In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus urges his followers to embrace a radical new reality: the Kingdom of HeavenThe New Testament begins with Matthew’s Gospel-and a long genealogy we usually skip over! Matthew’s interest in Jesus as the fulfilment of the hopes expressed in the Hebrew Scriptures makes his the least familiar and accessible of the Four Gospels for modern readers. But this has not always been the case. For centuries, Matthew was viewed as elegant, detailed and insightful while Mark was a mere shadow and abbreviation of it. The current order of the Four Gospels in the canon suggests that Matthew picks up where the Old Testament leaves off in recounting the story of the emerging Church.

Matthew’s Gospel opens with “the genealogy of Jesus Christ.” We are so used to this combination of the names Jesus and Christ (the Greek translation of the Hebrew title Messiah) that its intended impact is muted. Matthew delivers the astounding news that the Messiah has come in the person of Jesus, a descendant of David and Abraham. The genealogy divides the story of the people of God into three eras-the time from God’s call to Abraham to the birth of David; the period of the kings from David to the exile; and the era from the exile to the birth of the Messiah. The birth of the Messiah marks the beginning of a new age in the history of God and his people.

Prophecy Fulfilled
The birth of the Messiah is no ordinary event-a virgin daughter of Israel is impregnated by the Holy Spirit in fulfilment of prophecy. The child is named Jesus, the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua, “The Lord saves,” and is also identified as Immanuel-“God with us.” A celestial sign attests the birth of the “king of the Jews,” and Magi come as pilgrims to pay homage and worship the child. As Matthew recounts events surrounding the birth of Jesus, the story of the people of God is subtly retold. Herod, the brutal and ruthless king, seeks to destroy the child, launching a bloodbath of infants reminiscent of the acts of Pharaoh (Exodus 1). Just as finding refuge in Egypt saved Israel, the family of Jesus, led by another dreamer named Joseph, seeks safety in Egypt. Upon hearing of the death of Herod, the family makes their own exodus to the promised land.

John the Baptist is then introduced as a preacher declaring: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near” (3:2). Matthew identifies John as the prophesied forerunner of Jesus. When John baptizes Jesus, the narrator tells us that Jesus “saw the Spirit of God descending” on him and heard himself identified as God’s Son (3:16). Led by the Spirit into the desert for 40 days-mirroring Israel’s 40-year sojourn in the wilderness-Jesus emerges faithful to his identity as the Son of God and to his mission to establish the Kingdom of his Father. Matthew next tells us that Jesus went to live in Capernaum and also began to preach: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near” (4:17).

Matthew wants his readers to understand that, in the person of Jesus, the rule of God has intersected with human life. The Kingdom of Heaven that Jesus calls people to embrace will overcome the power of Satan and establish the purposes of God for his world. The Hebrew Scriptures proclaimed the rule of God, but too often the people had failed to be faithful to the covenant. Yet God’s purpose was not to be thwarted. His Kingdom would be established on earth. Citing texts and nuancing his narrative to echo Scripture, Matthew demonstrates that, in the works of Jesus, the promises and predictions of Scripture are being fulfilled.

Jesus calls people to turn and embrace the Kingdom of Heaven he is establishing around himself. Matthew links Jesus’ preaching with the proclamation of John the Baptist to demonstrate that the purposes of God remain constant (compare 3:2 and 4:17). God is seeking to form a people who embrace righteousness in daily life. Judgment will fall on those who reject this value. Following the section on Jesus’ preaching, we read how he calls Peter and Andrew, James and John to follow him. Then Matthew summarizes the mission of Jesus in Galilee, describing how his preaching, teaching and healing draw large crowds (4:23-25).

The New Torah
Jesus provides what has been described as a “new Torah.” If we understand the term Torah as meaning instruction, the structure of Jesus’ teaching in Matthew makes a lot of sense. Beginning with the Sermon on the Mount, the bulk of Jesus’ instructions are set out in five major blocks, each of which concludes with a structural marker (5:1-7:28; 10:5-11:1; 13:3-53; 18:1-19:1; 24:4-26:1).

