Series: Student Ministry: The Sermon on the Mount
- The Blessings of Christ’s Kingdom (Matthew 5:1-12)
- The Blessings of Christ’s Kingdom: Blessings One and Two (Matthew 5:3-4)
- The Blessings of Christ’s Kingdom: Blessings 3-7
- The Blessings of Christ’s Kingdom: You Will Be Persecuted, But Yours Is The Kingdom of God (Matthew 5:10-12)
- Sermon on the Mount: Be Who You Are In Christ (Matthew 5:13-16)
- God’s Word Will Always Stand And It’s All About Jesus: Matthew 5:17-20
- The True Meaning of Adultery (Matthew 5:27-30)
- Adultery and the Seriousness of the Marriage Commitment (Matthew 5:31-32)
- Be People Of Truth (Matthew 5:33-47)
- Giving Grace Instead Of Vengeance (Matthew 5:38-42)
- What Does It Mean To Love Your Neighbor? (Matthew 5:43-47)
- Our Only Hope Is Jesus (Matthew 5:48)
- The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father
- The Lord’s Prayer: Our Father In Heaven, Hallowed Be Your Name
- The Lord’s Prayer: Your Kingdom Come
- The Lord’s Prayer: Your Will Be Done On Earth As It Is In Heaven
- The Lord’s Prayer: Give Us This Day Our Daily Bread
- Forgive Us Our Sins (Matthew 6:12)
- The Lord’s Prayer: Lead Us Not Into Temptation
- The Lord’s Prayer Activity
- Forgiven People Forgive (Matthew 6:14-15
- Fast Toward God, Not Others (Matthew 6:16-18)
- Live For What Will Last (Matthew 6:19-34)
- Judge Not, But Do Judge (Matthew 7:1-6)
- God Gives So That You Can Give (Matthew 7:6-12)
- Which Gate Have You Gone Through? Which Path Are You On? What Is Your Eternal Destination? (Matthew 7:13-14)
- Beware the False Prophet (Matthew 7:15-18)
- You May Think You Know Jesus, But Does Jesus Know You? (Matthew 7:21-23)
- All Other Ground Is Sinking Sand (Matthew 7:24-27)
In this last post we will look at how the world views Christians and these characteristics that are worked into believers as well as the great and glorious promise that is given when we are persecuted. Christ saves His people and they are made different than the lost world. And there are repercussions for that in this life. But the blessing far outweighs the persecution.
The Blessed Are Persecuted (Matthew 5:10-12)
Persecution is very dissimilar to rest of the blessings of the covenant. This one comes in two parts. One is the pronouncement of the blessing and then in verses 11 and 12 it is about the future of His disciples. What we find here is that the world, that is the dominion of sin and Satan that the lost world is a part of stands against us.
The priorities of a believer are different than the priorities of the world. The peacemaker will find hatred and animosity waiting for him. The person mourning over their sin finds a whole host of people taking pride in it. Meekness is met with fierce anger at times. Those longing for righteousness find themselves in a world full of unrighteousness. The merciful find a merciless world all around them. The person striving for purity finds himself living in a world that wants them to be tainted. And because of this persecution comes for Christians.
We don’t see persecution here in the United States in the ways that Christians of the past have seen it. Nor do we see it in the way that Christians around the world have seen it, but I think that if you look around and are outspoken about your faith then you will find it belittled here in America.
Jesus came to Earth and made us a part of His Kingdom. This world did not treat Him well and it will do the same thing to us, His people. When people fight with you about your faith, when they ridicule you for your faith, if someday you are persecuted harshly, this gracious promise is for you. If you are persecuted for righteousness’ sake then yours is the Kingdom of Heaven.
Then Jesus turns the conversation into a direct conversation about the lives of His disciples. The change is from “blessed are those” to “blessed are you”. His disciples would see all sorts of persecution and He called for them to rejoice because their reward would be great. Like the prophets who went before them they would be persecuted and rewarded greatly.
Concluding Thoughts
Jesus opens this message with a list of blessings upon His people. And it all amounts to this. Christ has come to Earth and accomplished tremendous blessings for those who place their faith in Him. We are poor in spirit because we realize our sinfulness and need for the Savior. We mourn the sin that is around us and within us and turn to the Savior. One day He will come again and remove the sin that we mourn so much. When we come to faith in Christ and until we go to be with Christ forever, God the Holy Spirit works in us and makes us meek, long for righteousness, are merciful, pure, and peacemakers. The Holy Spirit works these characteristics into our lives in this life, but it will be in the life to come that we see the fullness of these characteristics in our lives in eternity with Christ.
This amounts to saying, those who are Christ’s will be changed by their relationship with Christ. And to those who have trusted in Christ are given all the blessings of Christ that are announced here in the Sermon on the Mount. Believer, yours is the Kingdom of Heaven, you will be comforted, you will inherit the Earth, your desire for righteousness will be satisfied, you will receive mercy, you will see God, you will be called sons and daughters of God.
R. Dwain Minor
