If you have ever been confused about who Jesus is, the Bible Study On The Book Of Matthew can help make sense of things. This book will help you learn more about the Son of God in the context of His life narrative. You’ll also gain a better understanding of what it takes to be a disciple and will be able to make more informed decisions about how to spread His good news to others.
bible study on the book of matthew
Join Dr. Ron Moore in this Bible study on the Book of Matthew. You will come away with a better understanding of the Gospel and how it relates to your daily life, as well as insights into more challenging passages that are often overlooked in other Bible studies. The purpose of Dr. Moore’s teaching is to help you get to know Jesus Christ and His church better, for without Him there can be no true understanding of either!
This summary of the Gospel of Matthew provides information about the title, author(s), date of writing, chronology, theme, theology, outline, a brief overview, and the chapters of the Gospel of Matthew.
Author
Although the first Gospel is anonymous, the early church fathers were unanimous in holding that Matthew, one of the 12 apostles, was its author. However, the results of modern critical studies — in particular those that stress Matthew’s alleged dependence on Mark for a substantial part of his Gospel — have caused some Biblical scholars to abandon Matthean authorship. Why, they ask, would Matthew, an eyewitness to the events of our Lord’s life, depend so heavily on Mark’s account? The best answer seems to be that he agreed with it and wanted to show that the apostolic testimony to Christ was not divided.
Matthew, whose name means “gift of the Lord,” was a tax collector who left his work to follow Jesus (9:9-13). In Mark and Luke he is called by his other name, Levi.
Date and Place of Writing
Some have argued on the basis of its Jewish characteristics that Matthew’s Gospel was written in the early church period, possibly the early part of a.d. 50, when the church was largely Jewish and the gospel was preached to Jews only (Ac 11:19). However, those who have concluded that both Matthew and Luke drew extensively from Mark’s Gospel date it later — after the Gospel of Mark had been in circulation for a period of time. See essay and chart, p. 1943. Accordingly, some feel that Matthew would have been written in the late 50s or in the 60s. Others, who assume that Mark was written between 65 and 70, place Matthew in the 70s or even later. However, there is insufficient evidence to be dogmatic about either view.
The Jewish nature of Matthew’s Gospel may suggest that it was written in the Holy Land, though many think it may have originated in Syrian Antioch.
Recipients
Since his Gospel was written in Greek, Matthew’s readers were obviously Greek-speaking. They also seem to have been Jews. Many elements point to Jewish readership: Matthew’s concern with fulfillment of the OT (he has more quotations from and allusions to the OT than any other NT author); his tracing of Jesus’ descent from Abraham (1:1-17); his lack of explanation of Jewish customs (especially in contrast to Mark); his use of Jewish terminology (e.g., “kingdom of heaven,” where “heaven” reveals the Jewish reverential reluctance to use the name of God; see note on 3:2); his emphasis on Jesus’ role as “Son of David” (1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9,15; 22:41-45). This does not mean, however, that Matthew restricts his Gospel to Jews. He records the coming of the Magi (non-Jews) to worship the infant Jesus (2:1-12), as well as Jesus’ statement that the “field is the world” (13:38). He also gives a full statement of the Great Commission (28:18-20). These passages show that, although Matthew’s Gospel is Jewish, it has a universal outlook.
Purpose
Matthew’s main purpose is to prove to his Jewish readers that Jesus is their Messiah. He does this primarily by showing how Jesus in his life and ministry fulfilled the OT Scriptures. Although all the Gospel writers quote the OT, Matthew includes nine proof texts unique to his Gospel (1:22-23; 2:15; 2:17-18; 2:23; 4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:35; 27:9-10) to drive home his basic theme: Jesus is the fulfillment of the OT predictions of the Messiah. Matthew even finds the history of God’s people in the OT recapitulated in some aspects of Jesus’ life (see, e.g., his quotation of Hos 11:1 in 2:15). To accomplish his purpose Matthew also emphasizes Jesus’ Davidic lineage (see Recipients, p. 1945).
