Matthew

The Beginning

&The End

•Not a biography

•All 4 Gospels contain ~30 days of info on Jesus life

•A small amount of information on Jesus’ birth

•Blink, and Jesus is already 30 years old

•We know almost nothing about childhood, friends, school, when He started work with Joseph.

•Introduced as an adult by Ch. 3:13

•This is a snapshot of Jesus’ life (John 21:25)

Purpose:

•Present Jesus as King and Messiah

•Matt. 1:1; 2:2; 27:11

•To the Jews - Written by Matthew (Gift of God) Levi

•Jews were looking for a military-like Messiah

•Matthew contains 130 Old Testament references

•Central verse: Ch. 5:17

• “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.”

The Gospels:

•Together give us a unique, but non-contradictory portrait of Jesus.

•Matthew = Christ the King

•Mark = Christ the Servant

•Luke = Christ the Son of Man

•John = Christ the Son of God

•Prophesy in Ezekiel 1:10

• Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.

•Ezekiel 1:10

• Their faces looked like this: Each of the four had the face of a human being, and on the right side each had the face of a lion, and on the left the face of an ox; each also had the face of an eagle.

• Face of a man = Luke (Son of Man)

• Face of a lion = Matthew (King)

• Face of an Ox = Mark (Servant)

• Face of an Eagle = John (Son of God)

• Also Revelation 4:7

Primarily a teaching Gospel:

•~60% = Spoken words of Jesus

•5 major teaching sessions:

•Ch. 5-7: The People of the kingdom

•Ch. 10: The Program of the kingdom

•Ch. 13: The Parables of the kingdom

•Ch. 18-19: The Principles of the kingdom

•Ch. 24-25: The Perfecting of the kingdom

•Matthew ends with The Great Commission (Ch. 28:19)

•Matthew is the only Gospel to record the word “Church” coming from Jesus:

•Ch. 16:18 - Universal church

•Ch. 18:17 - Local church

•The Gospel of Jesus in the book of Matthew is for US!

•Jesus is King!