Matthew...An Introduction

As the first book in the New Testament, I presume the book of Matthew to be one of the most common books in the Bible, by those that are religious and those that aren't.  The first of the "Gospels" and one of the longer books in the New Testament.  Matthew boasts more quotes from the Old Testament than any of the other Gospels.  The book also contains the infamous Sermon on the Mount, consisting of three chapters of the books twenty-eight chapters.

Matthew, the author, was one of those types of guys that was initially and on the surface could be deemed atypical for the role of authoring such a book.  He was not the friend of the majority.  He was in politics, but not a politician, so he didn't have the wooing capabilities as some.  I would think people turned and went the other way when they saw him, didn't answer the phone when his name came up on caller ID, or didn't answer the door when they looked through the peep hole.  However, it was still his job to collect taxes; Rome required and he was hired.

As we entered into the journey of this book today, here are a few applications to choose from to use this week...

1. Investigate Matthew, the author ~ Take some moments to do some investigation on Matthew on your own time.  Look where he is mentioned in various scriptures.  Look at his occupation and how that may have impacted his decision and ministry. Look to see what his family life was like, if it is known - the Bible doesn't really tell us.
2. Read through the book ~ One of the great mysteries of the Bible is the way you can read a verse or verses and see something that you didn't see before.  I have already had that experience in reading this book. It is awesome to experience.  As you read through may the "first time" and the "reread" verses stand out to you as something new and exciting.
3. Appreciate the Redeemer ~ As one of Jesus' main goals was to "save us", what can you do this week to help carry out that goal to someone else?
4. Look for the "Matthew crowd" ~ Look for someone who would not likely enter a church building due to any number of reasons, and see if you can join in with them to the point of showing Jesus, not necessarily showing "church" to them. People need a place to start life over and Matthew may have been just that type of person...who do you know who fits in to this category? Invite 'em!

I am looking forward to what God has in store in the upcoming weeks that we explore and uncover in the book of Matthew! It will be a fun and exciting journey!


Whether you are a reader or a participant in this series, I will be praying that God uses this book in amazing ways to benefit your life, as well as, mine!

The name of Matthew means "gift of God" and may this book be a gift of God to you as we go through it!