Daily Devotional: Gospel of Matthew - Introduction

GOSPEL OF MATTHEW

Introduction

You can call him Levi. His friends did, or better said, his professional associates did, but his given name was Matthew. That was his name in the Jewish society, the society of his heritage, but he did not seem to fit there any more. It was not that he did not want to but when he became an agent for the government, a tax collector, that society ostracized him and considered him worse than a dog. They  told him his place was with the publications and other tax collectors and sinners, not among them. He had not intended to turn his back on his people and certainly he had not given up the religious teachings of his childhood or his belief that God was going to send a messiah for Israel, His chosen people. In fact, he was getting kind of excited about the things that he had been hearing about this Jesus from Nazareth. Could he possibly be the One? He had heard that he was back in town and he was thinking about going and listening to him. He was sure he could blend in with the crowd and none of his people would make a big deal about him being there. He really wanted to check this man out. Even though he was a tax. collector, he still had the hope of Israel in his heart.

Just as things were slowing down for the day and it was getting to a point where he could leave his tax collector’s stand, he noticed a great crowd coming towards him. He didn’t have to be told what the crowd was about. He had already seen it a time or two; it was Jesus! Now, everywhere this Jesus went there were huge crowds around him. All the people were reaching out trying to touch him, trying to get him to touch and heal someone. This was really exciting. Maybe he would stop somewhere close by and he would be able to hear what he was teaching. Wait, what was happening? He was walking towards his booth. Jesus stopped right in front of Levi’s booth, looked directly at him and said, ”Follow me.” And he did! He did not even take the time to gather up all his books and papers. As he looked into the eyes of Jesus his heart told him that this was the One, and leaving everything he rose and followed him (Luke 5:28).

Probably, Matthew was not one you or I would have chosen to later be designated as an Apostle of the Messiah, if we had been among the Jews of Jesus’ day. But he was one called by Jesus who left everything, his occupation and his position in the community to follow. Immediately he prepared a luncheon where he could bring his new master to meet his friends, other tax collector’s and sinners. He, of all people, cared about his associates even if they were not popular in the local Jewish community. He wanted them to meet the One who was the hope of Israel. He wanted them to know the One who had come to seek and save the lost.

His name, Matthew, is only mentioned 5 times in New Testament writings and three of those are in the listing of those Jesus picked to be Apostles. We know nothing about his life as a disciple, but this Jew, rejected by his countrymen when he became a tax collector, is the one God chose to write an account of the life of Jesus that was directed to a Jewish audience.

Even though the writers are not named in the written accounts of the life of Jesus, that this Matthew was the author of this account has never been questioned. He was accepted as the author of this Gospel by the early church fathers and this has not been doubted since this Gospel was first delivered. The exact time of its writing is unknown but internal evidence (Matthew 24) establishes that it was written before the destruction of Jerusalem in A.D. 70. The probability is that it was written between the years A.D. 60 and 65.

The cast of thought and the forms of expression employed by the writer show that this Gospel was written for Jewish Christians of Palestine. The object in this writing is to prove that Jesus of Nazareth was the promised Messiah, and that in Him the ancient prophecies had their fulfillment. This Gospel is full of allusions to those passages of the Old Testament in which Christ is predicted and foreshadowed. The one aim pervading the whole book is to show that Jesus is He "of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write." This Gospel contains no fewer than sixty-five references to the Old Testament, forty-three of these being direct verbal citations, thus greatly outnumbering those found in the other Gospels. The main feature of this Gospel may be expressed in the motto, "I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill."

The leading characteristic of this Gospel is that it sets forth the kingly glory of Christ and shows Him to be the true heir to David's throne. It is the Gospel of the kingdom. Matthew uses the expression "kingdom of heaven" (thirty-two times), while Luke uses the expression "kingdom of God" (thirty-three times).

The book is divided into four parts:

Part One  -  The genealogy, the birth, and the infancy of Jesus – Matthew Chapters 1 & 2.

Part Two -  The discourses and actions of John the Baptist preparatory to Christ's public ministry – Matthew Chapter 3 thru Chapter 4, verse 11.

Part Three -  The discourses and actions of Christ in Galilee – Matthew Chapter 4, verse 12 thru Chapter 20, verse 16.

Part Four -  The sufferings, death and resurrection of our Lord – Matthew Chapter 20, verse 7 thru Chapter 28, verse 20.