In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus teaches about life in the Kingdom of God, beginning with a series of nine blessings (beatitudes) that are reminiscent of the Ten Commandments. In this context he calls on disciples to be salt and light (5:13-16), declares that his work fulfils the Law and the Prophets (5:17-20) and further elaborates Kingdom values. The second block is a discourse on discipleship and the third gathers parables describing the Kingdom. Instructions for the community and warnings and admonitions for disciples in the final age provide the focus for the final two collections.

Two turning points in the narrative are clearly marked. In the first, Matthew writes: “From that time on Jesus began to preach, ‘Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven has come near’ ” (4:17). This is used to summarize and introduce the mission and focus of Jesus in Galilee. Matthew goes on to describe in detail the manner in which God confronts Israel in the person of Jesus, Messiah, Son of God. He is careful to note that the mission of Jesus first focused on calling faithful Israelites to respond to the Kingdom of God, a call that will eventually be extended to the whole world.

The second turning point follows Peter’s confession, the climax and conclusion to the first half of the Gospel: “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life” (16:21). This Passion prediction introduces and summarizes the remainder of the Gospel, Jesus’ preparation of the disciples, and the journey to Jerusalem to his death and resurrection. As events are building to a climax, Matthew records two further predictions of the Passion of Jesus (17:22, 20:18).

Rooted in Israel
Throughout his narrative, Matthew demonstrates that the new people of God must acknowledge their roots in Israel. But he also introduces a term not used in the other gospels. The term “church” describes the community established and bound together by salvation. The members of this community serve as brokers of salvation, redemption and transformation for the world. They have been given this status by binding themselves to Jesus as disciples. They are now children of God (5:9, 45), and authorized to appeal to God as “Father” (6:19). This new family (12:49; 28:10) lives the teaching of Jesus in daily life.

Peter is the model disciple who exemplifies this new status in Matthew’s account. The first disciple called to follow (4:18-20), he is the spokesperson for the group, identifying Jesus as Messiah (16:16). But we also see in Peter a figure in which faith and doubt are both present. In the account of Jesus calling to Peter to walk on water (14:22-31), we find this mix of faith and doubt. Even John the Baptist struggles with doubt and is called by Jesus to “not fall away” (11:2-6 NIV). But though such internal tension will persist in the lives of disciples, this does not need to disable or destroy their faith.

Following the description of Jesus’ crucifixion, Matthew’s observation that the tomb was carefully guarded (27:62-66; 28:2-4, 11-15) is critical. The resurrection authenticates Jesus’ identity as Son of God, Messiah, descendant of David, promised in Scripture. Matthew also details Jesus’ self-disclosure as Son of Man, and how he embodies the values of the Kingdom and lives out its moral demands. Jesus models the way in which his followers are to be salt and light in the world (5:13-16). This quest for righteousness has its roots in the Hebrew Bible’s ethical tradition-to be holy as God is holy (see Leviticus 19:1)-and is affirmed as the most important of human activities.

Bound to Mission
As Jesus brings both righteousness and judgment into the context of everyday life-in Galilee, on the journey to the cross and in Jerusalem-disciples bring righteousness and judgment into their contexts as well. This understanding of their ongoing mission is demonstrated by two critical texts that shape Matthew’s presentation of Jesus. In the first, at the midpoint of the Gospel, Jesus asks his disciples about his identity. Peter declares: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God” (16:16). Jesus replies, “Blessed are you … for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in Heaven” (16:17). Peter is then described as the rock on which the Church will be built, and is given “the keys of the Kingdom of Heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in Heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in Heaven” (16:19).

In the Gospel’s final scene, the 11 disciples go to Galilee to meet Jesus. “When they saw him, they worshipped him; but some doubted. Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in Heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age’ ” (28:17-20).

In the final analysis, the new people of God are to be bound to Jesus and to their mission in the world. Disciples may always be marked by a blend of worship, devotion and doubt. This is why they need to commit to each other, worship their Lord and strive to emulate him, wherever the purposes of God may take them. Faithful obedience will overcome doubt, for Jesus is present in the local church community, which is entrusted with the Messiah’s authority and mission to transform lives and redeem the world. Through the disciples, Jesus makes his appeal to the whole world: “Turn around, the Kingdom of Heaven is near.” God remains with us.

by Major Bruce Power