Moving Through Matthew: Looking Back, Moving Forward

We began our study, verse-by-verse through the Gospel of Matthew last year, now we are back at it

But as we get back to Matthew, this morning I want to LOOK BACK BEFORE WE MOVE FORWARD.

The Bible is the Word of God

The truth of the Bible will change my life

Lord open my heart and awaken my mind

And give me grace to respond.

Change me, for you glory and my joy, Amen.

We start this morning by looking back...

In the Bible, there are four different accounts of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ. They are known as the gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The word gospel in the original language means Good News

And it was goods news because the Messiah had come down from heaven.

Now one thing I want you to know is that even through there were four accounts of Jesus’ life told by Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, they do not have the exact same information. Not all of the things that Luke includes are written in Mark. And not all the things that Matthew writes are written in John. For example, Matthew includes the birth of Jesus, but John doesn’t. Why are they different? Does this mean that you cant rely on the Bible because there are differences written about from these four books? No.

Each person, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John were writing to a specific audience, so the information they wrote about Jesus was the information that the intended audience needed to hear.

And by the way before I go any further, remember, these gospels may have been written by one of these men, but it was the Holy Spirit that guided them in what to write about. 2 Timothy 3:16-17

2 Timothy 3:16–17 (ESV)

16 All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, 17 that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work.

So what was the purpose that Matthew was writing? Who was his audience? And when did he write this gospel?

The Gospel of Matthew

When? AD 60-65

Audience? First to Jewish Christians

Purpose? To show that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah who the prophets spoke of in the Old Testament

Like a barrister would present evidence in a court of law to support their client, Matthew, in his gospel, presents evidence that this Jesus is the promised Messiah.

So how did he do this? He appealed to their beliefs as a Jew. If you were a Jew, you knew very well your Jewish heritage. As a Jew,

you knew of God’s covenant promise to Abraham

you knew that the covenant extended to Isaac and Jacob

you knew that God used Moses to bring his people (your people-as a Jew) out of slavery and that Joshua would lead them into the Promised Land.

you knew of the Judges that God sent, all of the prophets that would speak for him including Samuel who would see David take the throne as King of Israel.

you knew that one would come from the line of David who would be a King forever

****And most of all, as a Jew, you knew that there was a Messiah that would come.

****As a Jew who lived at this time, you also knew that there was silence for 400 years. It had been four hundred years since a prophet spoke the word of the Lord. 400 years…nothing…silence.

As a Jew in this day, the last thing you heard about was from the prophet Malachi who spoke of a messenger. This is what he said...

Malachi 3:1 ESV

1 “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.

You knew all of this, as a Jew....WHY? Because as a Jew you were faithful to the scriptures that were available to you.

But here is what happened. As a Jew in this time, they looked for a Messiah that would help them in their present situation, but he was coming to help them in their eternal situation.

They were looking for someone to conquer the Roman government. But he came to conquer sin.

They were looking for someone to give them hope in their daily situations. But he came to give them an eternal hope.

They were looking for someone to make their lives better. But he came to give them a life beyond anything they could have imagined.

And many didn’t recognize that he was the Messiah. So Matthew sets out to show the evidence.

Open your Bibles to Matthew 1.

In Chapter 1, Matthew includes something that no other gospel includes; a genealogy. Starting with Abraham (Matt 1:2), he followers teh ancestors all the way down to David (Matt 1:6), then continues to show the generations that led to Joseph (Matt 1:16) the earthly Father of Jesus.

But I want you to see something. All of these people that are mentioned from Matt 1:2-15 were very important people. Their names and even their stories have been preserved for thousands of years, but of the greatest importance is the name Jesus, because look at how Matthew says his name Matt 1:16

That word Christ in the Greek language points to the title Messiah. That is who he was, and who Matthew wanted his readers to understand that he was the promised Messiah. And Matthew also makes clear something from the very start, and something that Jesus himself would declare… that he was God.

Look a the words from the angel in Matt 1:21-23

Matthew 1:21–23 ESV

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” 22 All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had spoken by the prophet: 23 “Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

The rest of Matt 1 and Matt 2 reveals his birth from a virgin and the visit from the Magi (Wise Men) when he was two years old and how they took Jesus to Egypt because Herod was looking for him to kill him.

