Matthew overview...the Kingdom of heaven
The importance of Matthew in the grand scheme of things
The Gospel of Matthew forms a very important bridge between the old and new testaments. It is distinctly Jewish, and there are 54 direct citations from the old testament as well as 262 allusions or verbal parallels. The genealogy goes back to Abraham, and the book contains discourses and narratives and parables and miracles and prophecies just as in the old testament. In the period between the testaments, the voice of God had been silent for almost 400 years, no prophet having been sent since Malachi until the coming of John the Baptist.
It has been said that the old testament scriptures could be described as:
A history of unexplained ceremonies, with millions of animals slain, and rivers of blood shed, yet to what end?;
A history of unachieved objectives, Moses failed to enter the land, Joshua failed to oust the enemies, David failed to build the temple, the promised land was evacuated into exile, the return from exile was patchy and half-hearted;
A history of unappeased yearnings; the hope and ambition of Israel was to be the head of nations, to be world rulers, instead they were dispersed throughout the nations;
A history of unfulfilled prophecies, hundreds of prophesies as yet unfulfilled.
The old testament ends with the threat of a curse on the earth! It all amounts to unfinished business and this gospel advances the narrative to fulfil all these aspects.
Particularly noteworthy in Matthew is the prevalence of the word “fulfilment,” or “fulfilled”, in different forms occurring 82 times, and Matthew is the gospel of finished business, with the Messiah, at the end, in total control in all heaven and earth(28 v18-20). This fulfilment comes in Jesus the Christ(Messiah). In Matthew 1 v1 it is “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ; in Revelation 1 v1 it is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”, thus this Gospel advances the grand theme of the bible. In Him the prophecies are fulfilled, the purposes are achieved, the longings are realised, and the ceremonies are understood.
The Gospel of Matthew forms a very important bridge between the old and new testaments. It is distinctly Jewish, and there are 54 direct citations from the old testament as well as 262 allusions or verbal parallels. The genealogy goes back to Abraham, and the book contains discourses and narratives and parables and miracles and prophecies just as in the old testament. In the period between the testaments, the voice of God had been silent for almost 400 years, no prophet having been sent since Malachi until the coming of John the Baptist.
It has been said that the old testament scriptures could be described as:
A history of unexplained ceremonies, with millions of animals slain, and rivers of blood shed, yet to what end?;
A history of unachieved objectives, Moses failed to enter the land, Joshua failed to oust the enemies, David failed to build the temple, the promised land was evacuated into exile, the return from exile was patchy and half-hearted;
A history of unappeased yearnings; the hope and ambition of Israel was to be the head of nations, to be world rulers, instead they were dispersed throughout the nations;
A history of unfulfilled prophecies, hundreds of prophesies as yet unfulfilled.
The old testament ends with the threat of a curse on the earth! It all amounts to unfinished business and this gospel advances the narrative to fulfil all these aspects.
Particularly noteworthy in Matthew is the prevalence of the word “fulfilment,” or “fulfilled”, in different forms occurring 82 times, and Matthew is the gospel of finished business, with the Messiah, at the end, in total control in all heaven and earth(28 v18-20). This fulfilment comes in Jesus the Christ(Messiah). In Matthew 1 v1 it is “the book of the generation of Jesus Christ; in Revelation 1 v1 it is the “Revelation of Jesus Christ”, thus this Gospel advances the grand theme of the bible. In Him the prophecies are fulfilled, the purposes are achieved, the longings are realised, and the ceremonies are understood.
The setting of Matthew in the four gospels and in scripture
The four Gospels are a fourfold view of Jesus Christ the Messiah from every conceivable angle. Much has been made by scholars of the “Synoptic” Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, due to the similarities in them, with John’s Gospel being very different. However, each presents it’s own view of this glorious person who would save the world, exalt Israel and glorify God in His life and work. Taken separately and considered in the breadth of sacred writings, these four distinct cameos of a truly unique person present us with a study, at the outset, of superior quality to which nothing else can be compared in all literature. The nuances of the Gospel writers have been well documented, and there is no need to repeat them here, save to say that;
The four Gospels are a fourfold view of Jesus Christ the Messiah from every conceivable angle. Much has been made by scholars of the “Synoptic” Gospels, Matthew, Mark, and Luke, due to the similarities in them, with John’s Gospel being very different. However, each presents it’s own view of this glorious person who would save the world, exalt Israel and glorify God in His life and work. Taken separately and considered in the breadth of sacred writings, these four distinct cameos of a truly unique person present us with a study, at the outset, of superior quality to which nothing else can be compared in all literature. The nuances of the Gospel writers have been well documented, and there is no need to repeat them here, save to say that;
Matthew presents Him as King;
Mark as the Servant of Jehovah;
Luke as the Son of Man;
John as God in flesh.
