Study Guide:  Gospel of Matthew

 

1. Jesus as the messianic fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures
2. Jesus and the Jewish law
3. Jesus the rejected king of the Jews

Copyright 2001 by Caroline T. Schroeder
Please read important bibliography, copyright, and intellectual property information


 
 

1.  Jesus as the messianic fulfillment of the Jewish scriptures

Jesus' birth:
"....[Mary] will bear you a son, and you are to name him Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins."  All this took place to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet:  "Look, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel," which means, "God is with us."  (1:21-23, citing Isaiah 7:14)

"Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt, and remained there until the death of Herod.  This was to fulfill what had been spoken by the Lord through the prophet, "Out of Egypt I have called my son."  (2:14-15, citing Hosea 11.1)

Jesus' ministry:
That evening they brought to him many who were possessed with demons; and he cast out the spirits with a word, and cured all who were sick.  This was to fulfill what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah, "He took our infirmities and bore our diseases."  (8:16-17, citing Isaiah 53:4)

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2.  Jesus and the Jewish Law

"Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have come not to abolish but to fulfill.  For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one letter, not one stroke of a letter, will pass from the law until all is accomplished.  Therefore, whoever breaks one of the least of these of these commandments, and teaches others to do the same, will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does them and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.  For I tell you, unless your righteousness exceed that of the scribes and Pharisees, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven."  (5:17-20)

He left that place and enetered their synagogue; a man was there with a withered hand, and they asked him, "Is it lawful to cure on the sabbath?" so that they might accuse him.  He said to them, "Suppose one of you has only one sheep and it falls into a pit on the sabbath; will you not lay hold of it and lift it out?  How much more valuable is a human being than a sheep!  So it is lawful to do good on the sabbath."  Then he said to the man, "Stretch out your hand."  He stretched it out, and it was restored, as sound as the other.  But the Pharisees went out and conspired against him, how to destroy him. (12:9-14)

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3.  Jesus the rejected king of the Jews

See 12:9-14 above.

The cleansing of the temple:But when the chief priests and the scribes saw the amazing things that he did, and heard the children crying out in the temple, "Hosanna to the Son of David," they became angry and said to him, "Do you hear what these are saying?"  Jesus said to them, "Yes; have you never read, 'Out of the mouths of infants and nursing babies you have prepared praise for yourself?'"  (21:15-16)

When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables, they realized that he was speaking about them.  They wanted to arrest him, but they feared the crowds, because they regarded him as a prophet.  (21:45-46)

See 22:15-46, where the Pharisees and Sadducees question Jesus.

"But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!  For you lock people out of the kingdom of heaven."  (23:13-14) The "woes" continue through verse 36.

Now the chief priests and the elders persuaded the crowds to ask for Barabbas and to have Jesus killed....So when Pilate saw that he could do nothing, but rather that a riot was beginnng, he took some water and washed his hands before the crowd, saying, "I am innocent of this man's blood; see to it yourselves."  Then the people as a whole answered, "His blood be on us and on our children!"  (27:20-25)

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Bibliography, Copyright, and Intellectual Property Information

This study guide is the intellectual property of Caroline T. Schroeder (adjunct instructor in Religious Studies at Elon University), produced solely for the use of students in Rel 112-C3, Fall 2001.

For permission to otherwise use, reproduce, or distribute this study guide, contact Caroline T. Schroeder

The sale of this study guide is prohibited.

Bibliography
Ehrman, Bart D.  The New Testament:  A Historical Introduction to the Early Christian Writings. 2d ed.  New York:  Oxford University Press, 2000.
Malina, Bruce J.  The New Testament World:  Insights from Cultural Anthropology.  Rev. ed.  Louisville, Ky:  Westminster/John Knox Press, 1993.
Meeks, Wayne A., ed.  The HarperCollins Study Bible, New Revised Standard Version.  New York:  HarperCollins, 1993.

Copyright 2001 by Caroline T. Schroeder

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