Structure
The way the material is arranged reveals an artistic touch. The whole Gospel is woven around five great discourses: (1) chs. 5-7; (2) ch. 10; (3) ch. 13; (4) ch. 18; (5) chs.24-25. That this is deliberate is clear from the refrain that concludes each discourse: “When Jesus had finished saying these things,” or similar words (7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). The narrative sections, in each case, appropriately lead up to the discourses. The Gospel has a fitting prologue (chs. 1-2) and a challenging epilogue (28:16-20).
The fivefold division may suggest that Matthew has modeled his book on the structure of the Pentateuch (the first five books of the OT). He may also be presenting the gospel as a new Torah and Jesus as a new and greater Moses.
Outline
The Birth and Early Years of Jesus (chs. 1-2)
His Genealogy (1:1-17)
His Birth (1:18 — 2:12)
His Sojourn in Egypt (2:13-23)
The Beginnings of Jesus’ Ministry (3:1 — 4:11)
His Forerunner (3:1-12)
His Baptism (3:13-17)
His Temptation (4:1-11)
Jesus’ Ministry in Galilee (4:12 — 14:12)
The Beginning of the Galilean Campaign (4:12-25)
The Sermon on the Mount (chs. 5-7)
A Collection of Miracles (chs. 8-9)
The Commissioning of the 12 Apostles (ch. 10)
Ministry throughout Galilee (chs. 11-12)
The Parables of the Kingdom (ch. 13)
Herod’s Reaction to Jesus’ Ministry (14:1-12)
Jesus’ Withdrawals from Galilee (14:13 — 17:20)
To the Eastern Shore of the Sea of Galilee (14:13 — 15:20)
To Phoenicia (15:21-28)
To the Decapolis (15:29 — 16:12)
To Caesarea Philippi (16:13 — 17:20)
Jesus’ Last Ministry in Galilee (17:22 — 18:35)
Prediction of Jesus’ Death (17:22-23)
Temple Tax (17:24-27)
Discourse on Life in the Kingdom (ch. 18)
Jesus’ Ministry in Judea and Perea (chs. 19-20)
Teaching concerning Divorce (19:1-12)
Teaching concerning Little Children (19:13-15)
The Rich Young Man (19:16-30)
The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard (20:1-16)
Prediction of Jesus’ Death (20:17-19)
A Mother’s Request (20:20-28)
Restoration of Sight at Jericho (20:29-34)
Passion Week (chs. 21-27)
The Entry of Jesus into Jerusalem as King (21:1-11)
The Cleansing of the Temple (21:12-17)
The Last Controversies with the Jewish Leaders (21:18 — 23:39)
The Olivet Discourse (chs. 24-25)
The Anointing of Jesus’ Feet (26:1-13)
The Arrest, Trials and Death of Jesus (26:14 — 27:66)
The Resurrection (ch. 28)
The Earthquake and the Angel’s Announcement (28:1-7)
Jesus’ Encounter with the Women (28:8-10)
The Guards’ Report and the Jewish Elders’ Bribe (28:11-15)
The Great Commission (28:16-20)
While Matthew did not sign his own name to “his” gospel, the early church uniformly attested to the apostle’s authorship of the book. As early as AD 140, a Christian named Papias wrote that Matthew had compiled the sayings of the Lord in Hebrew (presumably before Matthew translated them into Greek for a larger audience).
Matthew’s name appears in all the biblical lists of the twelve apostles, though Mark and Luke refer to him as Levi. His history as a tax collector distinguished him from the other apostles, and immediately after his call to follow Jesus—an event he recorded in Matthew 9:9—Matthew hosted a feast for Jesus in his home with an invitation list made up of Matthew’s sinful friends. Apparently Matthew did not think it odd that Jesus and he would associate with the sinful and downtrodden of society.
Where are we?
Matthew is the most Jewish-centric of the four gospels. The apostle regularly invoked the writings of the Old Testament prophets in an effort to illustrate Jesus’s identity as Israel’s long-awaited Messiah.
However, the gospel of Matthew has been notoriously difficult to date. Several factors speak to a date ranging from AD 60–65. First of all, the book makes no mention of the destruction of the temple, an event which occurred in AD 70. Such a cataclysmic event likely would have received some comment, particularly in a book so clearly influenced by Judaism. The largely Jewish character of the book also suggests it was written at a time when much of the evangelism by Christians was directed more exclusively at Jews, something that became less and less common as the decades passed. Finally, many scholars believe Mark to have been the first gospel composed, making it most probable that Matthew was written soon after.
