Overview of the Book
The Bible tells us that the universe that we live in is created by the Lord God Almighty, who is sovereign and has neither beginning nor end. He lives forever. The book of Genesis, the very first book in the Bible, known as the book of the beginnings, narrates the creation account in a detailed manner. The book of Genesis begins with the statement In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1). Also, it is mentioned in Nehemiah 9:6 that You [the Sovereign God] alone are the Lord. You made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you. Thus, everything, both visible and invisible, in the universe is created by God (Colossians 1:16). One Psalmist very specifically noted that The earth is the Lord’s, and everything in it, the world, and all who live in it (Psalm 24:1). Thus, the Bible affirms that God created the universe and everything in it, including human beings. The difference between the creatures other than the humans and human beings are that the human beings are created in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26-27). Despite the fact that they were created in the image and likeness of God, they sinned against Him by disobeying His commands. However, God, who is merciful and compassionate in nature, forgave their sins and reconciled Himself with them. God set up a means and way for humans to enter into His presence to have fellowship with Him. Thus, animal sacrifice is introduced for the forgiveness of sins, as mentioned in Hebrews 9:22, In fact, the law requires that nearly everything be cleansed with blood, and without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness of sins. Due to human beings’ continuous inclination to live in sin, the Lord God Almighty took the form of a human being, came to this world and lived among them like one of them. His name is Jesus Christ, who bore humanity’s sins upon his body and died on a cross as a ransom death, on their behalf, so that their sins could be forgiven and they could be reconciled with God, their Creator. Thus, Jesus, who said I am the way and the truth and the life and no one comes to the Father except through me (John 14:6), became the way for them to reach the Father, so that they could have eternal life, a never-ending life with God the Father. The life and ministry of Jesus Christ is descriptively portrayed in the New Testament, especially in the gospels.
There are four gospels in the Christian Bible, and they are: The Gospel according to Matthew, The Gospel according to Mark, The Gospel according to Luke, and The Gospel according to John. The Gospel according to Matthew is written by Matthew, a former tax collector whom Jesus called and made an apostle. Jesus called him when he was sitting at the tax collector’s booth (Matthew 9:9). The gospel according to John is written by John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee (Mark 3:17). Both Matthew and John were among the Twelve disciples of Jesus Christ and eyewitnesses of His life and ministry on earth. The gospel according to Mark is written by Mark, who was one of the ministry companions of Apostle Peter; and the gospel according to Luke is written by Luke, a physician by profession, and one of the ministry associates and traveling companions of Apostle Paul. Although Paul was not among the Twelve, he had a personal encounter with the glorified Christ near the city gate at Damascus and Jesus called him personally for His ministry (Acts 9:1-31). Later, Paul received the gospel message and a revelation regarding his life and ministry directly from Jesus Christ (Galatians 1:11-12).
The term ‘Gospel’ is derived from the Greek word εὐαγγέλιον (Evangélio), which simply means, ‘Good News,’ the Good News regarding man’s salvation through Jesus Christ; that is, man’s deliverance from condemnation and eternal punishment. Those who believe in Jesus Christ – His existence from of the timeless past, His incarnation as a human being, His life and ministry on earth, His atoning death on the cross, burial, resurrection, ascension to heaven, and His second coming to take His faithful followers to heaven (as mentioned in Revelation 17:14 … the Lamb will triumph over them because he is Lord of lords and King of kings—and with him will be his called, chosen and faithful followers) – and accept Him as the Lord and Savior of their life will be saved. Romans 10:9 states that If you declare with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. Each of the four gospels documented the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and the salvation Jesus Christ offers to everyone who believes in Him. Due to the limitation of time and space, this writing is very brief in its nature to include all I know and experience about Jesus. However, I personally encourage everyone to read the Bible in its entirety, especially the gospels, to understand the life and ministry of Jesus Christ and what He has already done for you personally and what He has to offer to you and rest of the world.
Now, let us discuss the importance of the placement of Matthew in the New Testament. Have we ever thought why the gospel according to Matthew has been placed as the first book in the New Testament? There is a very specific reason why Matthew is placed as the first book in the New Testament. The gospel according to Matthew builds upon where the Old Testament paused. We need to understand that there were about four hundred years of silence since Malachi, the very last book of the Old Testament. Several of the Christian historians and scholars tagged this period as silent years in human history because it is believed that during this period God did not communicate with the human race, including the chosen people Israel. Since the Old Covenant was not followed carefully by His people Israel, God was preparing to make a New Covenant (New Testament) not only to His people Israel alone but for the entire humanity. As a result, God sent His One and Only Son [Jesus Christ] to this world. What is recorded in all of the four gospels in the New Testament is the eye-witnesses account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ during His time on earth. As the Son of God, Jesus has His origin from the timeless past, foretold about Him in the Old Testament and preparations were made for His incarnation. During the New Testament time, He appeared in the form of a human being, lived like any other human being except sin, submitted to the Will of God and fulfilled the redemptive work on the cross of Calvary; died, buried and resurrected from the dead, and ascended to heaven; and, currently, waiting for the fullness of time for His return to earth as the Righteous King to establish His Kingdom that will last forever. His reign will continue forever and ever through all ages. As the gospel according to Matthew begins with the genealogy of Jesus Christ, it not only connects Jesus with Jewish Patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, but with the entire Old Covenant (Old Testament) that talks about God’s plan and purpose for human race since creation. The gospel according to Matthew makes the content flow smoothly from the Old Testament into the New Testament and links the Old Testament to the New Testament.
