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- Herausgeber: Zion Christian Publishers
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018
More than any gospel, The Gospel of Matthew contains the largest collection of the teachings of our Lord Jesus. Drawing from numerous references from the Old Testament, it is also the gospel that seeks to establish that the Lord Jesus is the King of the Jews, the long awaited Messiah of the Jewish nation. Dr. Brian Bailey expounds on The Gospel of Matthew verse by verse, unlocking the more complex truths by breaking them into simpler ones, and skillfully weaving in life experiences that make this book alive, applicable and well worth reading.
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The Gospel of Matthew
Version 2.3
“The Gospel of Matthew”
© 1999 Brian J. Bailey
Front cover design:
© 2008 Zion Fellowship, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means without written permission from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations in articles or reviews.
All Scripture quotations in this book are taken from the
King James Version Bible unless otherwise stated.
Published by Zion Christian Publishers
Published as an e-book on June 2021 (Version 2.3)
in the United States of America
E-book ISBN 1-59665-695-6
For more information, please contact:
Zion Christian Publishers
A Zion Fellowship ® Ministry
P.O. Box 70
Waverly, New York 14892
Phone: (607) 565 2801
Toll free: 1-877-768-7466
Fax: 607-565-3329
www.zcpublishers.com
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Editorial Team: Carla B., Mary H., David K., Justin K., Hannah S., and Suzanne Y.
We wish to extend our thanks to these dear ones for without their many hours of invaluable assistance, this book would not have been possible. We are truly grateful for their diligence, creativity, and excellence in the compilation of this book for the glory of God.
INTRODUCTION
The Bible comprises two testaments, the Old and the New. They are called “testaments” because they are rooted and grounded in death. A testament (or last will) has no force without the death of the testator, as Paul clearly states in Hebrews 9:16-18. The Old Testament was based upon the shed blood of animals, while the New Testament was founded on the shed blood of the Son of God, our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.
The Gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John introduce the New Testament canon, which comprises a total of twenty-seven books. These four Gospels present the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus in different ways and from different viewpoints. No one Gospel by itself can give us a complete account. Therefore, we need to be acquainted with all four in order to have the complete picture. For this reason, we have prepared companion volumes entitled, The Synoptic Gospels and The Life of Christ.
The different views from which these four Gospels were written may be appreciated by a vision that Ezekiel had of the four living creatures that surround the throne of God. We read in Ezekiel 1:10, “As for the likeness of their faces, they four had the face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: and they four had the face of an ox on the left side; they four also had the face of an eagle.”
The four living creatures speak of the four aspects of the character of God, which are in turn reflected in the four Gospels as follows:
Matthew depicts Jesus as the lion, the king of all beasts, and reveals Him as the King of the Jews. Mark presents Jesus as the ox. The ox was one of the principal sacrifices of the Old Testament. Thus Jesus is shown as the suffering Saviour and Servant who fulfils those sacrifices. Luke depicts the humanity of Jesus as the Son of Man in all His passion and purity. John the beloved presents Jesus as the eagle who soars into heavenly places, representing Him as the Son of God. Thus, we see the four faces of the living creatures revealing the four aspects of God’s character.
Matthew – The face of the lion – The King of the Jews
Mark – The face of the ox – The Sacrificial Servant
Luke – The face of a man – The Son of Man in all His purity
John – The face of an eagle – The Son of God in all His power
Brief Outline and Themes in Matthew
Called the didactic or teaching gospel, the Gospel of Matthew is composed into neat sections by Matthew the accountant. It does not therefore necessarily flow in chronological order, but teachings are grouped into appropriate sections that enable one to appreciate truths that the Master Teacher, Our Blessed Lord, is seeking to instill into the hearts and minds of His listeners. Briefly, the Gospel of Matthew may be summarized as follows:
I. Prologue – The Genealogy of Jesus as King of the Jews and His infancy 1:1-2:23
II. Proclamation – the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand 3:1-7:29
A. The Beginning of the ministry of Jesus 3:1-4:25
B. The Sermon on the Mount 5:1-7:29
III. The Ministry of Jesus in Galilee 8:1-11:1
A. The ten miracles 8:1-9:34
B. Discourse on His martyrdom 9:35-11:1
IV. Mounting Opposition and Parables 11:2-13:52
A. Escalating opposition 11:2-12:50
B. The Parables of the Kingdom 13:1-52
V. Journey to the Mount of Transfiguration and Teachings on the Church 13:53-18:35
A. Journey to the Mount of Transfiguration 13:53-17:27
B. Teaching on the Church 18:1-35
VI. Jesus in Judea and Jerusalem 19:1-25:46
A. The Final Journey of Jesus to Jerusalem 19:1-23:39
B. His Mount of Olives Discourse 24:1-25:46
VII. His Passion 26:1-27:66
VIII. His Resurrection 28:1-20
This Gospel abounds with the teachings of Jesus. Of these, we have selected three of the most well known and important of these wonderful times of sitting at His feet and learning of the ways of the kingdom. They are from the Sermon on the Mount, the Seven Parables of the Kingdom, and the Teachings on His Coming Kingdom given on the Mount of Olives.
