Matthew is the first of the five historical books (the Gospels and Acts) that make up 60 percent of the New Testament. These books lay the foundation upon which the epistles are built, and they show how the life of Christ and the acts of the apostles are embedded in a historical context. The Gospel of Matthew stresses the lordship of Christ and His perfect fulfillment of many Old Testament Messianic passages. It is a portrait of Jesus that invites us to respond in humility and obedience to His loving authority.
More than any of the other Gospels, Matthew emphasizes the Jewish background of the life of Christ and assumes its readers have a detailed knowledge of the Hebrew Bible and of Jewish customs and religious traditions. Matthew also stresses the teachings of Jesus, and 60 percent of its 1,071 verses contain His spoken words. These include two of the three major discourses of our Lord, the Sermon on the Mount (5–7) and the Olivet Discourse (24–25); the third is the Upper Room Discourse in John 13–17. This Gospel is highly structured with thematically arranged sections that present Jesus’ miracles, parables, questions, and discourses, and it converges on the central theme of mounting opposition by the religious leaders to the Person of Jesus. Their rejection of His offer leads to the climax of the book in His death, burial, and resurrection.
Handbook to Scripture: 365 Key Chapters in the Bible
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Chapters 1-4
Matthew begins his account of the presentation and rejection of Israel’s Messiah and King by unveiling the credentials of Jesus as the direct descendant of David, the King of the Jews sought by the Magi, the fulfillment of John the Baptist’s preaching, and the sinless One who overcame the satanic temptations in the wilderness.
Handbook to Scripture: 365 Key Chapters in the Bible
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Chapters 5-7 “The Sermon on the Mount”
In His matchless Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches that God looks on the heart and not merely our actions.
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Chapter 7
In this last portion of His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus exhorts us to examine ourselves when we are tempted to have a censorious attitude toward others. He invites us to ask, seek, and knock so that we will receive the things we need from our Father in the heavenlies. He encapsulates the Law and the Prophets in His commandment to treat people the same way we want them to treat us.
Handbook to Scripture: 365 Key Chapters in the Bible
Jesus brings this sermon to a climax when He urges his listeners not merely to hear, but to act upon His words. Only by entrusting ourselves to Him will we be founded on the rock.
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Chapters 8 – 10 Jesus Heals and Calls Disciples
Chapters 11 – 22 The Kingdom of God
Chapter 13 – The Parable of the Sower
Chapters 24-25 The Olivet Discourse
Chapter 24 – Destruction of Jerusalem & His Second Coming
In the first part of the Olivet Discourse, Jesus anticipates the destruction of Jerusalem that would later take place in AD 70, looks beyond this to speak of an unprecedented time of tribulation, and exhorts all to be ready for His second advent.
Handbook to Scripture: 365 Key Chapters in the Bible
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Chapter 25 – The Need to be Alert for His Second Coming
The Olivet Discourse continues with two parables that illustrate the judgment of Israel and the need to be on the alert in view of the certain coming of the King. Those like the foolish virgins who only professed to be ready to meet the bridegroom will not enter the kingdom, and those like the slave who buried the talent that was given him will be excluded from the joy of their master.
When the King comes and sits upon the glorious throne of David, all the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will judge the people of the earth. The sheep are those who receive the gospel and serve Jesus by serving His people, and the goats are those who reject the gospel of the kingdom.
Handbook to Scripture: 365 Key Chapters in the Bible
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