NBST515_GCP

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Feb 20, 2024

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1 Jesus as the Messiah in the Gospel of Matthew NBST 515: New Testament Orientation I Liberty University

2 Contents Jesus as the Messiah in the Birth and Preparation Narrative (Matthew 1:1-4:16) ................. 3 Jesus as the Messiah in the Public Galilean Ministry (4:17-16:20) ........................................ 3-5 Jesus as the Messiah in the Private Galilean Ministry (16:21-18:35) .................................... 5-9 Jesus as the Messiah in the Judean Ministry (19:1-25:46) .................................................. 10-12 Jesus as the Messiah in the Passion and Resurrection (26:1-28:20) .................................. 12-13 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................... 14 Bibliography ................................................................................................................................. 15

3 The thesis of this paper is that Matthew purposefully depicts Jesus as the Messiah. Elwell and Yarbrough express that Matthew’s purpose for writing his book was to give a complete account of Jesus’s life and teachings, but more importantly, to emphasize that Jesus was the fulfillment of God’s intention by introducing Him as the Messiah. 1 Matthew not only referred to Jesus as the Messianic King, or Davidic King, but he also connected His lineage into three groups of 14 generations, which also had a numeric connection with King David. 2 The Jewish people were very particular in maintaining their ancestral records so that they may trace their bloodline. Therefore, Matthew’s lineage proves that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to Abraham and David. 3 Genesis 12:3 states, “I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen. 12:3, New International Version). In 2 Samuel 7:12, the prophet Nathan told David, “When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom” (2 Sam. 7:12, NIV). Although this promise, given initially to Abraham, took 2000 years and 42 generations to fulfill, it is evident that Jesus is the long-awaited savior of God’s people. 4 Jesus as the Messiah in the Birth and Preparation Narrative (Matthew 1:1-4:16) Matthew’s Gospel begins with Jesus introduced as the Son of David, and in Greek, the title meant “anointed one,” which is equal to “Messiah” in Hebrew. 5 Matthew describes how 1 Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey , 3rd ed., in Encountering Biblical Studies (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 67. 2 Robert Wayne Stacy, “The Four Gospels – Matthew and Mark,” course video. 3 Matthew Henry, The Gospel of Matthew - Complete Bible Commentary Verse by Verse , (Balneário Rincão: Grupo Oxigênio Ltda-ME, 2016), 3. 4 Charles L. Quarles, Matthew (Piraí: B&H Publishing Group, 2017), 19. 5 Quarles, Matthew , 19.

4 Mary came to conceive Jesus through the power of the Holy Spirit and the dream Joseph received so that he may also believe Mary conceived through the Holy Spirit. (Matt. 1:18-21, NIV). As the prophet Isaiah had spoken many years before, “Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel” (Isa. 7:14, NIV). Micah also prophesied that Bethlehem should be the land where the Messiah would be born, exactly where the magi received their sign of Jesus being born (Micah 5:2, 4). When the magi met the Christ, they were uplifted in their faith knowing, that their journey was not in vain and their sense of yearning for the Messiah. 6 Interestingly enough, although the magi came from foreign lands to find the Messiah, the Jewish leaders and elders in king Herod’s temple never chose to investigate whether or not the claim of the Messiah being born six miles away was remotely true. 7 When Herod realizes that the magi did not come back as he asked of them, he feels tricked and orders the slaughter of all children under the age of two. 8 Matthews mentions that an angel had woken up Joseph and had him take his family to Egypt in order to avoid Herod’s slaughter, which fulfills the prophecy in Hosea 11:1 (Matt. 2:13-15, NIV). When Herod died, it was time for Joseph to bring his family back to Judea but not of his own accord. Quarles mentions that God’s purpose was to return to Judea to fulfill the prophecy mentioned in Isaiah 1:11 and Jeremiah 23:5, which describes the Messiah as a “branch.” 9 Before Jesus made a public appearance, Matthew introduced John the Baptist on the Jordan river preaching repentance and the return of the Messiah (Matt. 3:1-6, NIV). As Jesus 6 D. H. Williams, Matthew (Grand Rapids: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., 2018), 54. 7 Robert H. Mounce, Matthew (Grand Rapids: Baker Books, 1990), 23. 8 Quarles, Matthew , 8. 9 Quarles, Matthew , 9.

5 made His appearance, it was evident to John that He was the Messiah and the one he had been preaching about. Quarles states, “The Messiah appears after John,” which occurs in Matthew’s Gospel. 10 John unsuccessfully attempts to deter Jesus from being baptized by him, but Jesus knows that the prophecy must be fulfilled and should be performed. 11 Quarles states that Matthew writes that Jesus is immersed in the water, while Mark’s Gospel is more of a sprinkling or pouring of water. 12 Jesus did not have to confess His sins because He had none. Them God’s voice comes from the clouds and exclaims, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17, NIV). Suddenly, Jesus was led into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit and fasted for 40 days and 40 nights before the tempter came along to test Him (Matt. 4:1-3, NIV). Jesus easily overcomes the tempter’s tests because the Messiah had long before been promised the nations of the earth. 13 Jesus as the Messiah in the Public Galilean Ministry (4:17-16:20) Just as John the Baptist did in the third chapter of Matthew’s Gospel, now Jesus preaches, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near” (Matt. 4:17, NIV). Carson links those words with “from that time on” as Jesus fulfilling the messianic light that shines upon the Gentiles. 14 As Jesus goes on to gather His disciples, Carson parallels how God sent fishermen to gather His people for exile. Jesus is now gathering fishermen as His disciples, which is the beginning of His messianic reign. 15 Once the Sermon on the Mount is complete, Jesus states that He will not 10 Quarles, Matthew , 10d. 11 Quarles, Matthew , 10f. 12 Quarles, Matthew , 11. 13 Henry, The Gospel of Matthew , 1697g. 14 D. A. Carson, Matthew (Grand Rapids: HarperCollins Christian Publishing, 2017), 183. 15 Carson, Matthew , 185.

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