Gospel of Matthew

Gospel of Matthew: A Biblical History

The Gospel of Matthew is one of four gospels in the Holy Bible and the first book in chronological order presented in the New Testament of the Bible. Matthew was one of the 12 apostles that were with Jesus Christ throughout His public ministry on earth. The consensus among conservative scholars is that this book in the Bible was written between 50 and 70 A.D. Matthew was a Jewish tax collector that left his profession to follow the Lord. Matthew gives a personal witness account of many miracles that Jesus performed prior to being crucified on a Roman cross. The purpose of this book is to prove to readers that Jesus is the true Messiah that was prophesized in the Old Testament of the Bible. It is an artistically written book and proves to be consistent with the other three gospels in the Bible; Mark, Luke and John regarding the historical events that occurred during the life of Jesus on earth. With 28 chapters, it is the longest Gospel of the four.

Gospel of Matthew: The Outline and Structure

This Gospel of Matthew is divided into eight sections that describe different parts of Jesus' life. It begins with the Genealogy of Jesus that establishes and proves that He was a descendant of King David. This fact is important because it is consistent with the Old Testament description of the Messiah. The first section also describes the miracle birth story of Jesus. The second section of the Gospel records the beginning of Jesus' ministry. It also describes in detail the baptism of Jesus and His temptation by Satan in the desert. After 40 days and nights of fasting Jesus resisted all temptation. The next section beginning in the middle of chapter 4 through the middle of chapter 14 covers accounts of the ministry of Jesus while in Galilee. During this time, He commissions the 12 Apostles, preaches The Beatitudes, performs miracles and teaches many lessons on very important subjects including; adultery, divorce, giving, prayer, judging, worry, treasures in Heaven and warnings to people. Also, in chapter 13, Jesus begins teaching in parables to provide examples to His lessons. Jesus withdraws from Galilee in section four and performs the miracle of feeding five thousand people with five loaves of bread and two fish (Matthew 14:17). He also walks on water (Matthew 14:25). Chapter 17 describes the transfiguration that was witnessed by three disciples, John, Peter and James (Matthew 17:1). Section six indicates the return of Jesus to Galilee and the prediction of His death. The seventh section beginning in chapter 21 marks the triumphal entry by Jesus into Jerusalem on the back of a donkey and ends in the trial and crucifixion of Jesus on the cross as a sacrifice for all the sin in the world. The eighth and last section, describes the events of the resurrection and Jesus defeating death.

Gospel of Matthew: What is the Significance?

The Gospel of Matthew presents many important facts and significant lessons. First, it clearly establishes that Jesus Christ is the Messiah that was prophesized throughout the Old Testament. Second, it proves that Jesus was the Son of God, whom He claimed to be through living a sinless and perfect life. Third, the Gospel records Jesus performing miracles over nature (calming the storm; Mat. 8:23-27), healing people (curing the servant; Mat. 8:5-13) and raising the dead (Jairus's daughter; Mat. 9:18-19). Fourth, Jesus personally gives over 200 real and practical lessons of how God desires people to live, respond through challenging circumstances, and make choices regarding their future for eternity. A few examples of these include: having faith (9:29), dealing with fear (8:26), God answering prayers (8:2), the promise of salvation (10:22), obeying God (15:19), loving your neighbor (19:19), sacrificing (20:22), resolving legal issues (5:25), how to give to others (6:2), forgiving others that sin against you (6:14), resisting temptation (4:2), being a hypocrite (23:28), acknowledging Christ (10:32), and the image of Heaven and Hell (13:49,50). Every word spoken and written in this Gospel can be applied to life in a practical manner. Of course, a summary of this extremely important book of the Bible can only provide highlights, and is not a replacement for reading the actual text.

Gospel of Matthew: The Final Chapter & Great Commission

The last chapter of the Gospel of Matthew specifies the calling of all disciples of Christ: "Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen." (Matthew 28:19-20). This is the mission of all Christians that have a faithful commitment to Jesus Christ. It is to spread the Good News of Jesus Christ to the world and teach the lessons that He commands.