The Gospel of Matthew

The Synoptic Gospels include Matthew, Mark and Luke. The word "Gospel" comes from the Greek word euangelion meaning "Good News".

They are called "synoptic" because they tend to see the life of Jesus in roughly the same way. Synoptic literally means to "see with the same eye". One way of explaining the similarities and differences between the Synoptic Gospels can be seen in the diagram above. Both Matthew and Luke seem to have used Mark as a common source. Matthew reproduces 606 of Marks 661 verses! Matthew and Luke share some material not included in Mark. Scholars think that these verses come from an unknown source called "Q" which comes from the word quelle, meaning "source". Finally Matthew and Luke contain material not shared with any other gospel, from sources that are unique to these Gospels.

Why do you think that the Church included 3 Gospels that essentially said the same thing?

The Gospels are not biographies. They contain accurate historical and biographical information regarding Jesus Christ. But the main point of each of the Gospels is to make a theological statement that will result in faith in Jesus Christ for the one who reads the Gospel.

Matthew
Who: Unsure of authorship. Papias, an early church father of the 2nd Century, refers to the fact that Matthew recorded the "oracles" or sayings of Jesus in Hebrew. The Gospel we have called Matthew probably used this as a source for its material. (Some say this could be the Q source.) Probably a Palestinian Jewish-Christian was the author who was inspired by the Holy Spirit to collect the traditions set down by Matthew giving us the Gospel we have today.

What: A more lengthy, detailed and orderly account than Mark's gospel

When: Probably 75 A.D. or thereafter. Ignatius of Antioch quotes Matthew around 110 A.D.

Where: Written somewhere in Palestine most likely.

Why: The orientation of the Gospel appears to be that of a community which is in direct contact with a Jewish community and society. The document was written to a group of people composed primarily of former Jews who lived in the midst of a highly Jewish population to present Jesus as the fulfillment of the true Judaism. See Matthew 5:17-21.

EMPHASES

1. Jesus fulfills the prophesies of the OT concerning the Messiah.

2. Jesus is the Messianic King of Israel.

3. Jesus portrayed as a great teacher and regal figure. Worshiped by the Magi. (Luke has humble shepherds). Jesus is a Person to be worshiped (2:11; 14:33; 20:20; 28:9,17)

4. Lengthy blocks of teaching: 5-7; 10; 13; 18; 24-25.

JESUS AS TEACHER
In Matthew's Gospel Jesus teaches with authority. He also uses the techniques of other wise men or Rabbis at the time. He employs the technique of teaching called the mashal (parable). Usually these types of sayings were designed to assist people living in the world and understanding the ways of the world better. Parables were NOT allegories unless otherwise stated. A parable makes ONE POINT usually. It is an illustration or comparison using a common setting or happening. "The kingdom of heaven is like...". It is the point that matters — each part of the parable is NOT to be taken as absolute teaching (Matt. 13:44).

Another form of teaching is rabbinic hyperbole. Exaggerated statements used to make a powerful point that will be remembered. We will see this technique used in the Sermon on the Mount.

OVERVIEW OF CHAPTER 1
Genealogy traces Jesus family back to Abraham. Jesus is a Jew and that is the point made here — Jesus is a very Jewish savior. Four women are included in the genealogy. This is unusual and shows the elevation of women in the Gospel accounts above the level usual in Jewish or Roman society.

Birth account deals with Joseph's difficulty as a Jew with a fiancé who has evidently broken Jewish law. Betrothal was a legal contract between two families. It usually lasted about a year. During that time the couple could not have intimate relations with one another, but were bound together in a covenant. Betrothal could only be broken by divorce. Birth and childhood accounts are related to show that Jesus fulfills the OT.

Since the Holy Spirit was the Father of Jesus, what does this tell us about the nature of Jesus?

What do the Hebrew names Immanuel and Jesus tell us about the person of Jesus? (See John 14:9)

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