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While the ultimate comfort will be experienced in eternity [when all tears are wiped away (Revelation 21:4), God also provides comfort and peace in the present as individuals turn to Him and experience His grace; this comfort comes through a renewed, or first-time, relationship with God as we are filled with God’s Holy Spirit or as we once again become aware of His Holy Spirits comfort and guidance.

Key points

1. There is a flow to the beatitudes:  The beatitudes are the steps in our becoming friends with God and drawing near to God (James 4:8).

2. Joy Comes in the Morning after the Mourning: Weeping may tarry for the night, but joy comes with the morning (Psalm 30:5). Those who mourn over their sin are comforted. Mourning serves a purpose and is a season, after which comfort comes. After mourning comes morning—God’s new day. 

Main Text 

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV)

Just as everyone dies once, Christ died for sins once. People who die face judgment; Christ has already died and will return only to judge; Christ’s return will mark the final fulfillment of God’s plan to judge sin and save His people (Titus 2:13).

Main Text: Hebrews 9:23-28 (ESV)

First, there is no forgiveness without bloodshed; second, Jesus Christ’s sacrifice not only fulfills this requirement but does so perfectly and forever.

Main Text: Hebrews 9:15-22 (ESV)

If animal blood could achieve this, then Christ’s blood must be even more powerful. The author describes the new covenant by mentioning all three persons of the Trinity: God the Father receives our acts of worship, God the Son offers Himself as a sacrifice, and God the Holy Spirit guides us. Jesus, called “without blemish” (Hebrews 4:15), deeply cleanses our spirits, addressing the issue of “dead works.”

Main Text: Hebrews 9:11-14 (ESV)

The writer of Hebrews emphasizes that the Old Covenant sacrifices were ceremonial. The imperfect rituals of the Old Covenant would eventually be replaced by the perfect salvation offered through Jesus (Hebrews 8:10).

Main Text: Hebrews 9:6-10 (ESV)

Overall, verses 1-5 are succinct, aiming to contrast the elements of the Old Covenant with the ministry of Jesus.

Main Text: Hebrews 9:1-5 (ESV) 

Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. At the heart of the beatitudes, Jesus wants His audience to understand that we are blessed amid life’s uncertainty and cruelty.

Key points

1. Understand that Jesus is teaching His Disciples: In Judaism, when a rabbi is teaching, they traditionally sit, while their students or followers stand. This practice signifies the rabbi as a teacher and their students as learners, with the students demonstrating respect and reverence by standing as they listen. This arrangement is rooted in the tradition of the Torah and Talmud.

2. Why would God want us to be “poor” at anything?: Scripture warns us against being empty and impoverished in our souls and urges us to seek spiritual riches. Jesus said, “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21).

3. Why does being poor in spirit lead to the kingdom of heaven?: The fundamental contrast is this: in this kingdom, you must be emptied before being filled. The gospel doesn’t simply add something to what you already have. Instead, the gospel first empties you of all that you are and then fills you with all that Jesus is.

Main Text 

Matthew 5:1-12 (ESV) 

The idea that God is merciful and forgives sins is distinct from the concept of the Old Covenant. In simple terms, when someone “forgets” or “remembers no more,” it means they choose to act as if something did not happen. God does not erase our sins from His memory, but for those who believe in Christ, God can “forget” their sins.

Main Text: Hebrews 8:11-13 (ESV)

The writer of Hebrews quotes Jeremiah, who states that the promised covenant is something new. It is not the same agreement made by God with the “fathers” of Israel, which refers to those who left Egypt during the Exodus. As earlier verses suggest, if God plans to establish something new in the future, it indicates He does not see the “old” system as perfect. This reference from Jeremiah explains how the new covenant, fulfilled in Christ, is of a higher quality.

Main Text: Hebrews 8:8-10 (ESV)

The writer of Hebrews emphasizes that the old covenant is fundamentally flawed. If that system had been perfect, there would have been no need for God to provide something better. Therefore, since God Himself promised a “new covenant,” we cannot claim that the old covenant reflects His ultimate plan.

Main Text: Hebrews 8:6-7 (ESV)