https://youtu.be/m6rbjhTmdlE

Today we start a new book of the Bible- Matthew- Its got the best name in the BibleThe book of Matthew is at the beginning of the NT because at the time they believed it to be the first Gospel written. This Gospel is the most concerned with Judaism as it relates to Christ. It transitions from OT to NT. It contains everything that was needed for the Early Church.Jesus miraculous birth, liturgy, discipleship law, teaching and Jesus life and death, spread wordChurch tradition holds that the former tax collector Matthew is the Author, the former tax collector turned disciple, who was an eye witness of the life of JesusArranged in 7 parts it outlines the life of Jesus well- it’s a ride- we’ll walk through it together!Matthew wants to teach people what it means to be part of Jesus’ kingdom and spread the good newsWritten to a Jewish audience. Jesus is presented as Messiah and the promised descendant of King David and the promise of a time of peace and JusticeLots of quotes from the OT and big emphasis on fulfillment of OT propheciesMain points- Jesus is the Son of God, Jesus is the King, Jesus is the SaviorOpens with who Jesus is- The Messiah. Closes with what we should do Make disciples for Him.READ Matthew 1:1-17- What does all this lineage mean?Establishing Jesus lineage, very important to Jewish audience, connecting to Abraham and David, showing that he is the rightful king- Kingship and kingdom are very important in MatthewWhat do we get out of this lineage?

God is ok with you waitingScrip- Isaiah 40:31  But those who wait on the Lord Shall renew their strength; They shall mount up with wings like eagles, They shall run and not be weary, They shall walk and not faint.Before we get into the text- I want to give you a bit of background on where we’re at with Matthew. Malachi 4 READ and then READ Matthew 1:1About 400 years between those two scriptures- called the intertestamental periodGod spoke to his people in the OT through many prophets- they were used to it400 years changes a lot of things- under Persian rule in Exile- now under Roman rule as they have returned. Political, religious, cultural, and civil matters had changedGod speaks through Malachi and then is silent through his prophets for 400 years. His silence was his plan. He was setting up the strongest statement he could ever make- through JEsusGod is a God of order. Generally speaking- God typically allows a desperate situation to carry on for a while before he brings deliverance. Clear pattern- Noah, Abraham, Joseph, Moses, Judges, Esther, etc. Man must be frustrated before God intervenes.It wasn’t until man was at the end of himself that God would show up and save the day!During these 400 years there was 6 different eras the Jews lived under- Persian era, Greek era, Egyptian era, Syrian era, Maccabean era, Roman eraI don’t have time to cover all the eras, but the most important one to understand is the Roman era, in that it is the era immediately preceding the arrival of Jesus- its not by accidentThe Romans were ruthless people. They killed and conquered.They brought law and order (often brutally) but it bought “peace” and a stable governmentRomans brought systems, government processes, specific ways of doing things, taxes, slaveryit is estimated that in the Roman Empire, five out of every seven people were slavesRome made roads. All over the Roman empire. Connected the empire so Rome could spreadYou may notice how this is a great set up for Messiah and the church- to spread the Gospel

Why is the background so important?One- it shows that waiting seems pointless until fulfillmentTwo- it shows that God knows what he’s doingThree- it should give you context as to why Matthew says what he does and people receive itThere’s no words from the Lord for 400 years and then John the Baptist shows up as ...