The Sermon on the Mount
The Sermon on the Mount commences with the nine beatitudes which are blessings pronounced upon the poor in Spirit, those that mourn, the meek, those that hunger and thirst after righteousness, the merciful, the pure in heart, the peacemakers, and those that are persecuted for righteousness and falsely accused for Christ’s sake. There follows a series of teachings on Kingdom living sprinkled with solemn warnings for those who would leave the pathways of righteousness and walk in sin although still ministering God’s Word. Their end will be with the hypocrites. But the Lord’s teachings end on the admonition to listen and obey His words and then one will be like the man who built his house upon a rock that withstood all the storms of life.
The Seven Parables of the Kingdom
The Seven Parables of the Kingdom are teachings that show the progression of the Christian’s life and also the progression of the church from its conception on the day of Pentecost until its maturity at the last harvest when the Lord comes.
These seven parables start with the Parable of the Sower. The Lord Jesus Christ sows the word which falls into several different kinds of hearts. Only the good and prepared hearts bring forth fruit.
Then we come to the Parable of the Tares. The tares are evil and are sown by Satan to ruin good hearts of the faithful.
This is followed by the Parable of the Mustard Seed. The mustard seed is the smallest of all seeds but when grown becomes mighty. Likewise in due season, the Word of God will show forth its power in our lives.
The fourth parable is the Parable of the Leaven. Here, the woman hid leaven in three measures of meal until all was leavened. This speaks of the Word permeating our spirit, soul, and body.
The fifth parable is the Parable of the Hid Treasure that when found, will cause a man to give all in exchange for it. It speaks of further hidden treasures in the Word of God that when found, one will give all to have.
The Parable of the Pearl of Great Price speaks of the suffering Christ of whom Paul says, “That I might win Him…” But the cost of winning Him is to know the fellowship of His sufferings and to be made conformable to His death.
The seventh and final parable in this series of the Parables of the Kingdom is the Parable of the Net, which when cast into the sea, gathered of every kind, and when full, was brought to land where the good and bad were separated. Then the Lord says in Matthew 13:49-50, “So shall it be at the end of the world: the angels shall come forth, and sever the wicked from among the just, and shall cast them into the furnace of fire: there shall be wailing and gnashing of teeth.”
Teachings on His Coming Kingdom on the Mount of Olives
Our Lord’s teachings are very solemn and should provoke us to holy living and that is even more true as we consider His teachings as He sat upon the Mount of Olives.
The Mount of Olives is the scene of His Second Coming. We are told that on that day, His feet shall stand upon the Mount which will then clave in two—one half toward the north and the other to the south (Zech. 14:4).
On that memorable evening when the Lord sat surrounded privately by some of His disciples, He was asked, “What are the signs of Thy Coming and of the end of the world?”
His first words were a warning against being deceived, a theme which He continued throughout His discourse. He alluded to the fall of Jerusalem and the destruction of the Temple. He went on to give a chronological sequence of events starting with persecution, a world-wide revival, followed by the abomination of desolation spoken of by the prophet Daniel standing in the Holy Place of a rebuilt Temple. The Great Tribulation follows, after which the sun and moon shall be darkened and then there will be the sign of the Son of Man coming in the clouds. At that time, all nations and peoples will be gathered before Him as He sits upon His throne of Glory with all His holy angels. He will then divide them as a shepherd divides the sheep from the goats. Those sheep nations – the obedient ones, shall be set upon His right side. They will be blessed and enter into His kingdom, whilst the goats – the disobedient ones, will be cast into everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels.
Matthew the Author
We know little of Matthew except that he was a tax collector. In those days, tax collectors were employed by the Roman occupation force. Unfortunately, these tax collectors made huge profits by taking advantage of their fellow citizens. Thus, theirs was a despised profession. It was while Matthew was sitting at the toll office near Capernaum on the great West Road from Damascus to the Mediterranean that Jesus called him. He was called “Levi the publican” by Mark (2:13-17) and Luke (5:27-32), but in his own Gospel he uses his new Christian name Matthew, which means “gift of God.”
Because of his profession, he brought skills to the Apostolic band that the others did not possess. Many of Jesus’ disciples were fishermen, whereas Matthew was an accountant. It is noteworthy that more references to money occur in Matthew’s writings than in the other Gospels. He mentions “coins” more often, even rare ones.
Mark brings out three coins that are the poorest—the mite, the farthing, and the penny. Luke refers to the mite, farthing, and pound, while Matthew (who was in the habit of handling money) uses such words as “tribute money” (didrachmon) in Matthew 17:24, “piece of money” (stater) in Matthew 17:27, and “talent” in Matthew 18:24; 25:15. The talent was worth sixty times the “pound” mentioned by Luke.
