The Jewish People in the 1st Century faced daily oppression and persecution. The promised deliverer – the Messiah – was prophesied to arrive at this time in history. The hope was that he would throw off the yoke of Roman domination and usher in a new Kingdom, a new restored nation of Israel. Jesus – the Messiah – did indeed come, and He ushered in a new Kingdom. However, The Kingdom He established was far more than any earthly kingdom that the people had imagined. He established the Kingdom of Heaven. He established a spiritual realm in which spiritual realities superseded the oppression and persecution of the earthly world around them.
In the Beatitudes Jesus shows what a subject (a citizen) in that Kingdom was, is, and ever more shall be. He does not give them a list of “Thou Shalts” and “Thou Shalt Nots” as Moses gave the Israelites in the desert. He gives them a picture of who “Kingdom People” are – who they are and what they are as well as where they are and where they are going.
In Matthew 5:3 we read the first Beatitude, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven.” Augustine refers to this Beatitude as the foundation for the Kingdom subject. Only from the depths our spiritual bankruptcy can we look up to the One Who gives us all of the spiritual resources of the Kingdom. Thus the truth and beauty of the Beatitude – we are truly blessed, favored, fortunate when we are poor in spirit and realize that spiritually we are powerless and empty because then we can see that all of the Heavenly Realm is accessible. The Heavenly Bank is open for business and all of the spiritual funds you need are available now and forever.
This Bible study was presented to the Agape Life Bible Study Class of the First Baptist Church in Brenham, Texas, on Sunday, July 19, 2026. It is part of a series in a Bible study curriculum called Connect 360, published by the GC2 Press of the Baptist General Convention of Texas. The overall title of the current set of lessons, which covers Chapters 5-7 in the Book of Matthew, is Kingdom Power: The Sermon on the Mount. You can find print and digital versions of this series online at https://gc2press.org/kingdom-power-matthew-5-7-digital-study-guide/ . Handouts with class presentation content can be requested at: fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com . Handouts are also available at: fromthebackporch.org .
Website – FromTheBackPorch.org
Facebook – From the Back Porch in Texas
YouTube – youtube.com/@fromthebackporch
X – FromtheBackPorch@nationalfast
TikTok – tiktok.com/@fromthebackporchintexas
Email – fromthebackporchintexas@gmail.com
From The Back Porch 