Week 1: The Poor in Spirit

Drawing from Matthew 5:1–3, Pastor Russell explores the shocking opening of the Sermon on the Mount: “Blessed are the poor in spirit.” Jesus ascends a mountain like Moses, but far surpasses him. Christ doesn’t merely deliver God’s word, but He embodies it. Unlike Sinai, the unclean are welcomed into God’s presence, helping us see that the Beatitudes are not instructions for earning blessing but announcements about who is blessed. Namely, those who know they have nothing left. In a world fueled by pride and self-sufficiency, Jesus declares that the kingdom belongs to the spiritually bereft. Helping us see that salvation is not found in the teaching, but in the Teacher.