College Press Bible Study Textbook Series
Matthew 26 - Introduction
SPECIAL STUDIES
THE KIND OF MESSIAH GOD HAS IN MIND ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
From the very first page of his Gospel Matthew flashes before his readers a series of radical claims for Jesus that must be taken seriously and examined carefully. Before the reader has completed two Chapter s, Matthew has already introduced Jesus of Nazareth as:
1.
The descendant of the principal heirs of the promises God gave to the Hebrew people, Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1-17). Yet, He descends from at least three Gentile ancestresses.
2.
He comes from God by the activity of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 1:18-25).
3.
Rather than liberate His people from their national enemies, He comes to save them from their sins (Matthew 1:21). He is named Jesus (Javeh saves) and Immanuel, God with us (Matthew 1:23).
4.
Though He is the ruler who shall pastor God's people (Matthew 2:6), He is the object of the indifference of the clergy and the persecution of the powerful (Matthew 2:1-23).
5.
The very inauspicious circumstances surrounding His birth, combined with the disgusting nickname, the Nazarene (Matthew 1:23), point to a suffering Messiah from the very beginning.
6.
John the Baptist presented Jesus as the Judge who would execute the justice of God and who alone was qualified to immerse men in the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:1-12)! Yet, Matthew's Messiah appeared for the first time in public as just another common man among the sinners who presented themselves to John for baptism (Matthew 3:13-15). Despite His humanness, He is God's beloved Son and anointed with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16-17).
7.
The Messiah relived the same trials of His own people, proving Himself faithful to God as His authentic Son, responding to the temptations, not as would an angel, but, rather, with the attitude of a true human being who is a worshiper of God (Matthew 4:1-11).
8.
The Messiah is concerned with the enlightenment of the benighted among the Gentiles (Matthew 4:12-17; Isaiah 9:1 f.).
9.
As the new Moses Jesus is not merely a great Lawgiver who repeats what God told him, but actually rises above the Mosaic Law to say what He personally requires (Matthew 5:21; Matthew 5:27; Matthew 5:32; Matthew 5:34; Matthew 5:39; Matthew 5:44). Further, He is a Messiah who will fulfil the Law, bringing it to its proper completion (Matthew 5:17).
10.
Jesus is a Messiah who has time for, and is powerfully competent to help, the impure nature's most violent forces (Matthew 8:23-27), demoniacs (Matthew 8:28 to Matthew 9:1), paralyzed sinners (Matthew 9:1-8), the outcasts of society (Matthew 9:9-13), the pious but ignorant (Matthew 9:14-17), and many others (Matthew 9:18-34). Despite the multiplicity of appeals for His help, He regards people with genuine compassion (Matthew 9:36-38), as an abandoned flock over which God assumes the care. (Cf. Ezekiel 34.)
11.
Jesus presents Himself as Teacher and Master and Lord of the House. He expects His followers to suffer for His sake, and assumes upon Himself the role of Lawyer, or Advocate, at the Judgment of God. (Cf. Matthew 10:18; Matthew 10:22; Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 10:37-39.)
12.
Even the mighty miracles of Jesus do not force people to believe in Him (Matthew 11:2-24). They merely push His hearers into two positions: belief or unbelief. John the Baptist himself hesitated in the presence of contradictions in his own mind, the works notwithstanding (Matthew 11:2-19). The Galileans did not understand their need to submit to Jesus by repenting (Matthew 11:20-24). The wise and understanding could not grasp the wisdom and source of His work (Matthew 11:25-27). He is the kind of Messianic King that is comprehensible only to the man who is ready to do the will of the Father (Matthew 12:50).
13.
In contrast to the austere John the Baptist, Jesus is a Messiah whose life is full of the fulness of the human life (Matthew 11:16-19). Notwithstanding the different life-style of the two messengers of God, the results demonstrated that God had acted with wisdom in sending them precisely as He did.
14.
Jesus reveals everything willingly to those who submit to His instruction and commit themselves to learn from Him (Matthew 11:28-30). This intention involves growth of character, not automatic righteousness. Still, He is gentle and lowly in heart, and able to move mercifully among contrasting levels of society and help people.
15.
Jesus is the kind of Messiah who does not overwhelm His opposition with a brilliant burst of supernatural power, forcing their belief and submission. Rather, He generously meets their questions, doubts, objections and cavils with answers sufficient to convince the common, honest listener (Matthew 12:1-50). In fact, when the opposition demands the supernatural fireworks, He who could call down 10,000 angels gave a common, perfectly acceptable sign. (Cf. Matthew 16:1-4.)
16.
Jesus is the Servant of Javeh (Matthew 12:18-21 = Isaiah 42:1-4).
17.
Jesus recognizes no claims of blood or kinship of the flesh, only moral ties cemented by obedience to the will of God (Matthew 12:46-50).
18.
Jesus respects the human freedom of His own townspeople at Nazareth, however severely He must have been tempted to do many mighty works there just to show -'em! (Matthew 13:54-58).
19.
Even in His own ministry, Jesus respected His own time schedules, not only bending every lesson to prepare for the cross in His life, but avoiding unnecessary conflicts that would tend to abbreviate the time available to teach His disciples (Matthew 14:13 a; cf. Matthew 4:12; Matthew 15:21; Matthew 16:4 b).
20.
He is realistic about the overconfidence of His followers, since He knows that they can be influenced by popular leaders and parties-' skepticism about Him (Matthew 16:5-12). However, He has no fear to entrust the mission of the Church-Kingdom to men dedicated to Him (Matthew 16:13-20).
21.
He does not swerve from the predetermined plan of God, notwithstanding the most strenuous efforts of earthly friends to dissuade Him from being the type of Messiah God has in mind (Matthew 16:21-28).
22.
He will be the glorious Judge of every man, repaying each according to what he has done, thus fulfilling in full all that John the Baptist predicted of Him (Matthew 16:27).
23.
He is the glorious Messiah foreshadowed by the Law and the prophets, to whom all must listen and obey (Matthew 17:1-8). However, He would suffer the same fate as John (Matthew 17:10-13).
24.
Despite His real exemption from paying tribute to God's temple, because He is God's Son, still He meekly pays it, in order not to scandalize those who would not understand His standpoint and miss His message because of it (Matthew 17:24-27).
25.
He is the kind of Messiah who refuses to recognize artificial claims to honor and greatness. Rather, His rule of greatness is the degree to which anyone renders service to the weakest, smallest, least important in the Kingdom (Matthew 18:1-35).
26.
He is the kind of Messiah that refuses earthly power-structures as a means of ruling over men, choosing rather the path of service as the ransom for man (Matthew 20:20-28).
27.
Despite His dissimilarity to everything Messianic in the popular mind, Jesus really is God's kind of Messianic King (Matthew 21:1-17).
28.
He is the kind of Messiah that, despite His autonomous miracle-working power and God-given authority, does not undervalue nor forget the importance of His lesser servants-' ministry (Matthew 21:23-27).
29.
He is really the chief corner stone God planned to use (Matthew 21:42), really God's Son (Matthew 21:33-43).
30.
No mental image of the Messiah is adequate that sees His Messiahship as having only earthly regality, such as that of a Son of David reigning on a material throne in Jerusalem, In fact, the true Messiah, as David himself admits, must be thought of as the Lord of David (Matthew 22:41-46).
31.
Jesus is objective, willing to recognize truth wherever it is found and correctly taught, even if it is a Pharisee that teaches it (Matthew 23:2-3).
32.
Jesus is Israel's truest Patriot (Matthew 23:37-39), but true Prophet (Matthew 24:1-28) and Son of man (Matthew 24:29-44; cf. Daniel 7:13-14).
33.
He is the glorious Messianic King before whom all nations will be tried, whose judgment affects the eternal destiny of each one, and whose judgment is based upon how each one treated the least of these my brethren (Matthew 25:31-46).
34.
He is not a helpless victim going innocently to an unexpected, tragic death, but the Son of man fully self-possessed moving majestically and consciously toward victory. He willingly pours out His blood to establish a new covenant and provide forgiveness (Matthew 26:1-2; Matthew 26:12-13; Matthew 26:26-29).
35.
Jesus is not the kind of Messiah that would abandon His vacillating disciples, even though He proved to them that He knew what their reaction would be to His death, despite their good intentions (Matthew 26:30-35).
36.
Jesus is a fully human Messiah who could really suffer, flinching at the thought of death (Matthew 26:36-46).
37.
Though under arrest and abandoned by His Apostles and betrayed by His Apostle, He remains the real Master of the situation (Matthew 26:47-56).
38.
He is definitely innocent of any guilt, according to His betrayer-Apostle (Matthew 27:4), the wife of Pilate (Matthew 27:19) and Pilate himself (Matthew 27:18; Matthew 27:24).
39.
He is self-controlled despite temptations to return accusations and insults (Matthew 26:62-63; Matthew 26:67-68; Matthew 27:12-14; Matthew 27:27-31; Matthew 27:40; Matthew 27:43).
40.
Jesus is proven to be the Messiah of God even in His death, as shown by His fulfilment of the ancient prophecies (Matthew 27:32-48). His death signaled the end of an era and the beginning of another (Matthew 27:51-54).
41.
Jesus is the victorious Christ to whom universal authority has been granted and who orders His people to participate in His personal mission to teach the entire world (Matthew 28:18-20). His presence with His people until the end of time guarantees His concrete interest in their affairs and His care for them.
WHO IS JESUS ACCORDING TO MATTHEW?
1.
