THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
INTRODUCTION
There is no reason to doubt that this Gospel was written by Matthew. It presents the narrative of our Lord’s life from the standpoint of the pious Jew; and the evident design of the writer is to show how completely and continually our Lord fulfilled the Old Testament Scriptures. No other Gospel contains so many quotations from the Law, the Prophets and the Psalms. In it the predominant aspect of our Lord’s character and work is the Messianic. He was great David’s Greater Son. The keyword of the book is “Behold your King.” As King, His line is traced through the kingly race. As King, He proclaims the kingdom of heaven. As King, He promulgates the laws, describes the subjects, and announces the rewards of the Kingdom. When describing His own action at the last, when He sits on His throne and all nations are gathered before Him, He speaks of Himself as King, Mat_25:40. It was on His avowal of kingship that He was condemned to die. From every viewpoint this Gospel is one of the most precious documents in the world.
By F.B.Meyer
{e-Sword Note: The following material was presented at the end of Matthew in the printed edition}
Find the outline of our Bible study on The Gospel of Matthew at the link below;
OUTLINE OF THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
The King of the House of David
1.THE COMING OF THE KING.
Matthew 1:1 to Matthew 4: 11
2. His Birth and Early Life
Mat_1:18-25;
Today we will look at the following questions in the outline.
2. What message did the angel bring to Joseph?
Matthew 1:18-25.
The Birth of Jesus Christ
Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.
Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a publick example, was minded to put her away privily.
Answer to question 2;
But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.
And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.
Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying,
Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.
Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife:
And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.
Matthew 1:18-25
THE BIRTH OF JESUS CHRIST
By F.B.Meyer.
The fear that Joseph, being a just man, might withdraw from their contemplated wedlock, would have filled Mary’s heart with untold anguish had she not been upheld by her faith in God. She felt that He was pledged to vindicate her character. Yield yourself to Him for His purposes and leave Him to deal with any contingent results! He becomes responsible!
That which happened historically must take place experimentally. In each of us Jesus Christ must be born through the direct action of the Holy Spirit. See Gal_4:1-5. This is what we mean by the new birth; and when He has so entered our hearts, our Lord will become our Savior, not merely from the penalty but from the love and the power of our sins. Claim that this shall be your experience! Let us seek after that union with God which is the height of blessedness, both in this life and the next, and in virtue of which God becomes the companion of the soul in its earthly pilgrimage. This is the Name of names-Emmanuel. See Isa_7:14; Isa_9:1-7.
Matthew 1:18-25
Believer’s Bible commentary
Book by William MacDonald
B. Jesus Christ Is Born of Mary (1:18-25)
1:18 The birth of Jesus Christ was different from any of the births mentioned in the genealogy. There we found the repeated formula: “A begot B.” But now we have the record of a birth without a human father. The facts surrounding this miraculous conception are stated with dignity and simplicity. Mary had been promised in marriage to Joseph, but the wedding had not yet taken place. In NT times, betrothal was a form of engagement (but more binding than engagement today) and it could be broken only by divorce. Although an engaged couple did not live together until the marriage ceremony, unfaithfulness on the part of the betrothed was treated as adultery and punishable by death.
During the time of her betrothal, the Virgin Mary became pregnant by a miracle of the Holy Spirit. An angel had previously announced this mysterious event to Mary: “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Highest will overshadow you” (Luk_1:35). A cloud of suspicion and scandal hung over Mary. In all of human history there had never been a virgin birth. When people saw an unwed woman who was pregnant, they had only one possible explanation.
1:19 Even Joseph did not yet know the true explanation of Mary’s condition. He might have been indignant at his fiancée on two counts: First, her apparent unfaithfulness to him; and second, though innocent, he would almost inevitably be accused of complicity. His love for Mary and desire for justice led him to decide to break the betrothal by a quiet divorce. He wished to avoid the public disgrace which normally accompanied such an action.
1:20 While this gentle and deliberate man was mapping his strategy to protect Mary, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream. The salutation, “Joseph, son of David,” was doubtless designed to stir up the consciousness of his royal pedigree and to prepare him for the unusual advent of Israel’s Messiah-King. He should have no misgivings about marrying Mary. Any suspicions concerning her purity were groundless. Her pregnancy was a miracle of the Holy Spirit.
1:21 The angel then revealed the unborn Child’s sex, name, and mission. Mary would bear a Son. He was to be named JESUS, (which means “Jehovah is salvation” or “Jehovah, the Savior”). True to His Name, He would save His people from their sins. This Child of destiny was Jehovah Himself, visiting earth to save people from the penalty of sin, from the power of sin, and eventually from the very presence of sin.
1:22 As Matthew recorded these events, he realized that a new era had dawned in the history of God’s dealings with the human race. The words of a messianic prophecy, long dormant, had now sprung to life. Isaiah’s cryptic prophecy was now fulfilled in Mary’s Child: So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet. Matthew claims divine inspiration for the words of Isaiah—the Lord had spoken by the prophet at least 700 years before Christ.
1:23 The prophecy of Isa_7:14 included the foretelling of a unique birth (“Behold, the virgin shall conceive”), the sex of the Child (“and bear a Son”), and the name of the child (“and [she] shall call His name Immanuel”). Matthew adds the explanation that Immanuel means God with us. There is no record of Christ ever being called “Immanuel” while on earth; He was always called “Jesus.” However, the meaning of the name
Jesus (see above on v. 21) implies the presence of God with us. Immanuel might also be a designation for Christ which will be used primarily in His Second Advent.
1:24 As a result of the angel’s intervention, Joseph abandoned his plan to divorce Mary. He continued to recognize their betrothal until Jesus’ birth, after which he married her.
1:25 The teaching that Mary remained a virgin all of her life is disproved by the consummation of their marriage mentioned in this verse. Other references which indicate that Mary had children by Joseph are Mat_12:46; Mat_13:55-56; Mar_6:3; Joh_7:3, Joh_7:5; Act_1:14; 1Co_9:5; and Galatians 1 (KJV) – But other of the apostles (blueletterbible.org).
In taking Mary as his wife, Joseph also took her Child as his adopted Son. This is how Jesus became legal heir to the throne of David. In obedience to the angelic visitor, he called the Baby’s name Jesus.
Thus the Messiah-King was born. The Eternal One entered time. The Omnipotent became a tiny Infant. The Lord of glory veiled that glory in a human body, and “in Him dwells all the fullness of the Godhead bodily” (Col_2:9).
WE ARE STUDYING THE FOUR GOSPELS MATTHEW, MARK, LUKE AND JOHN TO KNOW THE LORD AND SAVIOUR JESUS CHRIST.
TO KNOW HIM IS TO LOVE HIM.
Listen to Pastor Jeff Arthur a sermon at
http://www.ghtg.org/
The Saviour’s Birth Described
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