The Gospel according to Matthew begins with the account of Jesus’ genealogy that connects Jesus with Abraham. God reveals His promise to Abraham and fulfills what He promised through Jesus Christ. So, Matthew is trying to proclaim the good news and establish this fact to his hearers, especially the Jewish hearers, that Jesus Christ is the long-awaited Messiah who had come to save the Jews as well as the rest of the humanity who are willing to be saved. Although there are several things in common with other gospels, Matthew’s gospel is different from other gospels. This is because Matthew’s ultimate aim was to establish Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. This was the reason why Matthew quoted the Old Testament, regarding Jesus, more often than any of the other gospel writers. Also, Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ teaching because he wants his readers to understand what God’s law places emphasis on. Also, Jesus’ teachings on the Kingdom of God (Heaven) is emphasized much in the gospel. Matthew dedicated several chapters to highlight the key teachings of Jesus Christ; such as Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7), Special instructions to His disciples (Chapter 10), the Kingdom Parables (Chapter 13), true discipleship (Chapter 18), and End times and Kingdom of God (Chapters 24-25).
The Title of the Book
The title of the book is mentioned as ‘The Gospel according to Matthew.’ Most Bible scholars and historians call the book simply as the Book of Matthew. However, in most Christian Bibles (English), the title of the book is mentioned as ‘The Gospel according to Matthew,’ which is the English translation of the Greek title Κατὰ Μαθθαῖον Εὐαγγέλιον. Some of the ancient Manuscripts show the title as ἅγιον εὐαγγέλιον κατὰ Μαθθαίον that is translated into English as ‘The Holy Gospel according to Matthew.’ Thus, the documented titles are chiefly either ‘Matthew’ or ‘The Gospel according to Matthew’ or ‘The Holy Gospel of Matthew.’ We can call it ‘Gospel’ (or Good News) because Matthew, the author of the book, being one of the Twelve disciples of Jesus Christ, records his firsthand experience of Jesus’ life and ministry on earth and beyond, and the salvation Jesus brought forth for humanity through His atoning death on the cross. This is the good news, therefore, the book is entitled as ‘The Gospel according to Matthew.’
Authorship of the Book
Although, the question about the authorship of The Gospel according to Matthew is still under dispute, a vast majority of Biblical scholars and historians accept that it is written by Apostle Matthew, one of the Twelve disciples. The Twelve were chosen and appointed by Jesus to carry out the Missio Dei – the Mission of God, and to continue the ministry that Jesus Christ began during His earthly life. The credibility of Matthew’s writings rest upon the fact that he was an eye-witness of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ on earth.
We do not know much about Matthew except what is mentioned in Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, and Luke 5:27-28, which states that Jesus called him while he was sitting at the tax collector’s booth in Capernaum on the Sea of Galilee. There are two different names (Matthew and Levi) which are mentioned in these gospels. Matthew mentioned his name as Matthew (in some translations mentioned as Matthew the tax collector), while Mark mentioned His name as Levi son of Alphaeus (Mark 2:14), and Luke mentioned his name simply as Levi (Luke 5:27-28). Also, his name is mentioned in Acts 1:13 as Matthew along with the names of the other apostles. It is believed that both these names, Matthew and Levi, were given to the same person. It is common to have two names for a person whether it is in the ancient days or in the present day. For instance, Simon is called Peter or Cephas, Thomas is called Didymus, and Saul is called Paul.
One other thing to clarify here is that whether Levi son of Alphaeus (that is, Matthew the tax collector), and James son of Alphaeus, one among the Twelve (Matthew 10:2-4; Mark 3:13-19; Luke 6:12-16; Acts 1:13) are related or not. Since both these men were counted among the Twelve, many Bible historians and scholars raised the questions such as ‘Are Levi son of Alphaeus (Matthew) and James son of Alphaeus brothers or are they related to each other in some other way? The answer to these questions is – no one knows. The Bible does not say whether they are brothers or related to each other in some other way. For instance, the Bible very specifically mentioned two sets of brothers among Jesus’ disciples, and they are: Peter and his brother Andrew, as well as James son of Zabedee and his brother John. However, there is no mention that Levi son of Alphaeus (Matthew) and James son of Alphaeus are brothers or related to each other. Different people have different opinions regarding this: some argue that they are brothers, but others say they are related through an ancestor, and still others say they are not related to each other in any way. Whatever might be the answer of such queries, we know one thing – that they were both counted among the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ. Since the Bible does not give any clear answer to this question, let us also maintain silence in responding to such matters.
Despite everything else, the Bible states that Matthew was called by Jesus to be His disciple and he was among the Twelve when Jesus sent them forth to preach the gospel. It is believed that after the ascension of Jesus Christ to heaven, Matthew became an apostle to Ethiopia, and carried out the ministry of an evangelist. Although, there is no provable evidence to show how or in what manner Matthew died, it is a widely accepted fact that he became a martyr for His Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. The Church history portrays him as a faithful servant to his Master Jesus Christ who called him to be part of the Missio Dei.
