T H E
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T E S T A M E N T
C O P Y R IG H T B Y W ILLIA M EV A N S
The Gospel of Matthew
INTRODUCTORY I. A uthor : Matthew, called Levi ( 9 :9; 10:3; cf. Mark 2:14, 15 ; Luke 5:27-29); a publican or tax-gatherer; probably a man o f means (Luke 5:29). II. D a te : About 66 A. D .; before the destruction o f Jerusalem (cf. 24:15; 27:53). I ll ; P urpose : To present Jesus from the Jewish point o f view, showing that He was the promised Messiah, o f the seed of Abraham, and through the kingly line of David (1 ;1 ). Jesus o f Nazareth fulfilled the Old Testament predictions relating to the Messiah (cf. the"oft-recurring expres sion, “ This was done that it might be ful filled,” 1:22, 23; 2:5, 15, 17, 23; 3:3, 15; 4:14; 27:35). It was natural that the gos pel should be preached “to the Jew first.” In Matthew Christ “came unto his own” (John 1:11). Matthew is not chronological, the pur pose being not to narrate events in their order, but to group together events of like character, e. g., the parables (c. 13), the sayings o f Jesus (cc. 5-7), the miracles (cc. 8-9), teaching on the last things (cc. 24-25). Outline There are four general divisions: Ai The A d v en t'of the King (1:1-4:16). B. The Proclamation o f the Kingdom (4:17- 16:20). C. The Rejection o f the King
(16:21-27:66). D. The Triumph o f the King (c. 28). This outline conforms to the idea and purpose of the book—the Kingship o f Jesus Christ. ( A ) ADVENT OF THE KING 1:1-4:16 Under, this division there are five great facts: the genealogy, birth, reception, bap tism, and temptation o f Christ, the King. These are the magnet truths o f this section. Let us take them up one by one. L The Genealogy of the King, 1:1-17. ^Genealogies were kept by the Jewish people in order that when the Christ came they might recognize Him as being o f the promised seed o f Abraham and o f the royal line o f David., These two things this gen ealogy shows. Christ is entitled to the kingdom because He is descended from Abraham and David. The expression “ son o f David” indicates more than mere nat ural descent, for David had other sons;, they declare that Christ is the Son in whom the royal and Messianic hopes were to be realized. Matthew’s genealogy shows Christ’s legal right to the throne. Joseph, while not Christ’s father, was legally recognized as such. Had Jesus been Joseph’s actual son, He would not have been permitted to sit on the throne o f Israel, for no descendant o f Jechonias could be king (Jeremiah 22:30).
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