Why is Matthew so important?
The apostle Matthew, a Jew himself, offered a decidedly Jewish perspective on the ministry of Jesus. He included more than fifty direct citations—and even more indirect allusions—from the Old Testament. This exceeds any of the other gospels and indicates that Matthew had the Jewish population in mind when he sat down to write. Matthew’s extensive connections between Jesus and the Old Testament provide ample prophetic evidence for Jesus’s ministry but also give contemporary readers a glimpse into how first-century readers approached the Old Testament with a Christ-centered mind-set.
In addition, Matthew’s gospel answers the question on the mind of every Jewish reader: “If Jesus is the King of the Jews, then where is God’s promised kingdom?” Matthew reveals that Jesus did offer the kingdom to Israel, but the offer was rejected (Matthew 4:17; 16:13–28; 21:42–43). God’s primary work in the world is now accomplished through the building of Christ’s church, after which Jesus will come again to earth and establish His kingdom—ruling the world from Israel.
bible study on the book of matthew pdf
Matthew wrote his account of Jesus’s ministry to show that Jesus was and is indeed the King, Israel’s long-awaited Messiah. He reflected this concern in his opening line, “The record of the genealogy of Jesus the Messiah, the son of David, the son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). From there, Matthew consistently took his readers back to the Old Testament, providing Old Testament testimony regarding the birth of Jesus, Bethlehem as the location of Jesus’s birth, the flight to Egypt, Herod’s slaughter of the infants, and the beginning of Jesus’s ministry. In a world where many in the Jewish community had claimed the role of Messiah for themselves, Matthew’s commitment to grounding the life of Jesus in the Old Testament raised Jesus above the multitude of these false messiahs. The apostle painted a portrait of our Lord that highlights His uniqueness among all others to ever walk this earth.
How do I apply this?
After enduring four hundred years of prophetic silence, God’s people must have wondered whether or not He had deserted them. After centuries of regular communication from God, the people found themselves without a genuine prophet or spokesman for God. However, the ministries of John and Jesus reminded God’s people that He had not forgotten them. God’s silence during that period was merely a precursor to pulling the linchpin of His redemptive plan. God hadn’t forgotten—He remembered His people. Matthew made that clear.
It was true then, and it is certainly true today. Do you ever feel as though God has deserted you or that He sits in silence in the face of your requests? As we read through the pages of Matthew, not only do we see Jesus Christ revealed as Israel’s King and Messiah, but His coming to earth as God in the flesh reminds us of His deep love for us. Now resurrected and ascended, the Lord Jesus will always be with us, even to the end of time (Matthew 28:20).
Christ’s commission to His followers is still His mandate to us today: “Make disciples of all the nations” (Matthew 28:19). Christ’s work of building His church is the work He does through each of us.
Matthew’s account of the gospel is placed first among the other New Testament books and was one of the most popular books in the early church. It presents a clear and thorough account of who Jesus is and what he accomplished in his life, death, and resurrection. At the heart of Matthew’s account is the identification of Jesus Christ as the true King of the universe who ushers in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew’s Gospel also gives us a clear picture of discipleship,1 with all of Jesus’ radical demands on his followers amid a hostile world.
While each of the four Gospels draws attention to how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament, Matthew’s account is the most explicitly and thoroughly Jewish. Additionally, while Matthew shares a lot of the same material with Mark and Luke, he organizes the material somewhat differently. While there is a broad chronological progression to Matthew’s Gospel, he intentionally groups various teachings and events together in order to create a more “thematic” presentation.
Definition: Disciple
Placing It in the Larger Story
The story of the Bible is the story of the world. Beginning with the goodness of creation (Genesis 1–2), it soon progresses to humanity’s rejection of God and the subsequent curse of this world (Genesis 3). The Old Testament is largely focused on the development of God’s promise to reconcile sinners to himself and restore all that is broken. The Old Testament ends in the middle of this story, longing for a resolution and the fulfillment of this promise.
