The Sermon on the Mount in its entirety, details how believers in Jesus Christ should live their lives. In this sermon, Jesus shows the differences between living under the new Covenant and living under the old laws.
Jesus laid the groundwork for the rest of his ministry when he preached the gospel that day on that hillside near Capernaum.
The sermon spans Matthew 5-7. Staring in Chapter 5, verses 3 through 11 the first twelve verses consist of what are called the Beatitudes. Beatitude is Latin for blessed. Starting in Chapter 5, verses 3 through 11
“Blessed are those who are poor in spirit.” People who are poor in spirit know that God will provide for them. Poor in spirit is having faith in the knowledge they will inherit the kingdom of heaven. They are humble. Exactly the kind of people God uses.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted”. Jesus promises to meet the needs of the faithful. When there is a loss Jesus will provide the strength and peace needed.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Jesus had a way of offering those with the least the most.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Another way of saying this could be, blessed are those who are like David, a man after God’s heart. Once a Christian is born again, a desire to do right will prevail and that life will be filled with the Holy Spirit.
“Blessed are the merciful, that they will be shown mercy.” Jesus was all about mercy. Dying on the cross and paying man’s debt for sin is the most merciful act ever undertaken.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Rebirth in Christ starts the process of sanctification. This process will not be totally complete until it is time to transition from the physical world into the eternal spiritual world. Then and only then will they believers be ready to see God.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Love one another, forgive one another and turn the other cheek. These are all qualities Jesus demonstrated for his followers to adopt. By doing so a father-child relationship with God develops.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Wanting to share the Good News will bring persecution and ridicule. In some countries persecution means death. God’s love makes it all worthwhile at any price. God’s love makes his children strive to glorify him at any cost.
Jesus started by teaching those that were there that day how the message he was offering, the Good News, and the promise that came from it, a New Covenant from God, would apply and affect man from that day forward.
Jesus explained to his followers that the Kingdom of Heaven is here and that things will never be the same again.
God is with a man and he cares for man. He emphasized that the final phase of God’s relationship with man has started and will culminate with his return at the Second Coming.
Jesus taught that when a man realizes his need for God, man will become humble and will not be prideful anymore. The reward for that transformation will be to inherit the Kingdom of God.
Those that mourn will no longer seek happiness from the things of the world and will find comfort in their relationship with God. Modern Christians understand and experience joy, peace, and hope though their loving relationships with God. These rewards come from the Holy Spirit and develop from the principles Jesus taught that day.
Christians are to be gentle and lowly and should not pursue power, status or prestige according to the standards of the world. They will possess the whole world as a result.
Jesus proclaimed that man would receive justice if he desired justice rather than only striving to satisfy his personal needs.
He included an important spiritual condition and that is a pure heart. A deceitful heart will make it impossible to even be able to see God. A pure heart will allow life to be lived with God. Not next to God. Not under God. But in and through God.
Christians should work for peace, not for themselves but for others. Doing this will bring them to a place where they will be seen as and called, Children of God.
As Children of God, they can expect to be persecuted but they should be joyful when they are because their rewards for this suffering will be great and eternal for them in Heaven.
The world is still controlled by Satan with his lies and deceptions but He has already been defeated by Jesus and as the day draws closer to the return of Jesus Christ the Children of God continue to grow in understanding of the things of God and they continue to spread the Good News according to the example shown by Jesus that day on that hillside near Capernaum.