Matthew also speaks of gold, silver, and brass. He uses terms that would be familiar to an accountant, like reckoning, debt, and moneychangers. As an accountant, he was skilled in collecting material and putting it in order. Thus, his Gospel could be called the teaching Gospel, for he collected more of the teachings of Jesus than any of the others, and placed them under headings.
Matthew’s Gospel is also filled with many Old Testament quotations (130 quotations or allusions) because he sought to prove that Jesus was the Messiah, the King of the Jews. To this intent, he begins with the genealogy of Jesus emphasizing that He is the Son of David, while Luke takes the genealogy of Jesus all the way back to Adam to emphasize His humanity.
OUTLINE OF MATTHEW
The Genealogy of Jesus 1:1-17
The Birth of Jesus 1:18-25
The Wise Men 2:1-12
The Flight into Egypt 2:13-15
The Slaying of the Children on Herod’s Orders 2:16-18
The Return from Egypt to Nazareth 2:19-23
The Person of John the Baptist and His Message 3:1-12
The Baptism of Jesus 3:13-17
The Three Temptations 4:1-11
The Beginning of Christ’s Ministry in Galilee 4:12-17
The Calling of the Disciples 4:18-22
The Galilean Ministry continued 4:23-25
The Beatitudes 5:1-12
The Similitudes 5:13-16
The Fulfilment of the Law 5:17-20
Murder and Anger 5:21-26
Adultery 5:27-30
Divorce and Remarriage 5:31-32
Oaths 5:33-37
Holy Acceptance of Circumstances with Joy 5:38-42
Love 5:43-48
Almsgiving 6:1-4
Prayer 6:5-15
Fasting 6:16-18
Heavenly Treasures 6:19-23
Priority of Seeking the Kingdom of God 6:24-34
Judging Others 7:1-6
Asking, Seeking, and Knocking 7:7-11
The Golden Rule 7:12
The Straight and Narrow Way 7:13-14
The True and False Ministers 7:15-20
The Workers of Iniquity 7:21-23
The Two Builders 7:24-27
Authority 7:28-29
The Cleansing of the Leper 8:1-4
The Healing of the Centurion's Servant 8:5-13
The Healing of Peter’s Mother-in-law 8:14-17
The Price of Discipleship 8:18-22
The Calming of the Seas 8:23-27
The Casting Out of Devils 8:28-34
The Healing of the One Sick With Palsy 9:1-8
The Call of Matthew 9:9-13
On Fasting 9:14-15
The New and the Old 9:16-17
A Woman and a Daughter Healed 9:18-26
The Restoration of Sight to the Blind 9:27-31
The Healing of the Dumb Man 9:32-34
The Need for Labourers 9:35-38
The Calling of the Twelve 10:1-4
The Twelve Commissioned 10:5-20
The Persecutions of Discipleship 10:21-42
About His Father’s Business 11:1
The Exaltation of John the Baptist by Jesus 11:2-15
The Justification of Wisdom 11:16-19
Eternal Judgment Upon the Cities of His Day 11:20-24
Rest For Our Soul 11:25-30
The Lord of the Sabbath 12:1-8
Healing on the Sabbath 12:9-13
Council Plotting the Destruction of Jesus 12:14-21
The Blasphemy of the Pharisees 12:22-30
The Unforgivable Sin 12:31-37
The Pharisees Request a Sign 12:38-45
The Mother and Brethren of Jesus 12:46-50
The Parables of the Kingdom 13:1-50
The Parable of the Householder 13:51-53
Rejection at Nazareth 13:54-58
The Death of John the Baptist 14:1-12
The Feeding of the Five Thousand 14:13-21
The Miracle of Walking Upon the Water 14:22-33
Healing of Many in the Land of Gennesare 14:34-36
The Traditions of the Elders 15:1-20
The Syro-phoenician Woman 15:21-28
Healing of the Multitudes 15:29-31
The Feeding of the Four Thousand 15:32-39
Again a Desire for a Sign 16:1-4
The Leaven of the Scribes and the Pharisees 16:5-12
The Revelation that Jesus is the Christ 16:13-20
Revelation of His Mission to go to the Cross 16:21-26
His Second Coming 16:27-28
The Transfiguration 17:1-13
The Casting Out of the Spirit of a Lunatic 17:14-21
Further Teaching Concerning His Death 17:22-23
The Tribute Money 17:24-27
Teaching on Humility 18:1-10
The Parable of the Lost Sheep 18:11-14
The Sinning Brother 18:15-20
Teaching on Forgiveness 18:21-35
Teaching on Divorce 19:1-12
The Blessings of the Little Children 19:13-15
The Rich Young Ruler 19:16-26
The Apostles’ Reward 19:27-30
The Parable of the Labourers 20:1-16
Further Teaching With Respect to His Death 20:17-19
The Lessons on Humility 20:20-28
The Healing of Blind Bartimaeus 20:29-34
The Triumphal Entry into the Holy City 21:1-11
The Cleansing of the Temple 21:12-17
The Cursing of the Fig Tree 21:18-22
The Authority of Jesus Challenged 21:23-27
The Parable of the Two Sons 21:28-32
The Parable of the Vineyard 21:33-46
The Parable of the Wedding Feast 22:1-10
The Man Without a Wedding Garment 22:11-14
Tribute to Caesar 22:15-22
The Question of the Sadducees 22:23-33