This fourfold depiction of Christ is enshrined in holy scripture in symbolic form. The lion represents Him as the King; The ox as the Servant; The man, His humanity;The eagle, His Deity.
These symbols first appear in connection with the ensigns of the twelve tribes in the tabernacle in Numbers; Judah the lion, Reuben the man, Ephraim the ox, and Dan the eagle. Then again in Ezekiel 1 v10 in the faces of the cherubim; yet again in the living creatures of Revelation 4 v7. These symbols, when studied closely represent the presence of God with His people, His provision for them on their wilderness journey, His protection of them all the way, and now they are materialised in the Gospels in the person of Christ. We whet our appetites, as Matthew sets us off on a magnificent study beginning with his presentation of the lion of the tribe of Judah, which is associated with kingly rule(Genesis 49 v10).
The arrangement of the Gospels could not be better placed, side by side in glorious contrast
Matthew/Mark..........The King who was also a Servant!!
Luke/John................The Man who was also God!!
In Matthew we have His authority as King
In Mark we have His availability as Servant
In Luke we have His empathy as Man
In John we have His credibility as God
Mark as the Servant of Jehovah;
Luke as the Son of Man;
John as God in flesh.
This fourfold depiction of Christ is enshrined in holy scripture in symbolic form. The lion represents Him as the King; The ox as the Servant; The man, His humanity;The eagle, His Deity.
These symbols first appear in connection with the ensigns of the twelve tribes in the tabernacle in Numbers; Judah the lion, Reuben the man, Ephraim the ox, and Dan the eagle. Then again in Ezekiel 1 v10 in the faces of the cherubim; yet again in the living creatures of Revelation 4 v7. These symbols, when studied closely represent the presence of God with His people, His provision for them on their wilderness journey, His protection of them all the way, and now they are materialised in the Gospels in the person of Christ. We whet our appetites, as Matthew sets us off on a magnificent study beginning with his presentation of the lion of the tribe of Judah, which is associated with kingly rule(Genesis 49 v10).
The arrangement of the Gospels could not be better placed, side by side in glorious contrast
Matthew/Mark..........The King who was also a Servant!!
Luke/John................The Man who was also God!!
In Matthew we have His authority as King
In Mark we have His availability as Servant
In Luke we have His empathy as Man
In John we have His credibility as God
The writer Matthew and the culture he lived in
The scriptures were written in Hebrew and Greek and the usage of words reflects the culture of the day. We must take account of that when attempting to understand scripture, and nowhere is that more relevant than in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew was a “publican”, that is a collector of taxes for the occupying Roman Empire which had been in Israel now for 60 years. A characteristic of Rome was it’s heavy taxation called “tribute”. There were two main taxes; the toll tax(income), and property/land tax. The elite(who would be Roman senators or rich Jews supplied by Herod), could bid at public auction the right to collect the toll tax in a specified area, for a fixed rate, for a period of 5 years. Whatever was collected beyond the fixed rate was for personal profit. The practise was abused and became a goldmine for the collectors whose tax demands were enforced by the might of the Roman army. Any such collector would not be popular with the people, and mostly they were despised, of whom Matthew was one. They were seen on the same level as harlots and Gentiles; they were refused entry to the synagogues, and all Rabbis disassociated from them. They were considered traitors and outcasts; all Matthew’s friends were “publicans and sinners”, for whom He laid on regular lavish meals in his posh house. Why does Jesus call such a man to be His disciple, which call would bring criticism upon Him? Apart from the fact that Jesus calls all men regardless of their state, He called Matthew the despised Jew, to write about a despised Messiah, a trait that comes out very clearly in the Gospel. He writes of a King, but a despised and rejected, and crucified King, and we shall pick up the details as we proceed.
There is little doubt that Matthew was a rich man before he entered the bidding for publican status, for, according to the historians, the bidders had to pay the tribute money at auction in advance, then recoup their losses through long term collection. No doubt Matthew was motivated by greed for money. The fact that Jesus calls him gives the lie to the popular myth that Jesus only called poor people. Even Peter, and Andrew, and James and John were prosperous businessmen when they were called. What they did, however, was abandon their careers, for they could not serve God and continue their business. The call of Matthew in chapter 8 v9-10; Mark 2 v14-17; and Luke 5 v27-29, is therefore all the more remarkable, for his response was immediate, and permanent, and costly, but what a blessing it has been to us, we now have the wonderful Gospel of Matthew!
The scriptures were written in Hebrew and Greek and the usage of words reflects the culture of the day. We must take account of that when attempting to understand scripture, and nowhere is that more relevant than in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew was a “publican”, that is a collector of taxes for the occupying Roman Empire which had been in Israel now for 60 years. A characteristic of Rome was it’s heavy taxation called “tribute”. There were two main taxes; the toll tax(income), and property/land tax. The elite(who would be Roman senators or rich Jews supplied by Herod), could bid at public auction the right to collect the toll tax in a specified area, for a fixed rate, for a period of 5 years. Whatever was collected beyond the fixed rate was for personal profit. The practise was abused and became a goldmine for the collectors whose tax demands were enforced by the might of the Roman army. Any such collector would not be popular with the people, and mostly they were despised, of whom Matthew was one. They were seen on the same level as harlots and Gentiles; they were refused entry to the synagogues, and all Rabbis disassociated from them. They were considered traitors and outcasts; all Matthew’s friends were “publicans and sinners”, for whom He laid on regular lavish meals in his posh house. Why does Jesus call such a man to be His disciple, which call would bring criticism upon Him? Apart from the fact that Jesus calls all men regardless of their state, He called Matthew the despised Jew, to write about a despised Messiah, a trait that comes out very clearly in the Gospel. He writes of a King, but a despised and rejected, and crucified King, and we shall pick up the details as we proceed.
There is little doubt that Matthew was a rich man before he entered the bidding for publican status, for, according to the historians, the bidders had to pay the tribute money at auction in advance, then recoup their losses through long term collection. No doubt Matthew was motivated by greed for money. The fact that Jesus calls him gives the lie to the popular myth that Jesus only called poor people. Even Peter, and Andrew, and James and John were prosperous businessmen when they were called. What they did, however, was abandon their careers, for they could not serve God and continue their business. The call of Matthew in chapter 8 v9-10; Mark 2 v14-17; and Luke 5 v27-29, is therefore all the more remarkable, for his response was immediate, and permanent, and costly, but what a blessing it has been to us, we now have the wonderful Gospel of Matthew!
Matthew’s style and consequent pattern of writing
Not only was Matthew a rich man, he was an intelligent man, and, despite being ostracised by the temple, he had a grasp of the Old Testament scriptures to which he refers no less than 35 times. There is a work to do for outcasts, particularly in a time when the temple is in failure. To what extent can the Lord override past failures in a man? The answer is to the extent he devotes himself to the task, and Matthew is an outstanding example. For this man to go from the selfish pursuit of money, to a rigorous commitment to the things of the Lord in such an orderly way is nothing short of miraculous. Another observation is that the Lord seems to use the human personality in the work, for the style of Matthew is unique. He was an accountant, used to dealing with masses of information and tabulating them in an orderly way. No doubt he used his expertise in shorthand(or tachygraphy), to write in one discourse, the Sermon on the Mount. Others referred to it but not in such detail and not verbatim. Indeed he arranges the whole Gospel around five great discourses, each one ending with the same formula to leave us in no doubt, “When Jesus had ended(or finished) these sayings” -----refer chapters 7 v28; 11 v1; 13 v53; 19 v1; 26 v1. His subject matter is Jesus as King, thus emphasising the authority of His words, and so he arranges the material around these discourses, which is presented didactically, intended for instruction.
Not only was Matthew a rich man, he was an intelligent man, and, despite being ostracised by the temple, he had a grasp of the Old Testament scriptures to which he refers no less than 35 times. There is a work to do for outcasts, particularly in a time when the temple is in failure. To what extent can the Lord override past failures in a man? The answer is to the extent he devotes himself to the task, and Matthew is an outstanding example. For this man to go from the selfish pursuit of money, to a rigorous commitment to the things of the Lord in such an orderly way is nothing short of miraculous. Another observation is that the Lord seems to use the human personality in the work, for the style of Matthew is unique. He was an accountant, used to dealing with masses of information and tabulating them in an orderly way. No doubt he used his expertise in shorthand(or tachygraphy), to write in one discourse, the Sermon on the Mount. Others referred to it but not in such detail and not verbatim. Indeed he arranges the whole Gospel around five great discourses, each one ending with the same formula to leave us in no doubt, “When Jesus had ended(or finished) these sayings” -----refer chapters 7 v28; 11 v1; 13 v53; 19 v1; 26 v1. His subject matter is Jesus as King, thus emphasising the authority of His words, and so he arranges the material around these discourses, which is presented didactically, intended for instruction.
The message of Matthew
In Matthew there are ten major themes; Christology; Prophecy; Law; Church; Eschatology; Leadership; Mission; Miracles; Ethics; Discipleship.
The Gospel was written for two main reasons;
a) To prove that Jesus is the Messiah;
b) To outline God’s kingdom programme.
