Gospels Part 030

The author’s name in Hebrew was Mattityahu, which means “gift of God.” In the Gospels of Mark and Luke he is called Levi, one of the 12 sons of the patriarch Jacob (as we’ll see, many figures mentioned in the Gospels are named after individuals from the Old Testament period).     

Matthew lived on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, where he was a tax collector (also called a “publican” in some versions of the Bible). This was a lucrative profession as the time, and Capernaum was a lucrative location since he could collect taxes from both the fishermen on the Sea of Galilee as well as from the large amount of traffic on the Via Maris, the well-travelled highway (that day’s equivalent to a U.S. interstate highway) that ran along the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee. As a result, Matthew had a house large enough to accommodate a sizable banquet to honor Jesus (Matthew 9:9-10).  

As one of Jesus’ twelve apostles and firsthand eyewitness to many of the events he recorded, Matthew presents a rich narrative of Jesus Christ’s life, teachings, death and resurrection. His Gospel presents a deep firsthand understanding of Jewish law, customs and Scripture. Matthew emphasizes Jesus as the fulfillment of Jewish prophecy and the Messiah promised in the Hebrew Scriptures.  

Date and place of writing  

While no date or place of writing is given, we can conclude that the synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark and Luke) were likely written in the early 60s A.D. (for supporting evidence, see When were the Gospels written?). The Jewish perspective found throughout Matthew’s Gospel indicates that it was likely written in or geographically close to the Holy Land.   

Purpose and Intended Audience  

The primary purpose of Matthew’s Gospel is to demonstrate that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah, the Son of David and the Son of God, fulfilling the promises made through the Old Testament prophets. Matthew confirms Jesus’ role as the legitimate continuation and fulfillment of Israel’s hopes and prophecies while also establishing a universal mission that extends to all nations (Matthew 28:19-20).  

Matthew’s intended audience was predominantly Jewish converts to Christianity (although “Christianity” didn’t exist under this name until several decades later; see Acts 11:26). Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ continuity with Jewish law and practice, while also affirming that the message of God’s Kingdom encompasses all of mankind.  

Some of the indications that Matthew wrote to a Jewish audience include:  

• He emphasizes that Jesus descended from both Abraham and David (Matthew 1:1-17). 
• He emphasizes that Jesus is the literal and prophesied “Son of David” (Matthew 1:1; 9:27; 12:23; 15:22; 20:30-31; 21:9, 15; 22:41-45). At the time this was a common term for the prophesied Messiah. 
• He repeatedly records how Jesus fulfilled various prophecies of the Messiah, whom many Jews expected to appear at that time. 
• He doesn’t explain Jewish customs, since his intended Jewish audience is familiar with them and needs no explanation. 
• Rather than using the term “kingdom of God,” he most often substitutes “kingdom of heaven” in accordance with Jewish practice of avoiding using the name of God.    

Outline of the Gospel  

Matthew’s Gospel is structured around five collections of Jesus’ teachings (chapters 5-7, 10, 13, 18, 24-25) interspersed with narrative sections. This structure is indicated by the fact that each of these five sections concludes with “When Jesus had finished saying these things” or something very similar (see Matthew 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). A simplified outline of Matthew’s Gospel is as follows:  

• Prologue (Chapters 1-2) 
• Genealogy of Jesus 
• Birth Narrative   
• Visit of the Magi   
• Flight to Egypt and Return to Nazareth 
• Preparation for Ministry (Chapters 3-4) 
• John the Baptist and Jesus’ Baptism 
• Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness 
• Beginning of Jesus’ Public Ministry 
• Ministry in Galilee (Chapters 5-18) 
• The Sermon on the Mount (Chapters 5-7) 
• Miracles, Teachings and Parables (Chapters 10, 13, 18) 
• Growing Opposition from Religious Leaders 
• Journey to Jerusalem (Chapters 19-20) 
• Teachings on Discipleship, the Kingdom and the Cost of Following Jesus 
• Ministry in Jerusalem (Chapters 21-25) 
• Triumphal Entry 
• Confrontations with Religious Leaders 
• The Olivet Prophecy (Chapters 24-25) 
• Passion, Death and Resurrection (Chapters 26-28) 
• His Final Passover 
• Jesus’ Arrest, Trial, Crucifixion and Burial 
• His Resurrection and the Great Commission