The Beatitudes
by Pat McIntosh
Of the many “faces” that Jesus wore in His ministry, one which greatly impacted society was as
a Master Teacher. The Sermon on the Mount is still considered one of the classic sermons and
dealt with a host of different topics. The practical nature of that sermon is still matter of great
blessing for mankind today.
One portion of the Sermon on the Mount is known as the Beatitudes (Matt. 5:1-12). This sermon
is just practical and applicable today as it was almost 2000 years ago. The reason that is the case
is that man really hasn’t changed that much. Many of those professing to be “religious” in Jesus’
day really had a superficial faith. There was no real depth to it as they basically held to the
traditions of the Pharisees. Jesus exposed that shallow faith by indicating what it would really
take for one to be “blessed by God.”
We must avoid the same hazards today. There is a tendency in many congregations for members
to struggle with a shallow faith. Much of this can be attributed to simply not knowing how to dig
into God’s word and develop a stronger faith. A study of the Beatitudes will go far in helping us
to understand what it takes for us to be “blessed or favored by God.” That will be our goal
through this series. We will see that the things demanded for us are things that we must all
practice. They discuss character traits we must all have if want to be blessed in this fashion.
The price has been paid and path has been determined for us to inherit eternal life. However, we
must step out in faith and be the Christians He would have us to be.
Sunday A.M. Sermon – The Beatitudes: Introduction (Matt. 5:1-12)
- Historical Context – Matt. 4:23-25, 17
- General Observations – Eccl. 12:13-14
- Specific Observations – Psa. 1:1-2; 32:1-2; 41:1; 65:4; 106:3; 119:1-2; Prov. 8:32-34;
2 Tim. 4:6-8; Phil. 4:4
Sunday P.M. Devo – Thoughts on Prayer (Matt. 6:9-13; Phil. 4:6-7)