The gospel of Matthew contains some of the most familiar passages in the New Testament- the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer and the Great Commission – and that helps make it great choice for study.There are two major themes running through Matthew.
Jesus is the long-awaited King – Matthew's audience was Jewish, and he intended to show that Jesus of Nazareth fulfilled the Old Testament prophecies. In fact, tags about the prophets appear throughout the book. His genealogy was royal, His decrees were majestic, and He introduced us to "the kingdom of heaven".
Jesus faced stiff opposition – Beginning with the early threats on His life by Herod, the political ruler, through His eventual trial at the hands of the religious authorities, the King was rejected by all segments of society. Many times Jesus' words ran counter to the conventional wisdom of His day or to the long-held traditional interpretations.
If you are a list-maker, here are some suggestions.
- What does Jesus say?
- What is the response to His teaching?
- What do others say about Him?
- What is the kingdom of heaven like?
In some ways, I think it's harder to study the Gospels than some of the other books, maybe because these are the words and actions of Christ Himself. Usually with the Gospels, I tend to study by "episode" rather than take an entire chapter. I like to soak it in and let it percolate before moving on to the next thing.
What do like about the gospel of Matthew?
