by Jesus the Messiah
The Gospel of Matthew primarily portrays Jesus as the Messiah, or the Christ. Christ is a Greek word that means “anointed one” and is the title given to Jesus from Peter later in the Gospel. Jewish tradition was that the Messiah would be the deliverer of Israel and God’s people fulfilling Old Testament prophecies. Jesus’ life and ministry are achieving these prophecies and accentuate Jesus’ authority and power as the Messiah, especially in his teachings, healings, and miracles such as raising the dead. The Gospel is written like a biography of Jesus’ life from birth to death. Shortly after conception, an angel encouraged Joseph to accept the child of the Holy Spirit and name Him Jesus as he will save his people from their sins. France states, “Matthew writes as a Jew who has found in Jesus the fulfillment of all that is precious in his Jewish heritage. ‘Fulfillment’ is a central theme of the gospel.”[1]
Some of Matthew’s Scriptures mention prophecies that cannot be found in the Old Testament. This is probably because Matthew referenced from a larger collection of writings than the Old Testament. An example of this is, “and he went and lived in a town called Nazareth. So was fulfilled what was said through the prophets, that he would be called a Nazarene.” (Matt. 2:23). There is no mention of the significance of being called a Nazarene but probably in a writing that might have been familiar at that time to the Jews.
Son of Abraham and David
Matthew starts with the genealogy of Jesus to prove that He is a descendant of Abraham, and of King David, which is critical to the validation of the long-awaited Messiah showing Jesus’ royal and messianic identity. There is no such thing as coincidences, and God is giving examples of the importance of Jesus through the number of generations being fourteen between Abraham and David, fourteen between David to the captivity of the Babylon, and then another fourteen to Jesus’ birth. God promised Abraham that through his descendants, all people would be blessed. Jesus is illustrated as that descendant. “All peoples on earth will be blessed through you.” (Genesis 12:3, NIV). The prophet Isaiah mentions the lineage of the Messiah going through Jesse, father of King David, which is also listed in the genealogy of Matthew for Jesus. “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—the Spirit of wisdom and of understanding, the Spirit of counsel and of might, the Spirit of the knowledge and fear of the Lord.” (Isa. 11:1-2).
Matthew highlights where the people called Jesus “Son of David” as this confirms that even the blind knew He was the foretold Messiah. Two examples include, “As Jesus went on from there, two blind men followed him, calling out, ‘Have mercy on us, Son of David!’” (Matt. 9:27, NIV) and “Two blind men were sitting by the roadside, and when they heard that Jesus was going by, they shouted, “Lord, Son of David, have mercy on us!” (Matt. 20:30).
Jesus healed a man that was blind and mute, “All the people were astonished and said, ‘Could this be the Son of David?’” (Matt. 12:23) The Pharisees attempted to dispel the rumors and explain that Jesus was going through Beelzebul, the prince of demons, to expel the demons from those that were demon possessed. Jesus quickly discredited their claim as it was easily shown to be incorrect. Jesus later educated and silenced the Pharisees from challenging Him through a series of questions regarding who the son of the Messiah is. The Pharisees answered with the son of David, but Jesus said to them, “‘How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, ‘The Lord said to my Lord: ‘Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” (Matt. 22:43-45).
