The Beatitudes are the greatest introduction to the greatest sermon ever preached by the greatest person to ever walk the earth. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus introduces us to his teaching by beginning with the Beatitudes. The Beatitudes are declarations of what the Christian is and what has been given to them. In just a few words, Jesus crucifies our effort to achieve real happiness on our own and shows us that it is only when we pursue him that we can have real happiness.