THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 2
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW 2
In His next parable, The Labourers in the Vineyard, in Mt 20-21, Jesus teaches that salvation is by Grace alone, not by merit. Nobody will be saved simply because they worked long and hard in the service of God. New Christians in their service to God are just as important to Him as those who have served Him the longest. Jesus determines to go to Jerusalem where He will die, but will be raised up to life again after three days. Jesus also teaches here how greatness is defined in God’s Eternal order as opposed to how it is defined by worldly standards. In the world it means having dominion and authority over others. In God’s order it means being servant of all, as Jesus Himself was. As well, He was ready to die as the Atoning Sacrifice for the sins of all mankind, yet He Himself was sinless. On the way to Jerusalem Jesus restored sight to the eyes of two blind men. Though they could not see Him, they acknowledged who He was and they then followed Him on His journey. They represent all in faith who believe in Jesus and cry out to Him for healing and salvation, without ever having seen Him. They will be both healed and saved. As He approached Jerusalem Jesus sent two Disciples to bring Him an ass, upon which He will enter Jerusalem, fulfilling an Old Testament prophecy by Zechariah over the Jews that their King would come to them riding an ass. The multitude that followed Jesus to Jerusalem also acclaimed Him as the Messiah; they spread garments on the ground for Him to walk on, while others cut branches off trees and strewed them in the way.
Jesus went into the Temple in Jerusalem and cast out those who were using it for trading goods. Many who were blind and lame came to Him in the Temple and He healed them. Here Jesus declared His Deity. The next morning, feeling hungry, He saw a fig tree, but it only had leaves on it, no fruit, He cursed the tree and it died from the roots up. Jesus used this as an object lesson in faith for Christians who trust implicitly in God. Not only will they perform miracles like Jesus did with the fig tree, they can cause literal mountains to move if they will but act out their faith, without doubting anything. (CP Mt 20:1-21:46. See also author’s comments on Mt 20-21 in his book A Question and Answer Study of the New Testament, and all related cross-reference scriptures and studies referred to therein).
Next, in Mt 22-23, Jesus told the Parable of the Marriage Feast which illustrates the central truth that although there will be many professing Christians in the contemporary Church, not all will be truly committed to the service of God, or yielded to the authority of His word. They want to partake of the Kingdom benefits, but do not want to be bound by the rules of entry into the Kingdom laid down by God in Scripture. The Jewish religious leaders then tried to entrap Jesus with trick questions. In responding to them Jesus teaches first up that Christians must be scrupulously honest in fulfilling their civic responsibilities as well as giving to God what belongs to Him. He also teaches that in the Eternal state after their resurrection, husband-wife relationship will not continue. Because they will no longer be subjected to death, there will be no need to procreate life, which is what the purpose of marriage is, so in that sense they will be like the Angels of God in Heaven, who are neither given nor taken in marriage. Next, Jesus teaches on the immortality of the Soul, and the fact that God is the God of living, not the dead – Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are all alive – proves the resurrection will take place as Scriptures clearly teach. In Ch 23 Jesus denounces the Scribes and the Pharisees, and strictly forbids the use of titles by Christians in the New Testament Church. He mourns over the impending destruction of Jerusalem and foretells His Second Coming (CP Mt 22:1-23:39. See also author’s comments on Mt 22-23 in his book A Question and Answer Study of the New Testament, and all related cross-reference scriptures and studies referred to therein).
The teaching in Chapters 24-25 next in the Gospel of Matthew, is entirely prophetic; it points to Antichrist, the Great Tribulation, the End Times and the Second Coming of Christ. The events predestined to overtake the earth then will not affect Christians. The New Testament Church will already be in Heaven, having been translated there by Jesus at least seven years previously in the First Resurrection. The events of Mt 24-25 are directed to the inhabitants of earth still living in that era and concerns Israel and her enemies more than any other nation. However, the parables Jesus told are applicable to Believers in all eras (CP Mt 24:1-25:46. See also author’s comments on Mt 24-25 in his book A Question and Answer Study of the New Testament, and all related cross-reference scriptures and studies referred to therein).
In Ch 26 next in the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus reminds His Disciples that the Feast of the Passover would be in two days after which He will be betrayed and then crucified. Soon after this the Jewish religious leaders met to plot how to kill Him. Jesus went to Simon the leper’s house in Bethany where an obviously Spiritually discerning woman anointed Him with expensive perfume, foreshadowing His appointed death and burial. Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve disciples, arranged with the Jewish religious leaders to betray Jesus for thirty pieces of silver. Jesus celebrated the Passover with the disciples, during which He instituted the Lord’s Supper or Communion, as Christians also call it. Soon after in the Garden of Gethsemane, Judas betrayed Jesus with a kiss so the mob with him could take Jesus captive, thus fulfilling Old Testament Scripture. All that happened to Jesus was predestined by God and foretold by the Prophets in the Old Testament. This all forms part of God’s Redemptive Plan for fallen man. Next, in Ch 27, we learn that, remorseful for what he had done to Jesus, Judas Iscariot kills himself. We also learn here that while the Romans physically killed Jesus, the Jews instigated it, and in so doing called down a curse upon Israel which will remain until they accept Christ Nationally as their Messiah King (CP Mt 26:1-27:66. See also author’s comments on Mt 26-27 in his book A Question and Answer Study of the New Testament, and all related cross-reference scriptures and studies referred to therein).
Finally, Mt 28 teaches the reality of the future resurrection of every one of God’s children, Old Testament and New Testament alike, as God has already decreed. Christ being raised up from the dead prefigures and ensures their resurrection as well, in due course. Immediately prior to His ascension to Heaven, in closing the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus gave three distinct and separate commands to His followers from that day forth. They are to preach the Gospel, baptize new converts to Christ, and teach them the importance of doing the work of God’s Word. These commands are directed to the entire New Testament Church, not only to those in public ministry, as many in the contemporary Church are taught. Every New Testament Christian throughout all generations has this authority.
Although the author of the Gospel of Matthew is not positively identified in Scripture, Church tradition teaches that it was Matthew or Levi, as he was also maned, the tax collector - one of the original twelve disciples Jesus called to follow Him (CP Mt 9:9-13, Mk 2:14; Lu 5:27-29 with Mt 10:1-4). The instant readiness of Matthew in response to Jesus’ call to follow Him, and then preparing a banquet in his own house in His honour, indicates that Matthew knew who Jesus was, and that he had already decided to follow Him and become one of His disciples. Apart from being named in the lists of the Apostles, no further mention of Matthew is made in the New Testament (CP also Mk 3:13-19 and Ac 1:13).
These Studies by Bro Val Boyle may be downloaded and freely distributed but not sold for profit.