Introduction to Beatitudes

Among the audience, there were 4 kinds of religious people – the Pharisees, the Sadducees, the Essenes, and the Zealots. Jesus had these people in mind in preaching the sermon on the Mount.

Observations
1. To put into practice the demands of Christ listed in the Beatitudes is humanly impossible…
beyond the reach of any unbeliever! It’s not for the half-hearted, nor the double-minded, nor those who are sitting on the fence!
Without depending on God’s power in our lives, without Christ’s Rule in our hearts, this Sermon is simply beyond our reach!

2. The Beatitudes tell us Jesus is not so much interested in what men can do. Rather, He’s more interested in what men are; because what we are will determine what we do.

3. The entire sermon goes against what is common sense to the people of the world. In fact, it will sound ridiculous and absurd for someone who does not know the Lord Jesus!

Tozer: “A fair accurate description of the human race could be extracted from this sermon
by taking the Beatitudes, turning them upside down and saying, “here’s your human race”

4. Altogether, we read “Blessed”, 有福了! (9x)
“Blessed” simply means “happy”, having a genuine sense of internal joy.

5. Through the Beatitudes, Jesus is spelling out a distinct and outstanding lifestyle –
a lifestyle that produces biblical happiness where Christians are concerned.
“These things I have spoken to you, that My joy, My Makarios, may remain in you, and that your joy (Makarios) may be full” John 15:11 & John 16:22

6. The Progression in the Sermon
When you live and act according to the Beatitudes, you can be sure that v13 will follow -
“You are salt of the earth” But you can’t get to verse 13 unless you start with verse 3.
When God’s people get serious in living out the Beatitudes, we shall invariably become salt
of the earth!