Date of Writing
Although we do not have a definite date to mention here about when Matthew wrote this gospel, most Bible scholars claims that Matthew wrote the gospel sometime between 55 and 69 AD. It is believed that Matthew probably started writing this gospel between 55 and 60 AD and completed it about 69 AD. The reason why it is said that Matthew might have completed writing the gospel by 69 AD is that there is no mentioning of the destruction of the temple of Jerusalem by the Romans, which took place in 70 AD.
The Recipients of the Gospel
The Gospel according to Matthew plays a major role in revealing Christ’s identity as the Son of God and His relationship with the Jewish people, the nation of Israel, and rest of the world. It is placed right at the beginning of the New Testament in order to introduce the person and ministry of Jesus Christ whose root is firmly established in the Old Testament, the Scripture of the Jewish people. Matthew strongly asserts to the Jewish people that Jesus Christ is the long-awaited Messiah, who is the only Hope for their salvation. The Gospel according to Matthew is primarily written for the Jews by a Jew, that is, Matthew, one of the Twelve disciples of Jesus Christ. Matthew quotes more Old Testament references in his gospel than the rest of the gospel writers. Matthew did this to show that Jesus was indeed the long awaited Messiah of the Old Testament prophecies. Matthew’s highlights of Old Testament prophecies regarding the ministry of Messiah included Jesus’ birth, life, baptism, ministry with the display of His divine power and mercy, and specifically the kind of death, burial, resurrection, and ascension to heaven after fulfilling the purpose of His coming. Matthew’s underlying intention of highlighting these Old Testament prophecies were to provide the Jews with context regarding the historical fact that Jesus is the Anointed One who would redeem the Jews as well as everyone who believes in Jesus and accepts Him as the Lord and savior of their life. This was the reason why Matthew was very keen to connect the genealogy of Jesus to Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and David. Matthew also includes the announcement of Gabriel regarding the birth of Jesus. Matthew did his best to narrate everything about Jesus in regard to his life and ministry from a historical perspective as well as from an eye-witness perspective. Matthew was very particular to highlight the fact that Jesus was sent to the Jews to save them, which includes finding the lost among the Israelites, which is evident from the following passages:
Matthew 10:2-8 … These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: “Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give …”
Matthew 15:24 … Jesus answered, “I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.“
The Gospel according to Matthew is accepted as one of the canonical Gospels, and has been widely used as an authoritative document in the church ever since it was written.
The Universal Uniqueness of Jesus’ Mission in Matthew’s Gospel
Although Matthew’s gospel is chiefly written for the Jews, it is not limited to the Jews alone but is written to everyone across the globe. On one hand, Matthew was particular about the salvation of the Jews, and, on the other hand, he did not deny the universality of God’s mission to save all of humanity. This is the reason why Matthew’s gospel is centered on one big theme – the Kingdom of God. Matthew also focuses on several other themes such as the importance of Messianic prophecies in the Old Testament, Salvation of Jews, repentance, forgiveness of sin, and so on. The fact is, Jesus began His ministry preaching about the Kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). John the Baptist, the forerunner of Jesus Christ, also began His ministry preaching about the King of God (Matthew 3:1-3). These indicate that the Kingdom of God is a reality which we need to experience in our present life, hold onto as a future hope, and live as a reality when Christ comes and establishes His Kingdom. For this purpose, Jesus divinely chose the Twelve and trained them to carry out the ministry God has entrusted upon them. In turn they would pass the beacon of the gospel to the next generation, and they in turn to the next generation, and this passing of the gospel will continue until the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Examples of Jesus’ Mission to the Jews in Matthew’s Gospel
*Matthew traced and upheld the genealogy of Jesus Christ from Abraham and David
Matthew 1:1-17 This is the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah the son of David, the son of Abraham … 17 Thus there were fourteen generations in all from Abraham to David, fourteen from David to the exile to Babylon, and fourteen from the exile to the Messiah
*Matthew upheld the importance of the city of Jerusalem
Matthew 4:5 Matthew portrayed Jerusalem as the Holy City
Matthew 5:35 Matthew portrayed Jerusalem as the city of the Great King
*Matthew upheld Jesus’ teachings of the Old Testament Law
Matthew 5:18-19 For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished. 19 Therefore anyone who sets aside one of the least of these commands and teaches others accordingly will be called least in the kingdom of heaven, but whoever practices and teaches these commands will be called great in the Kingdom of Heaven.
*Matthew upheld Jesus’ instructions about the teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
Matthew 23:2-3 The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses’ seat. 3 So you must be careful to do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach …
*Matthew upheld Jesus’ teachings to observe the Law
Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cumin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former.
*Matthew upheld Jesus’ instruction on paying the Temple Tax
Matthew 17:24-27 After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax? … Jesus said to Peter … “Take it and give it to them for my tax and yours.”
*Matthew upheld Jesus’ teachings on keeping Jewish traditions such as forgiving others, bringing offerings to the temple, prayer, fasting, keeping the Sabbath
Practicing Forgiveness and bringing offerings (Matthew 5:23-24): Therefore, if you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother or sister has something against you, 24 leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to them; then come and offer your gift
Prayer (Matthew 6:5-6): And when you pray, do not be like the hypocrites, for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and on the street corners to be seen by others. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 6 But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Fasting (Matthew 6:16): When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. 17 But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, 18 so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.
