315: The Beatitudes

The SimplyRevised Podcast

Encourage, Equip, Grow, and Strengthen Our Faith In The Lord

EPISODE 315 | STEVE & BRENDA ELLIS

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Jesus went through Galilee teaching and proclaiming the good news of the kingdom as he healed every disease and sickness among the people. As news of this Rabbi and healer spread, people were brought to him with all types of illnesses and diseases, including those who were suffering various pains and even the demon-possessed. He healed them, and large crowds began following him.1

Jesus was proclaiming the εὐαγγέλιον (euangelion), or the word we know in English as the "Gospel." Jesus was proclaiming the "good news" of the kingdom.

We often limit the gospel to Jesus's death, burial, and resurrection. We limit the gospel to "salvation from our sins." This certainly is part of the gospel of Jesus!2 However, Jesus had a much larger and wider view of the gospel than we often consider. Jesus' understanding of the good news included the kingdom of God.

The Good News

After John the Baptizer was placed in prison, Jesus withdrew to Galilee and lived in Capernaum. It was here where Jesus began to announce:

Matthew 4:17 (NIV)

17 ...“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

The kingdom of heaven or kingdom of the οὐρανός (ouranos) "sky" was here. Jesus is speaking of a promise deeply rooted in the Hebrew Scriptures (Old Testament). God's rule and reign will extend to cover the whole earth.

Psalm 2:6-8 – God establishes His King on Zion, and the nations are given as an inheritance.

Isaiah 9:6-7 – A child will be born, ruling with justice on David’s throne, establishing a kingdom with no end.

Daniel 2:44 – In the time of earthly kingdoms, God will establish His own indestructible kingdom.

Daniel 7:13-14 – The Son of Man receives an eternal kingdom from the Ancient of Days.

Zechariah 14:9 – “The Lord will be king over all the earth; in that day the Lord will be the only one.”

Ezekiel 37:24-28 – David’s descendant will shepherd the people, and God will establish His everlasting covenant.

Jesus has come to announce the good news, God's reign, is now breaking through history.

"Believing and responding to the gospel is at the core of what it means to follow Jesus. This often too-common term is steeped in rich meaning from the Hebrew Scriptures that both Jesus and the New Testament authors pick up on. Through studying these examples, we see the gospel as the declaration of a new kind of king who comes to usher in God’s kingdom rule on earth."3

The Beatitudes

God's kingdom is something different. His kingdom is not what people were expecting. His kingdom is not what other kingdoms and empires have looked like. His kingdom will start with the marginalized, the outcast, the poor and the downtrodden.

Jesus, in his small hometown of Nazareth, standing in the synagogue, reads from the prophet Isaiah.

Luke 4:18–21 (NIV)

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to set the oppressed free, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.” 20 Then he rolled up the scroll, gave it back to the attendant and sat down. The eyes of everyone in the synagogue were fastened on him. 21 He began by saying to them, “Today this scripture is fulfilled in your hearing.”

As large crowds followed Jesus from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and the region across the Jordan, Jesus wet up on a mountainside and began to teach:4

Matthew 5:3–12 (NIV)

3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy.

8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.

9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.

10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

God's kingdom is different. It's not what people have know or what they expected. Blessed μακάριος (makarios), happy are those whose hope is in the kingdom of the skies.

endnotes:

Scripture references and quotations are from: The Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by Permission. All rights reserved worldwide. The New International Version (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2011).

1. Matt. 4:23-25

2. 1 Cor. 15:1-4

3. BibleProject. "Gospel Word Study: Study Notes." PDF file. Accessed March 28, 2025. https://d1bsmz3sdihplr.cloudfront.net/media/Study%20Notes/Gospel_Word_Study_Study-Notes.pdf.

4. see Matt. 4:25-5:1