Every book of the Bible has a key to understanding its contents
The New Testament is the most vital book in the world. The Old Testament leaves
us with us with without the light that you need. And if read alone we would find
the the Old Testament is a book of UNEXPLAINED CEREMONIES, UNACHIEVED PURPOSE
UNAPPEASED LONGINGS, UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES.
But lets suppose that having read the Old Testament you meet a Christian friend
who persuades you read the New-.Testament. The very first chapter of Matthew ,
sings out the soon familiar refrain, "That it might fulfilled..." The Jesus who
is to "save His people from their sins" is lineally certificated right back to
royal David and patriarch Abraham, through whom God's two great "covenants of
promise" were made with Israel. His birth of the virgin immediately unlocks the
secret of Isa. 7:14 cf. (Matt. 1:22,23).
Therefore as you read about the Jesus of the New Testament, whose birth, life
death the, resurrection and ascension are historically recorded in the Gospels.
In His vicarious death and atoning self-sacrifice, His resurrection and
ascension, His present ministry in heaven, and His promised return, you see the
UNEXPLAINED CEREMONIES of the Law suddenly flame into new meaning. They all
point HIM as for instances the five different kinds of offerings in Leviticus,
the tabernacle ordinances, the annual entering of the high priest into the Holy
of Holies with covenant blood-sprinkling, and his later re-emerging in his
glorious garments to bless the people.
As you read of the Savior's birth, and hear the announcing angel say, "He
shall be great, and shall be called the son of the Highest: and the Lord God
shall give the throne of His father David..." you realize that the UNFULFILLED
HISTORIES of the Old Testament are being taken up again, and are finding
fulfillment in HIM.
As you read His teachings about the love and the fatherhood of God: as you hear
Him say, "Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give
you rest"; as you see Him, not only ascending to heaven but shedding forth the
Holy Spirit and thereby coming to indwell the hearts of His redeemed people -you
see the UNAPPEASED LONGINGS of the Old Testament philosophy books finding
fulfillment.
And as for the UNFULFILLED PROPHECIES of the Old Testament Christology, from
the time of His miraculous birth at Bethlehem right on to the climax of His
miraculous ascension from Olivet, He is fulfilling those predictions of the older
dispensation. He claims to be their fulfillment as when He says in the synagogue:
"This day is this scripture fulfilled in your ears." He proves to be their
fulfillment, in His sinless life and miracle-attested ministry, and most movingly
in His death on the cross.
With this as an introduction we come to the four of the five historical books
that we call the gospels. The first Gospel is that of Matthew. Matthew is the
impressionist and he writes for the Jew. The Jew expected their Messiah to be
born of a certain family and so Matthew traces Christ's birth back to Abraham
the founder of the covenant nation and through the line of David to show that
Christ truly had a claim to the throne of David. The thrust of Matthews gospel
is to show the four-fold ministry of Christ which we find developed this way
1. The Proclamation of the Kingdom 4:12-7:29
2. The Proclamation of the King 8:1-16:20
3. The Rejection of the King 16:21-20:34
4. The Rejection of the Kingdom 21:1-26:35
We might ask where is the fulfilling of prophecy here. Turn back to 2 Sam.7:13
where we find the promise of God to David about the Kingdom to be given to his
David's greater Son. That's the key to the Book of Matthew The long awaited
Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. That's why no explanation was given by either
John the Baptist in Matt. 3:2 or Christ in Matt. 4:17. No self-respecting Jew
would need ever to ask "What on earth is the Kingdom of Heaven. The long awaited
Promise given to David was now being fulfilled in the presence of Christ. As we
now know that Kingdom was set aside and the Kingdom has been been postponed until
Israel again comes on the scene and the church is taken out of the way.
The understanding of the book of Matthew can be summarized by the following outline and in following manner. Read and see for yourself if this is not so.
1. The Proclamation of the Kingdom 4:12-7:29
2. The Proclamation of the King 8:1-16:20
3. The Rejection of the King 16:21-20:34
4. The Rejection of the Kingdom 21:1-26:35
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