The predominant thought is that Jesus is King and will rule over a kingdom on earth. This is evident from the beginning; in verse 1 of chapter 1 he reverses the chronological order when he says “son of David, son of Abraham”. Thus he is emphasising His royalty. Furthermore, in a genealogy containing the names of many kings, he twice underlines “David the king”(v6), thus the kingship is that of David.
This is the kingship that will never end(2nd Samuel 7 v16).
What does the bible mean by a king? It is not our modern conception of it; we think mostly of a rich, stately, figurehead who enhances image but who has no real power. Biblical kingship is vastly different, it envisages a monarch with absolute power and authority, in every sphere of his realm. One of the greatest examples is King Ahasuerus in the book of Esther, who ruled in 127 provinces, whose word was law in every single one. This is the Kingship of Jesus as presented by Matthew in Chapter 28 v18 “All authority is given unto me in heaven and on earth, go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations...”. There is no sphere in all heaven and earth where Jesus is not King in the biblical sense. This total and eternal kingdom is not visible yet, but it is coming, in which, according to Matthew chapter 6 v10, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
The King and the Kingdom dominate the Gospel; one way of summarising this amazing book is as follows:
The Gospel was written for two main reasons;
a) To prove that Jesus is the Messiah;
b) To outline God’s kingdom programme.
The predominant thought is that Jesus is King and will rule over a kingdom on earth. This is evident from the beginning; in verse 1 of chapter 1 he reverses the chronological order when he says “son of David, son of Abraham”. Thus he is emphasising His royalty. Furthermore, in a genealogy containing the names of many kings, he twice underlines “David the king”(v6), thus the kingship is that of David.
This is the kingship that will never end(2nd Samuel 7 v16).
What does the bible mean by a king? It is not our modern conception of it; we think mostly of a rich, stately, figurehead who enhances image but who has no real power. Biblical kingship is vastly different, it envisages a monarch with absolute power and authority, in every sphere of his realm. One of the greatest examples is King Ahasuerus in the book of Esther, who ruled in 127 provinces, whose word was law in every single one. This is the Kingship of Jesus as presented by Matthew in Chapter 28 v18 “All authority is given unto me in heaven and on earth, go ye therefore and make disciples of all nations...”. There is no sphere in all heaven and earth where Jesus is not King in the biblical sense. This total and eternal kingdom is not visible yet, but it is coming, in which, according to Matthew chapter 6 v10, “Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven”.
The King and the Kingdom dominate the Gospel; one way of summarising this amazing book is as follows:
The authentication of the king Chapters 1-4.
By genealogy(1v1-17)
By angelic revelation(1v18-21)
By holy scripture(1v22-2v23)
By prophetic confirmation(3v1-12)
By divine approval(3v13-17)
By victory over Satan(4v1-25)
By genealogy(1v1-17)
By angelic revelation(1v18-21)
By holy scripture(1v22-2v23)
By prophetic confirmation(3v1-12)
By divine approval(3v13-17)
By victory over Satan(4v1-25)
The authority of the king Chapters 5-10
His authority declared in His teaching(5-7)
His authority demonstrated in His miracles(8-9)
His authority delegated to His apostles(10)
His authority demonstrated in His miracles(8-9)
His authority delegated to His apostles(10)
The apathy of the nation Chapters 11-12
Opposition from the people 11
Opposition from the leaders 12
Opposition from the people 11
Opposition from the leaders 12
The abeyance of the kingdom Chapters 13-23
Withdraws from the nation and initiates the programme to evangelise the world. A common note in these chapters is “Jesus departed”. In this section He announces the Church(16&18) and disowns Judaism in it’s corrupt state(23).
The advent of the King Chapters 24-25
The future unveiled as God sets His King on the Holy Hill of Zion as predicted in Psalm 2v6.
The arraignment of the King Chapters 26-27
Indictment, accusation, denunciation, charge, prosecution, condemnation. Matthew in graphic language declares the atrocity and treachery of the crucifixion of Jesus Messiah-King.
The annunciation of the King Chapter 28
Appears to the faithful only, individually and collectively instructs them, encourages them, and commissions them for the mission to all nations. His final words “Go....and lo I am with you always, even unto the end of the age”.
To all readers......This is the start of a new series in new testament commentary. You might be interested in books I have published on Amazon along similar lines, that of chapter to chapter expository notes on the New Testament. The following are on the Amazon bookshelf under my name George Mitchell Neilly and are titled as follows:
The second coming of Christ
God's administration
God's final word to the world
From Simon to Peter
True religion The true God Most holy faith
The Apocalypse
All these are available now and are also on kindle e-book format. It is the plan to publish from Matthew to Colossians as time permits. Meanwhile thank you for your interest in the word of the Lord.
A couple of visual samples of the books
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