What is the term for the opening statements in Jesus' Sermon on the Mount describing blessed conditions?

• A. The Parables
• B. The Beatitudes
• C. The Lord's Prayer
• D. The Great Commission

Answer: (B)

The opening statements that describe blessed conditions are called the Beatitudes. They begin Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount with pairs like “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven,” laying out the qualities that God values and the blessings attached to them. The Beatitudes help us understand true happiness from God’s perspective, not worldly success, and they set the tone for the rest of the teaching by showing what kinds of lives Jesus celebrates—humble, merciful, pure in heart, peacemaking, and even hopeful under persecution. They’re found at the very start of the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew, guiding readers into the moral and spiritual vision Jesus presents. The other options refer to different parts of Jesus’ teaching: parables are narrative stories that illustrate lessons, the Lord’s Prayer is a specific prayer taught within the sermon, and the Great Commission comes later as Jesus instructs his followers to spread the gospel.