Matthew 5-7 (The Sermon on the Mount)

Chapters five through seven of Matthew are where we find the greatest sermon ever given, what we commonly refer to today as Jesus' "Sermon on the Mount". While ministering to great crowds, Jesus sat down on the mountain and spoke to the crowd. The lesson of the Sermon on the Mount would be to love God with all our hearts and how He demands perfection. It is a realization for us of the need for Christ.

Jesus begins the Sermon with the Beatitudes. We refer to them as the "Beatitudes", which we get from the Latin word, "beatus", which means "blessed, happy". Each Beatitude begins with a description of who is blessed, followed by their reward. Here, "blessed" refers to those who have the approval of God.

“Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.

 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.

 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.

 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy.

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

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

 “Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness' sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

 “Blessed are you when others revile you and persecute you and utter all kinds of evil against you falsely on my account.  Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is great in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you." (Matthew 5:2-12)

The descriptions given in the Beatitudes of those who are blessed are very different from many in our culture today. Jesus refers to those who will inherit the earth are the meek. Today, humility is an afterthought. We are a culture that puffs our chests up in pride. Jesus says those who will be satisfied are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness. Yet in our culture, immorality and death is celebrated. Jesus says those who will receive mercy are the ones who show mercy. Yet, today we live in a culture that will do whatever it takes, regardless of who is hurts, to get to the top. Jesus teaches towards the end of the Beatitudes that there will be persecution for those who follow Him. Yet, Jesus calls believers to be active in the world, regardless of persecution.

 “You are the salt of the earth, but if salt has lost its taste, how shall its saltiness be restored? It is no longer good for anything except to be thrown out and trampled under people's feet.

 “You are the light of the world. A city set on a hill cannot be hidden. Nor do people light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a stand, and it gives light to all in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven." (Matthew 5:13-16)

The purpose of salt is to act as a preservative. By calling followers to be the salt of the earth, Jesus expects believers to influence the world for good. Light runs out darkness. Followers of Christ are to be light in a world of darkness.

In Matthew 5:17-20, Jesus speaks about the importance of the Old Testament by declaring He came to fulfill the Law, not abolish it. 

“Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." (Matthew 5:17)

When He speaks of "The Law or the Prophets", He is referring to the Old Testament as a whole. By not abolishing the Law, Jesus does not change the Law, but the Law is accomplished by His totally obedient life. By fulfilling the Law, Jesus is bringing the Old Testament to completion in Him. The Law points forward to Christ.

Jesus gives us six examples in Matthew 5:21:48 on righteousness and morality. Teachings of the Law by scribes and Pharisees focused on outward behavior, where here, Jesus exposes what is in the heart. These are issues that every person has struggles with at one time or another, thus pointing to our need for Christ. The six exampled Jesus gives are:

• Anger: “You have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders will be liable to judgment.’ But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment; whoever insults his brother will be liable to the council; and whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire."  (Matthew 5:21-22) 
• Jesus says that if you have anger in your heard towards another, you have essentially committed murder.
• Lust:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)  
• Jesus says that if you look at another with lust in your heart, you have committed adultery in the heart.
• Divorce: “It was also said, ‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’ But I say to you that everyone who divorces his wife, except on the ground of sexual immorality, makes her commit adultery, and whoever marries a divorced woman commits adultery." (Matthew 5:31-32)  
• Jesus teaches that there is a provision for divorce for unfaithfulness, but reconciliation is preferable. However for any other lesser reason, a man who divorces his wife becomes guilty of adultery when he remarries, and forces the woman into adultery if she remarries.
• Oaths: “Again you have heard that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not swear falsely, but shall perform to the Lord what you have sworn.’ But I say to you, Do not take an oath at all, either by heaven, for it is the throne of God, or by the earth, for it is his footstool, or by Jerusalem, for it is the city of the great King."  (Matthew 5:33-35) 
• Jesus is addressing a specific form of legalism that required a certain oath to make words binding. This would imply that we don't need to be truthful unless under oath.
• Retaliation:  “You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.’ But I say to you, Do not resist the one who is evil. But if anyone slaps you on the right cheek, turn to him the other also." (Matthew 5:38-39)  
• Jesus speaks of individual retaliation. He doesn't speak about retaliation by governments against criminal offenses or military aggression, but in context, "do not seek restitution in Court."
• Love Your Enemies: “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.’ But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you..." (Matthew 5:43-44) 
• Hating your enemy was not found in the Old Testament, but was found in some teachings based on an understanding that "neighbor" would only be a fellow Jew. However, Jesus teaches that the reference to neighbor found in Leviticus 19:18 is anyone that come into contact.