Jesus is the fulfilment of all God's promises to ancient Israel:
a.
He is the descendant of Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1-17; Genesis 12:2 f.; 2 Samuel 7:11 ff.).
b.
He is the Son of the virgin (Matthew 1:23; Isaiah 7:14) God with us (Isaiah 7:14).
c.
He is the Ruler, the Shepherd of Israel born in Bethlehem (Matthew 2:6; Micah 5:2).
d.
He was God's reason for calling Israel out of Egypt (Matthew 2:15; Hosea 11:1).
e.
He is what it means to be called a Nazarene (Matthew 2:23; cf. Psalms 22; Isaiah 53; Isaiah 49:6 f.).
f.
He is the Lord for whom John the Baptist must prepare (Matthew 3:3; Malachi 3:1 ff.).
g.
He is the greater than John, who must immerse with the Holy Spirit and with fire unquenchable (Matthew 3:11-12; Malachi 3:2; Malachi 4:1; Joel 2:28 ff.).
h.
He is God's Son possessed of the Spirit of God (Matthew 3:17; Isaiah 61:1-2; Isaiah 42:1).
i.
He is willing to do anything God requires (Matthew 3:15; Matthew 4:1-11).
j.
He is the great light to the Gentiles (Matthew 4:12-17; Isaiah 9:1-2).
k. He is the fulfilment of the Law and Prophets (Matthew 5:17-48).
l.
He is the great Servant of Jahweh who bears our infirmities (Matthew 8:17; Isaiah 53:4).
m.
He is the great Servant of Jahweh in whom Gentiles may hope (Matthew 12:15-21; Isaiah 41:1-2).
n.
He is Zion's true King (Matthew 21:5; Zechariah 9:9).
o.
He is Jahweh incarnate whose praise on the lips of children silences His enemies (Matthew 21:16; Psalms 8:2).
p.
He is the stone the builders rejected (Matthew 21:42; Matthew 21:44; Psalms 118:22-23).
q.
He is David's Son and David's Lord (Matthew 22:44 f.; Psalms 110:1).
r.
He is the Pierced One over whom Israel would bitterly wail (Matthew 24:30; Zechariah 12:10-14).
s.
He is the great Son of Man coming on the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. (Matthew 24:30 b; Daniel 7:9-14; Matthew 26:64).
t.
He is the stricken Shepherd (Matthew 26:31; Zechariah 13:7).
u.
He is the Servant of God sold for the price of a slave (Matthew 27:9 f.; Zechariah 11:12 f.; Jeremiah 32:6-9).
v.
He is the despised and afflicted Servant of God (Matthew 27:46; Psalms 22:1 ff.).
To the discerning reader, well-schooled in Old Testament literature, Jesus would appear to be everything God had taught Israel to expect, even if Matthew did not explicitly cite every possible reference.
2.
Beyond what had specifically been prophesied, Jesus is One greater than Moses, the Law and the Temple, the Sabbath.
a.
While demanding a standard that is higher than Mosaic legislation (Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:28; Matthew 5:32; Matthew 5:34; Matthew 5:39; Matthew 5:44), He expected men to be perfect as God (Matthew 5:48). He blessed people who suffered for His sake (Matthew 5:11; Matthew 16:24-27; Matthew 10:18-39; Matthew 24:9; Matthew 24:13)
b.
He not only expected that men accept His teachings as the rock-foundation of their lives (Matthew 7:24-27), but proclaimed Himself the divine Judge with whom all must have to do at the final Day (Matthew 7:21-23).
c.
He possessed the right of earth to forgive sins which only God could do (Matthew 9:1-7).
d.
He demands absolute loyalty to Himself, a loyalty evidenced by public confession and rewarded by presentation personally to the Heavenly Father (Matthew 10:32-33; Matthew 10:37-39). To receive the least disciple in Jesus-' name is to receive God (Matthew 10:40-42)!
e.
Moses could point men to the Law and Prophets (Deuteronomy 18:15-18), but Jesus invited men to Himself (Matthew 11:28-30), because the Father had intrusted everything to Him (Matthew 11:27).
f.
Jesus is Lord of the Sabbath and must do what is good in it (Matthew 12:1-14). He introduced principles greater than the Temple (Matthew 12:6).
g.
Jesus claimed a unique Sonship to God, unshared with any other (Matthew 7:21; Matthew 10:32 f.; Matthew 11:25-27; Matthew 12:50; Matthew 15:13; Matthew 16:27; Matthew 18:10; Matthew 18:19; Matthew 18:35; Matthew 20:23; Matthew 21:37 ff.; Matthew 22:2; Matthew 26:53; Matthew 26:39; Matthew 26:42).
h.
Jesus is the Owner of the world (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:37-43).
i.
He did not correct men who confessed Him to be God's Son (cf. Matthew 8:29), but rather praised them (Matthew 14:33; Matthew 16:16 f.). See also Matthew 27:54.
j.
Jesus is to be heard, while Moses and Elijah must forever fade into the background (Matthew 17:3; Matthew 17:5; Matthew 17:7).
k.
Jesus and His Apostles will judge all Israel (Matthew 19:28) not Moses and the Prophets.
l.
Jesus is the One whose life must be given as a ransom for many (Matthew 20:28).
m.
Jesus is the Sender of the New Testament prophets, wise men and teachers (Matthew 23:34).
n.
Jesus, as Son of Man in the Danielean sense, is final judge of the entire human race (Matthew 25:31-46).
o.
Jesus-' blood ratifies the covenant, because poured out for the forgiveness of sins of many people (Matthew 26:28).
3.
Jesus is Someone greater than the great ones of the Old Testament.
a.
He is greater than Jonah who brought Ninevah to its knees before God (Matthew 12:39-41).
b.
He is greater than Solomon whose God-given wisdom brought the Queen of the South to hear him (Matthew 12:42).
4.
Matthew's conclusion (Matthew 28:1-20).
a.
Jesus is risen from the dead (Matthew 28:1-10).
(1)
Vindicated by angels (Matthew 28:1-7).
(2)
Seen by women (Matthew 28:8-10).
b.
Jesus-' greatness denied by Jewish gold and Roman lies (Matthew 28:11-15) c. Jesus-' Great Commission (Matthew 28:16-20).
(1)
Jesus-' authority is universal and the basis of His final orders.
(2)
Jesus-' final commission is to disciple every nation and edify the baptized believers by committing to them everything Jesus taught the original witnesses.
(3)
Jesus-' promise to be with His people till the very end.
THE TITLES OF JESUS IN MATTHEW'S GOSPEL
1.
Jesus-' personal name Jeshua or Jehoshua means Javeh is salvation or Javeh saves, a fact made specific by Matthew's citation of the angel's words: He will save His people from their sins (Matthew 1:21).
2.
Jesus is the son of David by virtue of His genealogy (Matthew 1:1-17), a fact underlined by the angel's address to Joseph: Joseph, son of David. (Matthew 1:20), and stated by others elsewhere. (Cf. Matthew 9:27; Matthew 15:22; Matthew 20:30; Matthew 21:9; Matthew 21:15; Matthew 22:41-46.)
3.
Matthew considered it essential for even Hebrew readers to see the significance of Jesus-' fulfilment of the prophecy about the Virgin Birth (Isaiah 7:14), whereby the child born is evidence of God with us, Emmanuel in Hebrew (Matthew 1:23).
4.
From the Gospel's title forward, Matthew speaks of Jesus as Christ, God's Anointed (Matthew 1:1; Matthew 1:16-18; Matthew 2:4; Matthew 11:2; Matthew 16:16; Matthew 16:20; Matthew 22:42; Matthew 23:10; Matthew 24:5; Matthew 24:23; Matthew 26:63; Matthew 26:68; Matthew 27:17; Matthew 27:22).
5.
Jesus is Lord (Matthew 3:3; Matthew 7:21 f.; Matthew 21:3; Matthew 24:42; Matthew 24:48; Matthew 25:11; Matthew 25:19). There are many texts in Matthew where people address Jesus as Lord, however with the common meaning of Sir or Mister. Yet, there is also a growing importance evident in some of the uses of this title, especially when used in conjunction with other titles. (Cf. Matthew 8:25; Matthew 14:28; Matthew 14:30; Matthew 15:22; Matthew 20:31).
6.
Jesus is the Ruler of God's people (Matthew 2:6).
7.
Jesus is God's Son (Matthew 2:15; Matthew 3:17; Matthew 8:29; Matthew 14:33; Matthew 16:16; Matthew 17:5; Matthew 26:63; Matthew 27:40; Matthew 27:43; Matthew 27:54). Jesus proves Himself a genuine Son of God by His obedience to the Father's will (Matthew 4:3; Matthew 4:6).
8.
Although not a specific title, Jesus is, however, pictured as the Forgiver of sins on earth (Matthew 9:6).
9.
He is the Servant of Javeh (Matthew 12:18).
10.
He is, upon reflection, the Owner of the world. (Cf. Matthew 13:24; Matthew 13:27; Matthew 13:37-38.)
11.
Jesus is the prophet (Matthew 21:11).
12.
Jesus is addressed as, or described as Teacher (Matthew 8:19; Matthew 9:11; Matthew 10:24 f.; Matthew 12:38; Matthew 17:24; Matthew 19:16; Matthew 22:16; Matthew 22:24; Matthew 22:36; Matthew 23:8; Matthew 26:18). He thinks of Himself as the disciples-' one Leader (Matthew 23:10).
13.
Jesus pictures Himself as the King of the Kingdom of God judging the servants of God (Matthew 25:31-34; Matthew 25:40). In His meek Messianic entry into the Holy City He fulfilled the style of Kingship pictured in Zechariah 9:9 which sees Him as Israel's King (Matthew 21:5).
14.
Jesus calls Himself the Son of Man (Matthew 8:20; Matthew 9:6; Matthew 10:23; Matthew 11:19; Matthew 12:8; Matthew 12:32; Matthew 12:40; Matthew 13:37; Matthew 13:41; Matthew 16:13; Matthew 16:27-28; Matthew 17:9; Matthew 17:12; Matthew 17:22; Matthew 19:28; Matthew 20:18; Matthew 20:28; Matthew 24:27; Matthew 24:30; Matthew 24:37; Matthew 24:39; Matthew 24:44; Matthew 25:31; Matthew 26:2; Matthew 26:24; Matthew 26:45; Matthew 26:64). Because of the evident allusion to the Danielic vision of the Son of man (Daniel 7:13-14) and the greatness of that personage who comes on the clouds of heaven, and because Matthew's Gospel was written after Jesus-' vindication in His resurrection, ascension and glorification, should not all of the Son of man passages be read in this light? Granted that the original hearers of this expression would not have understood this much, what would this prove? They did not understand many things about the other titles either.
REACTIONS TO JESUS
ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
A.
DISCIPLES: TRUST AND OBEDIENCE, ALTHOUGH NOT WITHOUT SOME FAILURES.
1.
The first disciples (Matthew 4:18-22) called to participate in Jesus-' ministry.
2.
Amazement of the Apostles at the calming of the tempest on the sea (Matthew 8:23-27).
3.
Willingness of Matthew to leave all and follow Him (Matthew 9:9-13).
4.
Instances where Jesus-' disciples are under attack for following His thinking rather than Pharisean or other popular interpretations. (Cf. Matthew 9:14; Matthew 12:2; Matthew 15:2.)
5.
Willingness of disciples to be babes to accept Jesus-' revelations (Matthew 11:25 ff.).
6.
The disciples prove the reality of their discipleship by going to Jesus for explanations and answers (Matthew 13:10-17; Matthew 13:36).
7.
The disciples are baffled about how to feed the 5000, but offer themselves ready helpers when Jesus indicates the course to follow (Matthew 14:15-18).
8.
Peter trusted Jesus to enable him to walk on the sea, but when his faith failed, Jesus-' rescue and general mastery of the sea and the situation caused the disciples to confess Him thus: Truly you are God's Son (Matthew 14:28-33)!
9.
Troubled by Jesus-' intransigence in the face of the theological opposition to His ministry, the disciples fear offending the Pharisees (Matthew 15:12). However, Jesus-' puzzling answer draws out the disciples-' real discipleship to Him, when Peter asks for explanations (Matthew 15:15).
10.
Unable to grasp Jesus-' enigmatic warning against the influence of popular leaders and parties, they prove themselves unable to trust Jesus to create bread out of nothing, apparently not remembering the two recent miracles of multiplication of food (Matthew 16:8 ff.).
11.
Despite many popular opinions to the contrary, the Twelve in the person of Peter confess Jesus-' true identity. However, they (Peter) react vigorously to any mention of His future suffering (Matthew 16:13-23).
12.
Peter's exuberant suggestion to place Jesus, Moses and Elijah on equal terms, had to be corrected by God'S: This is my beloved Son, listen to Him (Matthew 17:1-13)! His desire to remain on the mountain only points up his lack of comprehension
concerning the way in which the Messianic mission should be realized.
13.
The nine disciples-' failure to heal the epileptic boy is attributed to a lack of sufficient fundamental faith (Matthew 17:14-20).
14.
The second announcement of Jesus-' suffering is received with great sorrow (Matthew 17:22-23).
15.
Peter supposed Jesus to be subject to the Temple-tax, from which, as Son of the Temple's Owner, He was really exempt (Matthew 17:24-27).
16.
The disciples supposed that Jesus-' Kingdom was one in which human greatness was to be measured by the power wielded over others (Matthew 18:1-35).
17.
The disciples were astonished that marriage can be dissolved for only one reason, i.e. fornication, and conclude that celibacy is the only solution (Matthew 19:9-12).
18.
The disciples rebuked people who desired that Jesus bless their children (Matthew 19:13-15).
19.
The disciples were astonished that wealth should be considered a grave danger to one's eternal salvation (Matthew 19:26). Despite Jesus-' warning, Peter asked what (wealth, position, authority or other) they would receive as rewards for their self-denial (Matthew 19:27)!
20.
James and John, still refusing to admit the spiritual nature of God's Kingdom, seek power and position for themselves (Matthew 20:20-28). The others were indignant at the two brothers, jealous that James and John had asked for the coveted positions first.
21.
It is conceivable that some of the crowds present during the triumphal entry actually welcomed Jesus as God's Messianic King without ulterior motives, despite their own mistaken notions about God's intentions for Him (Matthew 21:1-11).
22.
Despite Jesus-' sternness and vigor shown while cleansing the temple, the needy and the little children came to Him with their problems and their praise (Matthew 21:12-17).
23.
The disciples were astonished at the withering of the fig tree (Matthew 21:18-22).
24.
The disciples asked for explanations about the prophecy of Jerusalem's fall (Matthew 24:3).
25.
Mary of Bethany lovingly anointed Jesus for His burial (Matthew 26:6-13).
26.
The Twelve were shaken that one of their number should betray Jesus and they humbly asked in self-doubt whether it were they (Matthew 26:20 ff,).
27.
Peter rejected the idea that he should deny Christ (Matthew 26:31-35). All agreed that they would die with Christ.
28.
In the Garden of Gethsemane when Jesus refused to be defended by the sword, all forsook Jesus and fled (Matthew 26:51-56).
29.
Peter denied the Lord (Matthew 26:69-75).
30.
Disciples remained at the cross and saw to Jesus-' burial (Matthew 27:55-61).
31.
Women behold first the empty tomb and then Jesus risen, then go to inform His disciples (Matthew 28:1-10).
32.
The Eleven behold Him in Galilee and are commissioned to evangelize the world (Matthew 28:16-20). Although most worshiped Him, some doubted!
B.
JOHN THE BAPTIST: PERPLEXITY
1.
At Jesus-' baptism: I should be baptized by you, and you come to me? (Matthew 3:14).
2.
Indirectly through his disciples: We fast, as do the Pharisees, but your disciples do not (Matthew 9:14 ff.).
3.
In prison: Are you he who is to come, or shall we look for another? (Matthew 11:2 ff.),
4.
The apparent officiousness of Jesus-' mother and brothers shares something of this same perplexity about Him. (Cf. Matthew 12:46-50.)
C.
THE MULTITUDES: READINESS TO RECEIVE MATERIAL BLESSINGS, SLOWNESS TO SURRENDER ALL TO JESUS.
1.
First summary of ministry (Matthew 4:23-25).
2.
Astonishment at His teaching as one having authority, not as their scribes (Matthew 7:28-29).
3.
Desire for a qualified, convenient discipleship (Matthew 9:18-22).
4.
Glorifying God for having given authority to forgive sins to men like Jesus (Matthew 9:1-8).
5.
Blind men, healed, disobedient to Jesus-' requests for privacy (Matthew 9:30-31).
6.
Marveling at Jesus-' healing of dumb demoniac (Matthew 9:32-33).
7.
Fickleness in not committing themselves to the wisdom represented in the respective ministries of John the Baptist and Jesus (Matthew 11:7-19).
8.
Refusal to repent, despite the quantity of proof of Jesus-' authority to require it (Matthew 11:20-24).
9.
Half-surprised belief asked: Can this be the Son of David? after the liberation of a blind and dumb demoniac (Matthew 12:22-23).
10.
Great crowds listened to the enigmatic Sermon in Parables, but apparently few bothered themselves to ask Jesus its real meaning (Matthew 13:2; Matthew 13:34; Matthew 13:36; cf. Matthew 13:10-17).
11.
Crowds flocked together for the Messianic excitement, but not necessarily to believe anything Jesus might say, on the basis of His divine credentials (Matthew 14:13 bff.).
12.
The rich young ruler offered to follow but the price was too high (Matthew 19:16-22).
13.
Great crowds joined in the Triumphal Entry of the Messiah for various motives (Matthew 21:2-11).
D.
THE ENEMIES: DEDICATED OPPOSITION
1.
Pharisees attacked Jesus-' acceptance of the outcasts of Hebrew society (Matthew 9:9-13). Their reaction is that of men who live in a situation of security and certainty about their own rightness and their judgment of those who disagree with them.
2.
Pharisees raise objections to Jesus-' flagrant disregard for their private interpretations of the Sabbath Law, views that push them to blind, inhuman mercilessness to God's creatures for whose benefit God gave His law (Matthew 12:1-14). They begin to plot His destruction.
3.
Finding no suitable alternative explanation for His obviously supernatural power, the Pharisees must resort to the accusation that His good deeds were done in harmony with Satan and through his power (Matthew 12:22-45). But this rejection of God's Spirit as the source of Jesus-' power, is forever not to comprehend God's Kingdom as revealed by Jesus (Matthew 12:28).
4.
The Nazarenes, while not opposing Jesus with the vehemence shown on His former major visit to Nazareth (cf. Luke 4:16-30), nevertheless totally under evaluated Him, found themselves without adequate explanation of their local Son, and so confirmed their own unbelief (Matthew 13:54-58).
5.
