The Synoptic Gospelsنموونە

Matthew – Jesus, The Messiah

If you’re looking for a central theme in Matthew’s Gospel, perhaps the short answer is Jesus, the Messiah, bringing Salvation history to fulfillment. Strauss nailed it with this summary: Jesus doesn’t just fulfill some random prophecies here and there; He is the point of them. He’s the One tying all of Israel’s history together. He’s the One saving His people from their sins. You can’t overstate this: Matthew is showing us that the entire Old Testament was moving toward this moment.

Matthew, more than any other Gospel, is shouting, “Wake up! This is your Messiah!” He’s constantly pointing back to the Old Testament and saying, “Look! Fulfillment!” It’s all over the place: Matthew 1:23 – the Virgin Birth, fulfilling Isaiah 7:14; Matthew 2:6 – the birth in Bethlehem, fulfilling Micah 5:2. Matthew is practically screaming, “How did you guys miss this?!”

The structure of the Gospel helps drive this home. We start with the prologue, where Matthew shows Jesus’ Divine and Royal Lineage through Joseph’s story. Then, boom, right into His Ministry to Israel in chapters 4 to 11. Jesus is teaching, healing, and showing up the religious leaders who thought they had it all figured out. Then, starting in chapter 11, we get the rejection of Jesus by Israel but the growing acceptance by His disciples.

This tension builds until Jesus heads to Jerusalem, confronts the religious leaders, and ultimately faces rejection and death. But Matthew doesn’t leave us there. Chapters 26 to 28 show that even though Jesus is rejected, He’s victorious. He’s the Messiah who conquers through His Sacrifice.

And check out how Matthew writes. He’s concise. No fluff. He’s more of a reporter, documenting the facts, but when Jesus speaks, that’s where Matthew shines. There are five massive teaching sections. Why? Because the Jews wanted to know what you said, not only what you did. Jesus isn’t only a Miracle Worker—He’s a new Moses, laying down the Law of the Kingdom.

Matthew’s Gospel has a super strong Messianic focus. But here’s the plot twist—the Messiah didn’t just come for only Israel. He came for the world. There’s a Mission to the Gentiles here too, which would’ve blown people’s minds. It’s like, “Hey, remember that whole Abrahamic covenant about being a blessing to the nations? Yeah, that’s still happening.” Matthew’s got some real "mission to the nations" going on.

As you read Matthew, let this sink in: Jesus is the fulfillment of all those ancient promises, and He’s still fulfilling them today. He’s not just a figure from the past. He’s the King, the Messiah, and the Savior who still brings Salvation and Hope.