If someone asked you what it means to have a “blessed” life, what would you say? If you’re like most people, you’d probably say some version of “Blessed are the rich, for they can buy whatever they want. Blessed are the powerful, for they can get whatever they want. Blessed are the famous, for everyone knows their name. Blessed are the successful, for they are winning at life.”
But that’s not what Jesus says. Not even close. Instead, Jesus says,
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.
Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.
Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:3-12 NIV
These words come from a speech known as the Sermon on the Mount. It’s the first speech Jesus delivers in the New Testament, and within it, Jesus shows us what life in the kingdom of God is really like. He teaches us what it looks like when the rule and reign of God take root in our lives.
What Are the Beatitudes?
Jesus introduces the whole speech with a series of blessings known as the Beatitudes. Why would He start here? Because, before anything else, Jesus wants us to understand the foundation of His kingdom. The Beatitudes show us that Jesus’ kingdom is built on the bedrock of grace and blessing.
The Context of the Beatitudes
These words of Jesus are so famous and so familiar that they don’t shock us like they would have shocked the original hearers. Try your best to imagine yourself hearing these words as if it’s the first time.
Imagine you’re a resident of first-century Judea; poor, beaten down, and oppressed by the Roman Empire. You’ve waited your whole life for a deliverer, a messiah, to rise up and set you free from your oppressors.
Jesus dares to claim that the oppressed and the depressed are actually blessed.
Then, a prophet shows up performing miracles and proclaiming that the kingdom of God is coming close! You set off to see for yourself if this man could truly be the Savior King your ancestors promised, the one your parents told you about, who you only ever dreamed might show up. And when He finally opens His mouth, this man, Jesus, dares to claim that the oppressed and the depressed are actually blessed.
Jesus Reminds Us What It Means to Be Blessed
But instead of standing up and leaving, you keep listening. Why? Because there’s something about this man that makes you believe Him. It could be because you just want to believe Him. Or maybe it’s because you overheard the group behind you talking about how Jesus healed one of them. Perhaps it’s because you saw that one guy everyone said was possessed by demons walking and talking, in his right mind!
Whatever it is, you know there’s something special about this man. So, you lean in. And that’s when you catch the second part of what He said.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
Matthew 5:3 NIV
Something clicks for you. You remember something your grandma used to say when you started getting a little too full of yourself. It was a line from the Old Testament that said, “Pride brings a person low, but the lowly in spirit gain honor” (Proverbs 29:23 NIV). From there, your mind jumps to the promise from Isaiah the prophet, where he described what the Messiah would do when He arrived.
The Spirit of the Sovereign Lᴏʀᴅ is on me, because the Lᴏʀᴅ has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives and release from darkness for the prisoners, to proclaim the year of the Lᴏʀᴅ’s favor and the day of vengeance of our God, to comfort all who mourn … Isaiah 61:1-2 NIV
The Beatitudes repeat what God had already said through the prophet Isaiah. Jesus came to announce good news to the poor, the brokenhearted, and the oppressed. And He brought all the authority of heaven with Him.
So What Does It Mean to Be Blessed by God?
Jesus doesn’t define blessing through wealth, possessions, and power. Instead, He shows us that the kingdom of God is built on a bedrock of blessing, where the least are most, the last are first, and the lost are found.
Being blessed by God doesn’t come from accumulating wealth, achieving success, or acquiring fame. Being blessed by God comes from knowing and following Jesus.
The Beatitudes Explained
If we want to unlock the power of these blessings in our own lives, it helps to understand who Jesus was talking to and who He was talking about.
3 Things We Can Learn From the Beatitudes
Are the Beatitudes simply a description of the kinds of people who were in the audience when Jesus delivered this sermon? Are these blessings intended to be a series of qualities all Christians are meant to embody? Is it a picture of what Jesus is like? Or ... could it be all three?
1. The Beatitudes Describe Jesus’ Audience
The Beatitudes directly confront our definitions of blessings. Just think about the people who first listened to Jesus’ message.
- People who were financially and spiritually poor, desperate to hear what Jesus had to say.
- People mourning because of what Rome had done to them and how sin had ravaged this world.
- People whose meekness was born out of the humiliation inflicted upon them.
- People longing for the righteousness of God to push back the darkness that had trapped them.
