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While it may be surprising to most people today, the theme of the Beatitudes is how to find real joy in life. Everyone seeks real joy in life. Someone once asked three girls what they wanted to be when they grew up. The first replied, “President of the United States.” The second responded, “The wife of a famous doctor.” The third shrugged and said, “I just want to be happy.”

In reality, all three had the same goal in mind: Happiness. The first two thought happiness could be achieved by their positions or by their associations. But they all wanted to be happy.

The theme of Jesus’ sermon is the joy of discipleship. In the Beatitudes in particular, Jesus points his followers away from what people normally think provides happiness. Instead, he directs them to the source of real happiness: a proper relationship with him.

Nine times in this short passage, Jesus calls certain people “Blessed.” Literally, he is saying that this type of person is exceedingly joyful. That’s the meaning of the word “blessed.” Yet when we read these verses honestly, we sense that happiness could never be found in the things he mentions. Since when is being poor associated with happiness? And how often do we think of those who “mourn” or those that are “persecuted” as being blessed? Certainly from the standpoint of the world, Jesus must be mistaken. Yet he asserts that these people are the ones truly blessed. Let’s examine what he means by this.

The Foundation of the Disciple’s Joy

Jesus tells us something about the foundation of true joy in this passage. To begin with, you cannot find true joy in this life, unless you begin with heaven. If you have not settled the issue of what happens to you in eternity, you can have no true and lasting happiness here on earth. Someone once said: “You have not begun to learn to live until you have learned to die.” Another person noted that the two greatest mistakes in life were both mathematical: “to miscalculate the brevity of life and the length of eternity.”

That’s why Jesus concludes his sermon in Matthew 7 by a reminder about the coming judgment. Your eternal destiny determines your present happiness. Think about it for a moment. If you could be wealthy, popular and live a long life, what good would it do you if you lost it all in eternity? What value would a little bit of pleasure be for a short time here if it only resulted in unending misery later? People avoid such thoughts because they interfere with their feelings of pleasure now. But, even though you may try to suppress those thoughts, you occasionally wonder about eternity and it robs you of present joy.

Even more than that, we must face the reality that whatever we place our joy on here in this world can never fully satisfy. Suppose money and possessions bring you happiness. Many who put their hopes for happiness in money will tell you that some of the richest people in the world are often the least happy. They have learned that having things is no guarantee of happiness. Indeed, it only creates a greater thirst for more things because the things they have never fully satisfy.

Additionally, we must face the reality that whatever we place our present joy on here in this world can be taken away very quickly. How many people have banked their joy on having a certain position in life only to lose that position unexpectedly? How many have felt that some person could bring them real joy in life only to have that person die and leave them wondering if they could ever be happy again? How many have worked all their life to gain certain possessions only to lose it all on a bad deal? Unless your joy is founded on what you have in heaven, you will never have real joy here on earth.

Such thoughts are important for both believers and non-believers alike. For the non-believer to seek happiness apart from Christ is ridiculous. Whatever you may have can be lost forever. What little pleasure and joy you may have now is only temporary at best. One day it will all be gone. Only those who have a right relationship with Jesus can have a joy that transcends this world.

But believers also need to realize the great hope and reward they have awaiting them in heaven. Though we may experience sorrow in this life, all our grief is tempered by the fact that what we receive in heaven can never be taken away. That’s why early Christians could call persecution “blessed;” they knew that “the sufferings of this present age” were not “worthy to be compared with the glory to be revealed” in them in eternity. When we lose possessions here, we know that we have treasure in heaven that can never be stolen or destroyed (Matthew 6:19). When we lose loved ones here, we “grieve not as those who have no hope” for we know the resurrection from the dead for all who are the Lord’s. Christians experience real joy because all they have can never be compared with all they will receive.

The Nature of the Disciple’s Joy

We have seen that no one can have a lasting joy apart from the consideration of eternal things. Many who think they are happy now will one day wake up to the emptiness and temporary-ness of that happiness. Since the believer’s joy does not have its foundation here on earth, his joy is not one that can be shaken by the circumstances around him. That’s why believers often display unusual happiness even when they face unbelievable situations.

But let us move on to examine something of the nature of this joy. In one word, we can describe its nature: it is different. Deitrich Bonhoeffer, in his The Cost of Discipleship, noted that the gap between the believer’s joy and the joy experienced by non-believers widens with each beatitude. The believer finds his joy in things totally different from the things that give joy to others. Let’s examine some of these differences.