Keeping Sabbath (Matthew 12:1-12): …9 Going on from that place, he went into their synagogue … 12 it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath.
*Matthew upheld that Jesus was sent to the lost sheep of Israel
Matthew 15:24 Jesus answered, I was sent only to the lost sheep of Israel.
Matthew 10:5-8 These twelve Jesus sent out with the following instructions: Do not go among the Gentiles or enter any town of the Samaritans. 6 Go rather to the lost sheep of Israel. 7 As you go, proclaim this message: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’ 8 Heal the sick, raise the dead, cleanse those who have leprosy, drive out demons. Freely you have received; freely give
Examples of Jesus’ Mission to the non-Jews in Matthew’s Gospel
Matthew’s mentioning of the non-Jewish women in the genealogy of Jesus
Matthew 1:5-6 Salmon the father of Boaz, whose mother was Rahab (from Jericho, Joshua 2:2-3), Boaz the father of Obed, whose mother was Ruth (from Moab, Ruth 1:22; 4:13), Obed the father of Jesse, 6 and Jesse the father of King David. David was the father of Solomon, whose mother had been Uriah’s wife (Uriah’s wife was Bathsheba, a Hittite woman 2 Samuel 11)
Matthew’s mentioning of the visit of the Magi from the east (The Wise Men)
Matthew 2:1-2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”
Matthew’s mentioning of Jesus’ infancy years in Egypt
Matthew 2:13 When they had gone, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream. “Get up,” he said, “take the child and his mother and escape to Egypt. Stay there until I tell you, for Herod is going to search for the child to kill him.”
Matthew’ mentioning of Jesus’ Great Commission to preach the gospel to all nations
Matthew 28:18-20 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”
Matthew’s mentioning of the church
Matthew 16:18 … on this rock I will build my church, and the gates of Hades will not overcome it
Matthew 18:15-17 … tell it to the church; and if they refuse to listen even to the church, treat them as you would a pagan or a tax collector
The Major Themes in Matthew
The Authority in Jesus’ Ministry
Jesus is the incarnation of the Lord God Almighty – the One and Only self-existent God – who said, “I am the Alpha and the Omega, the First and the Last, the Beginning and the End” (Revelation 22:13), and “I am the first and I am the last, And there is no God besides Me” (Isaiah 44:6). He is the One who created the universe and everything in it (Genesis 1:1-2:3; Psalm 24:1). This means, He is vested with power and authority and He is the source of all power and authority in heaven and on earth. Whatever Jesus said or did, He did it with His authority and power. He preached with authority, He taught with authority, He did miracles with authority, He forgave sins of the people and healed various diseases with authority, and He controlled nature with His power and authority (Matthew 8:23-27 – Jesus calms the wind and waves). His teachings were with authority and power. Matthew 7:28-29 states, When Jesus had finished saying these things, the crowds were astonished at His teaching because he taught as one who had authority, and not as their teachers of the law. Jesus Himself declared that All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me (Matthew 28:18 [also, refer Matthew 11:27]).
Apart from the apostles of Jesus (The Twelve), apostle Paul is the one who received the most revelation from Jesus Christ. Paul noted down the revelation he received from Jesus Christ in several of his epistles that we have in our Bible. Of all the indescribable revelations that apostle Paul received about Jesus Christ, below mentioned are the two most important ones:
Colossians 1:15-20
15 The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation. 16 For in him all things were created: things in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or powers or rulers or authorities; all things have been created through him and for him. 17 He is before all things, and in him all things hold together. 18 And he is the head of the body, the church; he is the beginning and the firstborn from among the dead, so that in everything he might have the supremacy. 19 For God was pleased to have all his fullness dwell in him, 20 and through him to reconcile to himself all things, whether things on earth or things in heaven, by making peace through his blood, shed on the cross
Philippians 2:5-11
5 In your relationships with one another, have the same mindset as Christ Jesus: 6 Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage 7 rather, he made himself nothing by taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness. 8 And being found in appearance as a man, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to death— even death on a cross! 9 Therefore God exalted him to the highest place and gave him the name that is above every name,10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue acknowledge that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
In the same way that God the Father gave Jesus power and authority, Jesus also has passed the same power and authority over to His faithful followers (Matthew 10:1; Luke 10:19). The Gospel according to Matthew explicitly highlights Jesus’ Sovereignty and supremacy along with His authority and power.
The Kingdom of Heaven
The teachings on the Kingdom of Heaven is very much prominent in the Gospel according to Matthew. In some occasions Matthew mentions the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’ as the ‘Kingdom of God’ (12:28; 19:24; 21:31, 43). Jesus’ forerunner, John the Baptist, began his ministry by preaching the need for repentance because the kingdom of heaven has come near (Matthew 3:2). Later, when Jesus began His ministry, He began with the same message, Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near (Matthew 4:17).