The Two Great Commandments 22:34-40
A Discourse on the Son of David 22:41-46
The Legalism of the Pharisees Condemned 23:1-12
The Character of the Pharisees Condemned 23:13-36
Weeping over Jerusalem 23:37-39
Prophecy Concerning the Temple Destruction 24:1-2
The Signs of His Second Coming 24:3
The Great Tribulation 24:4-22
The Second Coming 24:23-31
The Parable of the Fig Tree 24:32-35
The Days of Noah 24:36-44
The Faithful and Evil Servants 24:45-51
The Parable of the Ten Virgins 25:1-13
The Parable of the Talents 25:14-30
The Judgment of the Nations 25:31-46
Two Days Before the Passover 26:1-5
In The House of Simon 26:6-13
The Betrayer 26:14-16
The Betrayer Revealed 26:17-25
The Last Supper and the Warning to Peter 26:26-35
Gethsemane and the Cup 26:36-46
The Betrayal 26:47-56
The Trial Before the High Priest Caiaphas 26:57-68
The Denials of Peter 26:69-75
The Sending of Jesus to Pilate 27:1-2
Suicide of Judas 27:3-10
Jesus Before Pilate 27:11-18
The Choice of the Multitude 27:19-23
The Judgment Upon the Children of Israel 27:24-25
The Order for the Crucifixion 27:26-28
The Mocking of Jesus 27:29-33
The Crucifixion 27:34-38
The Scorn of the Priests 27:39-49
His Death 27:50-54
His Burial 27:55-61
The Sealing of the Tomb 27:62-66
The Resurrection 28:1-8
Meeting of the Women with Jesus 28:9-10
The Duplicity of the Chief Priests and Elders 28:11-15
The Great Commission 28:16-20
Palestine in New Testament Times
CHAPTER 1
The Genealogy of Jesus
1:1-17
1:1 -“The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” Writing to Jewish readers, Matthew seeks to prove that Jesus was the promised Messiah. The first thing every Jew wanted to know was—Could the genealogy of Jesus be traced back to David? Therefore, Matthew introduces Him as “the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.”
1:2 -“Abraham begat Isaac; and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas [Judah] and his brethren.” Here Matthew names the first three patriarchs of the nation—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Matthew carefully separates the lineage so that there is no mention of Ishmael, the firstborn of Abraham by Hagar. The Apostle Paul expressly excludes Ishmael in Romans 9:7, saying: “In Isaac shalt thy seed be called” (Gen. 21:12).
Then Matthew mentions Jacob, but not Esau, Isaac’s firstborn who sold and lost his birthright (Gen. 25:29-34). Following Jacob was Judah (or Judas). Matthew did not include the other eleven sons of Jacob, for it was through Judah that Jesus derived His lineage. It was Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, who had the promise of the sceptre, or the right to the throne (Gen. 49:10).
1:3 -“And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram.” Thus, we see that there is separation in the lineage:
• Abraham was the father of the nation.
• Isaac (not Ishmael) was chosen.
• Jacob (not Esau) was chosen.
• Judah (not his eleven brothers) was chosen.
• Pharez (not his twin brother Zara) was chosen.
Judah had twins, Pharez and Zara, from Tamar (Gen. 38:27-30, Ruth 4:12). Pharez prevailed over Zara. Now Matthew gives the line of succession from Pharez down to Christ.
1:4 -“And Aram begat Aminadab; and Aminadab begat Naasson; and Naasson begat Salmon.” From a spiritual point of view, these people are not important. Except for their names, no other mention is made in Scripture concerning them.
1:5 -“And Salmon begat Booz of Rachab[Rahab]; and Booz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse.” Here we are presented with the immediate ancestors of King David among whom Rachab (or Rahab) is mentioned. In the Book of Joshua, Rahab hid the spies when Israel invaded the land of Canaan (Josh. 2:1-21). Rahab the harlot is mentioned among the heroes of faith in Hebrews 11:31 (see also James 2:25). This young woman had a bad beginning, but a very good end. By profession, she was a prostitute, but she had a desire for a different life. Rahab had a heart for God, and when she received knowledge of the true God, immediately she responded with faith. Later, she married a good man named Salmon and came into the Messianic line. Together they had a son named Boaz.
The story of Boaz and Ruth is beautifully told in the Book of Ruth, which took place during the days of the Judges. Boaz and Ruth had a son named Jesse, who became the father of King David. In Matthew 1:5, we see two consecutive Gentile women in the Messianic line—Rahab and Ruth.