First, the believer’s joy is not dependent on circumstances. Notice the paradoxes in these beatitudes. In every case, the very things that would normally make one unhappy Jesus cites as reasons for being called “blessed.” When was the last time you heard someone say, “If I could only be poor. . . if I was only mourning more. . . if I was only more persecuted. . . then I’d really be happy. Yet that is exactly what Jesus says!

Believers do not lose their joy even in the most difficult of circumstances because their joy is not dependent on those circumstances.

Christians face all sorts of difficulties yet they are not troubled. Before they experienced any persecution, Jesus told his disciples, “These things I have spoken to you, that in Me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (John 16:33). Christians face difficulties, but even difficulties cannot take away their joy because it does not depend on circumstances.

Second, the believer’s joy is not dependent on worldly possessions. Many say, “I would be happy if I only had. . . .” For some, another job would make them happy. For others, a different spouse or better children would make the crucial difference. For still others, more money or more possessions seems to be the key. But for all the above, even when they get what they thought would provide happiness, they still find an emptiness in their hearts.

The reason is simple: possessions can never fill a spiritual need. Solomon provides the best example. He had everything that a man could ever want: houses, horses, education, women, money. He had more than even the rich could dream about today. But what was his conclusion: it was all vanity–emptiness–unfulfilling! The Puritan Thomas Watson put it best when he noted “the things of this world will no more keep out trouble of spirit than a piece of paper will stop a bullet.” Paul said, “I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want” (Phil. 4:11-12, NIV). The Christian’s joy is different in that it does not depend upon things for happiness.

The Secret of the Disciple’s Joy

Real joy can only be found in a heavenly focus. How can believers be happy no matter what is going on around them? They are happy because they have learned to have a different focus than non-believers. In Matthew 6:22-23, Jesus reminded his disciples about the importance of the “single eye.” What he referred to was the ability to keep one’s eye focused on the single goal. That goal is a heavenly goal, not an earthly one. Paul says the same thing at the end of Philippians 3: ” Join with others in following my example, brothers, and take note of those who live according to the pattern we gave you. For, as I have often told you before and now say again even with tears, many live as enemies of the cross of Christ. Their destiny is destruction, their god is their stomach, and their glory is in their shame. Their mind is on earthly things. But our citizenship is in heaven” (vv. 17-20). Notice the contrast: “their mind is set on earthly things;” our mind is set on our citizenship “in heaven.” The believer who has joy in this life is one who has learned to set his “mind on things above, not on earthly things” (Col. 3:2).

Look carefully at the difference. The joy of believers is characterized by the things they admire. What do you admire: pride, power, popularity? Or do you admire those who are humble, those who hunger and thirst after righteousness, those who mourn, those who are persecuted? J. B. Phillips paraphrased the beatitudes to show how we today admire the exact opposite of what Jesus desires.

Happy are the pushers, for they get on in this world.

Happy are the hard boiled; they never let life hurt them.

Happy are those who complain; they get their way in the end.

Happy are the blase, for they never worry about their sins.

Happy are the slave drivers, for they get results.

Happy are the knowledgeable men of the world, for they know how to get around.

Happy are the trouble-makers, for they make people take notice of them.

Notice the tremendous difference! The world admires an entirely different set of characteristics. Believers are distinguished by what they admire.

Second, they are distinguished by what they seek in life. What do you hunger for? What do you desire more than anything else? Jesus said, “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness.” Near the end of his sermon, Jesus reminds his disciples: “For after all these things the Gentiles seek. . . . But you seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you” (Matt. 6:32-33). What are you seeking in life? The secret of the disciple’s joy is found in seeking His righteousness and His kingdom first. But to seek the right things, we must begin to admire the right things. What a person admires, they will usually seek.

How different are believers from non-believers! That’s the message of the beatitudes. But often we as believers have slipped into admiring and seeking the same things as the world admires and seeks. The result is that we lose our joy because a joy rooted in this world can change at any moment. A joy focused on the life to come can never be taken away from us. What is the foundation of your joy?

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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When we come to the seventh beatitude, we may be tempted to think that this beatitude is one that we would all find easy to applaud. After all, everyone loves the peacemaker, don’t they?

