All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet.
Matthew 1:22
As you know, Matthew is the first of the four Gospels in the New Testament. Many of the stories are repeated in these four accounts, especially in the first three (Matthew, Mark, and Luke). That is why they are called the Synoptic Gospels. We rely on them because they are the best biographies on Jesus that exist. Although written in Greek, Matthew seems to be targeting Jewish believers.
Tradition and the early church fathers believed that Matthew was the author. He was one of the 12 Disciples, or Apostles. Matthew, or Levi, as he is called in Mark and Luke, was a Jewish tax collector. This would have made him an ideal person to keep notes on the life, and especially the teachings, of Jesus that are found so prominent in this Gospel.
The genealogy at the beginning of the book emphasizes Jesus’ direct line to King David and to Abraham (1:1). In particular, it includes stories that highlight one of Jesus’ titles, the Son of David. We’ll look at both of these aspects in this devotional.
Similarly, the book also emphasizes Jesus as King, including accounts of Him being given this title by the Magi and by Pilate, the description of His triumphal entry into Jerusalem like a king, and by the sign over the cross. He was the prophesied King, the foretold Messiah for whom the Jews had been waiting.
While all of the Gospels include quotes from the Old Testament, Matthew contains numerous additional ones. All of these were quoted to prove to the Jews that Jesus is the Messiah. He is the fulfillment of the prophecies spoken by men of God like Isaiah, Jeremiah, Hosea, Micah, and Zechariah. So, one could argue that Matthew’s purpose was demonstrated in the verse at the top. Everything about Jesus’ life took place to fulfill what God had spoken through Isaiah (and other prophets) centuries before.
There is an important lesson for us in this, and the Apostle Paul emphasizes it in 1 Corinthians 9:19–23. Like Matthew, we should be aware of our target audience and adapt our message accordingly. If we are speaking to a youth group, we approach them differently than if addressing scientists. Why? “I have become all things to all people so that by all possible means I might save some” (verse 22b). We should use wisdom and tact as we approach people from different walks of life with the life-saving message of the Gospel.