 
Beginning in chapter six, Jesus gives us several different ways in which people might express their faith, but do so hypocritically. As in all things, these things should be done as an act of submission to God.

• Giving to the needy: “Thus, when you give to the needy, sound no trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be praised by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." (Matthew 6:2)  
• Jesus calls us to provide for the needy. However, those that do so to have the praise of their peers are not doing so out of the love for God. It is best to give silently and with a gracious heart.
• The Lord's Prayer:  “And when you pray, you must not be like the hypocrites. For they love to stand and pray in the synagogues and at the street corners, that they may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward. But when you pray, go into your room and shut the door and pray to your Father who is in secret. And your Father who sees in secret will reward you." (Matthew 6:5-6)  
• Jesus teaches here that God is not impressed with our vocabulary and the number of words used. He does call us to come to Him with our request and to continuously speak to Him. 
• "Pray then like this:
  'Our Father in heaven, hallowed be your name.Your kingdom come,
  your will be done, on earth as it is in heaven^. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil." (Matthew 6:9-13)

• Fasting: “And when you fast, do not look gloomy like the hypocrites, for they disfigure their faces that their fasting may be seen by others. Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." (Matthew 6:16) 
•  Jesus speaks of fasting, but to do so in private. Anointing one's head was a daily routine of the time, except when fasting. By not anointing yourself, it could appear that you are more righteous by fasting. 

It  is significant here that in every example Jesus gives, He says: "Truly, I say to you, they have received their reward." Those that do each of these examples have received their reward by having the approval of the world around them. A consistent them in Jesus' teaching was the motivation of the heart. Those who do good things for the adoration of those around them have the wrong motivation. Jesus teaches that those who do so without announcement, do so with a pure heart and out of love for God. Jesus says that our Father who sees in secret will reward in kind.

Continuing in the Sermon, Jesus speaks about our attitude toward treasures in Heaven and possessions in life in Matthew 6:19-24: 

“Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also. “The eye is the lamp of the body. So, if your eye is healthy, your whole body will be full of light, but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be full of darkness. If then the light in you is darkness, how great is the darkness! “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money."

Jesus says that the things we value most in life is where you will find the focus of our hearts. If we are focused on job mobility and careers, that is where we will find the focus of our hearts. But if we are focused on our love for God, and serving and glorifying Him, then that is where our hearts will be found. In speaking of the eye being the lamp of the body, Jesus is stressing that the things we focus on, or the things we look at will reveal the desires of our hearts. If the desires of our heart is darkness, then as Jesus said, "how great is the darkness!"

Jesus goes on to speak about anxiety and how it relates to our faith. He gives many examples, including: 

^"Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life?" (Matthew 6:26-27)

Jesus declares that we are of more value than the birds, yet God takes care of them. By being anxious adds nothing to our lives. God knows our needs and to worry is inconsistent with understanding God is sovereign over all. Worrying about things doubts God's sovereignty. 

Many will point to Matthew 7:1 (“Judge not, that you be not judged."), as proof that we are never to judge others, under any circumstance. However, this argument is usually wrongly applied and taken out of context. It is either a lack of Biblical understanding, or just an attempt to not be confronted with their own sins. Jesus goes on to explain that judging to differentiate between good and bad, belief and unbelief is approved. The judging that Jesus forbids is the kind that condemns others and does not practice forgiveness. Jesus commands that we must first look inside our own hearts so that we can see clearly to "take the speck out of your brothers eye."

Continuing in verse six, “Do not give dogs what is holy, and do not throw your pearls before pigs, lest they trample them underfoot and turn to attack you." Jesus states that we must judge others to determine what is holy and who are dogs. This requires a form of judgment.

Jesus teaches us about the character of God:

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and the one who seeks finds, and to the one who knocks it will be opened. Or which one of you, if his son asks him for bread, will give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a serpent? If you then, who are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father who is in heaven give good things to those who ask him!" (Matthew 7:7-11)

Jesus says that God will provide for our needs. He uses the example of a son asking for bread, but a father giving him a stone. He clearly says that no father would do that. Even if we are all evil, as Jesus says here, we would still provide for our children. If we are evil and would do this, how much will God provide for us, who is totally good?

