Matthew 5:3

 “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven."

From Background Notes [BN] for October 27^th & 28^th written by Pastor Bob Brown:

God is dynamically sovereign, and in the words and deeds of Jesus he makes a royal announcement — Good News — that this reign of God now breaks into the world with fresh power and life.

Guelich notes that “Jesus has come to fulfill the Old Testament promises by effecting God’s sovereign rule in history.”  This kingdom has a two-fold aspect:

1.     The kingdom is already here because Jesus is here as God’s Son and vice-regent. We know this from his deeds of healing (Matthew 8-9), his willingness to admit sinners (9:10; 22:1-10), his triumph over Satan (12:28), his announcement of good news to the poor (4:23; 5:3-12; 11:5), and his teaching found in the “parables of the kingdom” (Matthew 13).

2.     But there is also a future dimension to this kingdom, for Jesus will come as “the Son of Man” who brings history to fulfillment (compare Daniel 7 with Matthew 16:28; 24:27, 30, 37, 39, 64). The parables look to the future when they tell about the kingdom that is coming (13:31-32; 13:24-30; 5:20; 13:41, 43; 13:40-43; 24:29-31).  [BN, 4]

Join us this week in Study, Worship, Praise and Celebration at Chicago First Church of the Nazarene:

* Saturday 6:00pm
* Sunday 8:30am & 11:00am