The Beatitudes - eight opening statements of Jesus’s first recorded sermon, the Sermon on the Mount

The Beatitudes link the teachings of the Old Testament to those of the New Testament, down to the last page of the Bible.

The way Jesus introduced His first teaching session is significant. Students are usually taught from the known to the unknown. So, teachers start with what their students know, not what they don’t know. Jesus also did this. It is likely that the disciples already had a worldview informed by the Old Testament teachings. The Beatitudes referred them back to those teachings. They also pointed them forward, challenging them to live godly lives. When understood properly, the Beatitudes are potentially life-changing for us too, helping to serve as keys to unlock our purpose in life.