Christ speaks about two ways to live: the wide gate and the narrow gate:

“Enter by the narrow gate. For the gate is wide and the way is easy that leads to destruction, and those who enter by it are many. For the gate is narrow and the way is hard that leads to life, and those who find it are few." (Matthew 7:13-14) 

The wide gate is easy and does not cost anything of the person to follow. Many follow this path and it ultimately ends in destruction. The narrow path, however, is hard and it will cost you everything. You will deny yourself and few follow it. This path will lead to eternal life.

Jesus warns of false prophets in verse 15:

“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep's clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves."  

Jesus gives clear ways of how you will know them. He says you will know them by their fruit. He uses the analogy of a tree. A good tree will produce good fruit. A bad tree, however, will produce bad fruit. Do their lives produce good fruit? If they do not, then they are likely wolves in sheep's clothing.

Christ indicates that not everyone who claims His name will enter into the kingdom of heaven:

“Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven."

He says only those who have done the will of the Father will enter into the kingdom of heaven. This is not to imply that works will be rewarded with entering into the kingdom of heaven, rather, doing the will of the Father is indicative of the Holy Spirit dwelling within them. This is the proof they know God and God knows them. Those who claim that they did many works of the Father, but did not truly love God, will hear the most terrifying words ever:

 "I never knew you; depart from me, you workers of lawlessness."

Jesus concludes his message by saying that those who hear his words and obey will be like a wise man who builds his house on rock. Those that do not listen are fools who build their house on sand. While that house may stand for a while, and may appear to be strong, once the storm hits, or judgment, the house is destroyed. 

I can only imagine what the reaction of the crowd was following His message. It was radical, especially at that time where legalism was dominant. Scripture tells us that the crowds were astonished and they recognized that these teachings did not come from a normal teacher, but rather from someone with authority.  

For the full text of the Sermon on the Mount (ESV): https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew%205-7&version=ESV 

Matthew 3-4 (The Kingdom of Heaven is Near and Jesus Begins His Ministry)

Chapter three of Matthew begins with the arrival of John the Baptist who had arrived to prepare the way for Jesus Christ. There has been approximately twenty five years, or maybe more, since the end of chapter two of Matthew. In chapters three and four, after the introduction of John the Baptist, we will see the baptism of Jesus, the temptation of Jesus, the calling of the first disciples, and the beginning of Jesus' ministry. 

In Matthew 3:3, Matthew, along with the other Gospels, quotes Isaiah 40:3 in reference to John the Baptist:

 "A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
    make straight in the desert a highway for our God."

John is, of course, announcing the imminent arrival of Jesus. Because Isaiah speaks of God comforting His people who were in exile, by having Matthew quote this point to the divinity of Jesus.

Malachi 3:1 and 4:5-6 speak of Elijah returning to prepare the way before God arrives to judge Israel:

“Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 3:1)

“Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.  And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.” (Malachi 4:5-6)

Elijah is also mentioned similarly to John the Baptist in 2 Kings 1:8 because Elijah wore a garment of hair, with a leather belt about his waist, and John the Baptist wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist. The promises of Elijah were to prepare a way before God's arrival to save and judge, just as John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.

People were instructed to repent and be baptized. The instruction of repent and be baptized was so urgent because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand:

 "Bear fruit in keeping with repentance." (Matthew 3:8)

"Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (Matthew 3:10)

John's message to the Pharisees and the Sadduccees is one of urgency. It was a stern, but true reminder to them that the fact that true children of God are only children of God because of His actions, and that they can not expect to be spared from judgment unless they repent and believe in who is to come. The Kingdom of Heaven is near.

Temptation is something that God uses for our good. If we overcome temptation, our faith is strengthened, but if we fall to temptation, we recognize the need for forgiveness and God's grace is glorified that much more. We can see through history where people have been tempted and they have failed. This includes Adam in the beginning, as well as Israel in it's history. Jesus, however, did not fail.

Comparisons can be drawn between Jesus' forty days in the wilderness when He was tempted, and the forty years that Israel was tested in the wilderness. Israel did not fully trust God, so they were left to wander for forty years. It took forty years for the unbelieving generation to die off. Jesus, however, remained faithful and the Father was pleased.

Jesus' response when he was first tempted in Matthew 4:3 ("And the tempter came and said to him, 'If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.'"), was to quote Scripture. He said, "It is written..." His response is important for believers because it emphasizes the importance of knowing Scripture, especially when dealing with temptation. It is a reminder of the importance of reading our Bibles often.

