Matthew 5: The Sermon on the Mount-Explaining the Beatitudes Bible Study
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Matthew 5
“…He went up into a mountain: and when He was set…”
Matthew 5: 1-16
We are now continuing with Matthew chapter five, verses one through sixteen.
What an amazing time for the disciples, Jesus begins His famous Sermon on the Mount, preparing His disciples to spread the gospel. If you don’t have your Bible handy, read along and keep a journal or notes. I have written out all the verses we will go over with some additional supporting scripture.
Introduction: Setting the Scene (Matthew 5:1-2)
“And seeing the multitudes, He went up into a mountain: and when He was set, His disciples came unto him: And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying,”
Verse 1- Jesus was followed by many, and the numbers began to grow as they traveled. Jesus was bringing them hope, healing, and eternal life. They wanted to hear more; they wanted to be close to their Lord and Savior.
Even Jesus and the disciples needed a time of rest; they established a spot, and when Jesus was finished, the disciples immediately went to Him to learn more from Jesus.
Verse 2- He opened His mouth. This is powerful; amazingly, the smallest things can mean so much, and we overlook them sometimes. We speak about Jesus being the Word of God; here, we see Jesus becoming the Word.
In Genesis, God spoke the world into existence; here we witness Jesus speaking the Gospel message (The Word) into existence.
The Beatitudes
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
The Beatitudes (Matthew 5:3-12)
“Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (4) Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. (5) Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. (6) Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. (7) Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. (8) Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. (9) Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.(10) Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. (11) Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. (12) Rejoice, and be exceeding glad; for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.”
Poor in Spirit & Those Who Mourn (Verse 3-4)
Isaiah 61:1-3 Let’s look at verse 3- “To appoint unto them that mourn in Zion, to give unto them beauty for ashes, the oil of joy for mourning, the garment of praise for the spirit of heaviness; that they might be called tress of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that He might be glorified.”
Those that experience a heavy heart and burdens -for the kingdom of heaven is theirs. To sum this up, those who experience a poor spirit, afflictions or troubles, despite what they experience, if they have salvation through Jesus Christ, even they have something to look forward to: Eternal life in heaven.
The Meek and Those Who Hunger for Righteousness
The Meek and Those Who Hunger for Righteousness (Verses 5-6)
Verse 5
Isaiah 29:11 “The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.”
Verse 6
Proverbs 21:21 “He that followeth after righteousness and mercy findeth life, righteousness, and honour.
John 4:14- “But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”
Thirsting and hungering for truth-The Word of God, those who seek God’s truth and wisdom will be fulfilled.
Mercy and Purity of Heart (Verses 7-8)
Verse 7
Mercy is having compassion for others that are in distress. We are to treat others as we would like to be treated, this saying goes back from many in childhood. If we are not merciful towards others, then we ruin our own mercy when we are in need of it.
Verse 8
Hebrews 12:14 “Follow peace with all men, and holiness, without no man shall see the Lord:”
Peacemakers and Persecution (Verses 9-12)
Verse 9
Our actions, continuance and characteristics that we have should be a reflection of God’s example. Finding a way to be a peacemaker in all situations will fair out better then acting upon our emotions. Let us walk with peace in our hearts in all situations and find ways we can be a reflection of God’s peace and love towards others.
Verse 10
1 Peter 3:14 “But and if ye suffer for righteousness’ sake, happy are ye: and be not afraid of their terror, neither be troubled;”
If we stand for God’s Word and His righteousness we will most likely encounter conflicts, this is not something to take on a personal level. This is a small, experienced battle of a war that has continued since the beginning of time.
To withstand, don’t act in fear, don’t be dismayed when challenges arise in our life, put on the armor of God and know that He is with us throughout the battle no matter what we may be facing. Battles are spiritual, spiritual attacks are real, be prepared with the strength of God to withstand any attacks that may come your way. Stay strong in God’s Word, be in prayer always, God will guide you through!
Amor of God
Verse 11-12
Isaiah 51:7 “ Hearken unto me, ye that know righteousness, the people in whose heart is my law; fear not the reproach of men, neither be ye afraid of their revilings.”
This is a continuance of the spiritual battle in the previous verse, Jesus is warning us of things we may face and not be be fearful of them, but to be properly prepared and to know the best way to handle spiritual battles.
Great is your reward in heaven, when we represent God’s message here on earth and battle against the spiritual evil in the world. We can take heart in knowing that those that have come before us, have faced persecution as well, so we are not alone, we are not the only ones singled out in this spiritual warfare.
Salt & Light (Verses 13-16)
Matthew 5: 13-16
“Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? It is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. (14) Ye are the light of the world, a city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. (15) Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. (16) Let your light so shine before men, that they may see you good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.”
