Page 15 - October 2026 - Truth & Tidings

The Context of Our Beatitudes silently graced this world for 30 spotless
It’s with intense sadness that we close years, our Lord stepped into the spotlight
on the bank of the River Jordan. Hundreds
the pages of the Old Testament. Almost had made their way into these waters,
five dispensations have run their course. confessing their own sin, symbolising the
If the 4,000 years of humanity were suc- truth that for such a person to have eter-
cinctly summarised, we would ultimately nal life they must first die and be raised
conclude two things: there is the utter ruin again. A hush fell upon the crowd as the
of man, and the unfailing grace of God. carpenter from Nazareth stepped down.
That which was pronounced in the begin- Even John the baptiser, the forerunner of
ning upon the human race is now echoed Christ, hesitated. Matthew records the
into the ears of the Hebrew race, Malachi Lord’s words: “Suffer it to be so now: for
referencing God’s judgment with a curse thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteous-
multiple times (Mal 2:2; 3:9; 4:6). Little did ness” (Mat 3:15). How necessary for our
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the nation (or the world) understand the Master to enter these waters and identify
gravity of these words. Closing the OT Himself with a people for whom He must
record, God paused His communication to literally die and be raised again. This was
this world. During the next 400 years, no the stepping stone for what lay ahead.
prophet would be raised to speak for God.
The next agenda on the calendar of this The Cost of Our Beatitudes
world would be the incarnation and birth
The word “beatitude” comes from
of God’s eternal Son. If the OT concluded the Latin meaning “the perpetual state
with the dark prospect of judgment, it’s of happiness.” Is it really possible for
with great contrast that the doors to the fallen humanity to experience this? The
New are thrown open! The condemnation world promotes happiness at any cost;
of the Law given by Moses gives way to entertainment, social media, sports, hob-
the sublime combination of grace and bies, lottery, alcohol and drugs are some
truth through Jesus Christ (Joh 1:17). of the endless pursuits in search of the
It may be surprising and somewhat seemingly elusive state of happiness. As
naturally disappointing that only four Christians, however, we understand that
of the 89 chapters of the Gospels im- there’s a vast difference between human
part anything about the first 30 years of happiness and Holy Spirit joy. Happiness
Christ’s life, and only two writers at that. is based upon happenings, but true joy is
John, who accepted the responsibility to rooted in justification!
care for Mary the mother of Jesus (Joh To comprehend what it means to be
19:26-27), mentions nothing, and Mark, “blessed,” we must first understand what
whose family evidently knew Peter and it meant to be “cursed.” The Bible word
the other disciples (Act 12:12), likewise “curse” literally means “execrate” – to
is silent. The man who gives us the most be denounced as loathsome, detestable,
information is the Gentile writer Luke, deplorable, miserable, woeful, wretched.
who never personally met Christ, and
countless saints down the centuries have 1 Bible quotations in this article are from the KJV
poured over those fragments. Having unless otherwise noted.
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