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 critical view: c. AD 80–90
- Author
- Matthew (Levi), the tax collector and apostle critical view: Anonymous, c. AD 80–90
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.
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
- Wise men follow a star to worship Jesus; the family flees Herod to Egypt
- John the Baptist baptizes Jesus, and the devil tempts him in the wilderness
Teaching & Ministry (Matthew 5–25)
- The Sermon on the Mount: the Beatitudes, the Lord's Prayer, and life in the kingdom
- Jesus heals the sick, calms a storm, and shows authority over disease and demons
- Jesus sends out the twelve apostles to preach and heal
- Jesus teaches the parables of the kingdom: the sower, the weeds, and the mustard seed
- Jesus feeds the five thousand and walks on the water
- Peter confesses Jesus as the Christ, and Jesus is transfigured
- Jesus enters Jerusalem, cleanses the temple, and confronts the Pharisees
- The Olivet Discourse: Jesus foretells the end of the age and his return
Death & Resurrection (Matthew 26–28)
- Judas betrays Jesus, and the Last Supper institutes the new covenant
- Jesus is arrested, tried, and crucified, and the temple veil is torn in two
- Jesus rises from the dead and gives the Great Commission
“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.”