Day 226 – Matthew: Introduction

“Don’t misunderstand why I have come. I did not come to abolish the law of Moses or the writings of the prophets. No, I came to accomplish their purpose.” Matthew 5:17 NLT

As the procession slowly winds through the city, thousands pack the sidewalks, hoping to catch a glimpse. A grand motorcade announces the main event, and protective agents scan the crowd and run alongside the limousine. Pomp, ceremony, protocol – modern symbols of position and evidence of importance – herald the arrival of a president, king, or queen. Whether they are leaders by birth or election, we are expected to honour and respect them.

The Jews waited for a leader who had been promised centuries before by the prophets. They believed that this leader – the Messiah (“anointed one”) – would rescue them from their Roman oppressors and establish a new kingdom. As their king, he would rule the world with justice. Many Jews, however, overlooked prophecies that also spoke of this king as a suffering servant who would be rejected and killed. It is no wonder then that few recognised Jesus as the Messiah. How could this humble carpenter’s son from Nazareth be their king? But Jesus was and is the king of all the earth!

Matthew (Levi) was one of Jesus’ 12 disciples. Once a despised tax collector, his life had been changed by this man from Galilee, calling him to be a fisher of men. Matthew wrote this Gospel to his fellow Jews to prove that Jesus is the Messiah and to explain God’s Kingdom.

Prayer: Father, thank You for our King who was born for all. Jesus, thank You for handpicking the disciples, like Matthew, to write the Gospel for us to learn more about You and to fall in love with You. Guide us through the Gospel of Matthew and reveal Your heart to us. Amen.