The Gospel of Matthew – Jesus Is Immanuel

Introduction

The OT was the “book of the generations (biblos geneseos)” of Adam and of the original creation (Gn 5.1; 2.4). Matthew opens the NT by announcing that it is the “book of the generations (biblos geneseos)” of Jesus Christ (Mt 1.1). Matthew closes his gospel with Jesus paraphrasing the end of the Hebrew OT where Cyrus the Great declares that Jehovah, the God of Heaven, has given him authority over all the kingdoms of the earth and appointed him to build Jehovah a house, and he commands Jehovah’s people to go forth, assuring them that Jehovah will be with them (2Chr 36.23). Matthew is signaling that Jesus Christ has initiated a new genesis. He has made everything new. Who is Jesus Christ, and how has he made everything new? Answering those questions is why the NT was written.

Overview

* Matthew begins the answer by retelling a old, sad story – the story of Israel – with a new twist – Jesus himself (Mt 1.2-17).

* Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit, who overshadowed the virgin Mary (Mt 1.18, 20). Jesus is Immanuel, “God with us” (Mt 1.22-23). “God with us” is half of the central covenant promise: “I will be their God, and they will be My people” (Gn 17.7; Jer 31.33). Jesus is not only “true God with man,” he is also “true man with God,” which is what Israel was called to be. Jesus takes on Israel’s identity.

* Acting as true God and true Israel, Jesus fulfills both sides of the covenant. Jesus thus provides a new exodus for Israel, fulfilling her destiny, realizing her promises, and entering into her inheritance. Jesus brings about new beginning not only for Israel, but also for all mankind and all creation.

* Matthew’s Gospel shows how Jesus relives the story of God and Israel while playing both parts. As Israel, Jesus comes out of Egypt (2.13-15), through the waters (3.13-17), into the wilderness for forty days of testing (4.1-11), and on to the border of the Gentile nations (4.12-16); and he was faithful at every point where Israel had failed. As God, Jesus offers grace and truth, not through imperfect servants, but through his perfect Son (cf. Jn 1.14).

* Jesus perfects the ministries of God’s OT servants, and he faces opposition and rejection just as they did. In ch. 1, Jesus, like Isaac and Jacob, is born of promise (1.20-23). In ch. 2, Jesus, like Joseph, is exalted by Gentile rulers, although he will be opposed by his brethren (2.1-11). In ch. 2-10, Jesus, like Moses, is delivered as an infant from a murderous king (2.13-18), becomes Israel’s deliverer and law giver (5-7), and is opposed by leaders of the people even as he performs miracles to sustain the people in the wilderness (9.3, 11, 34). In ch. 11-12, Jesus, like David, offers rest to Israel by conquering her enemies (12.22-30) and is supported by the people but opposed by the leaders (12.1-15, 23-24). At the end of ch. 12, Jesus announces that “one greater than Solomon” is here, and in ch. 13, Jesus, like Solomon, teaches wisdom through many “parables” (12.42; 13.1-3). In ch. 14-18, Jesus, like Elisha, is a miracle working prophet who provides food to his disciples (11.14; 14.13-21; 15.32-39) and who is persecuted by wicked rulers (14.1-12; 15.1-2; 16.1-6). In ch. 19-26, Jesus, like Jeremiah, confronts Jerusalem’s hypocrisy (23.13-33) foretells her doom (23.34 - 24.34), only to be beaten and cast into the grave (as Jeremiah was cast into the dungeon), all to inaugurate the New Covenant Jeremiah prophesied (27.25-35, 57-60; Jer 31.31-34).

* Old Israel re-enacts her rebellion, this time rejecting and killing God’s Son, thus filling up what was lacking in her fathers’ guilt (Mt 23.32).

* God knows what he is doing. Through Jesus, he is drawing the sin of the world – the worst that man can do – onto a single generation of old Israel, so that as new Israel, Jesus can take it upon himself. In ch. 27-28, Jesus, fulfilling David’s prophetic psalms, entrusts himself to his Father and is resurrected in victory over Satan (the true Pharaoh), death (Satan’s scepter), and sin (Satan’s narcotic).

* The resurrected Jesus, like Cyrus the Great, declares that God has given him authority over all the nations of the earth and commands his disciples to build his Church by bringing in the nations, assuring them that God will be with them (28.18-20; 2Chr 36.23).

* Now we understand Matthew 1.1. The whole world is living in the book of the generations of Jesus Christ. He has made all things new.