Christ descent from Abraham and David through Joseph (1:1 – 17)
Christ’s birth and childhood (1:18 – 2:25)
The birth of Jesus the Messiah (1:18 – 25)
Joseph’s discretion (1:19)
God’s reassurance through the message of the angel (1:20 – 25)
Satan’s attempt to destroy the child and God’s protection (2:1 – 23)
The visit of the wise men (2:1 – 12)
The wise men seek the Christ child (2:1 – 2)
Herod’s evil enquiry (2:3 – 8)
Gifts to honour the Christ child (2:9 – 11)
The wise men warned in a dream (2:12)
God’s warnings to Joseph (2:13 – 23)
The flight into Egypt (2:13 – 15)
Herod’s murder of the infants (2:16 – 18)
The return to Nazareth (2:19 – 23)
The ministry of John the Baptist (3:1 – 17)
A prophet to prepare the way (3:1 – 4)
John’s baptism of repentance (3:5 – 12)
The great response of the people (3:5 – 6)
The hypocrisy of the Pharisees (3:7 – 10)
John denies that he is the Christ (3:11 – 12)
The baptism of Jesus (3:13 – 17)
The temptation of Christ (4:1 – 11)
The Galilean ministry (4:12 – 25)
Jesus returns to Galilee (4:12)
Jesus moves to Capernaum (4:13 – 16)
The first Galilean ministry begins (4:17)
Jesus calls the first disciples (4:18 – 22)
The first preaching tour in Galilee (4:23)
Great crowds come to Jesus (4:24 – 25)
The Sermon on the Mount (5:1 – 7:29)
The setting (5:1 – 2)
The Beatitudes – the character of disciples (5:3 – 12)
The disciples’ testimony to the world (5:13 – 16)
Christ’s exposition of the law – heart application (5:17 – 48)
No contradiction with Old Testament (5:17 – 20)
Anger – murder in the heart (5:21 – 26)
Inner purity – adultery in the heart (5:27 – 30)
Marriage indissoluble (5:31 – 32)
Inner integrity (5:33 – 37)
Private revenge (5:38 – 42)
Love for enemies (5:43 – 48)
Devotion to God free from hypocrisy (6:1 – 18)
Instruction on alms giving (6:1 – 4)
Instruction on prayer (6:5 – 15)
Christ’s pattern prayer (6:9 – 13)
Instruction on fasting (6:16 – 18)
Right attitudes to the things of this life (6:19 – 34)
Treasuring what has true value (6:19 – 21)
The sight of the soul (6:22 – 23)
Serving God not mammon (6:24 – 34)
Trusting God for the essentials of life (6:25 – 34)
Judgments false and true (7:1 – 6)
Avoiding hypocritical judgment (7:1 – 5)
Taking account of depravity (7:6)
Coming to a gracious heavenly Father (7:6 – 12)
Entering into the kingdom of heaven (7:13 – 29)
The miracles of Christ (8:1 – 9:34)
Jesus heals a leper (8:1 – 4)
Jesus heals a centurion’s servant (8:5 – 13)
Jesus heals Peter’s mother-in-law (8:14 – 17)
Two wrong approaches to Christ (8:18 – 22)
Jesus calms the storm (8:23 – 27)
Jesus heals the Gadarene demoniac (8:28 – 9:34)
Jesus heals a paralytic (9:1 – 8)
The call of Matthew (9:9 – 13)
A question about fasting (9:14 – 17)
Jairus pleads for his daughter (9:18 – 19)
A woman healed of an issue of blood (9:20 – 22)
Jesus raises Jairus’ daughter (9:23 – 26)
Jesus heals two blind men (9:27 – 31)
Jesus heals one who was mute (9:32 – 34)
Preaching to Israel (9:35 – 11:1)
The harvest is great, the labourers few (9:35 – 38)
The ministry of the twelve apostles (10:1 – 42)
The twelve apostles, sent out to preach (10:1)
The calling of the twelve apostles (10:2 – 4)
The sending of the twelve apostles (10:5 – 11:1)
Instructions to the twelve (10:5 – 15)
Coming persecutions (10:16 – 25)
Dealing with the fear of man (10:26 – 33)
Not peace, but a sword (10:34 – 39)
Rewards (10:40 – 42)
Christ preaches again in Galilee (11:1)
John the Baptist (11:2 – 19)
Christ is asked for his credentials (11:2 – 6)
Jesus commends John the Baptist (11:7 – 19)
Christ’s response to unbelief and belief (11:20 – 30)
Woe to unrepentant cities (11:20 – 24)
Jesus thanks his Father (11:25 – 30)
Opposition to Christ (12:1 – 14)
Lord of the Sabbath (12:1 – 8)
The man with a withered hand (12:9 – 14)
A great multitude follow Jesus (12:15 – 21)
Jesus and Beelzebub (12:22 – 32)
The importance of words (12:33 – 37)
The sign of Jonah (12:38 – 42)
The return of the unclean spirit (12:43 – 45)
The true kindred of Jesus (12:46 – 50)
Parables of our Lord (13:1 – 52)
The parable of the sower (13:1 – 9)
The purpose of the parables (13:10 – 17)
The parable of the sower explained (13:18 – 23)
The parable of the tares (13:24 – 30)
The parable of the mustard seed (13:31 – 32)
The parable of the leaven (13:33)
The use of parables (13:34 – 35)
The parable of the tares interpreted (13:36 – 43)
The parable of the hidden treasure (13:44)
The parable of the pearl of great price (13:45 – 46)