1:6 -“And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias.” The importance of mentioning David in the lineage of Christ is to prove that Jesus was indeed the Son of David and that Jesus had a legitimate hereditary claim to the throne of Israel. Jesus can indeed be called “The King of Jews” as Pontius Pilate wrote on the accusation over His head at the crucifixion (Mt. 27:37).
Another note of interest, in verse 6, is the issue of Bathsheba, the mother of Solomon. Of all the sons of King David, God chose Solomon, who was the son of David and Bathsheba, to be king. Bathsheba was the former wife of Uriah the Hittite. David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and later arranged for Uriah her husband to be killed in battle in order to cover his sin and marry her. In spite of the circumstances surrounding the birth of Solomon, God chose Solomon to succeed David as king. Thus, we see the grace of God shown to Solomon, as Matthew records: “David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Urias.”
1:7 -“And Solomon begat Roboam[Rehoboam]; and Roboam begat Abia; and Abia begat Asa.” The kingdom of Israel was divided after Solomon’s reign. Twenty kings succeeded Solomon, Rehoboam being the first king to sit upon the throne of David after the kingdom divided. Matthew, however, does not list all the twenty kings from Rehoboam to Zedekiah. He omits several of the kings. The history of the kings of Judah is contained in the books of Kings and Chronicles.
1:8 -“And Asa begat Josaphat [Jehoshaphat]; and Josaphat begat Joram; and Joram begat Ozias [Uzziah].” There are several generations between Joram and Uzziah that are not mentioned, namely the kings Ahaziah, Joash, and Amaziah. Some of Judah’s kings were godly men like Jehoshaphat, who experienced national revival in his days. He was a man of righteousness and piety. Others, however, were very wicked.
1:9 -“And Ozias [Uzziah] begat Joatham [Jotham]; and Joatham begat Achaz [Ahaz]; and Achaz begat Ezekias [Hezekiah].” Ahaz was extremely wicked, while his son Hezekiah was righteous and was used of the Lord to bring about a national revival. The Lord performed miracles during Hezekiah’s reign. On one occasion, the Lord caused the sun to go back ten degrees as a sign that He would heal him. On another occasion, Hezekiah experienced the Lord’s deliverance when the angel of the Lord slew the forces of Assyria who were encamped around Jerusalem (2 Ki. 18-20).
1:10 -“And Ezekias [Hezekiah] begat Manasses [Manasseh]; and Manasses begat Amon; and Amon begat Josias [Josiah].” Although Hezekiah was a very godly man, his son Manasseh was one of the most wicked men in the history of Judah. Notwithstanding, God spared Manasseh and restored him to his throne from Babylonian captivity after he humbled himself greatly (2 Chr. 33:9-13).
Therefore, friends, there is hope for the prodigals. On the other hand, Manasseh’s son Amon did not repent and was quickly judged by God. Amon’s son Josiah was a godly man. Along with the prophets Jeremiah and Zephaniah, Josiah was instrumental in leading the greatest revival in Israel’s history.
Amon was very wicked, yet his son Josiah was very righteous and changed a nation. This account in Scripture gives great hope to sons and daughters whose parents are evil. In spite of their heritage, they can come to know the Lord in a mighty way and be used of God, for God is not a respecter of persons. Our heritage does not disqualify us. It is our personal life that disqualifies us. God has no prejudice in His heart. That is a clear theme of this genealogy.
1:11 -“And Josias begat Jechonias [or Jehoiachin, grandson of Josiah] and his brethren, about the time they were carried away to Babylon.” Amazingly, all of Josiah’s sons were wicked. They were responsible for bringing God’s wrath against Jerusalem, namely the armies of the Babylonians under King Nebuchadnezzar. Josiah was actually the father of Jehoiakim and the grandfather of Jehoiachin. Three sons of Josiah (who later became kings) are not named in Matthew’s genealogy. They are Jehoahaz, Jehoakim, and Zedekiah. Jehoiachin, Josiah’s grandson, was taken into captivity during the lifetime of the prophet Daniel. It is from Jehoiachin that the legitimate Davidic line continues until Christ (2 Chr. 34-36).
1:12 -“And after they were brought to Babylon, Jechonias [or Jehoichin] begat Salathiel; and Salathiel begat Zorobabe [Zerubbabel].” Jehoiachin was the last king mentioned in this genealogy. The other kings (sons of Josiah) had been appointed by pagan rulers. Here at Babylon marks one of the great divisions in the history of the children of Israel. They remained in Babylon for 70 years. Salathiel is actually the grandfather of Zerubbabel. Pedaiah (father of Zerubbabel) is omitted from the genealogy.
1:13 -“And Zorobabel [Zerubbabel] begat Abiud; and Abiud begat Eliakim; and Eliakim begat Azor.” Zerubbabel was the governor and builder of the restored temple along with Joshua the High Priest, as recorded in Ezra chapters 1-6. They were aided mightily by the prophets Haggai and Zechariah.