Jesus definitely withdrew from Herod's country when news arrived of the latter's murder of John the Baptist, Jesus-' forerunner (Matthew 14:1-13 a; cf. Luke 9:9).
6.
Pharisees and scribes from Jerusalem attack Jesus over His disrespect for the traditions of the elders (Matthew 15:1-20).
7.
Pharisees and Sadducees challenge Him to prove His authority by providing them some sign from heaven (Matthew 16:1-4).
8.
Pharisees tested Jesus on the divorce question (Matthew 19:3-9).
9.
Chief priests and scribes object to the children's praise of Jesus in highly Messianic terms (Matthew 21:15-17).
10.
All the religious authorities, at various times and ways, attempt to trap Jesus by argument and are bested (Matthew 21:23 to Matthew 22:46).
11.
The Sanhedrin decided the death of Jesus and finally succeeded in carrying it out (Matthew 26:1-5, Matthew 26:47 to Matthew 27:44). They accepted full responsibility for His death, freeing the political authority from this responsibility (Matthew 27:24-25).
12.
To guarantee against fraudulent resurrection, the religious authorities sealed the tomb (Matthew 27:62-66).
13.
To counteract resurrection testimonies, the Sanhedrin bribed false witnesses (Matthew 28:11-15).
THE KIND OF KINGDOM GOD HAS IN MIND ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
1.
By presenting Jesus as the humble babe of Bethlehem, adored by foreigners and rejected by His own people, then rescued by fleeing into a foreign country, Matthew pictures the hard reality of a Kingdom of God whose true value can be appreciated only through the eyes of faith and by the spiritual long view of things. Those who dreamed of a triumphalistic Messianic Kingdom must see the lowliness and suffering of Him of whom Matthew must speak (Matthew 2).
2.
Matthew alone quotes Jesus-' justification for His own immersion by John the Baptist (Matthew 3:15). Jesus-' Messiahship is founded on the principle that We must do everything God says to, whether we understand it perfectly or not, whether we agree that it applies to us or not, whether it is popular or not, whether our best friends think we should or not,just because God said to do it! This is a Kingdom that collides with all notions of a Messianic utopia where we all get to do what WE want to.
3.
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7) is the first concrete answer Matthew includes to the question: What does it mean to fulfil all righteousness? What does it mean to submit ourselves to the Kingdom of God, i.e. to His plans and will? If this Sermon is a manifesto of the Kingdom, and if Jesus Himself is the realization of all that God intended in the Old Testament Law (Matthew 5:17-20), and if His Word is that which God now substitutes for that Law (Matthew 5:21-48), then THE KINGDOM IS JESUS HIMSELF present among men. He is the new Law. Consequently, the Church is none other than the totality of those who follow HIM toward that fulfilment of God's plan that Jesus has reached. The promise of obtaining the Kingdom is directed to those aware of their spiritual poverty (Matthew 5:3), the persecuted for doing God's will (Matthew 5:10), and those whose obedience to God's will exceeds that of the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:20).
4.
The continued presence of threatened judgment upon the believer stands out in stark contrast with pre-Christian Jewish views of the Messianic Kingdom, according to which, in the days of the Messiah, the people of God would be miraculously and instantly purified. (Cf. Matthew 5:19 a, Matthew 5:20; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:26; Matthew 5:29-30; Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 7:2; Matthew 7:13-14; Matthew 7:19; Matthew 7:21-23; Matthew 7:26-27).
5.
If the Kingdom of God and His righteousness is to be sought first, above and beyond all human necessities (Matthew 6:33), then it is not a Kingdom that eliminates the struggles involved in our human existence, but rather becomes the goal of our efforts despite the continued existence of these normal necessities (Matthew 6:24-34). The Kingdom must be understood as a present reality, present IN the humdrum of our existential world, not merely an eschatological release from that reality. The purpose of this insertion of the Kingdom INTO the sinful world is to be light to illuminate its darkness, salt to save it from its corruption (Matthew 5:13-16).
6.
The non-nationalistic, non-racial character of the Kingdom is underlined in the account of the healing of the centurion's servant (Matthew 8:5-13). The specifically racial and nationalistic claims of the Jews received a serious blow dealt by Jesus-' comments on the exceptional faith of the Roman.
7.
The Kingdom's standard of judgment is not based upon precise performance of rituals, but upon the real sincerity of one's motives for all that he does (Matthew 5:8; Matthew 5:11; Matthew 5:19-20; Matthew 5:22; Matthew 5:28; Matthew 5:32; Matthew 5:37; Matthew 5:44-47; Matthew 6:1 ff., Matthew 6:24; Matthew 7:12; Matthew 7:18-20; Matthew 7:23).
8.
God's Kingdom is His mastery over human uncleanness and disease (Matthew 8:1-4; Matthew 8:14-17). It means His personal entrance into our human misery and bearing it Himself (Matthew 8:17 = Isaiah 53:4).
9.
God's rule must be considered as absolute, more demanding than the highest human need or responsibilities (Matthew 8:18-22).
10.
God's Kingdom includes His control over the elements of the natural world (Matthew 8:23-27).
11.
God's Kingdom is manifest in His total mastery over Satan's kingdom (Matthew 8:28 to Matthew 9:1).
12.
God's Kingdom is evident in His right to forgive man's sin (Matthew 9:2-8).
13.
The Kingdom of God is not a sect of purists (the pure, the true Church), but a movement that is genuinely open to all without distinction. If Matthew the publican can belong to it, ANYONE can (Matthew 9:9-13)!
14.
The Kingdom is not triumphalistic, does not force men to believe or be righteous, but it proceeds because of its missionary spirit. Its missionaries, because they labor where frictions among men are the bitterest, where selfishness explodes in all its forms, must expect persecutions and death (Matthew 10:16 ff.). Even though God is present and judging His people, He may not intervene to halt those who kill them (Matthew 10:28). Jesus-' disciples are to be identified with Him in suffering and service (Matthew 10:16-40).
15.
The unification of all men in the Kingdom of God can only come about by the elimination of all false unities, even those founded upon blood relationships (Matthew 10:34-39).
16.
The Kingdom of God, in its earthly manifestation, can suffer opposition and violent attempts to force it to be something other than what it was designed to be (Matthew 11:12). This is in perfect harmony with the absolute freedom of the human will to accept its teachings or not (Matthew 11:14).
17.
God's government of heaven and earth includes His gracious will to hide significant truth from those who pride themselves as being the wise and understanding, while revealing the truth to humble, sincere disciples, the babes (Matthew 11:25-30).
18.
The rule of God over His people lifts them over the highest institutions of the Mosaic Law, the Sabbath and the Temple (Matthew 12:1-14). The Son of man is lord of the sabbath.
19.
The operational power of the Spirit of God working in Jesus of Nazareth is positive proof that the Kingdom of God has come and that Satan is really defeated and plundered (Matthew 12:22-29)!
20.
Something greater than the wisdom of Solomon and the testimony of Jonah is involved in Jesus-' representation of God's Kingdom (Matthew 12:38-43).
21.
The Kingdom of God is not founded upon fleshly ties, not even to the Messiah Himself, much less to Abraham, but upon doing what the Father in heaven wills (Matthew 12:46-50).
22.
Jesus presented the secrets of the Kingdom of heaven to everyone listening, but in parabolic form so as to distinguish between listeners. Those who trusted Jesus enough to come to Him for explanations, received more information about the nature, progress and destiny of the Kingdom of God, because they gained the explanations of the unforgettable parables they already possessed. Those who did not care enough for truth, or did not trust Jesus to know what He was about, not only did not gain this vital information, but also lost the value of the parables they had heard (Matthew 13:10-17; Matthew 13:34-35). Thus, the Church is made up of those who desire to trust and learn from Jesus even those truths of the Kingdom that are unclear, unpalatable, or seem wrong.
23.
The kind of Kingdom God has in mind has the following characteristics:
a.
The effectiveness of God's rule in individual lives depends directly upon each one's personal openness to truth and his willingness to let God rule (Matthew 13:1-9; Matthew 13:18-23). If so, the Kingdom is not a materialistic regime that conquers by force of arms, but by the painfully slow process of planting truth in men's hearts, which are of widely varied character.
b.
The temporary presence of evil in the Kingdom of God is not His fault, because He is not the source of evil. Rather, He has inaugurated a process whereby final judgment will reveal the truly righteous and segregate the wicked. The righteous, the congregation of the Messiah, really are the citizens of His Kingdom (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:36-43). The continued presence of evil in the world is clear proof of man's moral freedom to decide his own fate (Matthew 13:47-50). The Kingdom is the work of a God who knows the time of its maturing and of the final day.
c.
Despite its microscopic beginnings, the Kingdom of God will grow and become a mighty empire, because of its internal life and extensive expansion (Matthew 13:31-32).
d.
The Kingdom will grow quietly in the world, without great noise and commotion, but its progress will not be hindered until its intensive, transforming power influences all it touches (Matthew 13:33).
e.
Whether discovered accidentally or sought deliberately, the Kingdom of God, when discovered and appreciated at its true value, is worth all it costs (Matthew 13:44-46).
f.
The theologian who is a disciple of the Kingdom is a wealthy man who can bless his guests with treasured truth, the best of the old and the finest of the new (Matthew 13:52).
24.
It is not a kingdom in which external purity and ceremony has any real importance, but where the real purity of one's heart, as this is manifested in his spirit of obedience to whatever God requires, is everything (Matthew 15:1-20).
25.
It is a Kingdom whose King, the Son of David, has time to bless even CANAANITES, despite the limitations of His personal mission to the lost sheep of the house of Israel (Matthew 15:21-28)!
