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.
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.
Beware of False Prophets
The number one sign concerning the second coming of Christ is the increase of false teachers. Whenever the last days is mentioned, the subject of false teachers is brought up. Join us this week as we hear Christ, for the first time, deal with this subject in the Gospel of Matthew.
When to Judge
Arriving at Matthew chapter 7, we come to an often-misapplied Scripture that deals with passing judgment on others. As we will discover Christ is not prohibiting us from making judgment calls but wanting us to understand what must happen in us first. What is the Lord wanting to do in our lives before we exercise judgment upon others?
Do Not Worry
The next section of the Sermon on the mount that we come to focuses on our trust in God. Jesus gives us 6 reasons why it’s both right and logical to place our trust in God in every season of life. Join us as Christ lays out an irrefutable argument for trusting in God.
Storing up Treasure
We come to that part of the Sermon on the Mount where Jesus now talks about the follower of Christ’s relationship with money. Christ makes it clear that if His followers allow this area to get out of balance, it will create problems in almost every other part of their relationship with Him. Join us as we seek to understand what our relationship with money is to look like.
The Lord’s Prayer
Making our way through the Sermon on the Mount, Christ has informed us that His followers will be a people of prayer. We might ask how do we pray and what do we pray? The answers to those questions are now given as we learn about prayer from the master Himself.
What does a Mature Follower of Christ Do?
Many people have many different ideas on what constitutes a mature follower of Christ. Different Churches define spirituality in a variety of ways. But what makes Matthew chapter six so important, is its Christ’s description of what will be seen in a spiritual person’s life. Join us as we explore Matthew 6:1-8, to discover what do spiritual people do.
The Lifestyle of the Disciple
Continuing in our study of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus begins to lay out how impossible it is for us to live the life that’s required for the follower of Christ. Join us as we not only look at the requirements, but we will also see how it’s possible to live the impossible life of the disciple.
The Disciple’s Perspective of Marriage
The sermon on the mount is Christ’s description of how a life can be used of God to impact a lost world. Arriving at verse thirty one of chapter 5, Christ is telling us that if the church is to impact the world it must have a healthy view of marriage. Join us as we discover what the Biblical view of marriage is.
What is Important to God
Lots of voices today will claim they have insight on what is most important to God. What makes today’s study so important is the question what’s important to God will be answered by Christ Himself. Join us as we learn what He desires to see coming forth from our lives.