The piety of Zerubbabel can be seen in the Lord’s commendation of him in Haggai 2:23: “In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, will I take thee, O Zerubbabel, my servant, the son of Shealtiel, saith the LORD, and will make thee as a signet: for I have chosen thee, saith the LORD of hosts.”
1:14-15 -“And Azor begat Sadoc; and Sadoc begat Achim; and Achim begat Eliud; And Eliud begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Matthan; and Matthan begat Jacob.” Now we have a series of persons mentioned of whom we have no other knowledge, except that they are blessed to be in the Messianic line.
1:16 -“And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus, who is called Christ.” We must note that Matthew does not call Joseph the father of Jesus but “the husband of Mary.” That is because God is the Father of Jesus. Joseph was only His earthly adopted father. Nevertheless, in so doing, Matthew establishes the legitimacy of Jesus’ claim to the throne of David.
1:17 -“So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.” Typical of an accountant, Matthew divides the generations from Abraham to Christ into three divisions of 14 generations, making a total of 42 generations.
• 14 Generations from Abraham to David
• 14 Generations from David to the Babylonian exile
• 14 Generations from the Babylonian exile to Christ
There were 42 generations from Abraham to Christ. These three divisions of 14 generations reflect Matthew’s understanding of the importance of numbers in revealing spiritual truths. The number 14 is obtained by multiplying 2 by 7. In Scripture, the number “two” signifies witness and the number “seven” represents spiritual perfection. The number “three” speaks of divinity because of the Trinity. Thus, these divisions of 14 multiplied by 3 signify “the witness of divine spiritual perfection.”
There were another 20 generations from Abraham back to Adam. From Adam to Noah there were ten generations, and from Noah to Abraham were another ten generations. When we add the 20 generations from Adam to Abraham, we have a total of 62 generations from Adam to Christ.
This is important in that the mystical number 62 occurs in Daniel 9:25, which says, “Know therefore and understand, that from the going forth of the commandment to restore and to build Jerusalem, unto the Messiah the Prince, shall be seven weeks, and threescore and two [62] weeks: the street shall be built again, and the wall, even in troublous times.”
A week in Hebrew means “a seven,” or seven years. There were exactly 62 weeks or 62 sets of seven years (483 years) from the commandment given by Artaxerxes, King of Persia (Ezra 7:7), to rebuild the walls (Ezra 9:9) and streets of Jerusalem (Ezra 10:9), until the coming of Christ.
There were 483 years from Artaxerxes’ decree, given in 457 B.C., unto the commencement of Christ’s ministry in 26 A.D. at the Jordan River. Also, Darius the Mede was 62 years old when Babylon fell and he brought in a new order (Dan. 5:31). This typifies the end of the Church Age and the beginning of the millennial reign of Christ. After the rebuilt city of Babylon (which will be the capital of the Antichrist in the last days) falls, as recorded in Revelation 18, the millennial reign of Christ will begin. Thus again we have the number 62 associated with Christ’s coming. Here is a summary of the number 62:
• 62 generations from Adam to Christ
• 62 weeks from decree to rebuild Jerusalem until Christ’s first coming
• 62 was the age of Darius when Babylon fell and a new order began—a type of Christ’s Second Coming
* For more on genealogies, please see Appendix A at the end of the book.
The Birth of Jesus
1:18-25
1:18 -“Now the birth of Jesus Christ was on this wise: When as his mother Mary was espoused to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Ghost.”
Matthew, unlike Luke, enters straight into the fact that Mary has been carrying the Son of God in her womb by reason of the overshadowing of the Holy Spirit. It is the beloved physician alone who provides the account of the visitation of the archangel Gabriel to Mary (cf. Lk 1:26-38). Because Joseph knew nothing of the angelic visitation, he was tested by God to see his worthiness.
1:19 -“Then Joseph her husband, being a just man, and not willing to make her a public example, was minded to put her away privily.” This is an interesting statement. Joseph and Mary were only engaged, but the Scripture calls Joseph her husband. Furthermore, Joseph was “minded to put her away” when he found her expecting a child.
How could he “put her away” (divorce her) when they were only engaged? The answer actually is quite simple. In Jewish culture, engagement lasted usually about a year, during which time the couple was called and looked upon as husband and wife. Also, the Jews regarded an engagement almost as highly as the marriage itself. Since Joseph suspected Mary to have been involved in fornication (not adultery), he was determined to break his engagement and put away Mary, to whom he was engaged.
When we understand this custom, we can grasp what Christ really meant when He taught the Jews about divorce because of “fornication” (cf. Mt. 5:31-32; 19:9). Verse 20 affirms that they were called husband and wife, even while they were engaged. The angel of the Lord said to Joseph in verse 20, “Fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife.”
