Jesus' Beatitudes and Our Discipleship

What does an ideal disciple look like? What should we focus on? Does Jesus ever tell us what good disciples think about or act like? As we seek to follow Jesus and grow in our relationship with him, it’s natural to have questions about how he wants us to think and act as his disciples in the world today. Jesus described the heart attitude and behavior of a kingdom-minded disciple in the opening of his famous Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Join Groundwork for our series, “Jesus' Beatitudes and Our Discipleship,” as Dr. Danny Daley joins us to study these famous sayings and discuss their meaning for us as Jesus’ disciples today. 

Meet our guest: Danny Daley

Dr. Danny Daley is the Assistant Professor of New Testament at Calvin Theological Seminary in Grand Rapids, Michigan. Among the areas of expertise listed in his biography, he identifies the Synoptic gospels’ (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) relationship to the cultural contexts they were originally written in and how these gospels present “Jesus’ design for ideal discipleship.” His passion for these topics led him to write his book, Ideal Disciples: A Commentary on Matthew’s Beatitudes. 

What is Discipleship?

Jesus began his ministry at a time when it was common for Jewish religious teachers, or rabbis, to travel from place to place with their disciples. These disciples were followers dedicated to learning the ways and teachings of their rabbi. This is where Christians today get the term discipleship, which Groundwork co-host Darrell Delaney defines as “the process of learning to love and follow Jesus and becoming more like him in our attitudes and actions.”

As Jesus’ disciples today on our own journey of discipleship, we turn to the Bible to study what Jesus taught, what he valued, and how he behaved during his life on earth. Jesus’ Beatitudes provide a rich description of the kingdom mindset and the kingdom lifestyle of disciples, who are focused on the kingdom of God.

What are the Beatitudes? 

According to Merriam-Webster.com, one definition of a beatitude is “a state of utmost bliss.” It’s not a word commonly used outside of Christianity, and that definition seems fair, but incomplete. The second definition reflects the primary way this word is used in the Christian faith: “any of the declarations made in the Sermon on the Mount…beginning in the King James Version 'Blessed are…’”

That reference specifically refers to the list of Beatitudes in the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:1-12. However, we find an almost identical list in Luke 6:17-26, this time paired with a parallel list of woes. 

While Jesus’ teaching in these two passages might be our only reference for a beatitude, he was using a form of speech with which his disciples and the crowds would have been quite familiar. In fact, we can also identify the concept of a beatitude in the Old Testament, particularly in the Psalms. As Dr. Daley will teach us in episode one, the beatitude was a common form of speech with two purposes: 1) “wisdom teachings, talking about how to live a better life,” and 2) “promises or future hopes.” 

Study Jesus’ Beatitudes to Grow as His Disciple

If you want to learn and grow as a disciple of Jesus and you long for the kingdom of God, I invite you to study Jesus’ description of a kingdom-minded disciple through our Groundwork series, “Jesus' Beatitudes and Our Discipleship”:

• Understanding Jesus' Beatitudes - Matthew 5:1-12 and Luke 6:20-26
• Blessed are....the Poor in Spirit, those Who Mourn, the Meek, and those Who Hunger and Thirst for Righteousness - Matthew 5:3-6
• Blessed are...the Merciful, the Pure in Heart, the Peacemakers, and those Who are Persecuted - Matthew 5:7-12

Together, we’ll let Jesus shape our hearts and lives by teaching us the ways and attitudes of a disciple with a kingdom lifestyle.