Jesus’ Teachings on Discipleship
Discipleship is one of the very visible themes one can find in the gospel of Matthew. Just prior to Jesus’ ascension to heaven, He said to His disciples, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age” (Matthew 28:18-20). This command is known as the ‘Great Commission.’ The key thought in this command is to ‘Go and make disciples of all nations.’
Most of Jesus’ teachings are focused on discipleship, especially the teachings, collectively known as the “Sermon on the Mount,” which are recorded in Matthew 5-7. Jesus emphasizes discipleship and obeying God’s commands in His teachings. In addition to these, Jesus’ other teachings in connection with discipleship include the sending out of the Twelve (Matthew 10); His teachings through the parables of the sower, weeds, the hidden treasure and the pearl, the net (Matthew 13); the lost sheep, unmerciful servant (Matthew 18); the Ten virgins, bags of gold; the sheep and the goats (Matthew 25).
The Law and Righteousness
The Old Testament is filled with God’s righteous law, statues, precepts, decrees, and commands. For Matthew, being a Jew, these are the revelation from God to achieve righteousness in life. This is the reason why Jesus told His disciples “For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 5:20).
End-Time Events and Judgements
Along with several other themes, Matthew highlights the importance of understanding the reality of the end-times and the God’s judgements upon the ungodly and wicked. Jesus highlights these factors in the parable of the weeds that is mentioned in Matthew 13:24-30, 36-43. Also, the parables of the virgins and the parable of the sheep and goats reflect the end-time judgements very clearly (Matthew 25:1-13, 31-46). It is reflected in Matthew 7:19 “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.” However, Jesus assured His presence with His people until the end of the age (Matthew 28:20).
The Portrayals of Jesus in Matthew
According to Matthew’s gospel, Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament – the Son of the living God, who came down to this earth to redeem humanity from condemnation to eternal punishment in hell, whose death and resurrection paid the penalty for humanity’s sins and put an end to sin and death by overcoming Satan’s power and plans. He is the Son of God, the Anointed One, the suffering Messiah, a descendant from Abraham, the King of kings in the line of David, One who has authority on earth, a compassionate Friend who became ransom for many.
Outline of the Gospel according to Matthew
1:1-2:23 The Coming of the Messiah – the Anointed One
1:1-19 The Genealogy of Jesus Christ
1:1-6 From Abraham to king David
1:7-11 From king David to exile to Babylon
1:12-17 From Exile (at Babylon) to Jesus
1:18-19 Joseph and Mary’s formal engagement
1:20-25 Joseph’s vision regarding Christ’s Birth
1:20-21 The Visitation of Angel to Joseph in a Dream
1:22-25 Birth of Christ in Bethlehem as the fulfillment of the Prophecy
2:1-23 The Infancy and Childhood years of Jesus Christ
2:1-12 The visit of the Magi/the Wisemen
2:1-8 Magi’s Journey to Jerusalem to Visit baby Jesus
2:9-12 Magi’s gifts to baby Jesus and their worship
2:13-23 Life of Baby Jesus in danger
2:13-15 Joseph and Mary’s escape to Egypt in order to protect baby Jesus
2:16-18 Killing of the infants two years old and younger by Herod
2:19-22 Joseph, Mary and baby Jesus return to the land of Israel
2:23 Joseph and Mary settled down in Nazareth in Galilee with baby Jesus
3:1-4:25 The Preparations and beginning of Jesus’ Ministry
3:1-17 The Ministry of John the Baptist – the Forerunner of Jesus Christ
3:1-10 John Prepares the way for Jesus’ Ministry
3:1 The beginning of John’s Ministry in the wilderness of Judea
3:2-3 The Message of John’s Preaching
3:4-6 Personality and Appearance of John the Baptist
3:7-10 John baptizes those who repented and confessed their sins
3:11-12 John’s Introduction of Jesus and His Ministry
3:13-17 Jesus’ Baptism by John the Baptist and Anointing by the Spirit of God
4:1-11 Temptation of Jesus in the wilderness by the Devil [refer 1 John 2:16]
4:1-4 Temptation regarding the lust of flesh
4:5-7 Temptation regarding the pride of life
4:8-11 Temptation regarding the lust of the eyes
4:12-25 The Commencement of Jesus’ Ministry
4:12-17 Jesus’ Preaching about the Kingdom of Heaven
4:18-22 Jesus’ Calling of His first Disciples
