Matthew – the Gospel of Fulfillment   Summary Acronym

Here's a summary to remember the message of this Gospel:

F     Follow Jesus                             4:19  /  9:9  /  19:21 

U    Understand                                13:14-15 

L     Law of LOVE                             22:37-40 

F    Foundation                                 7:24-27  /  13:35

I     Impossible apart from Jesus      5:20-48  /  19:23-26

L    Lost Sheep                                 10:5-7  /  15:24  /  18:11

L    Last to be like Jesus                   19:30  /  20:16, 26  /  23:11  

M   Messiah                                      1:1  / 8:27  /  9:2-8  /  11:2-6  / 16:16  /  26:63 

E    Every Word of God                     4:4

      Every Disease & Illness              4:23-24  /  8:1-17  /  9:18-38  /  12:15 

N   Narrow Gate / Not                       7:13-14,  21-23

T    Take up your Cross                     10:38  /  16:24

Matthew, the Jewish Tax Collector wants us to understand there's no one like Jesus.

Matthew – the Gospel of Fulfillment  Chapter 28    Your Response

The importance of Jesus and His death for our sins on the cross cannot be over-emphasized and yet without the information in this chapter it would be meaningless.   Without the resurrection of Jesus, His death would have been the result of His own sins, but the resurrection confirms that His death was for our sins and provides us the hope of eternal life.   This chapter presents us with the possibility of 3 responses:

Examples:

The Women who encountered Jesus  - they Obeyed.

The Soldiers who guarded the grave of Jesus – they Denied what they knew had taken place.

The Disciples – some Doubted the reality of Jesus resurrection initially, until He appeared to them.

There is only one response that results in eternal life in heaven.

Matthew – the Gospel of Fulfillment  Chapter 27     Blood

Perhaps the most important verse and concept of Matthew’s Gospel is verse 25 of this chapter.   Jesus has been handed over to Pilate, the Roman governor, to be crucified. Despite his efforts to prevent the crucifixion, Pilate relents to the demands of the angry mob.  Ceremoniously, he calls for water so he could wash his hands and say to the mob, “I am innocent of this man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”  And the people respond, “His blood be on us and on our children!”   The remainder of the chapter describes the crucifixion.

What irony.  They were assuming responsibility for demanding the death of Jesus, not realizing the very importance of what they were saying.  Without taking the blood of Jesus on them – His death as the perfect offering for their sin – they would just be like Pilate.   None of us are “innocent” of Jesus’ blood – our sins and His love for us made Him give His life for us.  As the Apostle Paul describes in Romans 5:8-9, “But God demonstrates His own love for us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.  Much more then, having now been justified by His blood, we shall be saved from the wrath of God through Him.”

Is the blood of Jesus on you?

Matthew – the Gospel of Fulfillment  Chapter 26    Betrayal

Betrayal – what a terrible word and cruel concept.  In this chapter the word is used or implied 12 times and 3 verses summarize well our problem like that of His followers:

Verse 21 – One of you will betray Me.

Verse 31 – You will all fall away because of Me.

Verse 41 – The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak.

Despite the rejection that Jesus had experienced and the betrayal and denial that was now taking place, what would keep Him determined to suffer an agonizing  death on a cross for us?   Only His Great love and our great need.

Matthew – the Gospel of Fulfillment  Chapter 25    Choices

Jesus makes one last impassioned plea to believe and follow Him before His impending death.  In three stories He presents 3 choices:

Story                                                              Possibility of Two Different Responses

Parable of the 10 Virgins                                Prudent                                 Foolish

Parable of the Talents                                    Good & Faithful                     Lazy & Wicked

Judgment                                                     Listen & Obey                        Ignore & Pretend

The eternal outcome of the choices is either:

·         Verse 34 – “Come, you who are blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world.”

·         Verse 46 – “These will go away into eternal punishment but the righteous to eternal life.”

Choose wisely.