Not necessarily. The peace that Jesus offers is not a peace that the world will easily accept. In fact, it is one that the world hates. In John 14:27, Jesus contrasted His peace with that of the world: “My peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give unto you.” In the following chapter, He explains: “If the world hates you, you know that it is because it hated Me before it hated you. If you were of the world, the world would love its own. Yet because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you.” Indeed, He notes: “If they persecuted Me, they will also persecute you.”

Being a peacemaker does not mean that the world will like us. On the contrary, being a peacemaker means that it will usually hates us. Perhaps this is why Jesus follows this beatitude with: “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness sake.” The kind of peacemaking He was speaking about would not draw applause from the world; it would invite its criticism and persecution.

Why? Because the peace that Jesus commissions us to make is not a simple peace between two people. The peace about which He is supremely concerned is that of bringing rebellious men and women into peace with God. Being a peacemaker is not focused on the issue of war. It is focused on the problem of man’s sinfulness and his strife with God. “For the carnal mind is at enmity with God” (Romans 8:7). The peace we offer can only come as we tell men about their sinful condition, their rebellion against God, and their need to lay down their weapons and come to Christ alone for peace with God. It is no wonder that peacemakers will experience strife in this world of men who do not want to end their rebellion against the Sovereign of the Universe.

Perhaps the best way to understand what it means to be a peacemaker is to see what it is not. Peace is accomplished in the world through many tactics. None of them is acceptable to God. Let’s consider a few:

1. Peacemaking does not mean being easy-going. Many today make peace by avoiding the issues. James 3:17 tells us that “the wisdom from above is first pure, then peaceable.” We cannot be peacemakers for God if we do not deal with the central issue that divides God and man: man’s sin. Many today have set aside purity “in order to reach more people.” They purport to share the good news without ever helping men to see the bad news. Spurgeon bemoaned such “conversions” in his day, questioning those who supposedly received the grace of God without feeling sorrow for their sin. In our peacemaking, we must never set aside God’s holy standards to reach more people.

2. Peacemaking does not mean compromise. Compromise is the world’s way of making peace. Outside of an absolute surrender, international treaties are usually arrived at on the basis of compromise. Many religious organizations engage in compromise to provide religious unity. They set aside doctrine and truth in the quest for ecumenism. Proverbs 23:23 says that we are to “buy the truth and not sell it.” Truth is too precious to be compromised at any price. Luther said: “Better the heavens fall than one crumb of truth perish.” Those who would make peace never do so at the cost of truth.

3. Peacemaking does not mean an absence of conflict. Indeed, being a peacemaker means that many will actually hate you for your efforts. They like their present condition, and your efforts at peacemaking are, to them, little more than meddling. Jesus warned: “Beware when all men speak well of you.” Such a position in life may make you likable, but it may indicate that you are not doing your job of confronting men with the truth about their spiritual condition.

What Peacemaking Requires

Being Peaceable. To be a peacemaker, one must be sure that his motives are pure. Too often our motives in relationships are mixed. We are more concerned that people like us than we are that they come to Christ. In Galatians 1:10, Paul warns: “For do I now persuade men or God? Or do I seek to please men? For if I pleased men, I would not be a bondservant of Christ.” Pure motives are essential. To bring men to Christ, we must seek to be pure in heart, humble before God and man, and truly concerned for the salvation of others.

Being Active. In 2 Corinthians 5:18-20, Paul reminds us of our task: “[God] has given us the ministry of reconciliation” and now “we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us, we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God.” This is our task: to be peacemakers for the sake of His kingdom.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the sons of God.”

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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The desire of the ages has been to see God. Moses desired this. Even in his intimate encounter with the Lord on Mt. Sinai, he was not satisfied. “That I might see your face,” was his one desire. Even Thomas, after spending three years with Jesus, said, “Lord, show us the Father, and it will be enough for us.” In the beatitudes, Jesus points us to the fulfillment of that desire: “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.”

It is significant that this privilege is reserved only for one group of people: the pure in heart. Notice that He did not say that “the intellectual” will see God. The focus of God is always on the heart, not the head. There are many who have great intellectual abilities, but the privilege of “seeing God” is not reserved for them but for the pure in heart.

Notice again that it is not the sinless who will see God. All of those who are counted closest to God struggled with the problem of sin. Moses, David, Abraham–all sinned, yet they were counted as friends of God.