The parable of the dragnet (13:47 – 50)
Treasures new and old (13:51 – 53)
Second visit of Jesus to Nazareth (13:54 – 58)
Herod’s perplexity (14:1 – 2)
John the Baptist imprisoned (14:3 – 5)
The execution of John the Baptist (14:6 – 12)
The feeding of the five thousand (14:13 – 21)
Jesus walks on the water (14:22 – 34)
Jesus heals the sick in Gennesaret (14:35 – 36)
The tradition of the elders (15:1 – 10)
Things that defile (15:11 – 20)
The Canaanite woman’s faith (15:21 – 28)
Jesus heals the deaf and dumb (15:29 – 31)
The feeding of the four thousand (15:32 – 39)
The demand for a sign (16:1 – 4)
The leaven of the Pharisees and Sadducees (16:5 – 12)
Peter’s declaration about Christ (16:13 – 19)
Jesus foretells his death and resurrection (16:20 – 23)
The cross and self-denial (16:24 – 27)
The transfiguration (16:28 – 17:9)
The coming of Elijah (17:10 – 13)
Jesus heals a demon possessed child (17:14 – 21)
Jesus again foretells his death (17:22 – 23)
Jesus and the temple tax (17:24 – 27)
True greatness (18:1 – 5)
Mortification of sin (18:6 – 11)
The parable of the lost sheep (18:12 – 14)
Reproving another who sins (18:15 – 20)
Peter’s question about forgiveness (18:21 – 22)
The parable of the unforgiving servant (18:23 – 35)
Jesus’ teaching about marriage and divorce (19:1 – 9)
Jesus questioned about the single state (19:10 – 12)
Jesus blesses little children (19:13 – 15)
The rich young ruler (19:16 – 26)
Peter's question about rewards (19:27 – 30)
The parable of the labourers in the vineyard (20:1 – 16)
Jesus foretells his death and resurrection (20:17 – 19)
James and John’s request to sit with Christ (20:20 – 28)
Jesus heals a blind man at Jericho (20:29 – 34)
The Lord’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem (21:1 – 11)
Jesus cleanses the temple (21:12 – 17)
Jesus curses the fig tree (21:18 – 19)
Lessons from the withered fig tree (21:20 – 22)
Jesus questioned about his authority (21:23 – 27)
The parable of the two sons (21:28 – 32)
The parable of the wicked tenants (21:33 – 46)
The parable of the marriage feast (22:1 – 14)
Jesus questioned about paying taxes (22:15 – 22)
Jesus questioned about the resurrection (22:23 – 33)
Jesus questioned about the greatest commandment (22:34 – 40)
Jesus’ question about the Christ (22:41 – 46)
Jesus denounces the scribes and Pharisees (23:1 – 36)
Christ’s lament over Jerusalem (23:37 – 39)
Christ’s teaching on the end times (Matthew 24:1 – 44)
The destruction of the temple foretold (24:1 – 2)
The beginnings of sorrows, but not the end (24:3 – 8)
Persecutions foretold (24:9 – 14)
The destruction of Jerusalem foretold (24:15 – 22)
False Christs and false prophets (24:23 – 26)
The final devastation (24:27 – 28)
The coming of the Son of man (24:29 – 31)
The lesson of the fig tree (24:32 – 36)
The days of Noah (24:37 – 39)
One taken, and another left (24:40 – 41)
The necessity of watchfulness (24:42 – 44)
The faithful and the unfaithful servants (24:45 – 51)
The parable of the wise and foolish virgins (25:1 – 13)
The parable of the talents (25:14 – 30)
The judgment seat of Christ (25:31 – 46)
Th plot to kill Jesus (26:1 – 5)
Mary anoints Jesus (26:6 – 13)
Judas agrees to betray Jesus (26:14 – 16)
The preparation of the passover (26:17 – 19)
Jesus foretells his betrayal (26:20 – 25)
The institution of the Lord’s Supper (26:26 – 30)
Jesus and his disciples sing a hymn and depart (26:30)
Jesus foretells Peter's denial (26:31 – 35)
Jesus prays in Gethsemane (26:26 – 46)
The betrayal and arrest of Jesus (26:47 – 56)
Jesus is led away (26:57 – 58)
Jesus is examined before Caiaphas (26:59 – 68)
Peter denies Jesus three times (26:69 – 75)
Jesus before the council (27:1)
Jesus before Pilate (27:2)
Judas’ remorse (27:3 – 10)
Jesus before Pilate (27:11 – 14)
Jesus or Barabas? (27:15 – 26)
The soldiers mock Jesus (27:27 – 31)
The crucifixion of Jesus (27:32 – 44)
The death of Jesus (27:45 – 56)
The burial of Jesus (27:57 – 61)
The guard at the tomb (27:62 – 66)
The resurrection of Jesus (28:1 – 10)
The report of the guard (28:11 – 15)
The great commission (28:16 – 20)
- to provide an account of the gospel of Christ for Jewish believers
- to trace Christ’s descent from Abraham and David
- to teach the unique nature of Jesus conception and birth
- to record God’s protection of the Christ child
- to reveal Satan’s hatred and opposition to Christ
- to prove the fulfilment of prophecy in the life and works of Christ
- to confirm the victory of Christ over the devil
