
crowds gathered on the hillside, He was not simply offering wise instruction or
moral platitudes — He was proclaiming the arrival of the kingdom of God.
The Sermon on the Mount, beginning in Matthew
5, is the King’s call to a new way of life under His reign. And at the very
front door of that call stand the Beatitudes — eight declarations that describe
the character and blessedness of those who belong to Him.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” With these words, Jesus turns the world’s definition of success upside down. These blessings are not for the self-sufficient, the proud, or the powerful. They are for the spiritually needy, the humble, the mourning, and the meek. The Beatitudes describe those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, who are merciful, pure in heart, peacemakers — and yes, even those who are persecuted for His name’s sake. These aren’t natural virtues; they are supernatural evidence of grace.
The Beatitudes aren’t a list of how to enter
the kingdom — they are a picture of what those who have already entered the
kingdom by faith begin to look like. They are not a ladder to climb but a
mirror to reflect the heart of Jesus. He is the only One who is perfectly poor
in spirit, perfectly meek, perfectly pure. He is the One who mourns over sin,
who brings peace through His blood, who was persecuted and reviled for
righteousness’ sake.
The Beatitudes are both comforting and
confronting. They comfort the weary by showing us that God blesses what the
world rejects. They confront the proud by exposing the kind of heart God
honors. They teach us that the kingdom of God is not about religious
performance but spiritual transformation. This is the kind of life Jesus offers
— one rooted not in self-righteousness, but in grace. And He doesn’t just
describe this life — He makes it possible through His death and resurrection.
As we open this most famous sermon, we do not
merely hear good advice. We are being invited to walk in the way of blessing
under the reign of Christ. Jesus is here, even in the Beatitudes — declaring
what it means to live the truly blessed life.
Matthew 5:1-12
The Sermon on the Mount
1 Seeing the crowds, he went up on the
mountain, and when he sat down, his disciples came to him.
The Beatitudes
2 And he opened his mouth and taught 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 meek, for they shall
inherit the earth.
6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst
for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
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 are persecuted for
righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
11 “Blessed are you when others revile you
and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my
account.
12 Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is
great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The
Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001
by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Matthew
5:1-12
Discussion Questions:
Which Beatitude feels most natural to you — and
which feels most difficult? Why?
How does Jesus’ definition of “blessed”
challenge our culture’s version of the good life?
In what ways do the Beatitudes reveal our
need for grace rather than moral effort?
How can we practice being “peacemakers” in
our families, workplaces, or church?
Have you ever experienced rejection or
hardship because of your faith? How does Jesus’ promise in verses 10–12
encourage you?
Closing Thoughts:
The Beatitudes call us to a life that runs
counter to everything the world praises. In a culture that celebrates
self-sufficiency, Jesus blesses the poor in spirit. Where the world exalts
comfort, Jesus honors those who mourn. Instead of applauding power, He lifts
the meek. This isn’t a list of spiritual elites — it’s a portrait of those who
belong to Him. And the only way to live this way is by being transformed by His
grace. These blessings flow not from trying harder, but from being with Jesus
and becoming like Him. So, the question isn’t, “Am I doing enough?” but rather,
“Am I letting Jesus shape who I am?”
Which Beatitude is He calling you to live out
this week?
END
Click Play to Watch
Matthew 5:1-12
The Sermon on the Mount / The Beatitudes
Seeing the crowds, He went up on the
mountain, and when He sat down, His disciples came to Him. And He opened His
mouth and taught them, saying: “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is
the kingdom of heaven. “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 satisfied.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. “Blessed are the pure
in heart, for they shall see God. “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall
be called sons of God. “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness'
sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. “Blessed are you when others revile
you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on My
account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they
persecuted the prophets who were before you.
One of the sermon points was that
“Kingdom blessing begins with spiritual
bankruptcy.”
What do you think this means?
You see, this challenges us to see growth and
righteousness as a journey, not just a feeling.
Now I didn't pickup on this until after our lesson this morning. I notice that the 1st Beatitude (“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”) and the 8th Beatitude (“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven”) both end with the same promise: “theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Is this just a coincidence? You know that's not the case...
Why the Repetition?
I did a little research and found that this repetition acts like spiritual bookends — it’s called an inclusio in biblical literature. Everything between the first and last Beatitude describes what it looks like to live under the rule of the Kingdom of God. In other words, the kingdom belongs to the poor in spirit, and it belongs to those persecuted for righteousness — and everything in between flows from that reality.
We Start and Finish with the Same Goal:
Being “poor in spirit” is the starting point of Kingdom life — humility and dependence on God. Enduring persecution is often the result of living out the other Beatitudes. The reward is the same because both the beginning and the end of this journey lead you to full belonging in God’s Kingdom.
This is Encouragement for our Journey...
Jesus begins by assuring the humble: You already belong here.
He ends by assuring the faithful under fire: You still belong here.
It’s as if Jesus is saying: The Kingdom is yours when you begin, and it will still be yours at the end — no matter what happens in between.
Remember, the Beatitudes are not random blessings — they’re a progression. You start with humility (poor in spirit), grow through mercy, purity, and peacemaking, and often end with resistance from the world (persecution). The promise of the Kingdom frames the whole journey.
Here’s the visual diagram of the Beatitudes as a journey — with the 1st and 8th framed by the same promise: “Theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The red line shows that the Kingdom is both the starting point and the ending promise, surrounding all the blessings in between.
Anyway - I thought this was pretty cool and wanted to share.