Jesus cleaned out the temple courts, healed the blind and lame, and the children acknowledged Jesus as the Messiah. “But when the chief priests and the teachers of the law saw the wonderful things he did and the children shouting in the temple courts, ‘Hosanna to the Son of David,’ they were indignant.” (Matt. 12:15)
Authority and Power
Matthew portrayed Jesus with all authority and power to do anything. He was compassionate, caring, and would use His power to heal and restore life. Jesus demonstrates His authority in teaching, He can command the storms to cease, He can cast out demons with “go”, and with two words, compel a stranger to follow Him. His command is “compulsion” and is immediately obeyed by nature, by demons, and by people.[2]
Jesus healing the sick and demon-possessed was common in Matthew. “News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them.” (Matt. 4:24) Another example is, “When evening came, many who were demon-possessed were brought to him, and he drove out the spirits with a word and healed all the sick.” (Matt. 8:16). Deliverance was not a problem with Jesus, “Jesus rebuked the demon, and it came out of the boy, and he was healed at that moment.” (Matt. 17:18). Jesus healed a paralyzed man that could not walk, “When the crowd saw this, they were filled with awe; and they praised God, who had given such authority to man.” (Matt. 9:8)
Jesus brought sight to the blind, “and their sight was restored.” (Matt. 9:30) and “Jesus had compassion on them and touched their eyes. Immediately they received their sight and followed him.” (Matt. 20:34). He brought speech to the mute, “And when the demon was driven out, the man who had been mute spoke. The crowd was amazed and said, ‘Nothing like this has ever been seen in Israel.’” (Matt. 9:33). Even blind and mute, “Then they brought him a demon-possessed man who was blind and mute, and Jesus healed him, so that he could both talk and see.” (Matt. 12:22). One man had leprosy, “Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man. ‘I am willing,’ he said. ‘Be clean!’ Immediately he was cleansed of his leprosy.” (Matt. 8:3).
Jesus controlled the weather, “He replied, ‘You of little faith, why are you so afraid?’ Then he got up and rebuked the winds and the waves, and it was completely calm. The men were amazed and asked, ‘What kind of man is this? Even the winds and the waves obey him!’” (Matt. 8:26-27). Another example, “And when they climbed into the boat, the wind died down.” (Matt. 14:32).
Twice, Jesus duplicated bread and fish. “Taking the five loaves and the two fish and looking up to heaven, he gave thanks and broke the loaves. Then he gave them to the disciples, and the disciples gave them to the people. . .The number of those who ate was about five thousand men, besides women and children.” (Matt. 14:19-21). The other instance was, “Then he took the seven loaves and the fish, and when he had given thanks, he broke them and gave them to the disciples, and they in turn to the people. . .The number of those who ate was four thousand men, besides women and children.” (Matt. 36-38).
Jesus walked on water, “Shortly before dawn Jesus went out to them, walking on the lake. When the disciples saw him walking on the lake, they were terrified. ‘It’s a ghost,’ they said, and cried out in fear. But Jesus immediately said to them: ‘Take courage! It is I. Don’t be afraid.’” (Matt. 14:25-27). He was asked, and did, raise the dead, “After the crowd had been put outside, he went in and took the girl by the hand, and she got up. News of this spread through all that region.” (Matt. 9:25-26).
Prophets and Old Testament Prophecies
The quotes from a prophet or a prophecy is apparent as Matthew delights to search out patterns of God’s work in the OT and to trace them to their “fulfilment” in Jesus.[3] Mangum states, “Matthew is frequently understood to be the most Jewish of the Gospels, with emphasis placed on Jesus and his life being in fulfillment of Scriptures, his Davidic lineage, and his interaction and interpretation of Torah.”[4] There are approximately sixty Old Testament quotations. Matthew makes these quotations the foundation of his Gospel.[5]
The first example is, “All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘The virgin will conceive and give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel’ (which means ‘God with us’).” (Matt. 1:22-23). The book of Micah foretold the birthplace, “But you, Bethlehem Ephrathah, though you are small among the clans of Judah, out of you will come for me one who will be ruler over Israel, whose origins are from of old, from ancient times.” (Mic. 5:2).
The pericope of “Escape to Egypt” in chapter 2 correlates with two different Old Testament prophecies. The first is how Jesus was in Egypt until the death of Herod. “And so was fulfilled what the Lord had said through the prophet: ‘Out of Egypt I called my son.’” (Matt. 2:15) is from Hosea 11:1 and Exodus 4:22-23. The second is in regards to the prophet Jeremiah mentioning the great mourning and with mother’s not being able to be comforted because of the loss of their children. This is what happened when Herod killed all the boys in Bethlehem and its vicinity.
Jesus proclaims that John the Baptist is more than a prophet, he is the Elijah who was to come. This is important as it fulfills Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, “This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: ‘A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” (Matt. 3:3) Jesus being baptized is mentioned as fulfilling all righteousness and the voice from heaven saying he is well pleased relates to Isaiah 42:1-4 where the prophet talks about God delighting in his chosen one that will bring justice to the nations. John the Baptist also knows this to be true as he states, “But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.” (Matt. 3:11).
