Focus on Matthew

A Study Guide for Groups and Individuals

Carol Cheney Donahoe

• Publisher: Church Publishing
• Year: 1996
• Print ISBN: 9781889108698
• eBook ISBN: 9781606741795
• Topic: Theology & Religion
• Subtopic: Biblical Studies

Focus on Matthew is part of the Focus Bible Study Series which contains studies of Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John.

The Focus Bible Study Series is the perfect guide for in-depth scripture study. Each book in the series includes informative commentary, thought-provoking study questions and experiential group activities that encourage a deeper understanding of scripture. The journal format has lots of space for writing and encourages personal reflection and spiritual growth.

The Focus Bible Study Series is ideal for individual or group study and reflection, adult classes, small-faith communities, retreats and midweek Bible study groups.

Each book features:

• Thought-provoking study questions with space for written responses
• A wealth of ideas to promote prayer and journal meditations that build faith and understanding of the scriptures
• Numerous suggestions for activities that promote experiential learning and meaningful discussion to encourage spiritual growth.

Matthew 1–4

The Coming of the Messiah

OUR FIRST STUDY IN MATTHEW covers several major events: Jesus’ birth, his baptism, his temptation and the beginning of his ministry. Though we may wish for more biographical details, Matthew’s intent is to present the Messiah; he thus devotes most of the book to Jesus’ ministry and message. Read the first four chapters of MATTHEW, watching for hints of important themes:

• Jesus as Messiah

• the fulfillment of God’s purpose in history

• Jesus as the Messiah to both Jews and non-Jews

• Jesus in conflict with religious leaders

• Jesus and the message of the kingdom

Find The Facts

Who is the main character? How is he introduced? Where is he born? How does he get to Nazareth? What is the first recorded event of his adult life? What happens to Jesus in the wilderness? When and where does he begin to preach? Who are the first disciples? What are the major aspects of Jesus’ ministry?

Consider:

1. Make a simple outline of the important segments of the first four chapters of Matthew. Give titles to the various sections.

2. What is important about the birth of Jesus according to Matthew? What seems most significant about the visit of the wise men from the East?

3. What role does John the Baptist play? Describe his personality. Why do you think he became so popular with the people?

4. What events prepare Jesus for his ministry? In what way does each event add to Jesus’ understanding of his calling?

Matthew 1:1-25

Before launching into the main body of his work, the story of Jesus’ public ministry and teaching, Matthew sets the scene by describing the background and birth of Jesus. Matthew establishes Jesus’ credentials by identifying Jesus both theologically and genealogically in the first verse. He introduces Jesus as the Christ (Heb. Messiah) and traces his family tree back through David, the king from whose line the Messiah was expected, to Abraham, the traditional father of the nation of Israel (GEN. 12:2-3).

Matthew’s inclusion of this genealogy tells us at the outset that he sees Jesus as the fulfillment of God’s promises as recorded in the Old Testament.

The modern mind can have some difficulties when faced with the failure of the names to agree with the Old Testament or with the genealogy of Jesus as recorded by Luke (LK. 3:23-38), but historical accuracy is not the point. Common practice allowed the telescoping of genealogies to achieve a desired effect. Luke’s genealogy is traditionally considered to reflect Mary’s ancestry, not Joseph’s. Matthew includes the genealogical information as testimony to his faith that all of history, beginning with the patriarch Abraham, has culminated in the fulfillment of God’s purpose in the person of Jesus, the long-awaited Messiah. The status of Jesus as the legal son of Joseph, a descendant of David, is more important to Matthew than the virgin birth. Neither the conception nor the birth are recounted here, only their consequences.

Matthew declares that the birth of Jesus is no ordinary affair and he again stresses the connection to Old Testament prophecy (1:18-25; IS. 7:14). God is now with us.

Matthew tells this story from the point of view of Joseph, a just and obedient man (1:19, 24). Though distressed by his betrothed’s pregnancy, he plans to divorce her quietly without bringing charges that could lead to a death sentence. The name Jesus (1:21, 25), the Greek form of Joshua, was common; the name means Savior or “Yahweh saves.” Note that Matthew, interested in making clear the identity of Jesus, includes this information and prepares the reader for the climax of the story.

Consider:

5. Why is Matthew so careful to provide Jesus with impeccable credentials? What would the relationship to David and to Abraham have meant to Matthew’s Jewish audience? What does viewing God as active and intentional in human history mean to us today?

6. In contrast to the account in Luke 1:26-38, which focuses on Mary, Matthew’s account of the events leading up to Jesus’ birth focuses on Joseph’s reactions. In what ways can you identify with Joseph’s dilemma? What do you think enabled him to respond with obedience in what must have been a somewhat disturbing situation? What helps you continue in faith when the facts seem contradictory?

7. What does it mean to “save his people from their sins”? Who are his people? In what sense do you think of Jesus as Savior?

Matthew 2:1-12

Chapter 2 continues with signs of Jesus’ identity as the Messiah. The New Revised Standard Version translates the word magi as “wise men,” but the term means something more like “astrologers.” Magi believed that a star would announce the arrival of a great human being.