You can see where Jesus offers comfort for all situations that we may come across in our lifetime. These are many blessings, promises and wisdom to live by. Let’s look at these in a form of a table…(Create a canva image for this)
Poor in spirit- theirs is the kingdom of heaven
Those who mourn- they shall be comforted
The meek- they shall inherit the earth
Hungry-they shall be filled
The merciful- they shall obtain mercy
Pure in heart-they shall see God
Peacemakers- they shall be called children of God
Persecuted for righteousness’ sake- theirs is the kingdom of heaven
When men revile/persecute for Jesus’ sake- you will be blessed- great is your reward in heaven.
Verse 13
Mark 9:50 “Salt is good: but if the salt have lost his saltness, wherewith will ye season it? Have salt in yourselves and have peace one with another.”
Colossians 4:6 “Let your speech be alway with grace, seasoned with salt, that ye may know ye ought to answer every man.”
Salt is known to be cleansing, purifying wounds, balancing the body’s function and much more as we all best know it, to season our food to bring the flavors out. Here is an interesting article I found about salt and some of the benefits it has. I’m sure we can have an entire discussion just on salt, it’s mentioned several times throughout the bible, it’s a very important mineral. It’s used to purify the sacrificial lambs that were prepared in the old testament. Think of salt as a purifier and an amplifier by providing health benefits even on a cellular level. Salt is also a replenisher that disperse nutrients throughout our body.
Here is an interesting article that discusses some of the uses and benefits of salt. Organicfacts.com
Light of the World
Verse 14
Proverbs 4:18 “But the path of the just is as the shining light, that shineth more and more unto the perfect day.”
Proverbs 4:12 “When thou goest, thy steps shall not be straitened; and when thou runnest, thou shalt not stumble.”
Ephesians 5:8 “For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of light:”
2 Corinthians 4:6 “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Be the light that others who may be in darkness can see the light in you. We are not sent to be the judge of others, but we are to bring them to the saving knowledge of Jesus Christ for them to witness the love of Christ through us, they will witness Jesus and yearn to learn more about Him.
Luke 11:33
“No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.”
Verse 16
Luke 11: 33 “No man, when he hath lighted a candle, putteth it in a secret place, neither under a bushel, but on a candlestick, that they which come in may see the light.”
Luke 11:36 “If thy whole body therefore be full of light, having no part dark, the whole shall be full of light, as when the bright shining of a candle doth give thee light.”
Application and Reflection
This Sermon on the Mount as we know it to be the Beatitudes are manners of character that we should be aware of, for we are ambassadors to continue in spreading the Gospel Message of Salvation!
Living a life for Christ was not easy at all for the disciples, they were the forerunners, the ones that had to bring a message of Jesus, the tabernacle laws have passed and the church being reborn and given new freedom from bondage of the Old Testament Law.
The message of salvation- one of faith- was not popular to the priests, they were no longer needed and wanted to keep the ways of tradition rather than seek freedom through salvation. If people were free of traditions of the law, then we are no longer in need of a mediator, but Jesus Christ.
1 Timothy 2:5 “For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;”
Hebrews 12:24 “And to Jesus the mediator of the new covenant, and to the blood of sprinkling, that speaketh better things than that of Abel.”
Galatians 3:19 “Wherefore then serveth the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was ordained by the angels in the hand of the mediator.”
Hebrews 9:15 “And for this cause he is the mediator of the New Testament, that by the means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions that were under the first testament, they which are called might receive the promise of eternal inheritance.”
Reflection Questions
· How can I reflect Jesus’ Light in my workplace or family?
· Which Beatitude challenges me most, and why?
· What does it mean for me to be “salt” today?
Before you leave, will you join me in prayer?
Heavenly Father, we thank You for Your precious Word. All of the situations that we may face, You have provided us answers to. When in conflict, You have a solution. You have given us so much to help us with the life we live now and to prepare us for the life You offer us through Salvation. I ask that You will bless those who have studied this scripture with me, may they be enlightened by Your Word, help give them understanding and knowledge as we continue to study this chapter. I ask that You will continue to guide me, allow Your words to come forth, and may my opinions be less. I ask You to continue this ministry, may You receive all the honor and glory. In Your Precious Holy name, Jesus Christ, Amen.
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Some Bible studies may take longer than others to get through, as I am led to explain in greater detail the verses that we come across. These blog posts are not created by AI or used with any AI-generated assistance. These comments are of my own and where God leads me to write. I am not a professional, just a southern wife, mother of four, and I have a desire to spread the truth of our loving Heavenly Father. I want you to know, He loves you and He desires to have a relationship with you. We are not expected to be perfect, but we are expected to be lead by God and I feel that He has given me so much to share, I am not here for the fame or glory, but to get the message of Gods’ Love out to you, my new friend and so many others.
God be with you!
