Jesus exhorted his disciples to become “perfect as your heavenly Father is perfect,” yet how can anyone emulate the perfect righteousness of God? His explanation was clear – By performing acts of mercy, ESPECIALLY to one’s enemies. Self-sacrificial love goes to the heart of his message and reflects the true nature of the merciful God he obeyed and served. Was he not the Messiah who submitted to an undeserved death for others even when they were the “enemies of God”?
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Son of Abraham
The introduction to Matthew declares Jesus to be the “Son of Abraham,” a declaration of far more significance than another name on a genealogical chart. He is nothing less than the heir of the Covenant promises made by the God of Israel to the Patriarch. His identification as Abraham’s “son” and heir points to the theme of fulfillment that dominates the Gospel of Matthew. In this man from Nazareth, all the promises of God now find their “Yea, and Amen”!
Continue readingSEIZING THE KINGDOM
Christ’s comment about violence taking the kingdom refers to violent men who attempt to seize the work of God – Matthew 11:12.
In Matthew, Jesus declares that “violent men are seizing the kingdom of God.” Is he referring to malevolent men outside the church who attempt to seize control of the kingdom? Or does he mean Christians must aggressively pray and otherwise press into it? Are disciples to “forcefully seize” the promises from God, and does his kingdom advance through forceful action?
Continue readingThe Greater Lawgiver
In Matthew’s gospel, the life and deeds of Jesus echo key events in the history of Israel, not that he reenacts them, but instead, he brings what God began in the past to fruition in the kingdom of God. The Nazarene is the Greater Lawgiver foreshadowed in the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt.
This is not done simply for literary effect. By presenting parallels between Moses and Jesus, Matthew sets the stage for the teachings of the “Coming One,” especially in his so-called ‘Sermon on the Mount’.
Continue readingSERVANT AND KING
At his baptism, the “voice from heaven” called Jesus “my beloved Son,” identifying him as the Messiah and the “Servant of Yahweh” – Matthew 3:17.
A key theme in Matthew’s gospel is fulfillment. In Jesus, the promises from the Hebrew Bible find their fulfillment and their correct understanding. Peter, for example, declared Jesus the “Messiah” but he failed to understand that he must fulfill that role as the suffering “Servant of Yahweh,” the one destined to die on behalf of his people.
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