Traillblazer Ministries - Missionary to China - 34 Life of Jesus according to Matthew

As disciples of Jesus that is one who follows Him, we should understand about His life and Ministry on this earth. First we need to look at the four Gospels to understand His character and nature. The four Gospels were written to four different groups of people and therefore they give a different PERSPECTIVE of His life.

Q1/ The four Gospels are all written in the same style. (True or false)

Could you think of four people in your life that you may write a letter to and each letter could be about the same thing, but you write it in a different manner with different emphases on different parts? This was a method used to make Christ appealing to all groups.

The four Gospels

Matthew is writing to the Jews saying Jesus the fulfillment of prophecy.

Mark is writing to the Romans about Jesus the man of action.

Luke is writing to the Greeks that Jesus is the embodiment of wisdom.

John is writing to the Believers saying that Jesus is the object of faith.

In the many countries that I have traveled it has become clear to me that people of different people groups have a different approach to the same given problem or situation. This could be seen in the customs of different people’s, what is acceptable to one group is not acceptable to another. What one group values, is not valued by another group.

The Jews place importance on the fulfillment of prophecy, Romans on the man of action, Greeks on embodiment of wisdom. John the Apostle of love wrote about Jesus as the object of faith.

Q2/ Fulfillment of prophecy was for the ………………………

Q3/ Object of faith was for the………………………………….

Q4/ Man of action was for the…………………………………

Q5/ Embodiment of wisdom was for the………………………

All different, but all are essential in the understanding of Jesus (Emmanuel God with us). Jesus became man to be with us so that He could demonstrate His love for us.

Matthew and Luke put a human face on Jesus by starting at His birth and than onto His growth and coming to His time of ministry.

Outline of Matthew

A. The Preparation of the King 1:1-4:16

B. The Presentation of the Kingdom 4:17-16:12

C. Sermons 16:13-25:46

D. The Sacrifice 26:1-27:66

E. The Resurrection 28:1-20

The Preparation of the King

As I previously stated, Matthew is writing to the Jews saying Jesus the fulfillment of prophecy. Therefore in chapter 1 and 2 he wants to get to the point that Jesus is the Messiah the King of the Jews. Matthew uses the genealogy of Jesus (Matt 1:1to 17) to show the connection to David and Abraham. Matthew wants to prove that Jesus is the only one who has the right to the throne of David. He goes into great details with the linage of Jesus. Jacob said in (Gen 49: 10) about the scepter that it shall not depart from Judah.

Q6/ Matthew is portraying Jesus as a carpenter. (True or False)

Q7/ Jesus was related to King Saul. (True or False)

Q8/ Jesus was related to Abraham. (True or False)

Matthew 1:1 The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham. 2 Abraham fathered Isaac, and Isaac fathered Jacob, and Jacob fathered Judah and his brothers. (MKJV)

 2 Samuel 7;12 to 17 his seed forever David House

 Christ born of Mary (Matt 1:18 to 25) the key verse (v 23) that comes from the prophecy in (Is 7:14)

 Wise men form the East (Matt 2: 1 to 12) the key verse (v 6) that comes from the prophecy in (Micah 5: 2)

 The Flight into Egypt (Matt 2:13 to 16) the key (v 15) that comes from the prophecy in (Hosea 11: 1)

 Massacre of innocents (Matt 2:16 to 18) the key verse (v 18) that comes from the prophecy in (Jeremiah 31: 15)

 The home in Nazareth (Matt 2:18 to 23) the key verse (v 23) that comes from the prophecy in (Judges 13: 6)

 The Presentation of the Kingdom 4:17-16:12

Matthew deals with the birth of Christ in a way to show that Jesus Christ is a Jew who meets all the requirements of the Prophecy to be the King of the Jews. Further in his book he uses this approach to prove that Jesus Christ is the Messiah.

Matthew 4:17 From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, Repent! For the kingdom of Heaven is at hand. 23 And Jesus went about all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people. (MKJV)

Q9/ Jesus was not the Messiah. (True or False)

Q10/ Joseph took Jesus Africa to hide. (True or False)

Q11/ Jesus grew up in Gaza. (True or False)

Matthew 10:7 And as you go, proclaim, saying, The kingdom of Heaven is at hand. (MKJV)

Q12/ Is at hand means it is near to you. (True or False)

Matthew 16:15 He said to them, But who do you say I am? 16 And Simon Peter answered and said, You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.(MKJV)

Q13/ Jesus is the chosen one of God. (True or False)

Matthew 16:17 Jesus answered and said to him, You are blessed, Simon, son of Jonah, for flesh and blood did not reveal it to you, but My Father in Heaven. 18 And I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it. 19 And I will give the keys of the kingdom of Heaven to you. And whatever you may bind on earth shall occur, having been bound in Heaven, and whatever you may loose on earth shall occur, having been loosed in Heaven. (MKJV)

Q14/ Peter was blessed for his faith in Jesus. (True or False)

Q15/ We are blessed too if we believe. (True or False)

Q16/ Jesus gives us the Keys. (True or False)

Please note on reading Matthew you will see statements such as, “Through the Prophet, Spoken by the Prophet, and Written by the Prophet etc, so that it would be fulfilled”.

Q17/ It was foretold through the Prophets that Christ would come. (True or False)

Q18/ Jesus is the King they were looking for. (True or False)

Matthew is making a powerful statement to the Jews here. He is saying here is the King you are looking for, all that has been spoken in the Scriptures about the coming King, it has come to pass in the form of Jesus of Nazareth. All you need to do is believe.

Matthew 2:15 And he was there until the death of Herod; so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the LORD through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called My Son." (MKJV)

Matthew 13:35 so that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, "I will open my mouth in parables; I will utter things which have been kept secret from the foundation of the world." (MKJV)

Q19/ Matthew shows that all the prophecy had been fulfilled. (True or False)

Matthew 21:4 might be fulfilled

Matthew 27:35 might be fulfilled

Matthew 2:5 And they said to him, In Bethlehem of Judea. For so it is written by the prophet, (MKJV)

So that it would be fulfilled

Matthew

1:22,

2:15, 23,

4:14,

8:17,

12:17,

13: 35,