2. Matthew 5:1-12
Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, 2 and he began to teach them. He said: 3 “Blessed are the poor in spirit,     for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. 5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. 6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled.

3. Matthew 5:1-12
7 Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. 8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. 9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God. 10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

4. Matthew 5:1-12
11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

6. Jeremiah 20:7-9
You deceived me, Lord, and I was deceived; you overpowered me and prevailed. I am ridiculed all day long; everyone mocks me. 8 Whenever I speak, I cry out proclaiming violence and destruction. So the word of the Lord has brought me insult and reproach all day long. 9 But if I say, “I will not mention his word or speak anymore in his name,” his word is in my heart like a fire, a fire shut up in my bones. I am weary of holding it in; indeed, I cannot.

7. Jeremiah 20:10
I hear many whispering, “Terror on every side! Denounce him! Let’s denounce him!” All my friends are waiting for me to slip, saying, “Perhaps he will be deceived; then we will prevail over him and take our revenge on him.”

8. Jeremiah 20:11-13
But the Lord is with me like a mighty warrior; so my persecutors will stumble and not prevail. They will fail and be thoroughly disgraced; their dishonor will never be forgotten. 12 Lord Almighty, you who examine the righteous and probe the heart and mind, let me see your vengeance on them, for to you I have committed my cause. 13 Sing to the Lord!  Give praise to the Lord! He rescues the life of the needy from the hands of the wicked.

9. Jeremiah 20:14-18
14 Cursed be the day I was born! May the day my mother bore me not be blessed! 15 Cursed be the man who brought my father the news, who made him very glad, saying, “A child is born to you—a son!” 16 May that man be like the towns the Lord overthrew without pity. May he hear wailing in the morning, a battle cry at noon. 17 For he did not kill me in the womb, with my mother as my grave, her womb enlarged forever. 18 Why did I ever come out of the womb to see trouble and sorrow and to end my days in shame?

10. Jeremiah was considered to be the weeping prophet (Jeremiah 20)
There was no one in scripture who was recorded to have given their life to God through the works of Jeremiah.
It is no surprise that he would see his calling from God to be the one who suffers.

12. 1 Kings 19:10
10 He replied, “I have been very zealous for the Lord God Almighty. The Israelites have rejected your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to death with the sword. I am the only one left, and now they are trying to kill me too.”

13. Elijah had just come off of a great victory for God, only to flee out of fear for his life
(1 Kings 19)
Sometimes the life of a prophet is a life of despair.

14. (Matthew 23:37) “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who killed the prophets and stone those who sent you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were not willing.”
Not long after this, the people kill Jesus, while he prays that they be forgiven by God because they don’t really know what they are doing.

15. And then they kill Stephen too, as he prays that God would forgive them for they don’t know what they are doing either.
(Acts 7:51-53) “You stiff-necked people! Your hearts and ears are still uncircumcised. You are just like your ancestors: You always resist the Holy Spirit! 52 Was there ever a prophet your ancestors did not persecute? They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One. And now you have betrayed and murdered him— 53 you who have received the law that was given through angels but have not obeyed it.”

16. (Matthew )
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

17. Jesus told us while he was here on earth, that they will treat you like they treated me. Every day you will bear your own cross.
They hated me, so they will hate you too.
Jesus never said that we might be persecuted; He said you WILL be persecuted.

18. Persecution is not persecution for our own means sake, but rather the blessing is that when we are being persecuted for His name sake, we can be assured that God is with us.
If you pay the cost of discipleship in this life, you will be in heaven!

19. (Matthew )
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. 12 Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

20. 2. I believe that Jesus wanted us to clearly understand that some of the blessings we are going to have to wait until heaven to receive.
God will vindicate you in the end, but you might not see this until you get to heaven.
God’s goodness overflows for those who are persecuted.

21. 3. There is no better way to conclude our Sermon on the Mount series than with the reminder that we have someone who truly lived every bit of the blessed life by the Father in heaven as our example.
We see how the blessed persecution that we experience, brings us to Christ’s own persecution.
Jesus’ cross is the best example of what a persecuted prophet of God looks like, and it was at that cross that God extended His blessings to all.
It is through a life of persecution that we are reminded that if our God is for us, then who can stand against us!