There are many instances where Jesus fulfilled prophecies stated by the prophet Isaiah. One example is Isaiah 9:1-2 where Jesus, being the great light, was living in Capernaum, which was the land of Zebulun and Naphtali. “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali, the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles— the people living in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow of death a light has dawned.” (Matt. 4:15-16). Another occasion that relates to Isaiah 42:1-4 is when a large crowd was following Jesus and after he healed them, he warned them not to tell others about him. “He will not quarrel or cry out; no one will hear his voice in the streets.” (Matt. 12:19)
Jesus speaking to the public in parables reached numerous prophecies like Deuteronomy 29:4, Jeremiah 5:21, Ezekiel 12:2, and Isaiah 6:9-10. “This is why I speak to them in parables: ‘Though seeing, they do not see; though hearing, they do not hear or understand.’ In them is fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘You will be ever hearing but never understanding; you will be ever seeing but never perceiving.’” (Matt. 13:13-14). Psalm 78:2 is another example regarding parables. “So was fulfilled what was spoken through the prophet: “I will open my mouth in parables, I will utter things hidden since the creation of the world.” (Matt. 13:35)
Jesus coming to Jerusalem riding a donkey is exactly what Zechariah 9:9 and Isaiah 62:11 foretold. These were stated because they reference Genesis 49:11 where Jacob informed his sons of what was to come and did when King David had Solomon ride his mule in 1 Kings 1:38. The spreading of the cloaks on the road related to 2 Kings 9:13 when cloaks were put on the bare steps for when Jehu became king. The crowds shouting and ahead of Jesus were the same sayings as Psalm 118:25-26 rejoicing that the Messiah is here. “‘Hosanna to the Son of David!’ ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!’ ‘Hosanna in the highest heaven!’” (Matt. 21:9). Later, during Jesus’ arrest, He states that everything was necessary to fulfill the writings of the prophets.
Jesus was rejected and crucified according to the prophet Isaiah, “He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem.” (Isaiah 53:3). While Jesus was being crucified, his clothes were divided up by casting lots which was also written by David when writing Psalm 22, “They divide my clothes among them and cast lots for my garment.” (Psalm 22:16).
Depictions of Jesus as the Messiah
There are plentiful verses that provide a depiction of Jesus as the Messiah. Keener explains, “Matthew repeatedly emphasizes that Jesus fulfills the Jewish Scriptures, and argues from those Scriptures. . .He portrays Jesus as the epitome of Israel’s hopes for his Jewish audience, but also emphasizes missions to the Gentiles.[6] The beginning of chapter 2 has wise men coming to Jerusalem asking where the King of the Jews is as they saw his star and they wanted to come and worship him. When Jesus is teaching in his hometown, the people were amazed and did not understand where He got such wisdom and miraculous powers. In the book of 2 Samuel, God promises David that David’s kingdom will be established forever and Jesus is that person who will establish an eternal kingdom. “He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son.” (2 Sam 7:13-14).
Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness is a parallel of the Old Testament where the forty-days fasting represents the forty-year journey after leaving slavery in Egypt. During this time the Israelites were tested and tempted just like Satan tempted Jesus during his fasting. Turning stones into bread is like the Israelites hunger in the wilderness that was satisfied with manna from God. Psalm 91 is quoted from Satan as he tempts Jesus to throw himself down. The last temptation of giving everything to Jesus if he bows down is like the temptation Satan did for Adam and Eve regarding the Tree of Knowledge. Combined, resisting all three of these temptations illustrate Jesus as pre-destined to overcome the sin of the world.
John the Baptist, who was in prison, sent his disciples to ask Jesus if he was the Messiah and Jesus replied, “Go back and report to John what you hear and see: The blind receive sight, the lame walk, those who have leprosy are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the good news is proclaimed to the poor. Blessed is anyone who does not stumble on account of me.” (Matt. 11:4-6)
Peter declares that Jesus is the Messiah, “Simon Peter answered, ‘You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God.’ Jesus replied, ‘Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by flesh and blood, but by my Father in heaven.’” (Matt. 16:16-17). Afterwards, “he ordered his disciples not to tell anyone that he was the Messiah.” (Matt. 16:20). Then Jesus admits this to the high priest when asked, “The high priest said to him, ‘I charge you under oath by the living God: Tell us if you are the Messiah, the Son of God.’ ‘You have said so,’ Jesus replied.” (Matt. 26:63-64).