In their own unique way, each of the four Gospels demonstrates that Jesus fulfills these profound, ancient longings. Matthew’s Gospel is the one most explicitly focused on how Jesus is the long-awaited King who came to restore the goodness of creation by bringing in God’s kingdom. This long-awaited restoration is . . .
announced in Jesus’ words as he declared, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17).
pictured in Jesus’ works as he healed the sick, gave sight to the blind, calmed storms, cast out demons, and restored people to God through the forgiveness of their sins.
accomplished through Jesus’ death and resurrection, for he came “to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).
promised to arrive in its fullness in the coming “new world, when the Son of Man will sit on his glorious throne” (Matt. 19:28).
Looking backward, Matthew picks up the storyline of the Old Testament and shows how Jesus brings it to fulfillment in himself. Looking forward, Matthew ends his Gospel by propelling the church out into the world to take the gospel to all nations so that the reign of King Jesus is further expanded over all creation.
Key Passage
“From that time Jesus began to preach, saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand’” (Matt. 4:17).
Definition: Reconciliation
Date and Historical Background
It appears that the author was Matthew (also known as Levi), a former tax collector who became one of the 12 disciples (see Matt. 9:9). Matthew probably wrote this account of the gospel in the late 50s or early 60s AD. Since he was a Galilean Jewish Christian, he knew the Old Testament Scriptures well and was thus able to interpret the words and actions of Jesus in light of the Old Testament storyline and promises.
The Gospel was likely written for a number of reasons and addressed to various types of people. With its topical breadth and orderly presentation of Christ’s ministry, it becomes a basic course in discipleship for everyone who reads it, and clearly Matthew planned that it should. Because of the prevalence of Jewish themes, it was probably written with Jewish-Christians in particular in view.
For these Christians, Matthew’s Gospel provides instruction about who Jesus is and his Jewish antecedents, how he fulfills the promises of the Old Testament, what he accomplished in his death and resurrection, and how to live as his people. This account would encourage them in their identity as the true people of God who follow the true King of the world. Judging by the ending of the book, one of Matthew’s central purposes is also to encourage the church to be on mission, taking the gospel of Jesus Christ to the nations even amid great hostility.
Outline
The Arrival in History of Jesus the Messiah (Matt. 1:1–2:23)
John the Baptist Prepares for the Appearance of the Messianic Kingdom (Matt. 3:1–17)
Jesus the Messiah Begins to Advance the Messianic Kingdom (Matt. 4:1–25)
The Authoritative Message of the Messiah: Kingdom Life for His Disciples (Matt. 5:1–7:29)
The Authoritative Power of the Messiah: Kingdom Power Demonstrated (Matt. 8:1–9:38)
The Authoritative Mission of the Messiah’s Messengers (Matt. 10:1–42)
Opposition to the Messiah Emerges (Matt. 11:1–12:50)
Mysteries of the Messianic Kingdom Revealed in Parables (Matt. 13:1–53)
The Identity of the Messiah Revealed (Matt. 13:54–16:20)
The Suffering of the Messiah Revealed (Matt. 16:21–17:27)
The Community of the Messiah Revealed (Matt. 18:1–20:34)
The Messiah Asserts His Authority over Jerusalem (Matt. 21:1–23:39)
The Delay, Return, and Judgment of the Messiah (Matt. 24:1–25:46)
The Crucified Messiah (Matt. 26:1–27:66)
The Resurrection and Commissioning Action of the Messiah (Matt. 28:1–20)
As You Get Started . . .
Read over the outline above and take several minutes to flip through the Gospel of Matthew, scanning its contents. What are a few things you expect this account of the gospel to highlight from the life and ministry of Jesus?
Have you read through or studied the gospel of Matthew before? If so, what particular aspects are you looking forward to studying in more detail? If not, what are a few things you hope to better understand about Jesus?
After reading this introduction, what is your understanding of how Matthew’s Gospel relates to the Old Testament?
From your previous reading of Matthew or your initial exposure in this study, are there aspects of this book that confuse you? Do you have any specific questions that you hope to have answered through this study?
As You Finish This Unit . . .
In Matthew 4:4, Jesus says, “Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.” Take a moment to ask God to speak to you through the book of Matthew, giving you fresh conviction, encouragement, and a transformed heart and life.