There are 27 books in the New Testament and among them are 4 gospels. These gospels are a kind of introduction and the word gospel means ‘The Good News’. They introduce to us the central theme of the Bible, Jesus Christ or should we say they draw different illustrations of Christ.
•Matthew presents Jesus as a Teacher
•Mark portrays Him as the Suffering Son of God
• Luke’s Jesus is the Savior for all people
•In John, Jesus is the Eternal Son of God
The first three books i.e., Matthew, Mark, and Luke are also known as ‘Synoptic Gospels’ as they have a similar timeline of events of Christ’s life. This is the reason they are considered historic books too.
Matthew’s Story
Matthew was one of the twelve disciples of Jesus, who was earlier a tax collector but was later saved and called by Jesus Christ. In his book, Matthew tried to portray Christ as a ‘Great Teacher’ and extensively recorded His teachings.
Let us surf through the Gospel of Matthew and navigate through the life of Jesus Christ.
The Birth, Baptism, and Temptation of Jesus
(Matthew 1 to 4)
Jesus was born in Bethlehem of the tribe of Judah through divine prophecy and God’s intervention. He was born of a virgin and was greeted by wise men and shepherds, all of whom were informed of His birth through heavenly signs. He was baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan. He was tempted by Satan for 40 days but overcame it and began His ministry in Capernaum.
Jesus’ Ministry as a Teacher
(Mathew 5 to 7, 10 to 13, 15 to 16, 18 to 23, 25)
The ‘Sermon on the Mount’ is one of the most important teachings of Jesus, in which He pronounces the Beatitudes. He gives teachings regarding anger, lust, divorce, oaths, retaliation, loving one’s enemies, helping the poor, fasting, and judging others. He taught His disciples through illustrious parables. Some of them are the parable of the sower, weeds, mustard seed, hidden treasure, the pearl of great value, and so on. Jesus also loved the little children and taught His followers to be one like them.
Jesus’ Ministry as a Healer
(Mathew 8 to 9, 12, 17, 20)
Throughout His ministry, Jesus provided for the physical needs of the people as well. He cleansed lepers, cast out demons, calmed storms, healed a paralytic, gave sight to blind men, cured the dumb and deaf, and even brought the dead to life. He even provided food to feed 5000 people out of 5 loaves and 2 fish.
Jesus as the Son of God
(Matthew 1, 4, 17, 21)
Jesus was conceived in a virgin womb through the power of the Holy Spirit. He was named before His birth. Even Satan confessed while tempting Him that He was the son of God. The Transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain before Peter, James, and John made them aware of the ‘God in Jesus’.
Jesus as Saviour of Mankind
(Matthew 12, 26 to 28)
The suffering, the death, and the resurrection of Jesus are Jesus’ work as the saviour of humankind. He chose to suffer at the hands of sinful people and to die a cursed death on the cross so that we may not have to bear the punishment for the sins that we have committed. The resurrection of Jesus is a living hope for the world that they may receive eternal life and be saved if they believe in Him.
