40) The Book of Matthew

MATTHEW introduces the coming of the Christ (Messiah) to Israel as the King of the Jews in the first book of the New Testament. Matthew the publican concentrated upon a Jewish slant throughout the book (10:3). The genealogy of Jesus Christ records His royal lineage through King David to Abraham. This is also portrayed by the lion-like cherub (Rev. 4:7) and the Branch as the King (Jer. 23:5-6). The phrase kingdom ofheaven is only found in the book of Matthew and it is recorded 32 times in the 28 chapters and 1,071 verses of the book.

The book began with the announcement of the birth of the King. The King was heralded by the forerunner, John the Baptist. The Constitution for the kingdom is recorded in the famous Sermon on the Mount, which contains doctrinal truths for the Millennium.

The credentials of the King were demonstrated by the signs and wonders of the Lord Jesus Christ. The gospel of the kingdom was delivered to the Jews by Jesus (4:23; 9:35; 10:5-6), but the Jews officially rejected their King with the unpardonable sin (12:31-32). The rejection was followed by the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven. Jesus began to speak in parables because of the rejection and subsequent blindness of the nation of Israel (13:10-16; Rom. 11:25). The remainder of the book records the confrontations between the Jewish religious leaders and the Lord Jesus. The envy of the religious hierarchy was man's motive behind the crucifixion, but the purpose of the Lord God satisfied the complete price of redemption (Acts 2:23; 3:13). The book closes with the resurrection of Jesus Christ and His command to teach the word of God.

The Jewish slant of the book began with the record of Abraham and David in the genealogy of the Lord. The everlasting covenants of Abraham and David clearly belong to Jesus Christ and the Jewish people (Gen. 15:18-21; 2 Sam. 7:4-17). The doctrinal basis of the book is the Mosaic Covenant with the Levitical priesthood (Ex. 24:3-8). There is not one Christian found anywhere in the book (Acts 11:26) and the book is dangerous ground for any Christian to rest for doctrinal truth. The book of Matthew was written by a Jewish writer about a Jewish Christ and His Jewish kingdom to a Jewish people (Zech. 8:23; John 4:22; Rom. 3:1-2).