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.
Called to be Salt and Light
What are the Followers of Christ called to be? The answer to that question is given to us by Christ Himself in Matthew 5. The Lord of the Church longs for the Church to be useable. But before the Lord can work through us, He must first work in us. Join us as we discover how our wonderful Messiah brings change in our lives.
Reaching the Multitudes
Christ desires that none would perish. But how can the multitudes be reach? The answer that Jesus gives radically changes the lives of the disciples. Christ gave to the disciples a description of spiritual maturity that He desires to bring about in each of our lives. Join us as we look in Matthew 5:6-12 to Christ’s description of spiritual maturity.
Life More Abundantly
Christ tells us that the purpose of His coming was not to destroy man but to give to man life. As we begin chapter 5 of Matthew, we come to what’s known as the Sermon on the Mount. Doing life Christ’s way is a sure recipe for bringing blessing into our lives. Join us as we begin to take a close look at that recipe.
Spiritual Warfare
The Scriptures tell us that we are surrounded by an invisible world that is in conflict. And our lives are affected by the outcome of that conflict. The Bible refers to it as spiritual warfare. But what is our role, and how can we be over comers within this conflict? Join us as we continue in our study in the Gospel of Matthew as Christ Himself gives us insights on how to live victoriously.
How Heaven Defines Greatness
All of us should desire to be great in the Kingdom of God. But how do we define greatness? We come now in our study of Matthew to John the Baptist, whom Jesus said, “I tell you the truth, of all who have ever lived, none is greater than John the Baptist”. What is it that made John so great? Join us as we look into Heaven’s definition of greatness.
What is Revival?
As the days grow evil, many followers of Christ cry out for Revival, but what are they asking for? As we wade into Matthew chapter 3, we are seeing one of the greatest Revivals in human history play out. Join us as we look at what a Revival is, as well as how they begin.
Forsaking Your Own Mercy
One of the clear messages throughout the Scripture is that if we refuse to do life God’s way, we are only shooting ourselves in our own foot. As we close chapter two, we are given examples of those who resisted God and those who submitted to God. Join us as we discover the different directions that those two attitudes will take us in.
Finding the Will of God
The Scriptures portray God as a God that leads. We find numerous examples of God leading nations and individuals alike. We serve a God who wants to lead us into His will for our lives. So, the question becomes, “how can we know the will of God?”. Join us as we see in Matthew chapter 2, God guiding a family into His will for their lives.
Magi form the East
Matthew was a former employee of the Roman government, so it’s not surprising that he’s give us an understanding into what was happening in government at the time of the birth of Christ. Arriving at chapter two, he introduces us to a strange cast of characters. What we will learn is that much of what we believe about the birth of Christ is rooted more in tradition than in the Scripture.