Matthew--Christ the King
Matthew--Christ the King In this Gospel we see the royal majesty of our heavenly King. The Gospel by Matthew was written for the Jews. It sets forth the Law, and refers constantly to the Old Testament Scriptures, showing how both have been fulfilled by Christ. This Gospel opens thus: “The book of the generations of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham” (Matthew 1:1). This shows His covenant position as Son of Abraham, and His royal position as Son of David. “David the King,” in Matthew 1:6, emphasizes our Lord’s position as David’s royal Heir. His wondrous divinity is announced in His birth through the power of the Holy Ghost, in His personality as Savior (Jesus), and in His absolute Godhead as revealed in the name Emmanuel--God with us.
Matthew alone recounts the visit of the Magi. The whole world at this time was expecting the advent of some Great One. “Where is He that is born King of the Jews?” Their adoration foreshadowed His universal dominion. Matthew alone tells us how Herod, the usurper of David’s sovereignty, sought to slay the heir.224 In this Gospel John the Baptist introduces the Lord Jesus as the mighty Judge, Who shall purge His floor with tremendous judgment. Matthew’s account of the temptation, instead of following the chronological order of Luke, gives the account of the temptation on the mountain last, as if to emphasize it. Our Lord is the world’s King. Satan has usurped the dominion; he offers to surrender it on one condition. It means escape from Calvary for the Savior, and escape from centuries of suffering for His Church. But we see the victory of the King.
“From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.” The word Kingdom occurs fifty-five times in Matthew; thirty-five times it is “the Kingdom of Heaven,” an expression found nowhere else in the Gospels. John uses the word Kingdom only five times. The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-48; Matthew 6:1-34; Matthew 7:1-29) gives us the Laws of the Kingdom. We have the seven parables of the Kingdom in Matthew 13:1-58, each beginning with “The Kingdom of Heaven is like,” except that of the Sower, where we have the word Kingdom in Matthew 13:11. Almost all our Lord’s parables in Matthew begin thus, whereas in Luke it is nearly always “A certain man.” Compare also the two accounts of the Marriage Supper. It is Matthew who tells us that the host was a King. The parables of the Day of Judgment set forth especially the royal dignity and power of Christ. In common with Mark and Luke, Matthew tells us of the unveiled glory of the King in the transfiguration. He adds this touch, “His face did shine as the sun,” and these words, “in whom I am well pleased,” showing how perfectly our Lord fulfilled God’s Law. In his account of the Resurrection he tells of the great earthquake, the angel whose face was like lightning, for fear of whom the keepers did shake and become as dead men.
Finally, this Gospel gives us, as no other, our Lord’s last royal Commission. “All authority hath been given unto Me in heaven and on earth, go ye therefore and make disciples of all the nations.”