Presents
Matthew #2501
INTRODUCTION to the book of Matthew
Zech. 9:9 Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout (for joy), O daughter of Jerusalem: behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is just, and having salvation; lowly, and riding upon an ass, and upon a colt the foal of an ass.
Yes, rejoice greatly and shout for joy, for all the many promises of God written in the law and the prophets declaring that He would send the greatest gift ever there was to mankind came to pass exactly as it was written. Is it not therefore fitting that the very name of the one who would write the gospel that commences the New Testament is "Matthew"... which means "Gift of Yahveh"?
"Haven't you read", for "It is written", that Jesus Christ would come and fulfill all the things foretold of Him by the prophets?Romans 6:23 "... the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord."
That is why you will find in this opening book of the New Testament those phrases and others such as "that which was spoken" and "that it might be fulfilled which was spoken" along with over 60 references to the Old Testament, to document beyond any reasonable doubt that Jesus Christ, the Messiah, fulfilled the Law and the Prophets at His coming!
To that end, the special object and "Divine purpose in the Gospel of Matthew is to set forth the Lord as Yahveh's King. Hence those events in His ministry are singled out and emphasized which set forth His claims as the Messiah - sent to fulfill all the prophecies concerning Him" (Companion Bible, pg. 1306).
Then too, not only will we be presented with the documentation that Jesus Christ is the King of kings and the One spoken of and written of in the Old Testament, but we will learn many remarkable and enlightening fundamentals of truth, including four events connected with His infancy, two miracles, nine special discourses including the Sermon on the Mount and the Olivet Prophecy, six events connected with His Passion, and ten parables including the Parable of the Tares, the parable which separates not only the "tares from the wheat" but also separates "the meat eaters from the milk drinkers" (Heb. 5), for this "Parable of the Tares" must first be understood if one is to understand any of the other parables Christ spoke.
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Spirit, you accomplish both.
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