Author: Not stated but traditionally attributed to Matthew, a tax collector (9:9)
Date: Approximately AD 70, when Romans destroyed the temple in Jerusalem.
In Ten Words or Less: Jesus fulfills the Old Testament prophecies of a coming Messiah.
Details: The first of the four Gospels (meaning “good news”), the book of Matthew ties what follows in the New Testament to what came before in the Old. The book, written primarily to a Jewish audience, uses numerous Old Testament references to prove that Jesus is the promised Messiah the Jews have been anticipating for centuries. Beginning with a genealogy that shows Jesus’ ancestry through King David and the patriarch Abraham, Matthew then details the angelic announcement of Jesus’ conception and the visit of the “wise men” with their gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. Matthew introduces the character of John the Baptist, relative and forerunner of Jesus, and describes the calling of key disciples Peter, Andrew, James, and John. Jesus’ teachings are emphasized, with long passages covering His Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5–7), including the Beatitudes (“Blessed are they…”) and the Lord’s Prayer (“Our Father, which art in heaven…”). As with all four Gospels, Matthew also details the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and is the only biographer of Jesus to mention several miracles—the tearing of the temple curtain, an earthquake, the breaking open of tombs, and the raising to life of dead saints—that[…]
From Know Your Bible, published by Barbour Publishing, Inc. Used by permission.
Instructions to “Sent Ones"
Jesus is now sending out the twelve. But His people today must also see themselves as being sent out as well. We are called to be Ambassadors of Christ. What is an ambassador to do and how are they to behave? Join us as we hear from our Christ concerning how He desires to be represented to this fallen world.
The Sending out of the Twelve
Chapter ten of Matthew is rich with insight on how man or woman can be used of God. As we will see, the twelve disciples had numerous flaws, many of which some of us struggle with today. But with all their flaws they were still usable. Join us this week to learn about a key ingredient that will open up the door, so that we too can be sent into the World for His glory.
Christ’s Heart to Reach the World
Closing out chapter nine of Matthew, we see Jesus’ heart to reach the lost. He views a large crowd that He refers to as sheep without a shepherd. It becomes clear that Christ desires the lost to be reached. How can the lost be found? Join us as Christ tells His followers what they must do in response to the great need.
Continuing our verse-by-verse study of Matthew’s Gospel, we come to a fascinating story found in Matthew chapter nine. Her we find two situations that call for divine help. And what we discover is not only was Christ more than able, but He also puts His divine power on display with great compassion as well. Join us as we see our powerful and compassionate Savior working on behalf of the overwhelmed and desperate.
What is Valuable to God?
Coming to chapter nine of Matthew for the first time, we have two stories that reveal what is of great value to God. We might think that God would highly value extravagant worship or costly offerings. What does God desire from us? We hear it from the mouth of Christ Himself, and it is that we would be people of mercy.
Jesus and the Demonic
Demons are a subject that is either ignored or is obsessed over in the Church. Coming to the end of chapter 8, we have a fascinating story out of the life of Christ that involves demons. The focus of the story is not on demons, but on Christ’s power to save. Join us as we look at Christ unstoppable power to set people free.
The Enemies of Discipleship
We are called not just to trust upon Christ but also to follow Him. But there are enemies both within and without whose goal is to hold us back from following. Today in our study in Matthew we find two of our enemies on display. Join us as we identify who these enemies are and how they will be defeated.
The Healing Power of Christ
As we navigate our way through Matthew 8, Matthew is revealing who the Messiah is. And what we are seeing, is the power of God to heal all disease flowing out of the life of Jesus. As we grow in our understanding of who He is and what He can do, we must ask, how now should we live?
Two Types of Religions
Closing out our study on the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus reveals there are only two types of religions, one has the power to save and the other has the power to deceive and to condemn. We can be mistaken on a lot of different subjects in life, but one subject we need absolute clarity on is which religious expression saves.