In this account, we see the picture of a righteous man manifesting the righteousness and mercy of God. A self-righteous person so often is hard and condemnatory, while one who is filled with the righteousness of God is conscious of his own weaknesses and failings and is compassionate toward others. This reminds us of Proverbs 10:12, which says, “Hatred stirreth up strifes: but love covereth all sins.” Joseph could have been filled with hatred toward Mary, but because of his true love for her, he sought to protect her. A truly righteous man is just, kind, and compassionate.
1:20 -“But while he thought on these things, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream, saying, Joseph, thou son of David, fear not to take unto thee Mary thy wife: for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Ghost.”
Before God reveals truth to us or opens our eyes to a situation, He will often test us to see what is in our hearts. Although Joseph passed this test, many others have not! One of the most prominent men to fail his personal test was Hezekiah, of whom we read in 2 Chronicles 32:31: “Howbeit in the business of the ambassadors of the princes of Babylon who sent unto him to inquire of the wonder that was done in the land, God left him, to try him, that he might know all that was in his heart.”
Hezekiah failed because he became lifted up in pride. He foolishly showed all of his riches and secrets to the ambassadors of Babylon. May we always cry humbly to God for mercy in similar situations so that we are able to triumph as did Joseph and show forth true righteousness, cradled in kindness.
1:21 -“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” The angel, still speaking to Joseph in the dream, reveals the name of this miracle baby. Jesus means “Saviour.” That was the goal and purpose of His life—to save all who will believe on Him from their sins. Friend, have you called on Jesus and experienced the joy of having your sins forgiven?
The fact that Jesus was named while still in the womb of His mother fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah 49:1: “Listen, O isles, unto me; and hearken, ye people, from far; The LORD hath called me from the womb; from the bowels of my mother hath he made mention of my name.”
Others who were named prior to their birth were the godly King Josiah (1 Ki. 13:2), and the Persian king, Cyrus (Isa. 44:28). However, the miraculous birth of Christ was the fulfilment of another prophecy found in Isaiah 7:14, as we now read in verses 22-23:
1:22-23 -“Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, God with us.” Matthew makes it clear that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. He is “God with us”—God in the flesh.
1:24 -“Then Joseph being raised from sleep did as the angel of the Lord had bidden him, and took unto him his wife.” Here again we see the beauty of the character of Joseph. He had instantaneous obedience to the Word of God. It is no wonder, then, that he qualified to become the earthly adopted father of the Son of the Highest.
1:25 -“And knew her not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name JESUS.” Here we see the purity of Mary while she was carrying the Lord Jesus Christ. Nothing less would have been possible prior to the birth of the Holy One of God.
CHAPTER 2
The Wise Men
2:1-12
2:1 -“Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem.” The Herod mentioned here is the wicked ruler called Herod the Great, whose family ruled the nation of Israel after him. He died in 4 B.C., one year after the birth of Jesus. All aspects of the life of Christ have significance, either by the fulfilling of prophecy or of some Old Testament symbol or type. In this case, His birth in Bethlehem fulfilled both prophecy and symbol.
First, Christ’s birth in Bethlehem fulfilled the prophecy of Micah 5:2: “But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting.” Bethlehem was the burial place of Rachel, the beloved wife of Jacob. Ruth lived there when she married Boaz. Above everything else, Bethlehem was called the city of David, and Matthew was seeking to identify Jesus as David’s Greater Son.
Second, Bethlehem means “House of Bread.” Being born in Bethlehem, Jesus is “the Bread of Life,” fulfilling the type of the manna that Moses gave to the people, as we read in John 6:31-33: “Our fathers did eat manna in the desert; as it is written, He gave them bread from heaven to eat. Then Jesus said unto them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Moses gave you not that bread from heaven; but my Father giveth you the true bread from heaven. For the bread of God is he which cometh down from heaven, and giveth life unto the world.” Later Jesus would say in John 6:35: “I Am the Bread of Life.” This is one of the seven “I Am’s” of John’s Gospel.
2:2 -“Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him.” The wise men, called Magis, came from Persia, as we are told by the Greek historian Herodotus. The Magis were renowned for their wisdom, as well as their studies in medicine and natural science. They were also well versed in astronomy. There was evidently an unusual star in the heavens, although we have no independent record of it outside of Scripture.
2:3 -“When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.” The reason the opinions of the Magis were treated with all seriousness was a prevailing belief in the world of that day that there would come men from Judea who would rule the world. Thus wrote the Roman historian Suetonius in his Life of Vespasian 4:5.
Another historian, Tacitus, said that at this time there was a universal belief that the East would grow stronger, and rulers coming from Judea would take over the world. Even Josephus admits that the Jews cherished a belief that there would arise from among them one who would be governor of the world. In light of this, it is easier to understand that when such respected people as the Magis brought such news there would be deep concern on the part of Herod and the whole city.
2:4 -“And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.” Living among the Jews, Herod, who himself was not a Jew, would naturally link this news with the expectation that the people had of the birth of Christ. The reason for this was the prophecy of Daniel 9:25-26, which pinpointed His birth to that time period.
