“You Are The Blessed
Saints”
Matthew 5:1-12
Intro.: As I have mentioned before, I can’t sing
that hymn without being brought to tears.
But that is okay, isn’t it? Isn’t
it fitting that in the singing of that hymn we should be thinking of all those
we love who have worshiped with us here in this place, and even today worship
with us in the very presence of Christ. Unfortunately,
we can sometimes get so caught up with the struggles and sorrows of life in
this fallen world, yes, even the imperfections of Church life,
that we fail to see ourselves as being numbered among the blessed
saints. We can only think of the blessedness
that has come to those who have departed to be with the Lord; a blessedness to
which we can only look forward. Yet in
today’s Gospel Jesus reminds you that “You are the blessed saints”
I.
Blessed, Even Now, Through Faith.
A. The wonderful news for All Saints is that
those who are in Christ possess the riches of the kingdom of heaven, right
now! In “The Beatitudes” our Lord, Jesus
Christ, declares the blessings that belong to his people and hold true no
matter what is going on around them.
Unfortunately many people interpret these
words in ways that give the impression that they are conditional, or only
relate to future blessings. Such a view
robs the beatitudes of their power and benefit to the saints who need them here
and now.
The beatitudes were intended by Christ to
be a pure Gospel pronouncement. When He
says, “Blessed are those who…” it is not a wish for something that might happen
in the future if certain conditions of thought or behavior are met. He does not say, “You will be blessed, if you
are poor in spirit or someday I might bless you if you are willing to mourn
now.” The beatitudes are the clear,
undeniable declaration of a glorious Gospel truth: “Blessed are you, you saints of God!”
The reason that many do not fully recognize
the “here and now” blessings of God’s saints is that they are blessings which are
so alien to this world’s idea of happiness.
The worldly tend to look first at their lives to find evidence of God’s
wrath or pleasure and only afterwards to God in order to issue their complaint
or offer thanks. Saints, on the other
hand, look first to God and then to their lives. First, they discover from the Lord the just
punishment their sins deserve and behold the undeserved love which has come
through Christ to save them, and then, only after experiencing God’s grace do
they look at their lives to find the often hidden blessings which God gives to
His saints in the good times and the bad.
To be blessed is to experience that special
joy that God gives to those who trust in Him.
It comes not in the pursuit of happiness, but in the rest that comes to
those who place themselves in the hands of God.
It does not depend on a person’s ever changing circumstances, but on the
immutable love of the Lord. In the
beatitudes Jesus reveals that the blessing of His saints is a paradox of joy even
in the face of trouble and sorrow.
2. In the beatitudes Christ offers us examples
of the blessedness of His saints.
First he points out that the poor in spirit
are those who actually possess the kingdom of heaven. His saints are blessed because they have been
brought low by the power of God’s law, and humbled by their own sins. Look around you here this morning - you are
no better than anyone else and no one else is any better than you. One of the blessings God bestows upon his
saints is the knowledge that this holy communion of saints is made up entirely
of forgiven sinners. Truly, all have sinned
and fall short of the glory of God, but they have also all been justified
freely by His grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. (cf. Rom.
Next Jesus points out that only those who
mourn over their sin and grieve over the fallen condition of the world in which
they live will find consolation. How sad
it is for those who are without God and without hope in their lives. Only the saints know the power of
forgiveness, the joy of new life, and the hope of a new heaven and earth that
will be the home of perfect righteousness.
Jesus also points out that the saints
blessed in the meekness that comes from their relationship with Jesus. Spirit led, they are able to suffer all
things, consider others better and more important than themselves, and like
their Savior before them offer their lives in sacrifice for the sake of others. This is the faith that overcomes the world;
the meekness of the saints that time and again wins the world for Christ and
his people.
These saints, Christ tells us, are blessed
because they have found everything they need in Christ. The spiritually hungry, who seek
righteousness, are filled with a righteousness that brings salvation. As we heard again last week, not a
righteousness of their own through obedience to the law, but a the
righteousness that comes as a gift from God through faith in Christ, who was
obedient even unto death for them and offered himself as the righteous
sacrifice for the sins of the world.
In their acts of mercy the saints are
constantly reminded of God’s own mercy toward them, that while they were yet
sinners Christ died for them.
Having their hearts purified by the
washing of holy baptism, and cleansed daily by the Word, all the filth and
falsity of their sinful lives are cleared away, so that they are able to see
God as others in the world cannot. They
see Him as He wants to be seen, as He has revealed Himself to them through His
Son. The saints, who have been made pure
in heart are the ones who truly see God and are
blessed.
Having been reconciled to God in Christ,
the saints are those who have become the peacemakers in this world of hatred
and violence. It is their pure joy to be
messengers of God’s appeal to those who are lost and miserable in their
attitude toward God, to those who live as enemies of Him, to be reconciled by
the love of Christ. They have been given
the privilege of being called the children of God to share their inheritance
with others.
