An overview of the gospel according to Matthew

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BULLETIN ARTICLE
5 January 2020

An Overview of the Gospel
According to Matthew

The gospel of Matthew was written with a strong Jewish perspective to make two theological points: (1) that Jesus is the Messiah, the promised one who fulfils the Old Testament (OT) scriptures, and (2) that Jesus is the founder of the new spiritual Israel to usher in the kingdom of heaven.

Matthew was a tax collector and one of Jesus’ inner circle of disciples. His gospel appears as the first book in the New Testament (NT) because it serves to harmonise the NT with the OT. As such, Matthew’s gospel has the strongest connection to the OT, compared to the other three gospels, which follow his.

This book contains many of Jesus’ miracles, parables and teachings, on topics such as faith, righteousness and judgement. One of the best-known passages is Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount from Chapters 5 to 7. Jesus spoke about living out the kingdom of heaven on earth. He laid out standards that were far higher than those found in Moses’ law. For example, Jesus said that you have committed murder if you wish someone dead, and that you have committed adultery, if you look and lust after someone else. Beyond outward actions, Jesus emphasised our inward thoughts, unspoken words and unseen actions, which ultimately comes from the heart. Such standards would be unattainable by mere human effort – they are only possible by the grace of God, through the finished work of Jesus Christ. We can only ever be right in God’s sight through his righteousness.

Hence, Matthew concludes his gospel with Jesus’ death, resurrection and the great commission. Jesus’ last recorded words were: “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptising them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”

We are called to be disciples of Jesus, but do we actively guard our inward thoughts, unspoken words and unseen actions from the heart? Are our outward actions bringing him glory? As disciples of Jesus we are called to trust in his Word, live by his standards and heed his command to reach out to ethnic and cultural groups in our communities and beyond. Jesus’ promise is that wherever we go, he will go with us. He will empower those who seek to plant the seeds and plough the land… As for the harvest, it belongs to God alone!