Bible Book Summaries

Gospels · New Testament

Matthew

c. 5 BC – AD 30

Section
Gospels · New Testament
Events span
c. 5 BC – AD 30
Written
c. AD 50–60
Author
Matthew (Levi), the tax collector and apostle

Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah and King of the Jews, tracing his lineage to Abraham and David and repeatedly showing how he fulfills Old Testament prophecy. It gathers his teaching into great discourses, including the Sermon on the Mount, and climaxes in his death, resurrection, and Great Commission.

Historical setting: Judea and Galilee under Roman rule; the Second Temple still standing as Jesus, Israel's Messiah, ministers to a nation whose leaders reject him.

Key themes

  • Jesus the promised Messiah
  • Fulfillment of prophecy
  • The kingdom of heaven
  • Jesus the King
  • The Great Commission

Key events

Birth & Beginnings (Matthew 1–4)

  • Jesus' genealogy traces him to Abraham and David; an angel reassures Joseph in a dream Matt 1c. 5 BC
  • Wise men follow a star to worship Jesus; the family flees Herod to Egypt Matt 2c. 5 BC
  • John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, and the devil tempts him in the wilderness Matt 3–4c. AD 27

Teaching & Ministry (Matthew 5–25)

  • The Sermon on the Mount: the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and life in the kingdom Matt 5–7c. AD 28
  • Jesus heals the sick, calms a storm, and shows authority over disease and demons Matt 8–9c. AD 28
  • Jesus sends out the twelve apostles to preach and heal Matt 10c. AD 28
  • Jesus teaches the parables of the kingdom: the sower, the weeds, and the mustard seed Matt 13c. AD 29
  • Jesus feeds the five thousand and walks on the water Matt 14c. AD 29
  • Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, and Jesus is transfigured Matt 16–17c. AD 29
  • Jesus enters Jerusalem, cleanses the temple, and confronts the Pharisees Matt 21–23c. AD 30
  • The Olivet Discourse: Jesus foretells the end of the age and his return Matt 24–25c. AD 30

Death & Resurrection (Matthew 26–28)

  • Judas betrays Jesus, and the Last Supper institutes the new covenant Matt 26c. AD 30
  • Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified, and the temple veil is torn in two Matt 26–27c. AD 30
  • Jesus rises from the dead and gives the Great Commission Matt 28c. AD 30

Key lessons

  • Jesus is the promised Messiah and King, the fulfillment of the whole Old Testament story; Matthew shows again and again how prophecy comes true in him. Matt 1:22–23
  • The kingdom of heaven turns the world’s values upside down; the poor in spirit, the meek, the merciful, and the persecuted are the truly blessed. Matt 5:3–10
  • Jesus wants doers of his words, not merely hearers; genuine faith obeys from the heart rather than settling for outward, hypocritical religion. Matt 7:21–24
  • Mission rests on Christ’s authority and presence, not our adequacy; because “all power” is his and he is with us always, his people go to all nations unafraid. Matt 28:18–20
“Go ye therefore, and teach all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost: Teaching them to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you: and, lo, I am with you alway, even unto the end of the world. Amen.”
Matthew 28:19–20 KJV
Critical scholarship view

Where mainstream critical scholarship dates or attributes this book differently from the traditional view above.

Written
c. AD 80–90
Author
Anonymous, c. AD 80–90