We continue our occasional series of explorations of the books of the Bible with the Gospel of Matthew. As part of this ongoing series, we’ll include one of our beautifully produced videos that highlight the key themes of that book of the Bible
Matthew is the first of the four Gospels. We learn from the Gospels that Matthew was formerly a tax collector, a very unpopular occupation. But Matthew left everything to follow Jesus after he reached the conclusion that Jesus was the expected Messiah. His Gospel emphasizes the King and His kingdom and was originally written primarily for an audience of Jewish readers. Matthew emphasizes that God has sent His King, His Messiah, who would rule as His Regent on earth by offering the kingdom to His people. In this sense, Matthew is the culmination of all the Old Testament’s anticipation of the Messiah who would come, so Matthew frequently references the Old Testament.
Matthew emphasizes that God has sent His King, His Messiah, who would rule as His Regent on earth by offering the kingdom to His people.
Matthew seeks to convince his readers that Jesus is the Messianic King whom the Jews were waiting for. That’s why he begins with a genealogy that links Jesus to the royal line of David. The book reaches an unexpected climax when the Messiah is crucified, but this is followed by the resurrection and the announcement that the King is alive and coming back, and that His kingdom is in the world today. Jesus’ Great Commission at the end of Matthew’s Gospel (Matthew 28:18-20) means that the book of Matthew is relevant for us as believers today.
Here’s a short video that highlights five key themes of the book of Matthew. May you be blessed by it!
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Everybody needs someone to help them navigate through their life. Timothy had the best of mentors in the apostle Paul, who wrote two letters to encourage him in his life and ministry. During his missionary journeys, Paul had left Timothy behind in Ephesus so that he could grow the ministry that...
