Why Did Jesus Give Believers the Beatitudes?

Another perspective asserts that Jesus is thinking of those who yearn to see righteousness win. They yearn for righteousness to prevail.

They desire the good to triumph over the bad in the world. Because all unrighteousness will be eradicated by the kingdom of heaven, these people will also be content. Their craving for righteousness will be satisfied.

Jesus now includes the merciful among those who ought to consider themselves blessed. Why? They will also be shown mercy. Jesus is talking about receiving God's mercy. According to Psalm 18:25, God’s character calls for mercy toward the merciful.

The opposite should be true as well, but this is not always the case. According to Ephesians 4:32, those who have received mercy from God are called to be kind to others.

He declares that when He ascends to the throne, those who are merciful now will receive mercy from the King of heaven. He is not implying that one must be merciful to be saved; rather, He is implying that those who submit to God for salvation will naturally exhibit mercy toward others.

Jesus now declares that those who are “pure in heart” will see God and will be blessed. While this does not guarantee happiness, it does suggest that they should not despair.

When Jesus spoke for the first time, some people may have thought that being pure meant following the Jewish teachers’ instructions or keeping the law as it was written by Moses. This would convey the impression of complete sinlessness.

Jesus, on the other hand, emphasized the listeners’ hearts far more than their capacity to observe the laws. He preached against acting in accordance with the law and not out of genuine love for God.

The concept of something being unique, unified, unmixed, or consistent is what purity means in its most straightforward and original sense. The pure in heart are internally focused on a single thing, and that is God.

The Bible places a high value on making peace commitments, but what exactly does it mean to make peace? According to the Bible, a peacemaker is someone who brings people who were once at odds back together.

Jesus’ mission on earth was centered on reconciling God and those who would come to Him through faith. In his letter to the church at Ephesus, Paul expresses this (Ephesians 2:14-17).

“Through the blood of His cross,” Christ established this peace (Colossians 1:20). In other words, our sins were paid for by His death on the cross in our place. It broke down the barrier that separated humans from God.

Through Christ and the cross, everyone who seeks God finds peace with God (Romans 5:1). Therefore, it makes sense that anyone who makes a commitment to bringing peace to other people, particularly through personal sacrifice, imitates Christ.

Similar to how Israel was referred to as God’s son in the Old Testament (Exodus 4:22), such a person is referred to as a son of God.

Now, Jesus declares that those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake are blessed and a part of heaven’s kingdom. The kingdom was the sole focus of His early preaching ministry.

The Jewish people have been urged to repent of their sins by both Christ and John the Baptist in order to be prepared for the kingdom of heaven (Matthew 3:1-2; 4:17).

John made it abundantly clear that no person would be permitted entry just because they were Jewish. Being fruitful, being a blessing to others, and acting in a way that honors God have been referred to as the oaths of admission to the kingdom that Messiah would establish on earth.

This suggests that those being persecuted have some control over the situation. To put it another way, they did not make the decision to avoid doing the right thing in order to avoid being harassed or hurt.

In spite of being persecuted by the wicked, they made a conscious decision to serve God and honor Him.

When we are persecuted, Jesus said to rejoice. Persecution can be beneficial because it distracts us from earthly rewards, drives away superficial believers, bolsters the faith of those who persevere and sets an example for others to follow.

Knowing that the greatest prophets of God were persecuted (Elijah, Jeremiah, and Daniel), can bring us comfort. The fact that we have been persecuted demonstrates our faithfulness.

The faithful will be rewarded by God in the future by being allowed into His eternal Kingdom, where there will be no more persecution (2 Timothy 2:12; 1 Peter 3:13-14; 2 Chronicles 36:16; Matthew 23:37; Acts 7:52).

For further reading:

What Does the Beatitude 'Blessed Are Those Who Mourn' Mean?

What Does the Beatitude ‘Blessed Are the Merciful’ Mean?

How Are Those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness Blessed?

Photo Credit: ©iStock/Getty Images Plus/Marinela Malcheva

Chris Swanson answered the call into the ministry over 20 years ago. He has served as a Sunday School teacher, a youth director along with his wife, a music director, an associate pastor, and an interim pastor. He is a retired Navy Chief Hospital Corpsman with over 30 years of combined active and reserve service. You can contact Chris here, and check out his work here.