26.
It is a Kingdom where half-Jewish, half-Gentile populations can sit down to the Messianic banquet together, not because of personal worthiness, but because of the Messiah's bounty and graciousness (Matthew 15:29-39).
27.
It is a Kingdom, rather, that one enters by death to self, and by acknowledgment of the true identity and consequent rights of the King (Matthew 16:13-28). The community of the Messiah (The Church of Christ), then, is but the subjective manifestation of the Messiah's objective rule. The Church is, in short, the people of the Kingdom, the necessary result of the proclamation of God's sovereignty, a proclamation which calls into being a real assembly or communitary reality: the Church. It was to begin in the lifetime of Jesus-' earthly disciples (Matthew 16:28).
28.
The Kingdom's power, while at the disposition of the disciples, is not automatic nor divisible from faith (Matthew 17:14-21).
29.
The sons of the Kingdom are free citizens, above even the obligatory Temple-tax (Matthew 17:24-27).
30.
Death to self, absolutely essential to entrance in the Kingdom, manifests itself in a refusal to recognize any standard of greatness other than the amount of service one renders to the weakest, smallest, least important in the Kingdom (Matthew 18:1-35). No pride in achievement can justify unmercifulness or harsh treatment of any member of the Kingdom, however seemingly insignificant.
31.
The Kingdom God has in mind is a community of the Messiah, yet it admits its internal problem and deals with them in an orderly manner (Matthew 18:15-35). The problem of continued sinning and consequent need for forgiveness is to remain a live one, even after the beginning of the Kingdom. It is a Kingdom whose common life is characterized by its concern for the little ones, its reconciliation of brethren, its forgiveness of offenses, its purity of intentions, its harmony of life and its common prayer.
32.
The Kingdom God has in mind is concerned with a right understanding of male-female relationships (Matthew 19:3-12). Celibacy, even for sake of the Kingdom, is not possible for everyone.
33.
The Kingdom of God belongs to the children and such as they, not those whose adulthood makes them too proud to come to Jesus (Matthew 19:13-15).
34.
The Kingdom God has in mind does not belong exclusively to the wealthy, whom most people would automatically judge most qualified for it, being the most blessed by God who furnishes the power to become wealthy (Matthew 19:13-30).
35.
In God's Kingdom earth's value-systems and power structures have no importance, except in a negative way in the sense that they are condemned among believers (Matthew 19:23-26).
36.
Loyalty to Jesus Christ, as this is manifest in the sacrifices made for His sake, will be richly rewarded in that expression of God's Kingdom in the world to come (Matthew 19:27-30).
37.
In fact, God's Kingdom attributes no priority to anyone on the basis of supposed merits or personal achievements, because the basis of blessing is the free choice and mercy of the King (Matthew 20:1-16).
38.
The usual, earthly power-structures have no relation to anything Jesus has in mind for His Kingdom. Rather, the measure of greatness and power is service and usefulness to others, not self-seeking and self-aggrandisement (Matthew 20:20-28).
39.
God intends that His Kingdom shall belong to people who will produce the results God desires. Therefore, it cannot long remain the private possession of those who do not (Matthew 21:23-43).
40.
The Kingdom of Heaven is a question of free choice that may be accepted or rejected, but not, however, without serious consequences. Many are invited into it, but few prove finally acceptable (Matthew 22:1-14).
41.
Surprisingly, God's Kingdom does not conflict with normal, constituted human authority nor vice versa, and may be considered consistent with it when properly exercised (Matthew 22:15-21).
42.
While the present phase of the Kingdom of God is played out on earth's stage, the resurrection of the dead ushers men into a different state of life with the God of the living (Matthew 22:23-33).
43.
The religion and ethics of God's Kingdom may be summed up as love for God and unselfish service to one's neighbor (Matthew 22:34-40).
44.
The son of David, long-awaited Messianic King, must also be the Lord of David (Matthew 22:41-46).
45.
In God's Kingdom, there are not to be many chiefs, just one Father, one Teacher, one Leader. Everyone else is one of the brothers (Matthew 23:7-10).
46.
Nor is God's Kingdom to be exclusive and sectarian on the basis of human traditions and proselytization. Rather, its concerns will be with the things that count: justice, mercy and faith, inward purity, consciousness of God, moral understanding, hatred of sin (Matthew 23:13-36).
47.
The Kingdom God has in mind and of which Jesus is the Messianic King, will not be without its prophets, wise men and theologians, sent as Christian missionaries to save Israel (Matthew 23:34). Not only is their preparation emphasized here, but also their mission of mercy to an unworthy people.
48.
The way in which God's Kingdom would be carried on will create a situation in which constant vigilance and constant preparation are absolutely essential to please the King (Matthew 24:36 to Matthew 25:13). There remains the live possibility of losing everything, despite one's privileged position as servant of the King. The King's arrival will be delayed (Matthew 24:45; Matthew 25:5). But the daily life of the citizen must be one marked by faith, sobriety, alertness and dedicated service.
49.
The Kingdom involves a trust of the King's goods left in custody of His servants, to be utilized for His benefit (Matthew 25:14-30). The King's return will be delayed (Matthew 25:19). This only emphasizes the greatness of the opportunity to make good use of His goods for His glory.
50.
The Kingdom involves a proper, personal care for the world's needy to whom service is to be rendered as if to the King Himself (Matthew 25:31-46).
51.
The Kingdom God has in mind is based on covenant sealed in Jesus-' blood, furnishing the forgiveness of sins (Matthew 26:28). The fruit of the vine which symbolized the blood of the covenant would be shared with Jesus-' disciples in the Father's Kingdom (Matthew 26:29).
52.
Since Jesus was tried and crucified by the Romans and Jews as the King of the Jews, and since God vindicated Jesus-' right to this title by raising Him from the dead, it should be clear to Matthew's readers that God's Kingdom, the Kingdom of Israel as God envisioned it, was not to be of the type usually dreamed of in current Jewish speculation, but precisely the Kingdom Jesus continuously and consistently represented to them. It is almost as if Matthew were saying: The exclusively Jewish -King of the Jews-' is dead, never to rise again, not crucified by His own people, but by the King Himself. In His place there arose the true King of the new Israel, the King of the universe with authority in heaven and on earth. (Cf. Matthew 28:18.)
53.
While our King is one in the daily expectation of whose return from a long trip we are to live (cf. Matthew 24:45-48; Matthew 25:5; Matthew 25:19), He is always near us, by our side, and His faithfulness will not fail (Matthew 28:20).
54.
Whereas in Mark we read of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God, the object of the announcement being the person of Jesus Himself, in Matthew the characteristic expression is the gospel of the Kingdom, almost as if it is meant that the object of the Gospel, the purpose of the Christian message is the actual proclamation of the Kingdom. (Cf. Matthew 4:23; Matthew 9:35; Matthew 24:14 in contrast to Mark 1:1; Mark 1:14).
55.
Because the Kingdom of God expresses the will of God, His Kingdom is evident in His choice to reveal His plans, not to the intelligentsia, but to little children (Matthew 11:25-26).
56.
God does not will that any of these little ones should be lost through neglect or stumbling blocks of other disciples (Matthew 18:14).
57.
WHATEVER God wills is the essence of the Kingdom of God in one's life, regardless of how deeply that cuts across our choices or preferences (Matthew 26:39).
THE SOVEREIGNTY OF GOD IN THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
1.
Despite the variety of events in the history of the Jewish people, as these are noted in the record of Jesus-' genealogy, God was silently working to bring His Messiah into the world (Matthew 1:1-17).
2.
Despite the real perplexities of Joseph about his beloved Mary, God was taking care of Jesus by providing Him a legal father and protection for His mother, Despite human experience of a virgin birth, God chose this method to come into the world, so that in the human Jesus, we learn what it means to have God with us (Matthew 1:18-25).
3.
Despite the clever planning of a murderous king, God rescued Jesus from harm and furnished sufficient funds for an extended sojourn in Egypt by gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh (Matthew 2:1-21).
4.
God will severely judge an unrepentant Israel, notwithstanding her claims to physical descent from Abraham, unless she embraces the Lord for whom John prepared the way (Matthew 3:1-12).
5.
In the Sermon on the Mount Jesus underscored again and again the Fatherhood of God and His Fatherly care. (Cf. Matthew 5:16; Matthew 5:45; Matthew 5:48; Matthew 6:1; Matthew 6:4; Matthew 6:6; Matthew 6:8; Matthew 6:14-15; Matthew 6:18; Matthew 6:26; Matthew 6:32; Matthew 7:11.) Despite the terror of the persecutions which would tempt Christians to close themselves up in monastic seclusion, their purpose must be to glorify their Father who watches over their most secret thought and cares for their most fundamental needs.
6.
The Mission of the Twelve is born in prayer to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest (Matthew 9:38). It is His field for which He is responsible and into whose service we pray He will raise up laborers. Despite the temptations to deny everything because of the terrors of the persecutions, God watches over His creation and will bless with victory all who proclaim His Word, although He may not intervene to halt those who would kill the body (Matthew 10:26-31). He will not forget even the smallest help given His people (Matthew 10:40-42).
7.
Notwithstanding the incomprehension encountered by Jesus among His own people, God's sovereign decision to reveal Himself and His will in precisely the way Jesus had followed was gratefully accepted by Jesus (Matthew 11:25-27). God's design actually worked and was being realized by Jesus-' works. The sovereign Lord of heaven and earth is not forced to bow before those who believe themselves lords of the world (the wise and understanding) (Matthew 11:25).
