The Book Of Matthew Series

THE BOOK OF MATTHEW-- SERMON 2

Introduction: In the last lesson we studied the four gospels as a whole. We studied how each gospel has expresses a different personality of the Jesus. Matthew presents him as King. Mark presents him as a servant. Luke presents him as the perfect man and John presents him as the Perfect God. In this lesson we will seek to expound on the first gospel and complete an overview of Matthew. Matthew presents Jesus as the Sovereign Saviour. The book of Matthew presents Jesus as the King. The theme of the book of Matthew is the Kingdom of Heaven. Matthew 1:1 is the key verse. It reads “The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham.” It is believed to have been written around A.D. 60.

I. THE SOVEREIGN’S RECORD - Matthew 1-2

A. This the genealogy of the King of Israel.

B. Every King must have a genealogy; all kings must be able to trace themselves through royal lines.

C. This is the genealogy trace from David through Solomon to Joseph, the supposed father of the Lord

Jesus Christ.

D. Whoever was to be Israel’s king had to come through this line, the line of accession.

1. A difficulty seems to arise because of the curse pronounced upon this line in Jeremiah 22:28-30

2. The King is to come through this line and yet there is a curse upon this family

3. The question naturally arises, “How can one qualify to be of the lineage and yet not be of the lineage?”

E. In Luke 3:23-38 we read another account of the genealogy of the Lord Jesus Christ, but we see that there

are vast differences in this account compared with that of Matthew.

F. The Lord’s genealogy, according to Luke, is traced through his mother Mary and on to Nathan who was a

son of David that was older than Solomon and then traced finally to King David. Through his mother he

has access to the throne by Blood.

G. When Joseph married the virgin Mary and Jesus was born to her, Jesus became the legal heir to the throne

of David. Being only a legal heir, the Lord skips over the curse and is a legal son of Solomon and David.

H. JESUS IS THE ONLY CLAIMANT TO THIS THRONE!!!

1. Israel today has a president, not a king.

2. The reason is because all of the records of the Jews were destroyed in the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 A.D.

by Titus.

3. Everyone’s claim to the throne has been destroyed except the Lord’s, and his genealogies are preserved

in the Word of God, which liveth and abideth forever.

4. If Christ never rose from the dead, then Israel is forever without a King. But Now is Christ risen from

the dead, and will one day return to claim the throne of David.

I. The birth of Jesus is the fulfillment of the Davidic Covenant in II Samuel 7. This Covenant guaranteed to

David a son to rule upon his throne forever.

II. THE SOVEREIGN’S RISE - Matthew 3:1-4:11

A. Announced by the Servant - Matthew 3:1-12

1. The Servants Manners

a. One day all of Judea was made conscious of the personage dressed in camel’s hair, a nazarite from his

mother’s womb, a prophet such as Israel had not seen for 500 years. Those long centuries silent since the

days of Malichi were now broken. God again was speaking by the mouth of the prophet.

b. His message aroused the hearts of all palastine. It strengthened and comforted the humble in spirit and it

brought conviction to the haughty and sinful.

c. His voice was like a trumpet announcing “The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”

1. The Kingdom of Heaven, as we know, is that golden age prophesied by the prophets and expected by the populace.

2. Some critics of the Bible have asked, “How could the Millenium have been at hand at that time, when as of yet it hasn’t been established even today, nearly 2,000 years later.

3. The Kingdom was at hand because the KING OF THE KINGDOM WAS AT THERE!!! THE KING WAS AT HAND!!!

4. We know too, why it was not established at that time. It was because of their unbelief and their rejection of him as King.

5. Ephesians 3:1-10 tells us that the Kingdom will be established after this Church Age is completed and Jesus will return to show the World and Israel who is “King of Kings and Lord of Lords.”

6. I Timothy 6:15 reads “Which in his times he shall shew, who is the blessed and only potentate, the King of Kings, and Lord of Lords.”

d. John was the forerunner prophesied by Isaiah “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye