The Anticipation of the King

Text: Matthew 1:1-17

  1. The Gospel of Matthew was written by Matthew

People like Ignatius, Polycarp and Justin Martyr accredited the book to Matthew the disciple.

  • His use of financial terms such as:
  • The two-drachma tax
  • A four-drachma coin
  • Talents
  • Using “debts” instead of “sins” in the Lord’s Prayer like Luke does.
  • Who was Matthew?  He is also known as Levi, son of Alphaeus.  Luke emphasized his calling by saying “Left everything behind..” ( Luke 5:27-28 )
  • Tradition indicates that Matthew traveled extensively, preaching the Gospel in multiple countries. Specifically, he is believed to have traveled to:  Egypt;  Ethiopia; Parthia;India

  1.  The Book of Matthew is a gospel–Good News about Jesus

  • It is not a letter written to one specific church, but a Gospel written for all believers—Jew and Gentile.
  • It is not exhaustive. Matthew didn’t record everything Jesus said or did; instead, he carefully selected key teachings, miracles, and moments to make a clear and powerful point about who Jesus is.
  • It is not strictly chronological. Matthew arranges his material thematically and purposefully, grouping teachings and events for clarity and impact.
  • Matthew intentionally shaped his Gospel to make it memorable.  
  • He organizes the book into five major teaching sections, each ending with a similar phrase—echoing the five books of Moses and showing Jesus as the greater Teacher and the fulfillment of the Law.
  • Matthew’s five teaching sections end with these markers:
  • 7:28–29 — “When Jesus had finished this sermon…”
  • 11:1 — “When Jesus had finished giving orders to His twelve disciples…”
  • 13:53 — “When Jesus had finished these parables…”
  • 19:1 — “When Jesus had finished this instruction…”
  • 26:1 — “When Jesus had finished saying all these things…”
  • The gospel of Matthew is one of Four Gospels
  • John:  Jesus is the Son of God.
  • Luke: Jesus is the Son of Man
  • Mark:  Jesus is the Suffering Servant Isiah
  • Matthew:  Jesus is the King.   Matthew uses King 22 times; more than any other book in the N.T.

  1.  The Gospel of Matthew has a Unique Purpose

  • Matthew proves that Jesus is the promised Messiah.
  • He writes to persuade unbelieving Jews that Jesus fulfills the Law and the Prophets.
  • Matthew teaches new believers in the ways of Jesus.
  • He provides clear, foundational instruction for everyday Christian living.
  • Matthew encourages the church under persecution.
  • He reminds them that their King is present, sovereign, and faithful amid persecution.
  • Matthew deepens the faith of Jesus’ followers.
  • He records Jesus’ teachings and actions in detail to strengthen and mature believers.
  • Matthew shows Christ as the fulfillment of God’s promises.
  • He ties the story of Jesus to the entire storyline of Scripture so believers see God’s faithfulness.
  • Quoting the Old Testament
  • A virgin bearing a child (Isaiah 7:14)
  • The Weeping of Mothers (Jer.31:15)
  • Coming out of Egypt (Hosea 11:1)
  • Jesus living in Nazareth (Branch- nezer) (Is 4:2; Jer 23:5; Judg 13:5))
  • Jesus’ ministry in Galilee (Isaiah 9:1-2)
  • His healing ministry as the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53:4)
  • His peaceful ministry (Isaiah 42:1-3)
  • Teaching in parables (Psalm 78:2)
  • His entry into Jerusalem on a donkey (Isaiah 62:11 and Zechariah 9:9)2
  • Using Typology
  • More specifically, a type is “a person, place, institution, or event in an earlier stage of God’s plan that foreshadows God’s action at a later stage in Christ, the Church, the sacraments, or the future kingdom.
  1. Adam was a type of Christ as the ultimate human
  2. Melchizedek was a type representing Christ’s eternal royal priesthood
  3. Moses was a type foreshadowing Christ’s prophetic role and faithfulness.
  4. The Passover Lamb, which symbolically points to Christ (“Christ, our Passover lamb, has been sacrificed.
  5. The Exodus led by Moses, which typologically represents the spiritual exodus Jesus leads “from sin to heaven”
  6. The Bronze Serpent lifted up on a pole which Jesus directly referenced.  

  1. The Genealogy of Matthew Reveals the Gospel

  • Jesus -  “Yahweh is salvation”. Transliteration of the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua.
  • Christ - Anointed one - “The Messiah”  Jesus is described 514 times in the NT as the Messiah.
  • Acts 17:3  “explaining and proving that it was necessary for the Messiah to suffer and rise from the dead: “This Jesus I am proclaiming to you is the Messiah.””
  • Acts 18:5  “When Silas and Timothy arrived from Macedonia, Paul devoted himself to preaching the word and testified to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah.”
  • Matthew 22:42  “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” They replied, “David’s.””
  • Easton’s Bible Dictionary:
  • “The Messiah is the same person as “the seed of the woman” ( Gen. 3:15 ), “the seed of Abraham” ( Gen. 22:18 ), the “Prophet like unto Moses” ( Deut. 18:15 ), “the priest after the order of Melchizedek” ( Ps. 110:4 ), “the rod out of the stem of Jesse” ( Isa. 11:1 ,   10 ), the “Immanuel,” the virgin’s son ( Isa. 7:14 ), “the branch of Jehovah” ( Isa. 4:2 ), and “the messenger of the covenant” ( Mal. 3:1 ). This is he “of whom Moses in the law and the prophets did write.” The Old Testament Scripture is full of prophetic declarations regarding the Great Deliverer and the work he was to accomplish. Jesus the Christ is Jesus the Great Deliverer, the Anointed One, the Saviour of men. This name denotes that Jesus was divinely appointed, commissioned, and accredited as the Saviour of men ( Heb. 5:4 ;   Isa. 11:2–4 ;   49:6 ;   John 5:37 ;   Acts 2:22 ).”
  • The Son of David
  • The promise of an eternal lineage
  • 2 Samuel 7:12–13  “12 When your time comes and you rest with your ancestors, I will raise up after you your descendant, who will come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.”
  • The word forever is repeated over and over in 2 Sam. 7; vv16,24,25,26, and 29
  • The promise of a son reigning on the throne
  • Isaiah 9:6–7  “For a child will be born for us, a son will be given to us, and the government will be on his shoulders. He will be named Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Eternal Father, Prince of Peace. The dominion will be vast, and its prosperity will never end. He will reign on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish and sustain it with justice and righteousness from now on and forever. The zeal of the Lord of Armies will accomplish this.”
  • Jeremiah 23:5–6  “Look, the days are coming”—this is the Lord’s declaration— “when I will raise up a Righteous Branch for David. He will reign wisely as king and administer justice and righteousness in the land. In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. This is the name he will be called: The Lord Is Our Righteousness.”
  • Ezekiel 37:24–25  “My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow my ordinances, and keep my statutes and obey them. “ ‘They will live in the land that I gave to my servant Jacob, where your ancestors lived. They will live in it forever with their children and grandchildren, and my servant David will be their prince forever.”
  • The Son of Abraham
  • Genesis 12:1–3  “The Lord said to Abram: Go from your land, your relatives, and your father’s house to the land that I will show you. I will make you into a great nation, I will bless you, I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, I will curse anyone who treats you with contempt, and all the peoples on earth will be blessed through you.”
  • God will strike a covenant with His people
  • God will give them a promised Land
  • God will give them a global purpose
  • Genesis 17:5–6  “5 Your name will no longer be Abram; your name will be Abraham, for I will make you the father of many nations. 6 I will make you extremely fruitful and will make nations and kings come from you.”
  • God will expand his kingdom to all people.