4:23-25 The Outcome of Jesus’ preaching, teaching, and healing ministry
5:1-7:29 Jesus’ Teaching known as the Sermon on the Mount
5:1-16 The Basic Principles of Kingdom Values
5:1-2 The Background of the Sermon on the Mount
5:3-12 The Beatitudes (The Kingdom Blessings)
5:13-16 The Purpose of following Christ and the Importance of Salt and Light
5:17-7:29 The Kingdom Values and the Old Testament Law
5:17-20 The Purpose of Jesus’ coming – the Fulfillment of the Law
5:21-26 Warning against Murder and Anger
5:27-30 Warning against Adultery and Lustful Look
5:31-32 Covenant Relationship and Divorce
5:33-37 Taking Oaths Vs Integrity of Heart
5:33 Importance of taking Oaths and Fulfilling it (Old Law)
5:34-36 The reasons why One should not take Oaths
5:37 Importance of having a Integrity of Heart (New Law)
5:38-42 Avoid Revenge and Exercise/Practice Compassion
5:43-48 Teachings on practicing True Love
6:1-18 Practical guidelines to observe the Law of Righteousness
6:1-4 Righteousness in giving to the Needy
6:5-15 Righteousness in Praying in Private or Public
6:16-18 Righteousness in Personal or Community Fasting
6:19-7:27 Jesus’ Teachings on the Necessity of Righteous Living
6:19-24 Focusing on Heavenly things rather than Earthly things
6:19-21 The Importance of Storing up Treasure in the Right Place
6:22-23 The Healthy and Unhealthy eyes
6:24 The impossibility of Serving Two Masters
6:25-34 Lessons on Handling the worries of Life
6:25-27 Trust God and Stop unnecessary worries in Life
6:28-34 Assurance of God’s Way of Providing for His creation
7:1-6 The dangers in Judging Others
7:1-2 Warning against judging others
7:3-5 Warning against finding faults with others
7:6 Act with Discernment
7:7-12 The Necessity of Asking, Seeking, and Knocking
7:13-27 The Importance of Discerning the Right and Wrong
7:13-14 The Two Gates: Gate to Life and Gate to Destruction
7:15-20 The True and False Prophets
7:21-23 The True and False Disciples
7:24-27 The Wise and Foolish Builders
7:28-29 People’s Response to Jesus’ Teachings
8:1-9:38 Jesus and the Kingdom Ministries
8:1-17 Examples of Healing Ministry
8:1-4 Jesus healing leprosy
8:4-13 Jesus healing the Centurion’s paralyzed servant
8:14-15 Jesus Healing Peter’s Mother-in-law
8:16-17 Jesus healing the infirmities and diseases of all who came to Him
8:18-22 The Cost of being a Disciple of Jesus
8:23-9:8 Jesus’ authority over His creation: the Physical and Spiritual worlds
8:23-27 Jesus’ authority over the Natural world: The wind and waves obey Him
8:28-34 Jesus’ authority over the Supernatural world: Demon-possessed men
were delivered/freed from their captivity
9:1-8 Jesus’ authority in the Spiritual world: Jesus forgives sin and heals sickness
9:9-17 A Call to Discipleship
9:9 The Calling of Matthew the Tax Collector
9:10-13 The basic principles of Discipleship
9:14-15 Questions Regarding Fasting
9:16-17 Learning Practical Lessons from regular activities
9:16 Lessons to learn from unshrunk cloth and old garments
9:17 Lessons to learn from new wine and old wineskins
9:18-34 Creator’s Power and authority Displayed
9:18-22 Healing of Woman suffering from bleeding for Twelve years
9:23-26 Synagogue Leader’s Daughter Raised from the Dead
9:27-31 Jesus gives sight to the Blind Men
9:32-34 Jesus healed the demon-possessed mute man
9:35-11:1 The Kingdom Work and Deputation of the Kingdom Workers
9:35-38 Immense number of Workers needed in the Ministry Field
10:1-42 Jesus Appoints the Twelve to Carry out the Ministry of the Kingdom
10:1 Jesus gives His disciples authority to carry out the Ministry
10:2-4 The Appointed Apostles: The Twelve
10:5-15 Jesus gives Instructions to the Twelve
10:5-8 The things they must do
10:9-10 The things they must not take with them
10:11-15 The place where they must choose to stay
10:16-20 The Kingdom worker in the field are like sheep among wolves
10:21-23 The divisions and enmity among the people and persecution
10:24-25 Student-Teacher and Servant-Master Comparisons
10:26-39 Jesus’ Encouragement and Additional Teachings to His Disciples
10:40-42 Reward to everyone who faithfully Serves
11:1 Completion of Instructions and Commencement of Extensive Ministry
11:2-30 The Ministry of John the Baptist and Jesus Christ
11:2-19 The last days of John the Baptist’s Ministry as the Forerunner of Jesus
11:2-6 The Response of Jesus to John the Baptist’s inquiry
11:2-3 John’s question – Are you the one who is to come?
