Memory Verse
“In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.”
Matthew 28:18-20
Overview

As you read the Gospel of Matthew, you will see how God keeps His promises. Jesus is the promised Messiah of the Old Testament. Over and over again, Matthew refers to the ministry of Jesus to show how the Old Testament was fulfilled. 

Hymn: When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
Sheet Music
Top 5 Facts to Remember
  1. Of the four Gospels, it was very likely the first account to be written.
  2. Matthew uses the Jewish phrase “kingdom of heaven” rather than “kingdom of God.”
  3. Matthew quotes the Old Testament 62 times, more than any of the other Gospel writers.
  4. Matthew is addressing a primarily Jewish audience to prove that Jesus Christ was the Messiah prophesied throughout the Old Testament.
  5. Matthew’s Gospel account breaks the 400-year silence, transitioning from the Old Covenant to the New Covenant
Theme: The Promised Messiah

In Matthew, God is glorifying Himself by sending the promised Messiah, so that He might demonstrate His superior goodness in the salvation sinners, the damnation of the wicked, and for the preservation of His people, for His eternal glory, and their eternal joy.

Author: Matthew

Matthew was a tax collector who encountered Jesus on an ordinary day: “As Jesus passed on from there, He saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office. And He said to him, ‘Follow Me.’ So he arose and followed Him” (Matt. 9:9).

Audience: Jewish Christians

Matthew directs his Gospel to a Jewish audience to demonstrate how Christ is the long-awaited Messiah and the fulfillment of Old Testament prophesies. (Matthew 5:38–40).

Key Verses:

“ ‘Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,’ which is translated, ‘God with us.’ ”

Matthew 1:23

“For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.” ’ ”

Matthew 3:3

“And He answered and said to them, ‘Have you not read that He who made them at the beginning “made them male and female,” and said, “For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh?” ’ ”

Matthew 19:4–5

Lessons:
  1. “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 
  2. Christ is the promised Messiah.
  3. The Old Testament points to Christ.
  4. Christ was crucified, died, was buried, and rose again.
  5. Go out and make disciples of all nations.
  6. All authority has been given to Christ.
Outline
  1. Christ Incarnated (Matt. 1:1–4:11)
  2. Christ Declared (Matt. 4:12–7:29)
  3. Christ’s Messengers Commissioned (Matt. 8:1–11:1)
  4. Christ Opposed (Matt. 11:2–13:53)
  5. Christ’s Reaction (Matt. 13:54–19:2)
  6. Christ Rejected (Matt. 19:3–26:1)
  7. Christ Crucified and Resurrected (Matt. 26:2–28:20)
Study Questions

Chapters 1–7

Who was Jesus’ mother?
Mary (Matt. 1:18).

Where was Jesus born?
Bethlehem (Matt. 2:1).

Of whom was Isaiah prophesying when he said “Prepare the way of the Lord”?
John the Baptist (Matt. 3:1–3).

What message did Jesus preach in Capernaum?
“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (Matt. 4:17).

List the Beatitudes.

  1. Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  2. Blessed are those who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
  3. Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth.
  4. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be filled.
  5. Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy.
  6. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.
  7. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons of God.
  8. Blessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
  9. Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of evil against you falsely for My sake. Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for so they persecuted the prophets who were before you (Matt. 5:3–12).

Where should we be laying up our treasures?
In heaven (Matt. 6:20).

What will God say to hypocrites when they stand before Him?
“Depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness” (Matt. 7:23).

Chapters 8–14

What happened to the wind and the waves when Christ rebuked them?
There “was a great calm” (Matt. 8:26).

Who did Christ come to call?
He came to call “sinners to repentance” (Matt. 9:13).

Who does Christ say we should fear?
“Fear Him who is able to destroy both soul and body in hell” (Matt. 10:28).

What does Jesus say to those who “labor and are heavy laden”?
“Come to Me” (Matt. 11:28).

Who is the Lord of the Sabbath?
Christ (Matt. 12:8).

Why did Jesus speak in parables?
“Because it has been given to you to know the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven, but to them it has not been given” (Matt. 13:11).

How did Jesus feed the five thousand?
“He took the five loaves and the two fish, and looking up to heaven, He blessed and broke and gave the loaves to the disciples; and the disciples gave to the multitudes” (Matt. 14:19).

Chapters 15–21

What defiles a man?
The things that proceed out of the mouth that come from the heart (Matt. 15:18).

What is required of those who desire to come to Christ?
They must deny themselves, take up their cross and follow Him (Matt. 16:24).

What happened to Jesus when He was on a high mountain with Peter, James, and John?
He was transfigured before them (Matt. 17:2).

What must happen before someone can enter the kingdom of heaven?
They must be “converted and become as little children” (Matt. 18:3).

What was Jesus’ response to the disciples when they prevented children from coming to Him?
“Let the little children come to Me, and do not forbid them; for of such is the kingdom of heaven” (Matt. 19:14).

What did Jesus come to do?
He came “to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many” (Matt. 20:28).

Why did Jesus overturn the tables in the temple?
Because it had been made into a “den of thieves” (Matt. 21:13).

Chapters 22–28

What did Jesus compare the kingdom of heaven to in Matthew 22?
A wedding (Matt. 22:2).

What did Jesus desire for Jerusalem?
To gather its children together as a hen gathers her chicks under its wings (Matt. 23:37).

What does Christ say about the Word of God in Matthew 24?
It “will by no means pass away” (Matt. 24:35).

What will the Lord do when He comes again?
He will divide His sheep from the goats, and the goats “will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life” (Matt. 25:46).

What did Christ say when He prayed to His Father in the garden?
“O My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass from Me; nevertheless, not as I will, but as You will” (Matt. 26:39).

What did Jesus say during the ninth hour on the cross?
“My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46).

What is Christ’s final command in the book of Matthew?
The Great Commission (Matt. 28:19–20).

© 2017 NCFIC