8.
It is God who can guarantee that all the sacrifices of Christ and His people will only result in life lived at its best (Matthew 16:24-28). Life belongs to God, and only He can transform it. All that Jesus demands becomes comprehensible, if seen as obedience to God who by resurrection defeats our death, even as He did it for Jesus (Matthew 16:21).
9.
It is God who speaks from heaven, confirming Jesus-' ministry, notwithstanding what all human judgment must pronounce a failure in His mission and procedure and results (Matthew 17:5). Success, in God's view, must be obtained at the cross, both by Jesus and by each single disciple.
10.
With God all things are possible, even the damnation of men despite their wealth and the saving of those who sacrifice all they possess for Jesus-' sake, and who would be considered poor in human judgment (Matthew 19:23-30).
11.
The absolute Lordship of God is manifest in His free gift of grace to those whom He wishes to bless, regardless of the apparent unworthiness of these latter (Matthew 20:1-16). Rather than measure the recompense on the basis of one's achievements, Jesus reaffirms that everything depends upon the free choice and mercy of God.
12.
The sovereignty of God is underlined in the Parables of the Vineyard and the Marriage Feast, in that the owner of the vineyard can (and should) put the former share-farmers to a miserable death and let out the vineyard to other tenants, and in that the king can rightfully send his troops to destroy the murderers of his messengers, burn their city, and replace them with just anyone who would come. But, even so, all must conform to his terms for remaining in his grace (Matthew 21:33 to Matthew 22:14).
13.
Jesus-' quotation of Zechariah 13:7 points to God as the Ruler of history and who does everything according to His plan for man's salvation, even if this is not the kind of Messianism that man would design (Matthew 26:31-32).
14.
Even in the attitude of Jesus in the Garden of Gethsemane (Matthew 26:36-46) we see the theme of human weakness in the presence of the will of God that must be carried out to the utmost. Temptation to give in is something that continually hangs over man, and only God can furnish him the strength to endure it.
15.
The Garden arrest must take place according to the Scriptures, because God, who ordered these events and is back of the Scriptures, is the final, real Actor in every event (Matthew 26:56).
16.
After Jesus-' victory and receiving universal authority, He promises His people that, while they carry out His mission on earth, He will be with them until the end of the age. This means that His people are those disciples who are determined to follow the same path He did, confiding only in the blessing of God (Christ), sure that they will never be alone, since He, the sovereign God in Christ, is always guarding them (Matthew 28:16-20).
17.
The sovereignty of God is seen in the picture of Jesus as the Man over whom God had been watching even before His birth and had foreseen and prepared for every part of His life. This is especially emphasized in His fulfilment of prophecies. Among Matthew's at least forty formal quotations of the Old Testament, the following are expressly cited as being particularly indicative of God's preparation for and care of Jesus even before His appearance on earth:
MATTHEW
OLD TESTAMENT PASSAGE
Hosea 11:1 (cf. Exodus 4:22)
prophets Isaiah 52:13 to Isaiah 53:12; Psalms 22; Isaiah 11:1?
Psalms 8:2 (LXX Matthew 8:3)
Isaiah 13:10; Ezekiel 32:7; Joel 2:10; Joel 2:31; Joel 3:15;
Isaiah 34:4 b; Haggai 2:6; Haggai 2:21; Zechariah 12:10; Zechariah 12:12;
Daniel 7:13-14; Isaiah 27:13; Deuteronomy 30:4; Zech.
Zechariah 11:12-13; Jeremiah 32:6-15
THE FATHERHOOD OF GOD ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
What kind of information did Jesus reveal about God's Fatherhood? While clearly picturing Him as the Lord your God (Matthew 4:10; Matthew 22:37), as the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell (Matthew 10:28), as the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth (Matthew 11:25) and as king of the kingdom of God (Matthew 18:23; Matthew 18:35), etc., our Lord laid heavy emphasis on God's fatherly character. Does Jesus picture Him as a celestial Santa Claus or as an unquestioning, all-accepting divine Grandfather or otherwise? Consider these revelations:
1.
All our good deeds must be done so that others-' praise will go to our Father (Matthew 5:16).
2.
Loving kindness to enemies makes us true sons of our Father in heaven (Matthew 5:44). His perfection is our standard (Matthew 5:48).
3.
Our acts of righteousness must be done with a view to being rewarded by our heavenly Father alone (Matthew 6:1-18).
4.
In contrast to dead, pagan deities whose devotees must hopelessly, endlessly cry to them, our heavenly Father knows that we need daily necessities (Matthew 6:32), and He gives only good gifts to those who ask Him (Matthew 7:11).
5.
Entrance into heaven's Kingdom depends on doing the will of Jesus-' Father (Matthew 7:21).
6.
Early disciples, on trial for their Christian testimony, may depend with full confidence on the Spirit of our Father speaking through them (Matthew 10:20).
7.
Nothing sinister can happen to a faithful disciple, apart from what our Father permits (Matthew 10:29),
8.
However, it is before Jesus-' Father in heaven that the disciple will be acknowledged or disowned, according to his attitude and faithfulness on earth (Matthew 10:32 f.).
9.
Jesus sustained a unique, unshared relationship to this Father, whom He could call my Father in a way distinct from the relationship to this Father known by every disciple, because the Father had committed all things to Him (Matthew 11:25-27).
10.
The kinship to Jesus that really counts is not physical, based on a coincidental or miraculous fleshly relationship, but rather spirit, based on doing the will of His heavenly Father (Matthew 12:50).
11.
Although temporarily obscured in this life, after the judgment the righteous will be perfectly obvious in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43).
12.
Any doctrine not finding its origin in the will of Jesus-' heavenly Father will be eradicated, and those who follow blind leaders who hold such doctrines will suffer the consequences along with them (Matthew 15:13).
13.
Jesus-' Father in heaven revealed to Peter the true identity of Jesus (Matthew 16:17).
14.
Our Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should be lost, so their angels are granted instant access to His presence (Matthew 18:14; Matthew 18:10).
15.
Jesus-' return to earth will be surrounded with His Father's glory (Matthew 16:27).
16.
All of the might of Jesus-' Father in heaven is at the disposition of two humble disciples who agree to ask Him for something in prayer (Matthew 18:19).
17.
However, Jesus-' Heavenly Father will not tolerate any unwillingness to forgive in His subjects (Matthew 18:35).
18.
It is Jesus-' heavenly Father whose will determines places of honor in His Kingdom (Matthew 20:23).
19.
God is the only one who rightly deserves to be called Father in the high, ethical sense of Provider of spiritual life and guidance (Matthew 23:9).
20.
The Father alone knows the day of Christ's return (Matthew 24:36).
21.
The righteous will finally be blessed by the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ (Matthew 25:34), and not unlikely, He is the author of the curse upon the wicked (Matthew 25:41).
22.
Jesus viewed the glorious Messianic Kingdom as belonging to His Father (Matthew 26:29).
23.
Jesus pleaded with His Father to remove the cup of suffering (Matthew 26:29; Matthew 26:42), and remained stedfastly confident that His Father could at once put more than twelve legions of angels at His disposal (Matthew 26:53).
THE KIND OF JUDGMENT GOD WILL EXERCISE ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
1.
John preached repentance and deeds as all-important for spiritual preparation for the Messiah's coming, not pretended fleshly ties to Abraham. The judgment, while involving all of Israel, will examine each one individually (Matthew 3:1-12). The Messiah Himself would be personally responsible to execute summary judgment.
2.
Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount, underlined the inner purity of heart, the kind of motivated person that seeks God's will and man's good above personal interest. Only this kind of person will have God's approval. (Cf. Matthew 5:3-10, Matthew 5:21 ff., Matthew 5:27 ff., Matthew 5:44-48.) The rigor by which men deal with others will be the measure of severity or clemency by which they themselves are to be judged (Matthew 5:7; Matthew 6:12; Matthew 6:14 f.; Matthew 7:1-5). Men will be judged on the basis of what they do with JESUS-' words (Matthew 7:21-27). All are judged by their deeds and attitudes (Matthew 7:15-23). Jesus Himself will decide the fate of all (Matthew 7:22). God will not judge men merely by the standards of the most pious theologians of the day, the scribes and Pharisees (Matthew 5:21), but against the standard of perfection itself (Matthew 5:48)!
3.
In the dialogue with the Gadarene demons, they demand to know if Jesus is come to punish them before the time of the final judgment (Matthew 8:29). This suggests without stating it that Jesus Himself is the final Judge by whom these dark spirits must be judged and sentenced. How much more would mankind be judged by Him? Before the time, however, means that the demons, and evil in general, are yet free to do their worst, even if drastically curbed for awhile and in limited ways. (The demons are cast out of the poor sufferers.)
4.
God desires to exercise a judgment tempered with mercy, not merely the rigid, heartless censorship practiced by the Pharisees (Matthew 9:9-13, especially Matthew 9:13; Matthew 12:7).
5.
God will save the man who endures to the end (Matthew 10:22).
6.
God will not destroy in hell those who, however frightened by persecutors and death, give their testimony boldly and confess Jesus before men (Matthew 10:26-33).
7.
God will judge sinners on the basis of their attitude toward His Holy Spirit (Matthew 12:31 f.), on the basis of the character of their heart as this is seen in their words, (Matthew 12:33-37), and on their opportunities to know the truth (Matthew 12:38-42), and on the basis of the practical emptiness of their sterile lives (Matthew 12:43-45).
