Among the sermons recorded in the Bible, the Sermon on the Mount is perhaps the best known. Jesus’ hearers literally were astonished when they heard Jesus’ words for the first time. Gently, yet forcefully Jesus expounded the Old Testament with a New Testament focus. It is aptly called the Constitution of the Kingdom of God. In this series we will limit our study to the opening passage of the sermon, commonly known as the Beatitudes. No Scripture equals the description of the citizens of Jesus’ Kingdom than the elementary yet comprehensive sketch of His genuine subjects.
In this section today, we will focus our thoughts on verses 10, 11 and 12, which close the Beatitudes’ section. Now, let me first place these verses in the context again, and in the connection to the previous seven verses. In the Beatitudes, the Master Teacher has given us the portrait of every citizen of His vast Kingdom and a deep and great variety of His people in them. Now that shows an exceeding great wisdom, for the variety among Jesus’ citizens of His Kingdom at least are huge.
Instructor