2:5-6 -“And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judaea: for thus it is written by the prophet, And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda: for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule my people Israel.” All the Jews were very clear that the birthplace of the Messiah would be in Bethlehem because of the prophecy of Micah 5:2. Later in His life and ministry, the Jews rejected Jesus. They assumed that He had been born in Nazareth, not realizing that He had indeed been born in Bethlehem.
2:7-8 -“Then Herod, when he had privily called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared. And he sent them to Bethlehem, and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when ye have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also.” Herod, who had obtained his throne by intrigue, had no intention of losing it to a babe. Actually, the investigation of this search was the height of hypocrisy, since under no circumstances was Herod going to acknowledge that the baby was the expected Messiah.
2:9 -“When they had heard the king, they departed; and, lo, the star, which they saw in the east, went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child was.” From this account it is clear that the star was indeed a miraculous appearance of a celestial body and cannot be equated with any constellation.
2:10 -“When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.” The star that had led them this far was a source of great joy to these holy men. Is it not also the same with us when we have the sense that we are being guided sovereignly by God and we have the joy of heaven in our heart! Remember, the mature sons of God are those that are led by the Spirit of God (Rom. 8:14).
2:11 -“And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him: and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold, and frankincense, and myrrh.” The gifts that the wise men presented to Jesus typified His life and ministry:
• Gold, a symbol of deity
• Frankincense, speaking of faith
• Myrrh, symbolic of death, as it was the ancient embalming fluid
Therefore, by these gifts the wise men were saying, in effect, “Here is God who was born to suffer and to die.” The wise men fell down before Him who is Wisdom (1 Cor. 1:24), for Jesus is the very personification of wisdom, as shown in Proverbs 8.
The scene also depicts the “hidden wisdom of God” of which Paul speaks in 1 Corinthians 2:6-7: “Howbeit we speak wisdom among them that are perfect: yet not the wisdom of this world, nor of the princes of this world, that come to nought: But we speak the wisdom of God in a mystery, even the hidden wisdom, which God ordained before the world unto our glory.” He is our wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption (1 Cor. 1:30).
2:12 -“And being warned of God in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed into their own country another way.” All of these manifestations at the birth of Jesus were orchestrated by God the Father, who sent the wise men back another way because He knew Herod’s wicked plot.
The Flight into Egypt
2:13-15
2:13 -“And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him.” The supernatural visitation to Joseph brought protection to the baby Jesus. Without this protection, He would have been destroyed at birth. It is remarkable how many efforts are made by Satan to destroy God’s messengers at an early age or the works that God is seeking to raise up through His chosen ones. There are three main genocides recorded in Holy Scripture:
1. At the birth of Moses all the male children of Israel were commanded by Pharaoh to be killed (Ex. 1:7-22).
2. At the time of Jesus all the male children in Bethlehem two years old and under were slain (Mt. 2:16-18).
3. At the time of the birth of the Man-child in Revelation 12, Satan will attempt another slaughter (Rev. 12:1-6).
We should further note that now in our day and age, abortion is killing millions of babies before birth.
2:14 -“When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt.” Egypt was the nation chosen to nourish the children of Israel at the time of Joseph. In like manner, the holy family was protected there in an area just north of modern-day Cairo.
2:15 -“And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son.” The children of Israel were taken down into Egypt and were then brought out by Moses through the blood of the Passover lamb being sprinkled over the door posts of their houses. In like manner, Jesus, the Head of the Church, was taken down to Egypt (a type of this world) to be brought out even as we are born into this world and brought out by the blood of our Passover Lamb, Jesus Christ. This was a fulfilment of the prophecy in Hosea 11:1, “When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.”
The Slaying of the Children on the Orders of Herod
2:16-18
2:16 -“Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently inquired of the wise men.” Herod, who usurped the throne of Israel, had no peace throughout his life. He lived in constant fear of losing his throne to another. Even at the end of his life, Herod sought to kill babies for fear that a babe would take away his throne.
Another king centuries later who had likewise usurped the throne said, “Uneasy lies the head that wears the crown.” May we all take this to heart. That which has been taken unlawfully will never give the thief peace or happiness.
2:17-18 -“Then was fulfilled that which was spoken by Jeremy [Jeremiah] the prophet, saying, In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not.” Even in this slaughter there was the fulfilling of prophecy. Why is this? Because God foresees the future and can declare a thing before it comes to pass. Therefore, He caused it to be recorded in Jeremiah 31:15, six centuries before its fulfilment.
Rachel is buried in Bethlehem on the road to Jerusalem. Here in poetic language the weeping of Rachel’s descendants is so great that they are depicted as being heard in Ramah, about six miles northwest of Jerusalem on a hill from which the Mediterranean Sea can be seen. Ramah is located a distance of 15 miles from the Mediterranean.
The Return from Egypt to Nazareth
2:19-23