As the only gospel that tells the story of the visit of the magi, Matthew makes a special point by including the story. Over time, Jews had come to identify the star “out of Jacob” with the anticipated Messiah (NUM. 24:17). Again Matthew insists that Jesus is the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecy (MIC. 5:2). There seem to be two other major points:

• The birth of Jesus is a cosmic event (signified by the star).

• The birth is important not only for Jews but for all people. (See MT. 28:19.) Non-Jews, the magi, come to worship Jesus at the very beginning; today the Church celebrates this event as the feast of the Epiphany.

The birth also has political implications; Herod is troubled by the news (2:3). (Herod the Great ruled in Palestine until his death in 4 B.C.) We can imagine he was even more distressed when the chief scribes and priests found a prophecy to confirm the magi’s story. Verse 2:6 quotes MICAH 5:2. The gifts of the magi (2:11) are royal gifts traditionally interpreted as gold for the King, incense for God, and myrrh for the One who is to die. Myrrh is the resin of an Arabian shrub and produces a pleasant aroma. The magi prove themselves to be wise indeed when they decide to return home by another way (2:12). Note that this is the second time that a dream is important in MATTHEW (1:20).

Consider:

8. When you think today of the birth of Jesus, in what ways does it have cosmic implications? universal implications? political implications? How can you relate these to your own life?

9. As the star directed the magi, what directs you to Jesus? What gifts would you like to offer to Jesus? What do they symbolize?

Matthew 2:13-23

This section describes more events that Matthew interprets in the light of Old Testament prophecies. Note the repetition of the formula, “this was to fulfill…” Verse 15 quotes from HOSEA 11:1; verses 17-18 from JEREMIAH 31:15; the reference in verse 23 is uncertain. Connecting these events in Jesus’ life to the Old Testament presents Matthew’s view that Jesus does not stand alone as an isolated phenomenon, but rather that Jesus is the completion of a story begun long ago.

Matthew consistently portrays Joseph as faithful and obedient. Three more times the angel of the Lord (an Old Testament phrase for God in visible form) appears to him in a dream (2:13, 19, 22) and gives a command that Joseph follows exactly. God continues to guide the course of events through obedient believers.

This section presents a stark contrast to the preceding material; the divine child, just presented with royal gifts, is forced to flee for his life. Scholars often point out parallels between the story of Israel and Matthew’s story of Jesus. Joseph is instructed to go to Egypt, the traditional place of refuge (1 KG. 11:40). Besides foreshadowing the persecution and rejection that Jesus was to encounter as an adult, the story is reminiscent of Moses, Israel’s great deliverer. Set adrift on the Nile as an infant in order to elude a king’s persecution, Moses later escaped and returned to lead his people.

Consider:

10. Why do you think Matthew is anxious to explain the events of Jesus’ life in light of the Old Testament? Is this a useful way today for us to understand scripture? Why or why not?

11. Matthew reports that the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph through dreams. In what ways do we receive messages from God today? Who are the messengers? How can we identify them?

12. What do you think is significant about the several moves that Jesus’ family makes during his infancy and early childhood? In your own life, what influence has your hometown had on your lifestyle and values?

Matthew 3:1-17

Time passes, perhaps twenty-five years, between the end of chapter 2 and the beginning of chapter 3. To set the scene for the beginning of the Messiah’s adult ministry, Matthew introduces a colorful new character, John the Baptist. Dressed as a desert bedouin (3:4), John preaches a dramatic message of repentance (3:2) and heralds the coming of a mightier one (3:11). John the Baptist paves the way for the Christian message of salvation.

John preaches in the wilderness of Judea (3:1), the mountainous region west of the Dead Sea. Here people gathered to hear the strange new prophet. Many accept his message and are baptized. “Repent” (Gk. “change your mind,” Heb. “turn back, change direction”) calls the people to come back to the covenant between God and Israel (EX. 19:3-6). If God’s kingdom is “at hand,” all God’s past activities are coming to fruition. John’s baptism is clearly understood as a cleansing, a washing away of sins, but the baptism of the One who is to come is different (3:11). With the advent of Jesus, baptism by water becomes a sign of baptism with the Holy Spirit, the receiving of God’s unconditional love. In verses 7-12, John addresses the Pharis...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright
• Contents
• Introduction to the Series
• Introduction to The Gospel of Matthew
• Matthew 1–4 The Coming of the Messiah
• Matthew 5–7 The Teaching of the Messiah
• Matthew 8:1–11:1 Messianic Ministry and Mission
• Matthew 11:2–12:50 Opposition and Response
• Matthew 13:1-52 Seeing and Hearing the Messiah
• Matthew 13:53–16:20 The Messiah Revealed
• Matthew 16:21–18:35 Following the Messiah
• Matthew 19–20 Journey to Jerusalem
• Matthew 21–23 The Messiah’s Authority
• Matthew 24–25 The Vision of Things to Com
• Matthew 26:1–27:26 The Last Supper, Arrest and Tri
• Matthew 27:27–28:20 Crucifixion, Resurrection and Commission
• Bibliography