8.
For the emphases on judgment in the Sermon in Parables (Matthew 13), see Note at the end.
9.
God judges men's ideas on the basis of their origin, not upon their acceptability to current scholarship (Matthew 15:13). If their ideas did not originate in the truth of God, they will be eradicated in judgment.
10.
God cannot tolerate any rivals to Jesus His Son, not even the greatest Law-givers and Prophets of Old Testament religion (Matthew 17:5; Matthew 17:5). Men must see Jesus only (Matthew 17:8).
11.
Greatness in the Kingdom of God is measured by God's concern for the least, the last and the lost (Matthew 18:10-14). Anything that causes these to be lost must be eliminated on the penalty of eternal destruction (Matthew 18:8-9). God will use the same rigor of judgment with which men treat one another (Matthew 18:23-35).
12.
The lesson of the barren fig tree cursed (Matthew 21:18-22) is that God eliminates useless, unfruitful creatures, with a suddenness and severity that may surprise the observer, but with undoubted justice, because of the richness of opportunities to produce what, by their nature, they should be expected to produce.
13.
The severe condemnations of Pharisaism and Jerusalem (Matthew 23:1-39) teach that God's judgment condemns making religion a burden (Matthew 23:1-4), proud humility (Matthew 23:5-12), partisan zeal (Matthew 23:13-15), the art of evasion (Matthew 23:16-22), loss of the sense of moral proportions (Matthew 23:23-24), external purity in contrast to inner pollution (Matthew 23:25-28), abuse of God's messengers (Matthew 23:29-36), rejection of Love's appeals (Matthew 23:37-39). They are without excuse, because they know God's will and do not do it (Cf. v. 3).
14.
The great Eschatological Discourse deals with judgment upon Israel, then upon the world (Chapter s 24, 25). The bases of judgment mentioned are readiness, faithfulness, usefulness, faithfulness to Jesus.
NOTE that all the major discourses recorded by Matthew proceed to a climax in judgment:
a.
The Sermon on the Mount ends on the parable of judgment against the house built on the sand foundation (Matthew 7:24-27).
b.
The Sermon on the Apostolic Mission rises to a climax from fear of human persecutors to concern for not being acknowledged by Jesus in the presence of God the Father (Matthew 10:26-33). The result of God's judgment will be determined by the positions taken during this life (Matthew 10:34-39).
c.
The Sermon on John the Baptist, Shall We Look For Another Christ? emphasizes the theme of judgment upon the most favored cities where Jesus had bestowed His richest favors of blessing, healing and teaching. Judgment, says Jesus, will be in proportion to the light against which we have sinned (Matthew 11:20-24). The very choice to hide certain truth from the wise and understanding while revealing them to babes, is itself a judgment in which Jesus fully concurs (Matthew 11:25 ff.).
d.
The Sermon on the Kingdom of Heaven, told in truth-hiding parables, is itself a masterpiece of judgment executed upon those who had no desire for truth (Matthew 13:10-17). The parable of the Sower emphasizes the grounds of the difference in reactions to truth and consequent judgment upon individuals (Matthew 13:1-9; Matthew 13:18-23). The parable of the Weeds underscores the certainty of judgment, despite what appears to be unnecessary delay in its coming. It explains also the impossibility to pronounce premature judgments on our part (Matthew 13:24-30; Matthew 13:36-43). The parables of the Yeast and the Mustard Seed pronounce God's judgment upon the progress of the Kingdom, despite man's opinions to the contrary (Matthew 13:31-33). The parables of the Hidden Treasure and the Precious Pearl express God's judgment of the value of the Kingdom: it is worth all it costs the individual who acquires it (Matthew 13:44-46). The story of the Dragnet repeats the message of the final, inexorable division of the world's people (Matthew 13:47-50).
e.
The Sermon on Personal Relations in the Kingdom thunders judgment without mercy against the unmerciful, by means of the parable of the Two Debtors (Matthew 18:23-35).
f.
The Sermon on the Sins of the Religious (Matthew 23), while itself almost entirely a thundering denunciation of a multitude of sins, rises to its dramatic climax in the words: You serpents, you brood of vipers, how are you to escape being sentenced to hell? Therefore I send you prophets and wise men and scribes, some of whom you will kill and crucify, and some you will scourge in your synagogues and persecute from town to town, that upon you may come all the righteous blood shed on earth.. Truly, I say to you, all this will come upon this generation (Matthew 23:33-36).
g.
The Sermon on the End of the World (24, 25) underlines again and again not only the fall of everything not in God's plans, but also the necessity for immediate, personal preparation.
BY THEIR FRUITS YOU WILL KNOW THEM
THE IMPORTANCE OF BEARING FRUIT AND DOING WHAT JESUS DEMANDS ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
1.
John the Baptist defined repentance by demanding that those who pretend to repent should prove their sincerity by producing fruits worthy of repentance, i.e. the characteristic deeds of a changed life. Unless these deeds were forthcoming, punitive judgment would overtake the unfruitful, despite all pretenses and claims to the contrary (Matthew 3:1-12).
2.
The Messiah Himself insists upon being baptized by John to fulfill all righteousness, i.e. to do what God defines as right for any man (Matthew 3:14-15). The plan of God can be brought to fulfilment only in this way, not by fleeing one's responsibility, but by accepting it completely.
3.
The Sermon on the Mount is packed with blessings, admonitions and teaching to underscore the importance of deeds:
a.
The active peacemakers are the sons of God (Matthew 5:9). Only those who ardently desire to do the will of God will truly be satisfied in the Kingdom (Matthew 5:6).
b.
The true salt and light are useful to God (Matthew 5:13-16).
c.
Doing and teaching is God's standard of greatness in the Kingdom (Matthew 5:19).
d.
Worshiping (Matthew 5:24), almsgiving (Matthew 6:2-4), praying (Matthew 6:7 ff.) and fasting (Matthew 6:16 ff.) are assumed to be part of the normal activity of the godly disciple, but are not more important a part of personal piety than active reconciliation (Matthew 5:21-26), personal self-denial (Matthew 5:27-32), absolute honesty (Matthew 5:33-37), merciful generosity (Matthew 5:38-42), and actively blessing one's enemies (Matthew 5:43-48).
e.
The same judgment threatened against imposters is the standard for unfruitful disciples (Matthew 7:19).
4.
Real union with Christ is to be enjoyed, not by family relationship to Him by blood or by accidents of birth in the right family or people, but by obedience to the will of the Father (Matthew 12:46-50).
5.
The Sermon in Parables (chapter 13) links the disciples-' fruit-bearing to his understanding the word of the Kingdom (Matthew 13:19; Matthew 13:23) as well as to his moral character (Matthew 13:21-22). Interest is shown, further, in the differing quantities of fruit borne even among the fruitful disciples. The Kingdom demands total commitment (Matthew 13:44-46).
6.
Only total commitment to the will of God, even in the prospect of suffering and death, will be rewarded with life in its highest and best sense (Matthew 16:24-28). Every man will be repaid for what he has done.
7.
Instead of commanding the rich young ruler to trust Him, Jesus told him something to do (Matthew 19:21). Although this implicitly involved total trust in Jesus to know what must be done to inherit eternal life, the deed is in the foreground. (Contrast John 6:29.) Life is to be had in doing what God wills (Matthew 19:17).
8.
Men will be rewarded on the basis of what they have given up for Jesus-' sake (Matthew 19:29).
9.
The cursing of the fig tree because it had no fruit, just leaves, becomes an enacted lesson on the destiny of the fruitless, pretentious Israel that refused to believe Jesus (Matthew 21:18-22), It is also a warning to every believer concerning the damnation of useless-ness and the punishment of proud promises without performance. It applies to Jesus as well, because He too has made tremendous promises which could only be kept by going to the cross.
10.
The Parable of the Two Sons emphasizes actually doing the will of the Father, as opposed to merely professing obedience without really doing it (Matthew 21:28-32).
11.
The Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen (Matthew 21:33-46) explains that the Kingdom of God will not remain the private possession of those who do not produce the results God intends. Rather, it will rightly pass over to those who will (Matthew 21:41; Matthew 21:43).
12.
In all the lessons on vigilance during the eschatological wait for the Lord's return, the emphasis is laid upon usefulness in the Lord's service, doing the job He assigns, making the preparation that is needed for His return, utilizing the goods He entrusts to our custody, and caring for the people made in His image (Matthew 24:45 to Matthew 25:46).
13.
The Great Commission (Matthew 28:18-20) includes the order to teach them to observe all that I have commanded you. The teaching has as its goal the production of the results Jesus desired.
THE KIND OF RIGHTEOUSNESS GOD HAS IN MIND ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
1.
It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:15) is not merely Jesus-' reason for being baptized by John the Baptist, but His reason for living as He did and His model for us.
2.
In the Sermon on the Mount, the Law of Moses is not despised, but fulfilled; not denied, but surpassed. Since Christ has come to fulfil God's promises and standards, He Himself takes over the function of the Law, and becomes the Law. The Law is already the realization of the Kingdom of God among men in the person of Jesus Himself, a law that cannot be codified, but must be totally accepted. It is no longer sufficient to perform certain actions. What counts is the spiritual attitude with which they are performed and the intentions that motivated them. In fact, much of Jesus-' teaching can be found in the Old Testament in one form or another. What is radically new about His view of righteousness is its new motivation: for my sake (cf. Matthew 7:21-27), i.e. because the demands made are authoritative and final because of Jesus-' authority. Everything depends upon accepting Jesus as the Christ, and having His power to live the kind of life described herein. Otherwise, everything falls back into a legalistic, hence, impossible, concept of righteousness. The standard is no longer a codified one, but God's own character, the goal for which He furnishes the Spirit to help us surpass the evil that dominates us (Matthew 5:48). Only this kind of righteousness will surpass that of the sterile religionists and bring glory to God (Matthew 5:10; Matthew 5:20). But it is a way to travel, an attitude to pursue, rather than a virtue intrinsic to discipleship. It is a search (Matthew 6:33). Man is blessed in the measure he desires it (Matthew 5:6).