When Jesus began His ministry, He went to Capernaum, which was the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. While much of Matthew focuses on Jesus' ministry to Jewish people, this shows that the mission of Jesus was never just for the salvation of Jewish people, but also Gentiles. Salvation was not just for one ethnicity, but for people from all nations. This would also foretell the Great Commission later in Matthew to go into the world and make disciples.

Matthew 4:23-25 tells of Jesus beginning to minister to larger crowds after calling his first disciples:

 "And he went throughout all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction among the people. So his fame spread throughout all Syria, and they brought him all the sick, those afflicted with various diseases and pains, those oppressed by demons, those having seizures, and paralytics, and he healed them. And great crowds followed him from Galilee and the Decapolis, and from Jerusalem and Judea, and from beyond the Jordan."

Here, Jesus does three things which would summarize His entire ministry: teaching in the synagogues, proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom, and healing every disease and affliction among the people. He demonstrates the urgency of the kingdom at hand by proclaiming the Gospel. It also shows God restoring a broken world by healing the diseased.

Matthew 1-2 (The Birth and Arrival of Jesus)

The first two chapters of Matthew deal with the arrival of Jesus. Through various Old Testament references, Matthew shares that Jesus' arrival is the climax of the Old Testament. The word, "messiah", is a translation of a Hebrew word for "anointed one", and the equivalent of the Greek word, "Christ".

Matthew places Jesus within history and the Old Testament by referring to Jesus' genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17). He announced that there were a total of fourteen generations between Abraham to David, fourteen generations from David to the deportation to Babylon, and from deportation to Babylon to the Christ were fourteen generations.

Promises from God to Abram

 "Now the Lord said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you.  And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing.  I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”" (Genesis 12:1-3)

"...and in your offspring shall all the nations of the earth be blessed, because you have obeyed my voice.”" (Genesis 22:18) 

shed light on what Jesus came to do because God told Abram to go from his country and his kindred and to the land he will show him. By referring to making a great nation of Abram, it also foretells of the elect, the Church, who will be of every nation and tribe. By being in Jesus and obeying him, we too will be blessed.

Just as God made promises to David:

 "...from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover, the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house.  When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men, but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.  And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.’” (2 Samuel 7:11-16)

that he would give rest to him from his enemies, God promises us that he will give us rest from sin and broken heartedness when we turn to Christ. In Psalm 89:3-4, God says that the covenant was extended to David's descendants. The promise of the throne says that the throne will have to be a descendant of David. Jesus comes from this genealogy.

In the genealogy of Jesus, by including five women rather just men (as was customary at the time), and by including Tamar, Rahab, and Ruth (all Gentiles) is significant. In Matthew 1:21, it speaks of Jesus coming to save His people from their sins. This would include men and women, Jew and Gentile. Salvation was not just for the Jews, as was common thought at the time, but also for Gentiles.

When Joseph learned that Mary was pregnant, he first assumed that she had been unfaithful. He sought to divorce Mary quietly because he did not want to put her to shame. But when an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, he changed his mind and stayed with her. It should also be noted that they did not have relations until after Mary gave birth to Jesus, putting aside any doubt that an Old Testament prophecy was being fulfilled:

 "Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14, which Matthew 1:23 quotes) 

By showing mercy on Mary, Joseph's behavior was ideal for a model disciple.

In Matthew 2, we see the introduction of the wise men, or the magi. Number 24:17 helps us to understand why the magi would follow a star to find a king because it talks about a star coming out of Jacob and a scepter rising out of Jacob:

 "I see him, but not now;
    I behold him, but not near:
a star shall come out of Jacob,
    and a scepter shall rise out of Israel;
it shall crush the forehead of Moab
    and break down all the sons of Sheth."

In Matthew 2:11, the wise men saw Jesus and Mary and they fell to the floor and immediately began to worship him. Looking at Psalm 72:8-11, we can see the anticipation of the Messiah who was to come.

 "May he have dominion from sea to sea,
    and from the River to the ends of the earth! 

 May desert tribes bow down before him,
    and his enemies lick the dust! 

 May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands
    render him tribute;
may the kings of Sheba and Seba
    bring gifts! 

 May all kings fall down before him,
    all nations serve him!" (Psalm 72:8-11)

All kings will fall down before Him and every nation will serve Him. The wise men likely knew they were in the presence of the prophesied one here.

Isaiah 60:1-5 speaks of a "light" coming to Israel and that it is the time of salvation for His people.

"Arise, shine, for your light has come,
    and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you. 