11:3-6 Jesus’ Response to John’s question about His Messiahship
11:7-19 Jesus testifies about John the Baptist’s Ministry
11:7-10 Jesus speaks about John the Baptist: The Prophet
11:11 The greatness of John the Baptist
11:12-19 The pathetic condition of the society where Prophet Elijah and John the Baptist served
11:20-24 Judgement upon the unrepentant Towns
11:25-30 Revelation of Jesus’ identity
11:25-27 Jesus’ identity as the Son
11:28-30 Jesus offers rest to the weary and burdened
12:1-50 Jesus Lives Out to be the Creator and the Lord
12:1-14 Jesus – the Lord of the Sabbath
12:1-8 Jesus affirmed as the Lord of the Sabbath
12:9-14 A Man with a shriveled hand Healed on the Sabbath
12:15-21 The Ministry of Jesus as God’s Chosen Servant
12:15-17 Jesus Heals the Sick
12:18 Jesus – the chosen Servant who Proclaims Justice
12:19-20 Jesus – the caring Servant
12:21 Jesus – The hope of the Nations
12:22-45 The Jews and their Leaders’ opposition against Jesus
12:22-23 Jesus heals a demon-possessed blind and mute man
12:24 Pharisees opposition and accusation against Jesus
12:25-29 Jesus’ Response to the Pharisees’ accusation
12:30-32 Unpardonable sin – blasphemy against the Spirit
12:33-37 Need to give an account of good and evil deeds
12:38 Jews ask for a sign from Jesus
12:39-41 Jesus’ Response – The sign of Jonah
12:42 Jesus greater than Solomon – the wisest king
12:43-45 The example of the impure spirit and the wicked generation
12:46-50 Jesus’ mother and brothers – the one who does the will of God
13:1-58 The Mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven Revealed through Parables
13:1-52 Jesus explains various parables
13:1-23 The Parable of the Sower
13:24-30 [36-43] The Parable of the Weeds
13:31-32 The Parable of the Mustard Seed
13:33 The Parable of the Yeast
13:34-35 Fulfillment of the Prophecy Regarding Parables
13:36-43 [24-30] The Interpretation of the Parable of the Weeds
13:44 The Parable of the Hidden Treasure
13:45-46 The Parable of the Pearl
13:47-50 The Parable of the Net
13:51-52 Jesus made sure that His Disciples understood the Parables
13:53-58 A Prophet without Honor in His hometown
14:1-36 The Miracles of Jesus Revealing His Compassionate Nature
14:1-12 John The Baptist Beheaded
14:13-21 Jesus Feeds the Five Thousand in a Solitary Place
14:22-33 Jesus walks on the water to help His Disciples
14:34-36 Jesus Heals the Sick at Gennesaret
15:1-39 Jesus Authority and Power extends beyond boundaries
15:1-2 Jewish Leaders’ accusation of breaking Jewish Tradition
15:3-20 Jesus’ Response explaining what exactly defiles a person
15:21-28 Jesus heals the daughter of the Canaanite woman
15:29-39 Jesus Feeds the Four Thousand
16:1-4 The Pharisees and Sadducees Demands for a sign
16:5-12 Jesus’ warning against the Yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees
16:13-15 General and specific questions regarding Jesus’ identity
16:16-20 Revelation and Realization of Jesus’ identity
16:21-28 [17:22-23; 20:17-19; 26:1-2] Jesus predicts His Death and Resurrection
17:1-13 The Transfiguration of Jesus Christ in front of Peter, James, and John
17:14-21 Importance of having unswerving faith to carry out God’s Mission
17:14-18 Jesus healing the demon-possessed Boy
17:19-21 Jesus’ instructions to increase His disciples’ faith
17:22-23 [16:21-28; 20:17-19; 26:1-2] Jesus Predicts His Death a Second Time
17:24-27 Question Regarding Paying Temple Tax
18:1-20:34 Jesus Teachings on living a Faithful Life
18:1-5 The Requirements to be greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven
18:6-11 Jesus’ warning against Causing Trouble
18:6-7 Warning against despising little ones to stumble
18:8-9 Teaching about one’s own body part causing trouble
18:10-11 Warning against despising little ones
18:12-14 The Parable of the Wandering Sheep
18:15-18 Jesus’ teaching about dealing with sin in the Church
18:19-20 Jesus Promises
18:19 Jesus’ Promise of answering Prayers
18:20 Jesus’ Promise of being with His people
18:21-35 Jesus’ Teachings on the importance of forgiving others
19:1-12 Jesus’ Teachings on Understanding Marriage and Divorce
19:1-2 Jesus’ Ministry in the region of Judea
19:3-12 Invitation to Understand Marriage
19:3 Pharisees’ questions regarding Divorce
19:4-6 Insights on Marriage as a covenant Relationship
19:7-8 Teachings on why Divorce was allowed by Moses
19:9-10 Teachings on why divorce is not allowed by Jesus
19:11-12 Significance of not being Married
19:3-15 Jesus blesses the Children
19:16-30 Wealth and the Kingdom of God
19:16-22 The question and answer session between Jesus and a rich man
19:16-19 The importance of obeying the Law
19:20-22 The importance of releasing wealth
19:23-26 The significance of renouncing our belongings to follow Jesus
19:27-30 The reward for renouncing our belongings to follow Jesus
20:1-16 The Parable of the workers in the vineyard
20:17-19 [16:21-28; 17:22-23; 26:1-2] Jesus Predicts His Death a Third Time
20:20-28 Natural vs Spiritual – ‘Provision and Position’ comes from the Father
20:29-34 Compassion of Jesus: Two Blind Men receives Sight
21:1-22 Public Acceptance of Jesus as the King Everlasting
