As Jesus traveled all through out Galilee, crowds of people were drawn to Him. They were seeking hope, much like us, like me today. He taught the crowds and He healed them of all kinds of sickness. Do you ever wish you could have been there to see Him... this young winsome, compassionate man... teaching and healing... bringing hope to discouraged people. When He saw the crowds, He went up on a mountain, sat down to teach them beginning with:
"Blessed are...."
Today we begin a new series in the Beatitudes that Jesus taught to the crowds in His famous Sermon on the Mount.
What are the Beatitudes?
The Beatitudes are blessings that Jesus proclaimed on the Sermon on the Mount. My dictionary describes them as supreme happiness, bliss and blessing.
Why are they important to us?
In them we see a path to blessing, salvation and transformation both now and forever, through the redemption of Jesus Christ.
The Beatitudes are blessings that Jesus proclaimed on the Sermon on the Mount. My dictionary describes them as supreme happiness, bliss and blessing.
Why are they important to us?
In them we see a path to blessing, salvation and transformation both now and forever, through the redemption of Jesus Christ.
In each Beatitude Jesus begins saying “Blessed are...”
Here is an example of the first Beatitude.
The Blessing: “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are
The Attitude or State of Being of the Blessed: the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], (who realize their need for God. NLT)
The Reward or Consequence: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].”
Matthew 5:3 AMP
https://www.bible.com/1588/mat.5.3.amp
The Beatitudes are blessings that result from various attitudes or states of being of believers of Jesus Christ. I believe that the beatitudes are a process, beginning with entering the Kingdom of God, which is the most important thing we could do in our life, and then to live in Kingdom life now and forever. There is a progression in a Spirit-led life of transformation, renewal and fruit bearing. Though the beatitudes are progressive, yet at the same time I don't think you ever grow out of the need for any of them.
Perhaps you are in a season of stagnation or have not yet believed in Jesus Christ. You desire to be closer to God, near to Him, but you may not know where to start. This is the perfect time to begin at the beginning, "blessed are the poor in spirit", as a way to approach God. When we consider who Jesus Christ is and what He did at the cross to free us from our sins, that we may enter the Kingdom of God; we see Him in a new light, as our glorious God who came to earth to save us. In that place we should be humble with no spiritual arrogance. We should see our own insignificance before God. At that point, we recognize Jesus as our savior, we believe in Him and ask Him to come into our heart. In the posts that follow, we will see points of conversion and recognition of who God is that took place in the lives of those in the Bible. When they caught a glimpse of God or saw who Jesus Christ is and then saw them selves by comparison, they were in awe and truly “poor in spirit”.
The beatitudes as they progress are what a Spirit Led life looks like... our attitude deep in our being before God and the people around us. They are not goals to be set; but rather they are evidence of an inward work of the Spirit. And when we live in a beatitude there is the blessing, the reward from God and the natural consequence of experiencing the blessing. So as we read through each beatitude post look for attitude and posture before God and the blessing that follows.
Here is an example of the first Beatitude.
The Blessing: “Blessed [spiritually prosperous, happy, to be admired] are
The Attitude or State of Being of the Blessed: the poor in spirit [those devoid of spiritual arrogance, those who regard themselves as insignificant], (who realize their need for God. NLT)
The Reward or Consequence: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven [both now and forever].”
Matthew 5:3 AMP
https://www.bible.com/1588/mat.5.3.amp
The Beatitudes are blessings that result from various attitudes or states of being of believers of Jesus Christ. I believe that the beatitudes are a process, beginning with entering the Kingdom of God, which is the most important thing we could do in our life, and then to live in Kingdom life now and forever. There is a progression in a Spirit-led life of transformation, renewal and fruit bearing. Though the beatitudes are progressive, yet at the same time I don't think you ever grow out of the need for any of them.
Perhaps you are in a season of stagnation or have not yet believed in Jesus Christ. You desire to be closer to God, near to Him, but you may not know where to start. This is the perfect time to begin at the beginning, "blessed are the poor in spirit", as a way to approach God. When we consider who Jesus Christ is and what He did at the cross to free us from our sins, that we may enter the Kingdom of God; we see Him in a new light, as our glorious God who came to earth to save us. In that place we should be humble with no spiritual arrogance. We should see our own insignificance before God. At that point, we recognize Jesus as our savior, we believe in Him and ask Him to come into our heart. In the posts that follow, we will see points of conversion and recognition of who God is that took place in the lives of those in the Bible. When they caught a glimpse of God or saw who Jesus Christ is and then saw them selves by comparison, they were in awe and truly “poor in spirit”.
The beatitudes as they progress are what a Spirit Led life looks like... our attitude deep in our being before God and the people around us. They are not goals to be set; but rather they are evidence of an inward work of the Spirit. And when we live in a beatitude there is the blessing, the reward from God and the natural consequence of experiencing the blessing. So as we read through each beatitude post look for attitude and posture before God and the blessing that follows.
The Beatitudes are the essence of who Jesus is... His character and being. We grow in them through transformation, as we become more like Him.
"But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord."
2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJ
"So all of us who have had that veil removed can see and reflect the glory of the Lord. And the Lord.. who is the Spirit... makes us more like him as we are changed into His glorious image."
2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT
2 Corinthians 3:18 NLT
I pray you, dear reader, will be blessed in reading, seeking God
and being in the attitudes Jesus so eloquently describes
and lived out among us.
and being in the attitudes Jesus so eloquently describes
and lived out among us.
Last Wednesday was the first day of Lent. I believe these Beatitudes will prepare our hearts for the final week of Jesus' life as a human being that is like us.
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