INTRODUCTION TO THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Matthew was a disciple of Jesus. His other name was Levi. Jesus called him from his tax office, and changed him from a public sinner and outcast into Saint Matthew, a citizen of the kingdom of heaven. The kingdom of heaven is the theme of this book--as well as the major theme of Jesus' preaching. Matthew begins his Gospel with a genealogy that introduces Jesus as the King, a descendant of Abraham and of King David. In chapter two, the visit of the mysterious Magi reinforces and universalizes his kingship. Jesus is the promised Messiah. His birth, his life, and his ministry fulfill Old Testament prophecy. Matthew may have had Jewish readers in mind when he wrote, but his Gospel proclaims Jesus to be the universal King and Savior.

This book contains five blocks of teachings, each identified by the concluding phrase, 'When Jesus had finished saying these things...' [chapters 5-7;10; 13;18;24-25]. These teachings are directed primarily toward his disciples. The most famous of these teachings is the Sermon on the Mount (5-7). This has been called the 'Constitution of the Kingdom of Heaven.' The flow of events in this gospel is the same as that of Mark's Gospel and similar to that of Luke. For this reason, these three Gospels are called the 'Synoptic Gospels.' As we study Matthew, may we welcome Jesus as our King and build our lives on the Rock by hearing and obeying Jesus' words.

1. Jesus Christ, son of David and Abraham (1-6,17)

This genealogy divides Israel's history into 3 periods: From Abraham to David; from David to the exile; from the exile to Jesus. It is the genealogy of King Jesus. In Jesus, God fulfilled his promise to David to establish his kingdom forever, and his promise to Abraham to bless all people through his offspring. From the time of the exile, the low point of Israel's history, people longed for the promised Messiah.

2. The women (3,5,6,16)

There are 5 women in this genealogy: Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Uriah's wife, and Mary. Each of them reveals one facet of God's amazing grace and each has a special kind of faith. Tamar overcame a fatalistic life problem; Rahab, a prostitute, and Ruth, a Moabite, were Gentiles. Bathsheba was a woman who needed God's forgiveness, and Mary was an unmarried virgin who was given grace to be the mother of God's Son.

Application: Lord, help me to stand in your redemptive history by faith.
One Word: God of grace; God of history