21:1-11 [Zechariah 9:9] Jesus’ Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem
21:1-3 Jesus commands bringing the donkey with its colt
21:4-5 Fulfillment of the Prophecy of Prophet Zechariah 9:9
21:6-11 Jesus’ Entrance into Jerusalem through a large crowd
21:6-7 Jesus on the Donkey riding to Jerusalem
21:8-9 The crowd spreading their cloaks on the road and Singing Hosanna
21:10-11 Celebration in Jerusalem
21:12-17 Jesus Enters the Temple in Jerusalem
21:12a-17 The wonderful things Jesus did in the Temple
21:12b-13 Jesus cleansing the Temple (the House of Prayer)
21:14 Jesus healing the blind and the lame in the Temple
21:15a The children singing Hosanna to the Son of David
21:15b The chief priests and the teachers of the law oppose Jesus
21:16-17 Fulfillment of Psalm 8:2
21:18-22 Jesus’ cursing of the fig tree
21:23-23:39 Jesus teaching about the Kingdom of God in the Temple Courts
21:23 The chief priests and the elders of the people questions Jesus’ authority
21:24-27 Jesus’ counter-question to the priests and elders of the people
21:28-22:14 Jesus Teaching the crowd using Parables
21:28-32 The Parable of the Two sons: Repent and believe in Jesus
21:33-46 The Parable of the Landowner and the evil Tenants
22:1-14 The Parable of the Wedding Banquet
22:15-22 Evil intent of the Pharisees and the Herodians to trap Jesus
22:15-17 The Pharisees’ and Herodians’ evil intent to trap Jesus
22:18-22 Jesus’ Response to the Pharisees and the Herodians
22:23-33 Cunningness of the Sadducees to trap Jesus
22:23-28 Sadducees’ question regarding marriage at the Resurrection
22:29-33 Jesus Response to the Sadducees’ question
22:34-40 The Pharisees’ question regarding the Greatest Commandment
22:41-46 Jesus re-emphasizing king David’s statement (Ps 110:1) about Himself
23:1-39 Jesus’ warning against the religious leaders of the People
23:1-12 The hypocrisy of Pharisees and the teachers of the Law
23:1-3a Jesus’ encouragement to do everything they tell you
23:3b-7 Jesus’ encouragement to not do what they do
23:8-12 Jesus encouragement to downplay worldly honors
23:13-39 Seven Woes on the Teachers of the Law and the Pharisees
23:13-14 Woe for being a stumbling block to others
23:15-22 Woe for Swearing
23:23-24 Woe for not practicing justice, mercy, and faithfulness
23:25-26 Woe for being full of greed and self-indulgence
23:27-28 Woe for being full of hypocrisy and wickedness inside
23:29-32 Woe for shedding the blood of the prophets
23:33-36 Woe for killing and persecuting the Prophets
23:37-39 Jesus laments over Jerusalem
24:1-25:46 Jesus’ discourse on the Mount of Olives (also known as: the Olivet Discourse)
24:1-51 Teachings Regarding the signs of Jesus’ Return and the End of the Age
24:1-2 Jesus Predicts the destruction of the Jerusalem Temple
24:3-35 Teachings on the Signs of Jesus’ Return
24:3-5 [22-28] False Rumors of the Return of the Messiah
24:6-8 Conflicts between the nations, wars, and rumors of wars
24:9-14 Hatred and persecution of the faithful followers of Christ
24:15-21 The abomination that causes desolation at the Holy Place
24:22-28 [3-5] False Rumors of the Return of the Messiah
24:29-35 The distress and the signs of the last days
24:36-44 Be vigilant and stay prepared for the coming of the Son of Man
24:45-51 Be prepared as a faithful and Wise Servant for the Master’s Coming
25:1-30 The Parables Regarding Preparedness for Christ’s Coming
25:1-13 The parable of the ten virgins
25:14-30 The parable of Talents
25:31-46 Reward and Punishment: The Illustration of Sheep and Goats
26:1-27:66 The Accusation, Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion, and Burial of Jesus Christ
26:1-5 Jewish Leaders’ Plot against Jesus to kill Him
26:1-2 [16:21-28; 17:22-23; 20:17-19] Jesus Predicts His Death again
26:3-5 Jews plot to arrest and kill Jesus secretly
26:6-46 Jesus’ Preparations for His Last Days on earth as a human being
26:6-13 Anointing of Jesus at Bethany
26:14-16 Judas Iscariot betraying Jesus for thirty pieces of silver
26:17-30 The Passover Celebration and the institution of the Lord’s Supper
26:31-35 Jesus predicts Peter’s denial of Jesus Three Times
26:36-46 Jesus’ Prayer at Gethsemane
26:47-68 Jesus’ Arrest at Gethsemane and Trial before the Sanhedrin
26:47-56 Jesus’ arrest at Gethsemane
26:57-68 The Religious Trial of Jesus before the Sanhedrin
26:69-75 Peter disowns Jesus Three times
27:1-10 Remorse and death of Judas
27:11-66 The Trial of Jesus before the Roman Judiciary that leads to Crucifixion
27:11-26 Jesus’ Trial before the Pilate (Roman governor)
27:27-31 The Soldiers Mock Jesus
27:32-66 Crucifixion, death, and burial of Jesus
27:32-44 Crucifixion of Jesus
27:45-56 Death of Jesus Christ on the Cross
27:57-61 Burial of Jesus in a newly cut Tomb of Joseph of Arimathea
27:62-66 The Soldiers guarding the Tomb
28:1-20 Resurrection of Jesus from the dead and Ascension to Heaven
28:1-10 The Resurrection of Jesus from the dead
28:11-15 The guards’ Report to the Jewish Leaders of Jesus’ Resurrection
28:11-12 The Guards’ Report
28:13-15 Jewish leaders’ made-up story regarding Jesus’ Resurrection
28:16-20 The Great Commission given to His Disciples