- to record the wisdom and unique teaching of Jesus Christ
- to give the standard of life for every disciple
- to expose the hypocrisy of the self-righteous
- to open the way into the kingdom of heaven
- to carry out spiritual exercises free from hypocrisy
- to teach how to live by faith in an uncertain world
- to warn against hypocrisy
- to urge those outside the kingdom to enter in
- to illustrate spiritual healing through miracles
- to record the calling of the apostles
- to show how Christ dealt with opposition
- to teach about the kingdom of heaven in parables
- to teach the nature of human unbelief
Bible Commentary on the Gospel According to St. Matthew
by Dr Peter Masters, Metropolitan Tabernacle, London (adapted from sermons) with content from Bible Notes
The Gospel of Matthew is an account of the life of Jesus to convince Jews that Jesus is the promised Messiah. Matthew was himself a Jew, also known as Levi (Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27-29). The three synoptics all say that he was a tax-collector, who was called by Christ while engaged in his work sitting at the receipt of custom, and that he responded immediately to Christ’s call and left all (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14; Luke 5:27). Luke reports that following his call to discipleship he gave a great feast in his house and invited many other tax collectors and other, presumably to allow those he knew to hear the teaching of Christ who was also at the feast, and Matthew and Mark also mention this gathering without saying why it happened. Immediately the Pharisees who disliked tax-collection as a business which pandered too closely to the Romans, began to criticise Christ and his disciple. Matthew saw early in his life as a disciple the hostility of the Jewish leaders to Christ, but he rejoiced in the forgiveness he had found in the Messiah and no doubt longed to make this known to the world. As a tax collector he would have known how to write and keep accurate records, and this ability was employed by God in the construction of his Gospel.
Matthew’s Gospel was written in A.D. 60 or soon after, roughly at the same time as Mark. There is some evidence that it was written in Hebrew dialect. Matthew writes for Jews, and quotes from the Old Testament extensively to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Christ. His Gospel answers and anticipates questions of the Jews. Because he is writing for Jews, Matthew’s family tree starts with Abraham. Luke, writing for Gentiles goes back to Adam. Matthew reports the wise men as enquiring: ‘Where is he that is born King of the Jews?’ You would not find this phrase in Luke. Matthew 3:3 quotes Isaiah 40:3, ‘Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’ Luke goes further with the same quotation and includes a phrase referring to the call of the Gentiles – ‘And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.’ Luke accompanied Paul on some of his great missionary journeys to the Gentiles. Matthew has a more limited purpose. There are scores of examples were Matthew and Luke agree, but report events slightly differently.
Matthew does not stick to a chronological order but organises his material according to themes, while Luke is biographical. As a result they present events in quite different order. This should not be regarded as disagreement, for the different writers have quite different purposes to fulfil. Matthew has the Sermon on the Mount early in his Gospel because he is giving a sample sermon to explain the nature of Christ’s Galilean ministry. The parables of the kingdom are all brought together in Matthew 13, while Matthew 24 is all to do with the end time – teaching given in response to the disciples’ questions about the destruction of the temple and the end of the world. In other Gospels the material is broken up into different places. But Matthew does not give the impression that the parables were all spoken at this time; he simply groups them together.
Matthew has a strong emphasis on evangelisation, recording the appointment of the Twelve Apostles and their sending out to preach initially to the house of Israel. They are instructed to operate on the basis of faith, and given principles which will apply to all missionary work throughout the gospel age. Matthew also includes the great commission when the limiting of the message to Jews is cancelled and the gospel is sent by the apostles initially, into all the world.