 For behold, darkness shall cover the earth,
    and thick darkness the peoples;
but the Lord will arise upon you,
    and his glory will be seen upon you. 

 And nations shall come to your light,
    and kings to the brightness of your rising.

 Lift up your eyes all around, and see;
    they all gather together, they come to you;
your sons shall come from afar,
    and your daughters shall be carried on the hip. 

 Then you shall see and be radiant;
    your heart shall thrill and exult,
because the abundance of the sea shall be turned to you,
    the wealth of the nations shall come to you." (Isaiah 60:1-5)

When the light appears and the wise men see the star rest over the place that the child was (Matthew 2:9), they are over-joyed. They were so full of excitement they gave gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. However, Herod was very upset of this light and assembled a group of people to locate where the Christ was born to have him killed.

Herod's reaction in Matthew 2:3-8 and 16 in some ways foretells what was to come later in Jesus' life in Matthew 26:3-4 and 27:1-2. While later on it was the chief priests led by Caiaphas who plotted to kill Jesus and enlisted the help of Pilate, at this time it was Herod who had enlisted the help of the chief priests and scribes.

Herod's actions in Matthew 2:13-16:

 "Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Rise, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt, and remain there until I tell you, for Herod is about to search for the child, to destroy him.”  And he rose and took the child and his mother by night and departed to Egypt  and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.”

 Then Herod, when he saw that he had been tricked by the wise men, became furious, and he sent and killed all the male children in Bethlehem and in all that region who were two years old or under, according to the time that he had ascertained from the wise men."

parallel these of the ancient king of Egypt in Exodus 1:15-22

 "Then the king of Egypt said to the Hebrew midwives, one of whom was named Shiphrah and the other Puah,  “When you serve as midwife to the Hebrew women and see them on the birthstool, if it is a son, you shall kill him, but if it is a daughter, she shall live.”  But the midwives feared God and did not do as the king of Egypt commanded them, but let the male children live.  So the king of Egypt called the midwives and said to them, “Why have you done this, and let the male children live?”  The midwives said to Pharaoh, “Because the Hebrew women are not like the Egyptian women, for they are vigorous and give birth before the midwife comes to them.”  So God dealt well with the midwives. And the people multiplied and grew very strong.  And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families.  Then Pharaoh commanded all his people, “Every son that is born to the Hebrews you shall cast into the Nile, but you shall let every daughter live.”

because the king of Egypt had ordered all sons be murdered just as Herod had all male children in Bethlehem murdered. The king ordered all sons to be murdered by subjects in Egypt because the mid-wives were fearful of God and obeyed Him. Similarly, after Herod realized he had been tricked by the wise men, he ordered the death of all male children under two years old.

Twice in Matthew 2:13-23, different things happen to Jesus in order that the Old Testament might be fulfilled.

 "...and remained there until the death of Herod. This was to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet, “Out of Egypt I called my son.” (Matthew 2:15)

 

"And he went and lived in a city called Nazareth, so that what was spoken by the prophets might be fulfilled, that he would be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:23)

I believe Matthew is trying to show us the relationship between the Old Testament and the arrival of Jesus, in a broad sense, is that the history of God's redemption of Israel points to Jesus.

Overview of the Gospel of Matthew

The Gospel of Matthew was written by Matthew, also known as Levi. Matthew was a former tax collector who would go on to join Jesus during his ministry as a disciple. This Gospel was likely written in the late 50s or early 60s.

Matthew was one of the most popular books of the early church. The Gospel of Matthew identified Jesus as the one true King and would bring about the Kingdom of Heaven.

Matthew also paints a clear picture of discipleship. A disciple is any person that submits to the teaching of another. In the New Testament, it refers to those who submitted to the teachings of Jesus. More specifically it refers to those who traveled with Jesus during his ministry.

The audience of Matthew is clearly Jewish. Because there are so many Jewish themes throughout this Gospel, it is obvious that the primary audience was Jewish-Christians. It is focused more than the other Gospels on how Jesus is the King who the Jewish people had waited on and who came as an answer to the fall that had cursed creation. The restoration of creation is announced in Jesus’ own words: “From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” (Matthew 4:17). It is also illustrated in Jesus’ work as he worked many miracles and reconciled people to God through forgiveness of sins.

Included in Matthew is five major discourses, including the Sermon on the Mount, the commissioning of the apostles, the parables about the kingdom, a discourse about the childlikeness of believers, and the discourse on the second coming. Some have suggested a parallel between these five discourses and the five books of Moses in the Old Testament, the Pentateuch.