- People so aware of their own need for mercy that they had learned to give to others what they craved for themselves.
- People whose hearts had been prepared for Jesus’ coming through countless hours on their knees praying for God to act.
- People actively working to bring peace where there was chaos, hoping their efforts wouldn’t be in vain.
- People persecuted because they were trying to do what was right, even when it bumped against the status quo.
Each of them had a good reason to feel like they weren’t blessed by God. Can you relate? Is there an experience, heartbreak, doubt, or challenge that seems to insist that you’re missing out on God’s blessing?
The Beatitudes don’t diminish or dismiss the pain of life. Instead, they remind us that God’s blessing isn’t found in constant comfort. It’s found in living like Jesus regardless of our circumstances.
2. The Beatitudes Show Us How to Grow in Faith
The Beatitudes don’t just encourage us. They also give us a roadmap for spiritual growth. Here are a few examples of how the Beatitudes can help us identify ways we can become more like Jesus:
- Recognizing our own spiritual bankruptcy shows us how much we need God.
- Meekness gives us permission to admit our weaknesses and call out to God and others for help.
- Hungering and thirsting for righteousness drives us to the Righteous One and moves us to partner with God to confront injustice in our world.
- Peacemaking brings healing to relational wounds and unity to divided friends.
- Persevering through hardship develops the strength we need to stay faithful to Jesus—no matter what life throws our way.
3. The Beatitudes Show Us What Jesus Is Like
“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:3 NIV
When Jesus spent 40 days in the wilderness, deprived of nourishment and tempted by the devil, He was totally dependent on God to provide for Him.
“Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.” Matthew 5:4 NIV
Jesus’ heart broke for the pain and suffering humanity had endured because of our rebellion against God and the schemes of the evil one.
“Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.” Matthew 5:5 NIV
Jesus had all the power and authority in heaven and on earth, but He never used His power for His own advantage or to harm others. Instead, He stripped Himself of His divine privileges and took on the position of a servant.
“Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.” Matthew 5:6 NIV
Jesus was fully committed to doing what was right and undoing what was wrong.
“Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.” Matthew 5:7 NIV
When Jesus’ blood was spilled, mercy poured out. Now, forgiveness of sins is available to anyone who calls on His name and commits to following Him.
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” Matthew 5:8 NIV
Jesus was good and true, through and through. From beginning to end, His intentions were pure and His integrity never wavered.
“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9 NIV
Through His death and resurrection, Jesus brought peace between us and God. For at one time, because of our sins, we had become enemies of God. But through the grace of Jesus, our past is erased and our friendship with God is restored.
“Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 5:10 NIV
Jesus was arrested, mocked, ridiculed, beaten, and crucified—not because of anything He had done wrong but because His righteousness was too much for His sinful critics to stand. So they arranged to have Him killed.
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.” Matthew 5:11-12 NIV
Even as He hung on the cross, they still hurled abuse and insults at Him. But that didn’t stop Him because He knew that He had done all that He had been asked. He loved His Father fully, with all His heart, soul, mind, and strength—even though it cost His life. He loved us perfectly by laying down His life for us, even as we drove the nails into His hands and feet.
Why Believe the Beatitudes?
Jesus backed up the truth of these words with action. Right after delivering this sermon, the first person Jesus went to was someone who would have been used to being last.
When Jesus came down from the mountainside, large crowds followed him. A man with leprosy came and knelt before him and said, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. “I am willing,” he said. “Be clean!” Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy. Matthew 8:1-3 NIV
Leprosy is a horrible skin disease that would cause a person to be labeled “unclean.” If anyone were to come into contact with a leper, they would run the risk of catching the disease and would also be considered unclean. It was no accident that Jesus, the One who spoke the universe into being, who calmed a storm with nothing more than His words, reached out and touched the man. Jesus was showing with His actions what He had just preached in His sermon.
How to Apply the Beatitudes
Like Jesus, let’s do what we can to bring the blessings of God to the least, the last, and the lost, so they can know and believe they are loved by their Father.
We do this by rejecting the values and priorities of our world and embracing the values and priorities of God’s kingdom.
Take some time to reflect on the Beatitudes. Ask yourself, “Does how I’m living look like what Jesus calls blessed?”
Then, choose one of the Beatitudes to focus on today. Pray for God to help you live that out and look for ways to make choices that line up with that particular Beatitude.