Matthew: Don’t Miss Messiah!

Clearly Season 7
Written By Jimmy & Kelly Needham

Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Matthew, Mark.....Wait, Did we get that right? Isn't there something in between Deuteronomy and Matthew? Too late! We are doing Matthew! So grab your ancestry.com results and let's jump into genealogies and more!


Who wrote Matthew? Matthew!

When was it written? Before the destruction of Jerusalem (A.D. 70); Was either the first or second Gospel book written

Who was it written to? The Jews! Matthew is verifying that Jesus is the promised Messiah.


Where is Matthew located in the Bible? First book in the New Testament

3 Helpful Things to Know While Reading Matthew:

First, Matthew shares eleven “fulfillment formulas,” when he points out events that fulfill Old Testament prophecies. The Old Testament quotes in Matthew are very important!

Second, Matthew documented events in his book in categorical rather than chronological order. You can identify these six segments by noticing the repeated phrase, “When he had finished these words…” For example, the first time these dividing words begin is after the Sermon on the Mount.

Third, Matthew is the only Gospel book that mentions the church! Matthew 16:18 says, “I also say to you that you are Peter, and upon this rock I will build My church; and the gates of Hades will not overpower it."


What do we love about Matthew?

Kelly loves how Matthew rails on the Pharisees. 😆 But really, Kelly relates to them a lot. It was through studying them and Jesus’ response to them that she began to find freedom from spiritual pride. She shares this journey in Four Marks of a Pharisee.


Jimmy loves the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5-7). Jesus revealed that the motives behind our actions matter to God! (Inside bad vs outside bad, anyone?) Like the Jews, we can easily focus on external things like spiritual habits and how to act like a Christian. But obedience goes way deeper than actions! Jesus was exposing our need for a Savior in this passage.

What are the challenges to reading the book of Matthew?

The purpose of the Gospel books is to show us our Savior. But sometimes, these biographical books feel incongruous with the rest of the theological teaching in the New Testament. As we read, we sometimes wonder, is Jesus saying “do __(something good)___ then be saved”? But all of the New Testament preaches the same message: salvation is by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone!


Matthew loves to talk about eschatology (the study of the End Times). Matthew 24:34 says, “Truly I say to you, this generation will not pass away until all these things take place." Oops? Was Matthew wrong? In quick summary, here’s our answer to this question: Matthew was talking about the events leading up to the End Times, not the End itself. (See Matthew 24:33.)


Don’t shy away from the hard parts of scripture! Dig in and ask others for help!

Why was Matthew Written?

The Book of Matthew is a glorious, but sad book. Matthew shows sign after sign that Jesus was the Messiah the Jews were waiting for. But what we see in the end is that Israel ultimately rejected their King. This is heartbreaking. Our response even today? We should be praying for Jewish communities’ eyes to be opened to the truth.

Application questions:

  • When was the last time you read Matthew? Read through it again and highlight every “fulfillment formula” you find!

  • What stood out to you in this podcast episode? What questions are you wondering about the book of Matthew? (Great! Now go read it!)

  • Take some time to pray that Jews today will come to see that Jesus is the awaited Messiah.

  • Love these application questions? You gotta check out the Clearly One-Pager!

Want to ask us a question? Email question@clearlypodcast.com.

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Jimmy & Kelly Needham
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