Matthew for Today
Chapter one - This geneology is most likely that of Joseph's line, demonstrating the legal ancestry of Jesus. (The geneology in Luke is probably that of Mary, giving the human ancestry.) We find here that Jesus is the Messiah, the One promised by God to bring salvation.
Chapter two - Through the fulfillment of prophecy we have proof that Jesus is the Son of God.
Chapter three -
A. Jesus addresses the "religious" people of His day. He tells them that:
1) they must "bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance."
2) we are not saved just by being part of a "righteous" family.
B. Jesus makes it clear that baptism is a commandment from God and that not even He is exempt.
Chapter four - The Lord demonstrates how we must deal with temptations. 1 John 2:16 lists three categories of sin, and Jesus shows us in Matthew how to face all three with the Word of God. (See also James 4:7.)
Chapters five through seven - We must be humble We must let our lights shine. We must control our thoughts in order to control our actions. We must worship with our hearts and not just with our mouths. We must lay up treasures iin heaven, not on earth. We must not be anxious about material things. We must be careful about judging. We must believe that God will provide. We must enter the narrow gate to be saved. Most people won't be saved.
Chapter eight - God wants us to have the kind of faith demonstrated in verses 1-13. Peter was married (14,15). Verses 18-22 emphasize that we must put Jesus above all else if we want to be His disciples. The final verses point to the divine power of Jesus. He has power over sickness, over nature and over demons.
Chapter nine - Jesus has power over death.
Chapter ten - The disciples of Jesus may be called upon to suffer.
Chapter eleven - Jesus is seeking the humble to follow Him.
Chapter twelve -
A. Those who are seeking miracles or other supernatural signs are looking in the wrong place (vss. 38ff). The only sign that matters is the empty tomb as recorded in the Bible.
B. Jesus places no importance in His physical relatives, including His mother (46ff).
Chapter thirteen -
A. Only those who are listening with open hearts will hear the message. B. It is not enough to just hear, accept or even obey. We must remain faithful.
Chapter fourteen - A. Jesus can take care of our spiritual nutrition (see Matt. 16:6-12).
B. Even Peter is human, and Jesus is patient with his faults.
Chapter fifteen - We need to be very cautious about the kind of false religion described in verses 4-11.
Chapter sixteen -
A. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. This fact (and not Peter himself) is the rock or foundation of Christianity (vss. 13-20).
B. We must put Jesus before all else.
Chapter seventeen - We must listen to and follow Jesus and no one else. Like Peter, we make mistakes when we become caught up in the excitement of some emotional situation.
Chapter eighteen -
A. Only those with the humble hearts of children can enter the kingdom. (This passage also indicates that children are not born in sin. We must become like them in order to be saved.)
B. We must forgive in order to be forgiven.
Chapter nineteen -
A. God has never accepted divorce except for adultery. Jesus is very clear on this. He also makes it clear that cultural variations do not justify changes in God's expectations.
B. We must be willing to sacrifice everything to put Jesus first.
Chapter twenty - Jesus came to serve, and so should we.
Chapter twenty one -
A. Jesus institutes the Lord's Supper as a reminder of His sacrifice. (See 1 Corinthians 11:23ff.)
B. It is not enough to pretend to be religious. We must obey what God tells us.
Chapter twenty two - Not many will be saved. Only those who follow God's instructions will make it to heaven.
Chapter twenty three - Notice the words of Jesus in this chapter. He strongly condemns the use of the religious titles that are used even today to elevate certain people above others.
Chapter twenty four - This first section refers primarily to the destruction of Jerusalem. The last part of the chapter, though, warns all of us to be on the alert at all times. Jesus may return today.
Chapter twenty five - Here Jesus gives us a glimpse of Judgment Day. Notice that many who think they are saved are not.
Chapter twenty six -
A. We see the great agony of Jesus as He faces the cross.
B. Once again we see the frail humanity of Peter.
Chapter twenty seven - The death, burial and resurrection of Jesus are just as relevent today as they were nearly two thousand years ago. The empty tomb is silent proof of what Jesus did for us.
Chapter twenty eight - We must go into all the world with the message of a risen Savior.