David Jeremiah - Matthew: The Arrival of the King

As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, Follow Me. So he arose and followed Him (Matthew 9:9). At first glance, it seems surprising that Jesus would call a man like Matthew (also known as Levi) to become one of His disciples. As a small-time tax collector, Matthew would have been despised by the Jewish people, who viewed those in the profession as traitors to Rome. But the fact that Matthew was educated, literate, and also familiar with Jewish law and customs made him the ideal candidate to not only accompany Jesus during His earthly ministry but also record all that he witnessed. The result is the Gospel we have todaya document that since its creation has been read, studied, memorized, and treasured throughout church history in every part of the world.

The Gospel of Matthew, as with the other three Gospels, does not list the name of its author. However, the earliest church fathers to mention the Gospel all concurred it was written by the disciple named Matthew. Papias, who lived c. AD 60163, wrote, Matthew composed the Logia [Gospel] in the Hebrew dialect, and everyone interpreted them as he was able. Irenaeus (c. AD 130202) wrote, Matthew also issued a written Gospel among the Hebrews in their own dialect. Origen (c. AD 185254) agreed, stating, Among the four Gospels... I have learned by tradition that the first was written by Matthew, who was once a publican, but afterwards an apostle of Jesus Christ. Internal evidence indicates the Gospel was likely written sometime between AD 50 to 60, possibly from Antioch.

While Matthew does not overtly state his purpose in writing his Gospel, it is clear his intended audience was predominantly Jewish and that his overriding goal was to demonstrate that Jesusthe carpenter from Nazarethwas their long-awaited Messiah. This is seen in the fact that Matthew references Jewish customs without explaining them, frequently cites prophecies from the Old Testament to show how Jesus fulfilled them, refers to Jesus as the Son of David, and uses the phrase kingdom of heaven rather than kingdom of God so as not to offend those Jews who believed it was sacrilegious to speak or write Gods name. Matthews genealogy goes back only as far as Abraham, the father of the Jewish race, and his account of Jesus ministry focuses more on Christs work within Galilee than among the Gentiles.

Several key themes are prominent in Matthews Gospel. The first, as previously noted, is that Jesus was the promised Messiah whose birth, ministry, death, and resurrection were prophesied in the Old Testament. Matthew makes his case by quoting more than sixty prophecies from the Old Testament, revealing how Jesus fulfilled each one. Matthews use of the Son of David for Jesus, in addition to his narrative on the Magi who presented gifts to him, reveal that he intended to present Jesus as the true King of the Jewish people.

A second theme is that Jesus ushered in a new kingdom. Jesus provided the first glimpse of this new kingdom in His Sermon on the Mount (see Matthew 57)... and it was not at all what the Jewish people were expecting. This kingdom of heaven that Jesus proclaimed was both a present reality (as Jesus revealed through the healings He performed) and a future hope (which He depicted in many of His teachings and parables). Throughout Matthews Gospel, we find Jesus instructing His followers on what living in this type of kingdom required from them.

A third theme is that Jesus was a teacher and worker of miracles. Matthew records five major discourses from Jesus (57; 10; 13; 1820; 24; 25), each followed by narratives of Jesus works. These works often took the form of miracles that Jesus performedsigns that revealed how Jesus was the promised Messiah and was ushering in the arrival of Gods kingdom on earth. Jesus acts over nature (such as the calming of the sea and the multiplication of loaves and fish to feed crowds of people) in particular point to His authority as the Messiah.

A fourth theme is that Jesus warned about the danger of unbelief. Matthew often shows Jesus engaging with the Pharisees and Sadduceesthe Jewish religious leaders of the dayto show how their use of rituals and traditions were keeping the people from finding God. This culminates with Jesus issuing seven woes against such teachers (see Matthew 23:1330). Many of Jesus parables also illustrate how the Jewish people were closed to receiving His words. Jesus repeatedly warned of the failure to act on the message He was proclaiming.

Matthew shows how Jesus, as the promised Messiah, is worthy of our hope. He shows how Jesus, as the Messiah, is worthy of our trust. And he explains how Jesus, as the eternal King, is worthy of our complete devotion... and our complete submission to Him.