My first year in college, I was required to take a course in New Testament History. As part of the homework for this class, I had to read through and comment on sections of the New Testament. Below are some of my summaries of and reflections on the first four chapters of Matthew:
Matthew 1: The beginning chapter of his Gospel; Here Matthew introduces his readers to the person of Jesus Christ through the use of a genealogy, not only tying the focus of his book (Jesus) directly to the Old Testament, but also setting up a foundation for the rest of his Gospel, which shows how Jesus acted as a fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham and David. Matthew continues Jesus’ genealogy with a quick (not even ten verses!) account of the birth of Christ.
Personally, I enjoy this part of Matthew, as it reminds me that God will always fulfill His promises, even if it takes a long time for them to come to pass.
Matthew 2: In this chapter, Matthew elaborates on the consequential events Jesus’ birth. Some time after He was born, wise men from the east come to worship Jesus as the king of the Jews. Once Herod discovers this, he tries to trick the Magi into revealing to him the location of the young Christ. However, the wise men are warned by an angel about Herod’s intent, and so deny him the chance to murder the child Jesus. After Herod is outwitted, orders that all boys aged two and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem be killed.
I enjoy this chapter because it reminds me that God will always protect and provide for His chosen vessels of His will in this world. Matthew also shows how the events surrounding the birth of Christ fulfilled three direct prophecies by the Old Testament prophets.
Matthew 3: In this chapter, Matthew jumps far ahead to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, when He was around the age of thirty. Although John the Baptist initially tries to talk Jesus out of being baptized, Jesus remains firm in His intent. Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, showing the Father's approval and the unity of the Trinity in Christ's life and work; this event thus signifies the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
When I read this chapter, I always like to pause over the mystery of exactly why Jesus chose to be baptized when He was already completely sinless: "to fulfill all righteousness." Regardless of why Jesus was baptized, He still set up an important standard for us as Christians to follow.
Matthew 4: After being baptized, Jesus travels out into the wilderness for over a month, fasting and enduring temptation from Satan. After forty days of this, the devil personally tempts Jesus to: 1) rely on Himself, rather than His Father, 2) prove His divinity and anointment by testing the providence of God, and 3) worship the created (Satan) instead of the Creator as a shortcut to the rule of God on earth. Confronted with each of these temptations--some coming as a twisted interpretation of Scripture!--Jesus steadily holds firm to the revealed word of God as His encouragement, His warning, and His instruction.
Just as Christ submitted to Scripture in resisting and rejecting the temptations to sin, so too should we. In all four of these chapters, the Old Testament is quoted, either to show the fulfillment of its prophecies, show how the New Testament is a continuation of Old, or to show its usages. The Old Testament was relevant to the early church, and it is relevant to us now.
Matthew 1: The beginning chapter of his Gospel; Here Matthew introduces his readers to the person of Jesus Christ through the use of a genealogy, not only tying the focus of his book (Jesus) directly to the Old Testament, but also setting up a foundation for the rest of his Gospel, which shows how Jesus acted as a fulfillment of God’s covenant promises to Abraham and David. Matthew continues Jesus’ genealogy with a quick (not even ten verses!) account of the birth of Christ.
Personally, I enjoy this part of Matthew, as it reminds me that God will always fulfill His promises, even if it takes a long time for them to come to pass.
Matthew 2: In this chapter, Matthew elaborates on the consequential events Jesus’ birth. Some time after He was born, wise men from the east come to worship Jesus as the king of the Jews. Once Herod discovers this, he tries to trick the Magi into revealing to him the location of the young Christ. However, the wise men are warned by an angel about Herod’s intent, and so deny him the chance to murder the child Jesus. After Herod is outwitted, orders that all boys aged two and under in the vicinity of Bethlehem be killed.
I enjoy this chapter because it reminds me that God will always protect and provide for His chosen vessels of His will in this world. Matthew also shows how the events surrounding the birth of Christ fulfilled three direct prophecies by the Old Testament prophets.
Matthew 3: In this chapter, Matthew jumps far ahead to the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry, when He was around the age of thirty. Although John the Baptist initially tries to talk Jesus out of being baptized, Jesus remains firm in His intent. Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, the Holy Spirit descends upon Him, showing the Father's approval and the unity of the Trinity in Christ's life and work; this event thus signifies the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry.
When I read this chapter, I always like to pause over the mystery of exactly why Jesus chose to be baptized when He was already completely sinless: "to fulfill all righteousness." Regardless of why Jesus was baptized, He still set up an important standard for us as Christians to follow.
Matthew 4: After being baptized, Jesus travels out into the wilderness for over a month, fasting and enduring temptation from Satan. After forty days of this, the devil personally tempts Jesus to: 1) rely on Himself, rather than His Father, 2) prove His divinity and anointment by testing the providence of God, and 3) worship the created (Satan) instead of the Creator as a shortcut to the rule of God on earth. Confronted with each of these temptations--some coming as a twisted interpretation of Scripture!--Jesus steadily holds firm to the revealed word of God as His encouragement, His warning, and His instruction.
Just as Christ submitted to Scripture in resisting and rejecting the temptations to sin, so too should we. In all four of these chapters, the Old Testament is quoted, either to show the fulfillment of its prophecies, show how the New Testament is a continuation of Old, or to show its usages. The Old Testament was relevant to the early church, and it is relevant to us now.
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