Further, it is not the reformed that will see God. Man places his focus on external piety; God focuses on internal reality. Many amend their ways so that they might have a relationship with God, but God declares that all their “righteousness I like filthy rags.” He is concerned with the heart. If the heart is not right, nothing else matters to Him. Indeed, the Pharisees could be considered “pure” from the standpoint of external matters. Their whole goal was to be pure in every area of life. The problem was that they neglected the heart. The pure in heart shall see God.

Signs of a Pure Heart

In Acts 15:9, Peter reminds the other apostles that God has made no distinction between Jew and Gentile, “purifying their hearts by faith.” No one can have a pure heart apart from the saving grace of Jesus. No matter what a person may do to appear pure outwardly, in God’s sight, he remains “impure” in all his thoughts and deeds until his heart has been purified by the blood of Jesus. The starting point for having a pure heart is being saved by faith in Jesus.

2. A pure heart is directed by pure principles.

While the heart is the source of our spiritual problems, the mind directs the heart. If the mind is controlled by impure principles, the heart will likewise be impure. In 2 Timothy 3:8, Paul suggests that the root of the rebellion of Jannes and Jambres against Moses was their corrupt minds. To be pure in heart, we must stir to be pure in our minds. What we place in our minds ultimately affects our hearts.

3. A pure heart is willing to be tested and tried.

Those who have a pure heart are so desirous of purity in their hearts that their constant cry is for God to thoroughly examine them. The Psalmist cried out: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; try me and know my anxieties; and see if there is any wicked way in me.” Those who are pure in heart want their impurity to be revealed so that they might deal with even hidden sin.

4. A pure heart abhors sin, not merely forsakes it.

“Through your precepts, I get understanding; I hate every false way,” declared the Psalmist (Psalm 119:104). Many forsake sin for wrong reasons. Some forsake it because of morality–they do not want their sin to become public. Other forsake it because of policy–some things are a matter of principle to them: they do not drink or smoke, not because of a pure heart, but they have decided that certain things will not be part of their lives. Still others forsake sins because of necessity–the opportunity no longer exists for that sin. But the pure in heart forsake sin because they hate what it does to them and their relationship with God.

The pure in heart not only forsake sin, Paul notes that they even “avoid the appearance of evil (1 Thess. 5:22).” Why? Because they know that the “appearance” often leads to the “occasion.” What begins as a little compromise often leads to greater compromise. The pure in heart are so concerned about their hearts that they avoid even what might lead to sin in the future.

5. A pure heart is focused on knowing and pleasing God.

In Psalm 27, David expresses this heart attitude: “When You said, ‘seek my face,’ My heart said to You, ‘Your face will I seek.’” The pure in heart strives to have an undivided heart. Gold in the ancient world was considered pure if it was not mixed with impurities. The undivided heart is a pure heart; not a perfect one, but one that is focused on knowing and loving the Lord. Paul spoke of this as his desire: “that I might know Him, the power of His resurrection.” In 2 Timothy 2:4, he reminded Timothy of the need for an undivided heart: “No one engaged in warfare entangles himself in the affairs of this life, that he may please him who enlisted him as a soldier.” The pure in heart is not perfect, but he strives to keep the focus of his heart on the Lord.

6. A pure heart is one that desires to be made ever more pure.

As David cried out: “Create in me a clean heart, O God,” so the pure in heart is constantly aware of his need to be made more pure. From a distance, the blemishes on a face are often hidden. But as one draws nearer, those imperfections appear more clearly. The same is true regarding the pure in heart. As they draw nearer to God, they see more clearly their imperfections, especially those of the heart. Those distant from the Lord may be content that no outward sin is evident, but those who are pure in heart see their inward sin and cry out to be made pure. The pure in heart are never satisfied with their holiness, for they know they true need of their heart is to be made ever more pure.

Steps to a Pure Heart

First, recognize the impurity of your heart. Only those who see their need will seek to be made more pure. Second, mourn regularly over your sinfulness. A heart that is not broken over personal sin is not a pure heart. James calls upon believers to: “Draw near to God and He will draw near to you. Cleanse your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, you double-minded. Lament and mourn and weep!” The pure in heart mourn over their sinful condition. Finally, having a pure heart requires having a single-mind. Notice what James calls those without pure hearts: double-minded. To be double-minded is to think one way and to act another. It is to agree with doctrine but to live contrary to it. The pure in heart are not perfect or sinless; but they strive to have a single-mind that lives according to its beliefs.

“Blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God.”

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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John 3 is perhaps the most popular chapter in the New Testament. It contains the most quoted verse: John 3:16. It advances Christianity’s most important teaching about salvation: “Except a man be born again, he cannot enter the Kingdom of heaven.” It includes some of the most important teachings about the nature of salvation and what one must do to be saved. J.C. Ryle, in his Expository Thoughts on John’s Gospel, notes: “To be ignorant of the matters handled in this chapter, is to be on the broad way that leads to destruction.”

With these thoughts in mind, we undertake to examine some of the thoughts and ideas of this great chapter with the hope that some who are religious may understand the true nature of salvation and come to Christ. First, I ask that, as we examine this passage, you do so with an open Bible. Read John 3 over and over. While these thoughts may help you to understand the nature of salvation, it is God’s Word alone that one must trust, never the words of man. Second, I ask that you are honest with yourself about what you are reading. Does your experience indicate that you have truly been born again or that you are merely following the outward rituals of empty religious practices?

The first thing we notice in the chapter is that Jesus confronts a man with “empty religion.” If you were to survey the world today, one thing you would have to agree on is that the world is full of religions all requiring much and offering little. In every case, these religions are saying “Do, do, do and you might be accepted by God.”

In Nicodemus, Jesus confronts just such a man. He is identified as a Pharisee, but not just any ordinary Pharisee. He was a “ruler of the Sanhedrin.” We learn later that this man is not just a member of the ruling religious body; he is also a teacher.

The Pharisees were a very religious group in Israel that bitterly opposed Jesus during His time on earth. Religiously, they were very active. They attended synagogue more than required by law; they gave alms and offerings to the poor; they prayed and fasted regularly; they kept the law meticulously. They believed that God would accept them because they kept His commands and treated people right. If anyone deserved heaven, they did.

To the Pharisee, salvation was granted to those who kept all God’s commands. They were a group that believed that their own works could earn them salvation. So concerned were they about keeping all God’s laws that they set up additional laws more restrictive than God’s laws. These laws ranged from the ridiculous to the absurd. William Hendriksen noted that a woman was not allowed to look in the mirror on the Sabbath day lest she see a gray hair and be tempted to pull it out and thus “work” on the Sabbath. They also taught that you could not eat an egg laid on the Sabbath unless you killed the chicken who did the work!

Nicodemus belonged to that group–but why was he coming to Jesus. Had he begun to see the emptiness of His own religious practices? Had he begun to question the silliness of some of the very things he had taught? Was he beginning to see that his formal religion did not measure up to the teachings of this man called Jesus? In short, Nicodemus has begun to examine his own religion and realizes it is empty.

Throughout the world, man is very religious. Whether he is worshipping a volcano or spinning a prayer wheel or saying a prayer or talking to a “guide,” man has been ingenious in his religious attempts to reach God. Yet those very religions are often the greatest barrier to one coming to Jesus. Like Nicodemus before us, we fear that someone in our group might know that we are considering something else even though our own religion is very empty. With these in mind, Nicodemus comes to Jesus secretly, under the cover of night.

Peter Jefferies warns of the great danger of “empty, man-made religions:”

Of all man’s creations nothing is so vile and evil as man-made religion. Whether it be Phariseeism, Hinduism, Islam or the many distortions of Christianity, the result of man-made religion is always to reduce God to our size, to make God manageable. And it is always a salvation by works religion. Consequently it takes men away from God. It leaves men and women with no Savior and no answer to their sin and guilt.

The nonsense of Phariseeism is clear to see, but do we see how equally ridiculous is much of man-distorted Christianity? For instance, does the sprinkling of a few drops of water on a baby’s head really make it a Christian? Does going to church now and again, or even every week make a sinner right with God? Isn’t that as ridiculous as the Pharisees’ gray hair and egg?

Man-made religions always leave us with no hope or certainty. As long as your salvation depends on you to any degree, how can you ever be sure? Biblical Christianity provides the only answer–it looks to Jesus alone for the solution.

Nicodemus had his fill of formal religion and it left him empty. He hears of Jesus and he sees a difference. He cannot understand the difference but he knows that this Jesus is different.