Matt 3 begins with the Messenger that Malachi prophesied about. His name, John the Baptist, who prepared the people for the coming of the Messiah by baptizing them. This baptism was a baptism of repentance and had nothing to do with salvation. John was simply getting them ready for the one who would baptize with Holy Spirit and fire.

So John is out in the wilderness, getting people ready and Jesus (now 30 years old) ask for John to baptize him. He does and in Matt 3:17 the voice of God announced from heaven that THIS was his Son.

Matt 4 begins with Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness where he was tempted by Satan, but each time he was tempted he spoke Scripture to Satan and did not give into the temptation. But again Matthew records that this is God in the flesh. Loo at Matt 4:7

Matthew 4:7 ESV

7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”

Matt 4 also shows us his main point that we will see in everything Jesus said and did…his purpose. Matt 4:17

Matthew 4:17 ESV

17 From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

From there in Matt 4:18 Jesus begins to gather his disciples. These are some of the men who would stay close to his side for the next 3 1/2 years and they would give their lives because they believed what he said was true.

Matt 4 closes with Jesus teaching and proclaiming the Kingdom of God and showing the power of God by healing those who were sick.

Matthew the records the longest sermon from Jesus in Scripture and we know it as the Sermon on the Mount. It covers Matt 5, 6 , 7 and explains the way one who loves the Lord with live their life. He starts with the Beattitudes, then moves on to being Salt and Light, how we should control our anger, lust, loving our enemies, and even how to pray.

After he had finished these 3 chapters on how a person shows they love God, Matthew gives us a look at how some of the people reacted:

Matthew 7:28–29 ESV

28 And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, 29 for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

This was important. He wasn’t just any teacher..there was something different about him.

In Matt 8, 9 we see the difference. Matthew brings more evidence. More healings and more teaching and Matthew even inserts himself in his gospel by showing how Jesus walked up to him and simply said “Follow Me.” And he did (Matt 9:9-13)

As Matthew concludes chapter 9, he records the words of Jesus:

Matthew 9:35–38 ESV

35 And Jesus went throughout all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues and proclaiming the gospel of the kingdom and healing every disease and every affliction. 36 When he saw the crowds, he had compassion for them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd. 37 Then he said to his disciples, “The harvest is plentiful, but the laborers are few; 38 therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

His point. There are people out there who need to know of the coming Kingdom, so there needs to be laborers to go and tell. So Jesus sends his disciples (apostles) out to be laborers (Matt 10:5)

But he sends them with a warning: persecution will come (Matt 10:16)

But he explains that for the person who endures, even though they die they will live. Matt 10:38-39

Matthew 10:38–39 ESV

38 And whoever does not take his cross and follow me is not worthy of me. 39 Whoever finds his life will lose it, and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

Eternal life.

In Matt 11, 12 Jesus begins to draw the attention of the religious leaders. They did not believe he was the Messiah, so they begin to try to shut him up, even to the point they began to plan how to kill him (Matt 12:14

Matthew 12:14 ESV

14 But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him.

That is a look back at the Gospel of Matthew, a reminder where we have been, now lets move forward.

Matt 13 opens immediately after the events of Matt 12 . Matt 12 ends with Jesus stating that he knows not of his Mother or brothers, but that his disciples, his followers, are his family.

Does Jesus disown his family? No. He is simply showing the importance of those who do the will of God (don’t forget at the cross)

So Matt 13 ope with Jesus leaving that conversation and it says:

Matthew 13:1–3 (ESV)

1 That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables,

What is a parable?

A story about a simple, common subject to illustrate a deeper, valuable moral lesson.

So Jesus , in trying to give them a truth they would not understand, would tell a story to help illustrate the truth he was trying to teach.

But sadly, many heard the truth, even the story that Jesus used and they did not respond to him.

Let me ask you this morning, with the things you hear, the words you read, and the truth that is preached and taught to you, have you responded? Have you turned your life over to the one who came to be God With Us, the one who would say, I am the way, the truth, and the life, and no one will see heaven except through me?

You see life isn’t about us. Life isn’t about your school, and your things you want. Life is about preparing to enter his presence. ANd this morning, if you have never asked Jesus to be your Lord and Savior, you can do that.