Date Written: Between 60-65

Author: Matthew (also called Levi)

Setting: Matthew was a Jewish tax collector who became one of Jesus’ disciples. This Gospel is a connecting link between the Old & New Testaments because of its emphasis on the fulfillment of prophecy. More than 400 years had passed since the last OT prophecies & faithful Jews were still waiting for the Messiah. They had been waiting for a leader, the Messiah, who had been prophesied to come. They believed He would rescue them from their Roman oppressors & establish a new kingdom. They believed that as their king, He would rule the world with justice.

Key People: Jesus, Mary, Joseph, John the Baptist, the disciples, the religious leaders, Caiaphas, Pilate, Mary Magdalene

Purpose: To prove that Jesus is the Messiah, the eternal King & to explain God’s kingdom.

Key Verses: 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. 5:17

Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to Me. 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.” 28:18-19

Chapter Outline:

1-4 Birth & Early Life of Jesus

5-20 Ministry of Jesus

21-28 Death & Resurrection of Jesus

Importance of reading Matthew:

What we read: When Jesus called Matthew to be one of His disciples, he got up & followed, leaving a very good career behind. What can we learn: When God calls you to follow or obey Him, do you do it with as much abandon as Matthew? Sometimes the decision to follow Jesus requires difficult or painful choices. But we must decide to leave behind those things that would keep us from following Jesus.

What we read: Matthew starts his book with the genealogy of Jesus. We read the names of 46 people whose lives span 2000 years. All were ancestors of Jesus, but they varied in personality, spirituality & experiences. Some were heroes of faith like Abraham, Isaac, Ruth & David. Some had shady reputations like Rahab & Tamar. Many were very ordinary like Hezron, Ram, Nahshon & Akim. And others were evil like Manasseh & Abijah. God isn’t limited by human failures or sins. What we can learn: God used all kinds of people to bring His son into the world. He works through ordinary people. God can use you too.

What we read: The name Immanuel means “God with us”. What we can learn: We have a tendency to forget God is always with us. Many times we try to do everything on our own instead of turning it all over to God.

What we read: The magi saw the child with His mother & bowed down & worshiped Him. Then they opened their treasures & gave Him gifts of gold, frankincense & myrrh. They brought the most precious gifts they had & offered them to Jesus. What we can learn: We all have gifts & talents. Do you use them in service to God? Do you give Him what you treasure most or do you hold on to those things & give Him leftovers?

What we read: Matthew 4:1-11 Satan tempts Jesus in the desert. What we can learn: Temptation isn’t sin. We sin when we give in to the temptation & disobey God. We see that Jesus is tempted in the desert, where He is tired, alone, hungry & most vulnerable. That’s when the enemy launches his attacks against us – when we are most vulnerable. We read that satan used scripture to try to convince Jesus to sin. He took the Word & put his false interpretation on it, but Jesus responded with the true Word of God. That’s why it is so vital to know the Word of God. It is our weapon against the enemy.

What we read: Matthew 6:33 – Jesus told them to seek first the kingdom of God & His righteousness & all these things will be added to you. What we can learn: We need to get our priorities right. God promises that we will have the things we need if we put Him first. But if we seek after all the things first, we don’t have that promise.

What we read: Matthew 12:25 – Jesus told them that every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined & every city or household divided against itself will not stand. What we can learn: Too many times, instead of coming together to further the kingdom of God, Christians are arguing over things. It’s a tactic of the enemy to get us off what should be our main focus – winning the lost to Christ.

What we read: Jesus took five loaves & two fishes & fed thousands. What we can learn: Jesus can work a miracle out of small things if we give it to Him. What you have may seem insufficient, but in His hands it will be more than enough. He can use & multiply whatever we give Him.

What we read: Matthew 22:37-40 Jesus says we are to love God with all our heart, soul & mind. This is the first & great commandment. We are also to love our neighbor as ourselves. What we can learn: There is an absence of love in this world. We are to love God with our whole being. We don’t just say we love God, but we should show it with obedience, worship, adoration & trust. When we truly love God, it changes the way we think & talk & act. We are to love others as well. That means to treat people as you would like to be treated. We should respect, listen, honor, encourage & cherish each other. We should be patient, kind & forgiving.

What we read: Matthew tells of Jesus’ crucifixion, burial & resurrection. What we can learn: Romans 10:9 That if you confess with your mouth, “Jesus is Lord,” & believe in your heart that God raised Him from the dead, you will be saved”. We believe that Jesus died on the cross, was buried & that God raised Him from the dead. This was God’s divine plan for our redemption.

What we read: Matthew 28:18-20 Jesus gave them the great commission when He said “All authority in heaven & on earth has been given to Me. Go therefore & make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father & of the Son & of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” What we can learn: We can learn 4 things from these verses. 1) Authority – we live under Jesus’ authority. He has all authority & when we engage in this commission, we do so with the authority of Jesus. With His authority, we need not fear. 2) Lifestyle – Our lifestyle should be one of making disciples. That means we are not just doing this in a Sunday school classroom, but in our daily conversations & the examples we set in our daily lives. As we follow Jesus, we should be bringing others along with us. 3) Teaching – Jesus told us to teach everything He taught. In this age of grace, we sometimes ignore the things He taught us. But following Jesus is a life of not just faith, but also of obedience. Everything Jesus taught is relevant for us today. 4) Presence – He promised that He would always be with us. We can rely on that promise. He will never fail us or forsake us.

Things to think about as your read Matthew:

• As you read Matthew 7:21-27, think about the difference between merely hearing something & hearing & living accordingly. Which best describes you? Have you submitted to Jesus as King in your life?
• Can you explaining from scripture why Jesus is the King of the promised kingdom?
• Do you realize that Jesus’ final words to His disciples in Matthew 28:19-20 are your responsibility also? What are you doing in order to fulfill His Great Commission? As you go, are you making disciples? Are you teaching them to observe all that He has commanded?

Link to Video: https://youtu.be/YYxzjxOL5q4?si=Ktak8nWony2HNsz-

Blessings,

Nichole Henson

Fullness of Joy Ministry