Yes, even in their persecution God’s saints
are blessed, because in their suffering they are identified with the faithful
martyrs who have gone before them. They
are given the honor of sharing in Christ’s suffering, and of laying down their
lives for their king, and in so doing they know that they belong to His
kingdom; a kingdom that is not of this world for it is the kingdom of heaven. And who are these saints – these blessed ones
of God?
B. You are! You are the saints who are blessed, right here
and right now. In our Gospel, after
listing the many wonderful blessings of the saints, Jesus turned to his disciples
and announced: “Blessed are you when people
insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because
of me. Rejoice and be glad, because
great is your reward in heaven.” (vv. 11-12)
In
Jesus name, I say, blessed are you, my brothers and sisters in Christ. You who have been given the privilege of
sharing in Christ’s sufferings now are honored by God above all the people in
the world. To you who have been humbled
and made poor in spirit belongs the kingdom of heaven. You mourn over your sin and struggle over the
troubles of this world, yet find comfort in the Gospel. Even now the Holy Spirit is working in you an
attitude of gentleness, meekness, and sacrifice, so that this world is no
longer your master, but your inheritance.
You know what it is to hunger and thirst for righteousness, and what it
is to be filled with Christ. God has led
you to show mercy, even as He has been merciful to you. You have been made pure in heart, and have
been blessed to know God. You are God’s
children who bring the message of peace in Christ to the world. Blessed are you, the saints of God, who day
after day are led to take your stand against every attack of Satan and his
agents in this world!
Blessed are you, who through it all can
rejoice in the great reward which is yours in heaven; not a reward for what you
have done, but a reward won for you by Christ and held secure for you until his
appearing to take you to be with Him.
You are the truly blessed saints of God, here and now, but soon, very
soon, you will be…
II. Blessed With A Future Reward of Grace.
A. All the saints, you and me, and all those who
have gone before us have been promised even greater blessings in Christ. The beatitudes which we experience now in
part will be perfectly fulfilled for all the saints in the age to come. This joy and celebration of our salvation is
only a foretaste of what awaits us when we are finally able to depart and be
with the Lord. There we learn that we
will need no temple to point us to the Lord because the Lord, Himself will be
our temple and our dwelling place. There
we will not need the created light of the sun or moon,
because the uncreated light of God’s glorious presence will shine on us to warm
our very souls.
In
heaven the paradox of saintly living in a fallen world will end, because every
burden will be lifted from us, and the fullness of Christ will be ours. This is why we can affirm God’s Word: “Blessed in the sight of the Lord is the
death of His saints!” Yes, we can even
rejoice and praise God when our loved ones depart, because “we do not grieve
like the rest of men who have no hope!”
As I look out upon you my family in Christ
on this day I am reminded of what so many of you have suffered at the side of
your loved ones, and the sorrows we have shared at the graveside of those who
for many years joined their voices with ours in worship. I have heard many of you whisper in their
ears, “It’s okay, honey! You can go now, Jesus is calling!” You have prayed with me that the Lord would
deliver them from their suffering, and take them home. And you have confessed to me and others,
“They have received the goal of their faith, the salvation of their souls! They are in a better place now; they are with
Christ and we will see them again at the resurrection!” Seeing them
delivered into glory, we have been able to confess to one another: “Blessed in the sight of the Lord is the
death of His saints!”
B. As I mentioned before, that hymn, “Behold, A
Host Arrayed in White” always brings tears to my eyes, but not only because of
the brothers and sisters who I miss, it is more because I am so glad that the
spirits of those we love are with the Lord in heaven, joyously waiting for our
reunion.
Today, in our celebration of all saints we
rejoice for and with those who now enjoy the reward of grace in heaven. They now stand before the Lord with
inexpressible joy, as the blessed ones of God.
Oh what a wonderful eternal life they are enjoying as they wait for us
there.
And imagine, like so many congregations
around the world, they are the blessed ones who join us in our worship
today. Part of the company of heaven who
laud and magnify God’s glorious name offering their praise and thanksgiving,
and singing with us the victory song of the Lamb in whose book their names and
ours are written!.
Concl: Blessed are you to be here today to join them
in their celebration! Blessed are you,
All the Saints of God! Amen.
“You Are The Blessed
Saints”
Matthew 5:1-12
I. Blessed,
Even Now, Through Faith.
A. In Christ we possess heavenly riches,
now. (vv.
3-10)
1. The beatitudes are statements of
unconditional blessings.
2. The unconditional blessings announced in the beatitudes.
B. You are the saints who are blessed, here and
now. (vv.11-12)
1.
Our Gospel announces this blessing to you.
2.
You are able to rejoice and be glad.
II.
Blessed With A Future Reward of Grace. (Rev. 21)
A. All the saints have been promised greater
blessings in Christ.
1.
The greater fulfillment is in the age to come.
2.
Blessed in the sight of the Lord is the death of His saints.
B. We are glad and rejoice for our loved ones
who are perfectly blessed.
1. They
now stand before the Lord as the most blessed ones of God.
2.
They join us in our worship and celebration today.