3.
The Lord's Prayer (Matthew 6:9-10) asks that God manifest His holiness, rule and will on earth, all in perfect harmony with the expectations created by the Old Testament doctrine of the Messianic age. The kind of righteousness Jesus has in mind, then, is that attitude which sanctifies God, seeks first His Kingdom and His righteousness and does His will (Matthew 6:33).
4.
There is no necessary separation between the concerns of the Kingdom of God and those of life lived on this earth, no false dichotomy between spirit and matter. While much Jewish apocalyptic had pictured a materialistic Kingdom, Jesus pictures it as something to be spiritually understood and appreciated. While other Jews prepared for a purely spiritual Kingdom with no earthly reality, Jesus recognized the human situation that is to continue until the end of the world, a situation in which God's people will need food, clothing and shelter, just like all men anywhere (Matthew 6:24-34). The difference, however, is in what each chooses as his personal preoccupation: desire to please the Heavenly Father, or worry about personal needs.
5.
The patterns of piety under the Old Testament system are definitely old, out-moded, worn, however useful in their time, but definitely to be substituted with new forms, new content (Matthew 9:14-17). The wedding-joy of the Messianic Kingdom must not be marred by the severe piety that rightly characterized pre-messianic times. Jesus is not merely reforming Judaism with its legal system, but making a qualitative leap into a new relationship with God.
6.
Righteousness, i.e. right thinking and doing, then, according to Jesus, means coming to Him, believing in Him, studying in His school, receiving peace of soul from Him alone (Matthew 11:28-30). The life-style pictured for the disciple cannot be divorced from the Christology of Matthew, because the invitations to enter into the Kingdom of God are intimately associated with invitations to embrace the person of Jesus Christ the King.
7.
This submission to God's will as it is revealed in Jesus means denying oneself for His sake and willingly accepting any suffering encountered in the line of duty for which all must answer to Jesus (Matthew 16:24-28).
8.
Righteousness, in Jesus-' eyes, does not seek control over others nor promotes self-importance (Matthew 18:1-35). Rather, real righteousness is humble, concerned about others-' weaknesses and welfare and problems, dedicated to restoring harmony among men, and aware of its own need of God's mercy. (Cf. also Matthew 19:13-15.)
9.
Righteousness, as Jesus defines it, does not seek easy escape from marital responsibility (Matthew 19:3-9).
10.
Righteousness not only does not hinder those weaker than oneself, but seeks to become like them in humility (Matthew 19:13-15).
11.
Perfection is a question of removing everything that would hinder perfect service to God and others (Matthew 19:16-30). Strikingly, this answer is given to answer the request: What good deed must I do to have eternal life?
12.
Righteousness does not depend upon one's own merits or efforts, but upon the free choice and generosity of God (Matthew 20:1-16).
13.
Righteousness does not express itself in self-seeking preeminence and priority over others, but in self-giving service for others (Matthew 20:20-28).
14.
Real righteousness does not consist in professing allegiance to God yet without producing the results that this allegiance should produce (Matthew 21:18-22, Matthew 21:28 to Matthew 22:14).
15.
All of religion and ethics may be expressed in the two great commandments (Matthew 22:34-40).
16.
True religion consists in doing and teaching what God has ordered, regardless of the hypocrisy obvious in the life of those who occupy the teaching position (Matthew 23:2-3).
17.
Righteousness consists in humble recognition of our equality under Christ our only superior (Matthew 23:8-12). True greatness is measured by service.
18.
The weightier matters of the law (are) justice, mercy and faith, although the positive ordinances are not to be neglected either (Matthew 23:23).
19.
The kind of righteousness Jesus has in mind is not a settled question, in the sense that any disciple can think himself to possess it perfectly. Rather, it is a life to be lived every day in the shadow of the real possibility of losing it (Matthew 24:12-13). It is a life lived under the daily tension of constant preparedness for whatever events signal the end for each one (Matthew 24:42 to Matthew 25:13). It involved a proper utilization of the Lord's goods left in our custody (Matthew 25:14-30). Every earthly decision involves our taking a position in the presence of God and Christ the Judge (Matthew 25:31-46). The Christian ethic is not simply contemplative, but is highly practical, and by which all will be judged: did your trust of the Messiah make you generously helpful with your fellowman?
THE PARTICIPATION OF THE GENTILES IN THE MESSIANIC KINGDOM ACCORDING TO MATTHEW
The Gentiles are a special class to themselves, whose reaction to Jesus deserves special note. In fact, although Matthew mentions none among Jesus-' regular disciples or enemies, because His mission was principally to the lost sheep of the house of Israel, he does purposely include numerous mentions of them all in a favorable sense. The only significant negative Gentile personages are Pontius Pilate and his wife who figure in Jesus-' trials, and while not pictured as particularly believers, both underline Jesus-' innocence in different ways (Matthew 27:18-19; Matthew 27:24). Pilate's final decision to protect himself rather than an innocent man, needs no comment. The soldiers of the battalion that mocked Jesus (Matthew 27:27-31) are negative, minor figures as are also the soldiers at the tomb who became involuntary witnesses to the reality of Jesus-' resurrection (Matthew 27:62-66; Matthew 28:11-15).
Consider, however, the following positive, deliberately apologetic instances Matthew included to show that the Messianic Kingdom, rightly understood, is open to everyone, regardless of birth, race, language or national background:
1.
At least three of the four women mentioned in Jesus-' genealogy are Gentiles: Rahab the Canaanite (Joshua 2:11; Hebrews 11:31); Ruth the Moabitess (Ruth 1:16 f; Ruth 2:12); Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11; 1 Kings 15:5). The Messiah cannot be a pureblood Hebrew: He is part pagan by unquestionable genealogy,
2.
The adoration by the Magi, standing in stark contrast to the indifference of Jerusalem and the clergy and the suspicions of a murderous king, points to a Messiah whose mission concerns not only Israel, but all peoples (Matthew 2:1-12).
3.
John the Baptist preached: God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham and insisted that repentance and righteousness are the essential qualities for participation in the Messianic Kingdom (Matthew 3:1-10). If fleshly descent from Abraham is clearly subordinate to spiritual kinship to Abraham through faith and obedience to God, then, the logical conclusion may well be that even non-Hebrews will be permitted to share in the Messianic Kingdom on this same basis.
4.
The universality of the Messiah's ministry is underlined by Matthew's quotation of Isaiah 9:1-2 linking Jesus-' ministry in Galilee of the Gentiles with the already well-attested prophecy that had already sung of God's concern for the benighted pagans (Matthew 4:12-17).
5.
Remarkable for its absence in all of Jesus-' teaching is any blessing of Israel above all other nations, any special honor given to uniquely Jewish practices, rites or customs, circumcision.
6.
Unhesitatingly, Jesus blessed and praised the Gentile centurion of Capernaum and unblushingly stated Gentile participation in the Kingdom banquet to the exclusion of privileged Jews (Matthew 8:5-13).
7.
The account of the Syro-phoenician womanherself a CANAANITEunderlines most vigorously the high quality of the faith of Gentiles when once brought into living contact with Christ and His message.
8.
The participation of a half-Jewish, half-pagan population of Decapolis at the second miraculous multiplication of food, subtly underlines their common participation at the Messianic banquet (Matthew 15:29-39; cf. Mark 7:31; Mark 8:1-10).
9.
In the parable of the wicked husbandmen, Jesus affirms: The Kingdom of God will be taken away from you (Jewish leaders especially) and given to a nation producing the fruits of it (Matthew 21:43). The new nation would not be merely Gentile, but a new people of Gentile-Jewish extraction who love and serve Jesus.
10.
In the parable of the marriage feast, the King, angered by those who were invited and had rejected His invitation, destroyed those murderers and burned their city, because they were unworthy, and ordered His servants to bring in just anyone they could find (Matthew 22:1-14). The evident allusion is to the destruction of Jerusalem and the privileged Jews who should have been most ready to accept God's invitation. Nevertheless, the non-Jews are offered the. same privileges, but must not presume upon God's grace. (Cf. Romans 11:22.)
11.
This gospel of the kingdom will be preached throughout the whole world, as a testimony to all nations (Matthew 24:14)!
12.
The Judgment of Christ, at which all nations will be gathered, separated and judged, will be settled, not on the basis of one's Jewishness, but on the basis of each one's usefulness in helping the least of Christ's brethren (Matthew 25:31-46).
13.
The kindness of Mary of Bethany in anointing Jesus for His burial will be told in memory of her, wherever this gospel is preached in the whole world (Matthew 26:13).
14.
Pilate's wife was the only voice urgently raised to protest Jesus-' innocence at His trial before the Gentile court.
15.
A Gentile centurion at the crucifixion is the only non-disciple quoted by Matthew as having made a statement favorable to Jesus: Truly this was God's son (Matthew 27:54)!
16.
In virtue of Jesus-' universal authority, all nations are to be evangelized and discipled (Matthew 28:18-20).