Hi! Welcome back to One Book At a Time. This week we’ll be looking at the gospel of Matthew for our overview. Matthew is in the New Testament and starts off this section of the bible. The book of
Matthew is thought to have been written by a man named Matthew. Some people think that Matthew wasn’t the author of this book, but believe the authorship is anonymous. Matthew was one of Jesus’ twelve disciples and most likely wrote this book to show Jesus as the fulfillment of the Old Testament.
Matthew 1:23 says “See, the virgin will become pregnant and give birth to a son, and
they will name him Immanuel.” The Old Testament had many prophecies about the coming Messiah, who would be Jesus.
In Matthew 9:9, we see Jesus call Matthew to follow him. It says “As Jesus went on from
there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, “Follow me,” and he got up and followed him.”
The first chapter of Matthew gives the genealogy of Jesus showing that he came from
royal kings of the time. The book starts out by retelling the story of Jesus’ birth, his baptism and about when he was tempted in the wilderness by the devil. Matthew includes a detailed story of the Sermon on the Mount and the 10 miracles Jesus performed where he cast out demons, raised people from the dead, and commanded authority over diseases. This book tells some of the parables Jesus told in his day. Towards the end of the book, Jesus makes it to Jerusalem and teaches about who he is and why he lived the way he did. Then, Jesus’ crucifixion, burial, and resurrection are described. After Jesus’ resurrection, he gave his disciples a command to share who he was and to make disciples of all nations.
Matthew 28:18-20 says, “Jesus came near and said to them, “All authority has been given
to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe everything I have commanded you. And remember, I am with you always, to the end of the age.” This passage is often preached on in regards to missions. It is a commandment given by Jesus, which means we need to be following it and carrying it out as believers. All believers should be making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them how to read the bible to know how to live as believers. Jesus reminds the disciples that they are not alone in this command and that he is always with them. He doesn’t mean that specifically he is, but that he sent the holy spirit to dwell with them and with believers too.
In John 14:16-17, it explicitly tells about the Holy Spirit saying, “And I will ask the
Father, and he will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive him because it doesn’t see him or know him. But you do know him, because he remains with you and will be in you.” I know that’s not in the book of Matthew, but I thought it would be good to share because it shows how the Gospel books intertwine, but also have their own purposes in the bible.
In Jesus’ teaching on the Sermon on the Mount, there are so many great verses for us to
live by. In Matthew 5:16, it says “In the same way, let your light shine before others, so that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father in heaven.” There are many verses similar to this throughout the whole bible that believers should use as our blueprint of how to live following Christ.
Matthew 6:33 says, “But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness and all
these things will be provided for you.” As believers, we need to make sure that we are fixing our eyes on God. If you are an unbeliever, don’t be intimidated by this. You can see God too. He’s pursuing you and all you need to do is be in pursuit of him too.
Jesus’ call for his followers’ mission is reinforced in Matthew 9:37-38 where it says,
“Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is abundant, but the workers are few. Therefore, pray to the Lord of the harvest to send out workers into the harvest.” In the grand scheme of the whole world, there are many who don’t know God or the name of Jesus. There are many who have been taught that it’s bad. There are not many people who will go, preach and share the name of Jesus. If you don’t feel God is calling you to go and share, then your job is to pray. Pray hard for there to be people to go and for there to be people accepting of Jesus.
The last verse I want to point out is the greatest commandment that is spelled out in
Matthew 22:37-40. It says “He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.” This is the greatest and most important command. The second is like: Love your neighbor as yourself. All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.” It’s very simple. We are to love God and love others. Others aren’t defined with any parameters in the bible, so it literally means all other souls on Earth. Let that sink in.
To conclude, the Gospel of Matthew introduces Jesus as the Promised Messiah who came
to save his people. Throughout the book, Jesus teaches, performs miracles, and eventually gives his life before rising from the dead and commanding all who follow him to make disciples of all nations. Following Jesus is about loving God, loving others, and living out the mission he has given us as believers.
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