Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  The symbol for the Gospel of Matthew is a man.  Matthew opens his Gospel showing Jesus’ human “family tree” or genealogy.  The Gospel of Matthew was written around 85 AD.  Matthew’s audience was primarily Jewish Christians and some Gentiles.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  The Gospel of Matthew is the first book of the New Testament, even though it was written after the Gospel of Mark.  Through Matthew’s genealogy tracing back to Abraham, Matthew becomes a good transition between the Old and New Testaments.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  In the early Church, the Gospel of Matthew was the most popular Gospel and was thought to be the first written Gospel.  The purpose of Matthew’s Gospel was to show Jewish Christians that Jesus was the fulfillment of all Jewish prophecies about the Messiah and one could be a faithful Jew and believe in Christ.  Matthew also wanted to help Jewish Christians accept Gentile, or non-Jewish, Christians to the faith community.  Matthew shows his audience that Jesus Christ is a universal figure for all people to follow, whether Jew or Gentile.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Matthew’s Gospel includes an Infancy Narrative, or the account of Jesus’ birth and early life.  Matthew and Luke are the only Gospel writers that included infancy narratives.  Since the infancy narratives were written after Jesus’ Resurrection, the writers interpreted Jesus’ birth fully understanding His Hypostatic Union.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  In Matthew’s Infancy Narrative, we see:  Genealogy of Jesus  Announcement of Jesus’ birth to Joseph  Magi who follow a Star  Holy Family’s Flight into Egypt  Massacre of Infants  Return from Egypt

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Matthew shows his Jewish Christian audience that Jesus is truly a “son” of Abraham and David and a true Jewish citizen.  Abraham lived around 1850 B.C. and is the Israelites’ Father in Faith.  God’s covenant promise with King David is the Messiah would come from David’s family tree.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Joseph IS NOT Jesus’ biological father, yet Matthew includes Jesus as part of Josephs family tree.  Jesus becomes part of Joseph’s family tree by:  Joseph taking Jesus physically into his home  Formally giving Jesus his name  Jesus is now the fulfillment of all the covenants God has made with Abraham, King David, and the whole of Israel.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Joseph is told in a dream about how Mary was pregnant with Jesus through the Holy Spirit, something Joseph did not known at first.  Joseph is told that a prophecy from the Old Testament would be fulfilled in Mary’s Son:  “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a Son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means ‘God with us.”

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Even the story about the Magi coming to offer gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh fulfill an Old Testament prophecy.  “All from Sheba shall come bearing gold, frankincense, and heralding the praises of the Lord.” –Prophet Isaiah

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Matthew is showing his Jewish Christian audience that all the Old Testament prophecies are fulfilled in the person of Jesus Christ, especially in His birth.  Even King Herod rejecting the child Jesus and trying to kill Him foreshadows how Jesus would ultimately be rejected by a majority of the Jewish nation while Gentiles, like the Magi, come to accept Him as Lord.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Jesus beings his public ministry in Matthew’s Gospel by saying, “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”  Jews do not say the name of God; to prevent offending the Jewish Christian audience then, Matthew uses the term “Kingdom of Heaven” instead of “Kingdom of God.”  The word “kingdom” here is a metaphor for the reality Jesus is teaching about God; God should “reign” in our lives now, as He does in Heaven.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Jesus shows what God’s Kingdom is like by teaching His disciples how to pray the “Our Father.”  The lines in the prayer, “Thy Kingdom come, “ and “Thy will be done,” are known as Synonymous Parallelism, or a style in Hebrew poetry where the same idea is expressed in two neighboring lines but using different words.  Jesus teaches that the Kingdom of Heaven in the “Our Father”:  Is the same thing as God’s will; wherever God’s will is done, the Kingdom is there  Can be present both on Earth and in Heaven

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Jesus used the Parable of the Weeds and Wheat to show how the Kingdom of Heaven was growing on Earth.  (Matthew 13: 24-30)  Think about the following and what they could be symbols of:  Wheat  Weeds  Enemy who plants the weeds  Harvest  Harvesters

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Wheat – Symbolic of Good People  Weeds – Symbolic of Evil People  Enemy who Plants the Weeds – Satan  Harvest – End of the World  Harvesters – God’s Angels  Entrance into the Kingdom of Heaven IS NOT something we earn; it is God’s gift to us for following Him.  However, we must first accept this invitation to follow God; God does not force us to follow Him.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew  Matthew’s audience asked, “Why was Jesus wanted dead by the Jewish high priests if He was the prophesied Jewish messiah? Who was Jesus to question the authority of the Jewish leaders?”  Matthew, to answer such questions, presents Jesus as the “New Moses,” who has authority from God to teach in His name.

Part 3: The Gospel of Matthew Moses’ LifeJesus’ Life Moses flees the killing of the firstborn males by Pharaoh as a baby Jesus flees the killing of the firstborn males by King Herod as a baby Moses flees from Egypt to Israel, then back to Egypt when his life is in danger Jesus flees from Israel to Egypt, then back to Israel when his life is in danger Moses goes up a mountain to receive the “Old Law” Jesus goes up a mountain to teach the “New Law” Moses used blood on doorposts to save the Israelites Jesus gives His own blood to save the entire human race Matthew shows both Jesus and Moses are prophets of God.