Article by: Sarah Koontz
Over the past year, every worldly source of security and stability has seemingly vanished.
Thankfully, Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever (Heb 13:8)!
Our position in Christ gives us strength to endure the trials and tribulations of this world.
In Him, we will not be shaken, and we will not be destroyed!
One of the greatest treasures of our Christian faith is found in Christ’s teaching on divine blessings in Matthew 5:1-12 HCSB:
When He saw the crowds, He went up on the mountain, and after He sat down, His disciples came to Him. Then He began to teach them, saying:
The poor in spirit are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Those who mourn are blessed,f or they will be comforted.
The gentle are blessed, for they will inherit the earth.
Those who hunger and thirst for righteousness are blessed, for they will be filled.
The merciful are blessed, for they will be shown mercy.
The pure in heart are blessed, for they will see God.
The peacemakers are blessed, for they will be called sons of God.
Those who are persecuted for righteousness are blessed, for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.You are blessed when they insult and persecute you and falsely say every kind of evil against you because of Me. Be glad and rejoice, because your reward is great in heaven. For that is how they persecuted the prophets who were before you.
The Beatitudes teach us that blessedness is entirely dependent upon our spiritual position in Christ, not based on worldly measures of material wealth or physical comfort.
Welcome to the upside-down Kingdom of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.
Although Jesus does not define the Kingdom of God, He does describe it in many of His parables (Lk 13:18-19; Mt 25:14-30).
Through the Apostle Paul’s teaching, we learn that the Kingdom is both a present reality (Col 1:13) and a promised future (1 Cor 15:23-27).
We learn in Daniel 2:44 that God’s divine Kingdom “will never be destroyed, and this Kingdom will not be left to another people. It will crush all these kingdoms and bring them to an end, but will itself endure forever.”
The Psalms teach us that this everlasting Kingdom (Ps 145:13) is ruled by Yahweh the Most High God (Ps 47:2), and His sovereignty rules over all (Ps 103:19).
The Beatitudes Contain Key Truths About the Kingdom
Here are eight key truths about the Kingdom of God we can glean from the Beatitudes:
- Our position in the Kingdom of God cannot be earned; it is a gift for those who humbly admit their own spiritual bankruptcy.
- Our position in the Kingdom of God does not prevent us from experiencing earthly sorrow; it simply infuses our mournfulness with God’s comfort.
- Our position in the Kingdom of God gives us access to divine power; our promised inheritance infuses our lives with divine purpose.
- Our position in the Kingdom of God equips us to prioritize personal holiness and recognize that biblical righteousness is a gift from God.
- Our position in the Kingdom of God gives us the capacity we need to extend God’s mercy and forgiveness to suffering souls.
- Our position in the Kingdom of God motivates us to pursue holiness in our thoughts and actions.
- Our position in the Kingdom of God fills our hearts with joy, even as our faith in Christ invites persecution into our lives.
- Our position in the Kingdom of God elicits allegiance to Christ; therefore, we can be exceedingly glad when allowed to suffer for His sake.
The Kingdom is a present and future reality for all who place their faith in Jesus Christ; we experience its partial fulfillment today and anticipate its ultimate fulfillment in the hereafter.
Belief in the Kingdom is our source of strength when the struggles of life threaten to overwhelm us.
The Beatitudes Offer a Biblical Definition of Blessedness
The introduction to Christ’s Sermon on the Mount reveals how God’s people should order their lives, in accordance with God’s Kingdom rule and authority.
The Beatitudes offer a radically different definition of “blessedness” than we would expect.
The Greek word translated “blessed” in the Beatitudes is makarios (mak-ar’-ee-os), and it means “fortunate, to be envied; one upon whom God has extended His favor and His benefits.”
Divine blessing invites the consolation of Christ and the comfort of the Holy Spirit into our daily challenges.
Christ’s message for the meek, for the brokenhearted, for the captive is this: I am your healer, your comforter, and your provider; trust in Me, and I will give you beauty for ashes, the oil of joy instead of mourning, and a garment of praise instead of despair.
To experience Christ’s blessings in our lives, we must first accept His gift of salvation (Eph 2:1-5).
Saving faith in the redemptive work of Jesus Christ rescues us from the power and the penalty of sin (Rom 8:1-4); it secures our eternal future and establishes our lives in the shelter of His wings (Ps 91).
Salvation opens up the door of our hearts to receive Christ’s liberty, favor, comfort, provision, restoration, and righteousness.
I view the Beatitudes as the building blocks for a blessed life. Each statement of blessing builds upon the previous one and prepares us for what comes next.
Apart from the transformative work of Christ, we are incapable of manifesting the divine qualities described in the Beatitudes.
An Invitation to Study With Us!
In the Beatitudes, Jesus Christ offers us a type of inner satisfaction and sufficiency that is not dependent on our current circumstances. They teach us that the divine joy we crave is found in Christ alone.
This deep, internal joy is not a mere feeling or fleeting emotion. It is a spiritual reality reflecting our position of favor with the Father. Because we are blessed by God and our eternal reward is secure, we can live righteously upon this earth.
Throughout the free Beatitudes study, you will receive daily e-mails including a brief Scripture reading, devotional, and digital gifts. We will dedicate the first two days to developing a better understanding of the character of Christ and the reality of the Kingdom. Then we will spend five days digging deep into the profound blessedness of our Christian faith.
Our Free 7-Day Beatitudes Study Will:
- Help you understand God’s Kingdom better.
- Invite God’s comfort into your earthly sorrows.
- Give you strength to extend God’s mercy to suffering souls.
- Motivate you to pursue holiness in your thoughts and actions.
- Infuse your daily life with purpose and resilience.
Our team is dedicated to sharing resources that help you learn God’s Word in a way that works for you—whether you are a visual learner, a kinesthetic learner, or an auditory learner.
God has woven each of us together in a beautifully unique way, and He wants to meet us right where we are!
We pray that this free Beatitudes study will empower you to choose the eternal blessings from our Heavenly Father over the fleeting pleasures of this world.
In this world of image-makers, let’s strive to become image-bearers of the King.
This blog was originally published on March 30, 2021. During Sarah Koontz’s Sabbatical in 2024, we will be sharing some of our favorite articles and e-mails from the archives with you. Thank you for praying for Sarah and her family as they enjoy this beautiful season of Sabbath rest.
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