The starting place for salvation is to come to Jesus. It is to examine Him, His life, His teachings, His death and resurrection, His claims about Himself. Most who desire to “cross Jesus off their list of options” have never really considered Jesus. Have you? Nicodemus knew he was empty and he decided to go directly to the source–he went to check out Jesus. Will you? Will you read what the Bible says of this man and evaluate Him honestly?

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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Of all the books that have ever been printed, John Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress stands second only to the Bible itself. And with good reason: Bunyan’s writings were filled with Scripture. Princeton scholar, Emile Caillet states:

In my own estimation, next to the Bible which in is a class by itself, Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress rates highest among all the classics … the reason I have put The Pilgrim’s Progress next only to the Bible is that as I proceed along the appointed course, I need not only an authoritative book of inspiration and instruction; I need a map. We all do. My considered judgment … is that Bunyan’s masterpiece has provided us with the most excellent map to be found anywhere.

His Life

John Bunyan was born in 1628 in Elstow, England. He came to faith around the age of twenty-five (An account of his life and conversion can be found in his autobiography, Grace Abounding to the Chief of Sinners). His eventually joined John Gifford’s church in Bedford where he was encouraged to preach. The beginning of his preaching ministry coincided with the Stuart Restoration of 1660 which punished all preaching not sanctioned by the Church of England. Bunyan was arrested in 1660 for preaching illegally and sentenced to three months in prison. His continual refusal to assure the authorities that he would refrain from preaching upon release prolonged his imprisonment for twelve years until 1672.

During that time, he made shoe laces (to support his wife and children), preached to prisoners and crowds outside his prison, and wrote many books and pamphlets. He was so trusted by his jailers that they often permitted him to leave his cell to go and preach to illegal gatherings in the woods! Afterwards, he always returned voluntarily to his jail cell.

After his release from prison, Bunyan became the pastor of a church in Bedford. Crowds thronged to hear this man take the truths of heaven and bring them down to earth. Once, after the great Puritan scholar John Owen returned from hearing Bunyan, the king, Charles II, ridiculed him for hearing such an “illiterate tinker”. Owen replied: “May it please your majesty, could I possess that tinker’s abilities for preaching, I would most gladly relinquish all my learning.”

After riding on horseback in a heavy rainstorm, Bunyan contracted a fever and died in the home of a friend on August 31, 1688. Though Bunyan died at the age of sixty, his writings continue to preach his message. When China’s Communist government printed Pilgrim’s Progress as an example of Western cultural heritage, the initial printing of 200,000 was sold out in just three days!

While Pilgrim’s Progress continues to have impact on readers, in America, little attention is presently given to it inspite of the fact that it has the ability to impart doctrine and practice to both children and adults alike. In Pilgrim’s Progress, the same great theological truths taught by Augustine, Luther, Calvin, and Edwards come to life right before our eyes. As one author puts it: “Bunyan turns theology and doctrine into an exciting adventure, and imaginations are captured as these truths are personified. A person who thoroughly understands The Pilgrim’s Progress is an accomplished theologian.” (Maureen Bradley, The Pilgrim’s Progress Study Guide).

Pilgrim’s Progress can also be a great help in preaching. Charles Spurgeon, the “Prince of Preachers,” said, of all the authors he read, Bunyan “is my great favorite.” During his life time, Spurgeon records that he had read Pilgrim’s Progress as least one hundred times. Speaking of Bunyan, Spurgeon said,

Read anything of his, and you will see that it almost like reading the Bible itself. He had read it till his very soul was saturated with Scripture; and though his writings were charmingly full of poetry, yet he cannot give us his Pilgrim’s Progress — that sweetest of all prose poems — without continually making us feel and say, “Why, this man is a living Bible!” Prick him anywhere; his blood is Bibline, the very essence of the Bible flows from him. He cannot speak without quoting a text, for his very soul is full of the Word of God. I commend his example to you, beloved.

My family has greatly benefited from the study of Bunyan. Below I have listed some resources that may help you in this endeavor. My hope is to provide a series of articles in future issues related to this great book that will stir greater interest in it. But, regardless of the outcome of these articles, read Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress; you’re in for a great adventure in theology and life.

Copyright Jim Ehrhard, 1999. You are permitted to reproduce and distribute this material in any format provided that: (1) you credit the author; (2) any modifications are clearly marked; (3) you do not charge a fee beyond the cost of reproduction; and (4) you do not make more than 100 copies without permission. If you would like to post this material to your web site or make any use other than as defined above, please contact Teaching Resources International

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