Wednesday 4 March 2015

The Sermon of the Mount. Matt chs. 5-7 Matthew 5:1-12 The Beatitudes


Mat 5:1  Seeing the multitude of people, Jesus went up the Hill. There He seated Himself, and when His disciples came to Him,
Mat 5:2  He proceeded to teach them, and said:
Mat 5:3  "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens.
Mat 5:4  "Blessed are the mourners, for they shall be comforted.
Mat 5:5  "Blessed are the meek, for they as heirs shall obtain possession of the earth.
Mat 5:6  "Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be completely satisfied.
Mat 5:7  "Blessed are the compassionate, for they shall receive compassion.
Mat 5:8  "Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
Mat 5:9  "Blessed are the peacemakers, for it is they who will be recognized as sons of God.
Mat 5:10  "Blessed are those who have borne persecution in the cause of Righteousness, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens.
Mat 5:11  "Blessed are you when they have insulted and persecuted you, and have said every cruel thing about you falsely for my sake.
Mat 5:12  Be joyful and triumphant, because your reward is great in the Heavens; for so were the Prophets before you persecuted. WNT


Jesus is seated on the Hillside overlooking the Sea of Galilee. Seeing the Multitude he sat down and taught them especially His disciples the Principles of the Kingdom of God. Here we have what has been called the manifesto of the Kingdom


Mat 5:1  Seeing the multitude of people, Jesus went up the Hill. There He seated Himself, and when His disciples came to Him, WNT;  


Notes:The Hill where the Beatitudes were given was not a mountain as suggested by the Sermon on the mount. There Jesus Seated Himself to teach. This often the positition of the Teacher.


Mat 5:2  He proceeded to teach them, and said:
Notes : To teach G1321 διδάσκω didaskō Thayer Definition:
1) to teach
1a) to hold discourse with others in order to instruct them, deliver didactic discourses
1b) to be a teacher
1c) to discharge the office of a teacher, conduct one’s self as a teacher


Mat 5:3 WNT "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens.(BBE)  Happy are the poor in spirit: for the kingdom of heaven is theirs.
Notes: Blessed: Blessed are the poor in spirit - The word “blessed” means “happy,” referring to that which produces felicity, from whatever quarter it may come.
the poor in spirit :Luke says simply, Blessed are the poor. It has been disputed whether Christ meant the poor in reference to the things of this life, or to the humble. The gospel is said to be preached to the poor, Luk_4:18; Mat_11:5. It was predicted that the Messiah would preach to the poor, Isa_61:1. It is said that they have special facilities for being saved, Mat_19:23; Luk_18:24. The state of such persons is therefore comparatively blessed, or happy. Riches produce care, anxiety, and dangers, and not the least is the danger of losing heaven by them.
To be poor in spirit is to have a humble opinion of ourselves; to be sensible that we are sinners, and have no righteousness of our own; to be willing to be saved only by the rich grace and mercy of God; to be willing to be where God places us, to bear what he lays on us, to go where he bids us, and to die when he commands; to be willing to be in his hands, and to feel that we deserve no favor from him. It is opposed to pride, and vanity, and ambition. Such are happy:
1. Because there is more real enjoyment in thinking of ourselves as we are, than in being filled with pride and vanity.
2. Because such Jesus chooses to bless, and on them he confers his favours here.Barnes Notes


for to them belongs the Kingdom of the Heavens. .
3. “It is designed to invite souls to Christ, and to make way for his law into their hearts. Christ's pronouncing these blessings, not at the end of his sermon, to dismiss the people, but at the beginning of it, to prepare them for what he had further to say to them, may remind us of mount Gerizim and mount Ebal, on which the blessings and cursings of the law were read, Deu_27:12, etc. There the curses are expressed, and the blessings only implied; here the blessings are expressed, and the curses implied: in both, life and death are set before us; but the law appeared more as a ministration of death, to deter us from sin; the gospel as a dispensation of life, to allure us to Christ, in whom alone all good is to be had. And those who had seen the gracious cures wrought by his hand (Mat_4:23, Mat_4:24), and now heard the gracious words proceeding out of his mouth, would say that he was all of a piece, made up of love and sweetness.
4. It is designed to settle and sum up the articles of agreement between God and man. The scope of the divine revelation is to let us know what God expects from us, and what we may then expect from him; and no where is this more fully set forth in a few words than here, nor with a more exact reference to each other; and this is that gospel which we are required to believe; for what is faith but a conformity to these characters, and a dependence upon these promises? “

Matthew Henry


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