Jesus predicts His own death as mentioned in Hosea and Acts. “From that time on Jesus began to explain to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things at the hands of the elders, the chief priests and the teachers of the law, and that he must be killed and on the third day be raised to life.” (Matt. 16:21) This is like, “After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will restore us, that we may live in his presence.” (Hosea 6:2) and, “put him to death by nailing him to the cross. But God raised him from the dead, freeing him from the agony of death, because it was impossible for death to keep its hold on him.” (Acts 2:23-24) from the Old Testament.
The transfiguration of Jesus on the mountain is another example where Jesus is shown as the Messiah as He appears in white clothing alongside prophets Moses and Elijah. The Lord’s Supper is where Jesus establishes the New Covenant and talks about the forgiveness of sins and how He will not drink that fruit again until He is in the Father’s kingdom. Jesus last commission is considered the Great Commission where He orders His disciples to make more disciples of all nations as He will be with them always.
The end of the book explains Jesus’ trial, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension. MacDonald states, “That is why the book is called a Gospel—not so much because it sets forth the way by which sinful people may receive salvation, but rather because it describes the sacrificial work of Christ by which salvation was made possible.”[7]
Conclusion
Some people might ask why Jesus was not more forthcoming with the title of Messiah. Strauss answers, “His reticence in identifying Himself explicitly as the Messiah were probably due to the political and militaristic connotations of the title in first-century Judaism. Jesus avoided the title because it did not adequately communicate the suffering role of the Messiah.”[8] Overall, the main Christological image in the Gospel of Matthew is that of Jesus as the Messiah, the one who has come to fulfill God’s promise to save his people and bring salvation to the world. Elwell and Yarbrough state, “As a personal disciple of Jesus, Matthew emphasizes certain aspects of his Master’s ministry that he is uniquely equipped to see. Matthew arranges his data to demonstrate that Jesus indeed fulfilled God’s intention to provide Israel, and even the whole world, with a savior.”[9] “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.” (Matt. 5:17) The climax of the Gospel where Jesus was revealed as the Messiah would be, “Then Jesus came to them and said, ‘All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me.’” (Matt. 28:18). Illustrating the genealogy of Jesus coming from Abraham and King David, showing Jesus’ authority and power, revealing how prophecies have been fulfilled, and clear depictions of Jesus being the Messiah make it evident that Matthew primarily portrays Jesus as the Messiah.
** Note from Professor – This present Jesus as Messiah in the book of Matthew. Good interaction with Scripture and secondary sources. – Myron Kauk
Bibliography
Davies, W.D. and Dale C. Allison Jr. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. London; New York: T&T Clark International, 2004.
Elwell, Walter A., and Robert W. Yarbrough. Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013.
France, Richard T. “Matthew.” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition. Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994.
Keener, Craig S. The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014.
MacDonald, William. Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995.
Mangum, Douglas. Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.
Pearlman, Myer. New Testament: Matthew to Acts. Gospel Publishing House, 2012.
Strauss, Mark L. “Messiah,” In The Lexham Bible Dictionary. Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016.
[1] Richard T. France, “Matthew,” in New Bible Commentary: 21st Century Edition (Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press, 1994), 904.
[2] W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel according to Saint Matthew (London; New York: T&T Clark International, 2004), 116.
[3] France, “Matthew,” 904.
[4] Douglas Mangum, ed., Lexham Context Commentary: New Testament (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020), Mt 1:1–28:20.
[5] Myer Pearlman, New Testament: Matthew to Acts (Gospel Publishing House, 2012), 9.
[6] Craig S. Keener, The IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic: An Imprint of InterVarsity Press, 2014), 46.
[7] William MacDonald, Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995), 1202–1203.
[8] Mark L. Strauss, “Messiah,” in The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016).
[9] Walter A. Elwell and Robert W. Yarbrough, Encountering the New Testament: A Historical and Theological Survey (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Academic, 2013), 64.