Matthew: Presentation of a Jewish Messiah
While listed first in the canon of New Testament scriptures, the
Gospel
of Matthew was probably not the first of the gospels to be written
down. Most Bible scholars believe this honor belongs to the
gospel of
Mark, which is also the shortest Gospel.
The Gospel of Matthew does indeed have much in common with the other
members of the synoptic tradition (Mark and Luke), but its uniqueness
lies in the fact that it was written primarily for a Jewish readership.
While Matthew, like the other gospels was originally penned in Koine or
common Greek, the Matthean tradition reflected in its pages makes
liberal use of Old Testament scriptures. This is done to demonstrate to
the Jewish readers that Jesus of Nazareth was the living fulfillment of
Old Testament prophecies.
The Gospel of Matthew begins by presenting the lineage of Jesus all the
way back to the father of the Jewish nation, the patriarch Abraham.
Once his certain Jewish identity is well established, Matthew provides
a
birth narrative to show that Jesus was born of Mary, before she
consumated her marriage to the carpenter, Joseph. Using scriptures from
the Old Testament book of Isaiah, Matthew demonstrates how the unique
conception and birth of Jesus fulfilled prophecies for the long-awaited
Jewish Messiah.
Following the basic narrative line of the other synoptic gospels (Mark
and Luke), Matthew tells the story of Jesus, from his miraculous birth
to his death and resurrection. Matthew wants his readers to understand
that Jesus is the Jewish Messiah, or anointed one of God, who has come
to save all people, especially God's chosen nation of Israel.
The Gospel of Matthew is longer than the Gospel of Mark, but still
falls short of the detailed account of the life and ministry of Jesus
contained in the Gospel of Luke.