Introduction to the Gospel of Matthew

Matthew, the Jewish tax-collector-turned-follower-of-Jesus, records the works and words of the Lord Jesus. After writing about Jesus' birth, Matthew provides us with five narratives and five discourses in his message about Jesus. Although he writes primarily to a Jewish audience, he also shows how Gentiles may enter the Kingdom of heaven. Matthew highlights Jesus’ fulfillment of the Law and of Messianic prophecy, he traces Jesus' genealogy back to Abraham, he refers to Jesus as the “Son of David,” and he wants to make sure that his readers know that Jesus was born into a Davidic family and therefore has a legitimate claim to the throne of Israel. The universal appeal of the gospel is underscored in the Great Commission that concludes his gospel.