The Gospel of Matthew
Matthew presents Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah and King. This overview follows the Gospel from His genealogy and birth through His ministry, crucifixion, resurrection, and Great Commission.
Summary of the Gospel of Matthew
Genealogy of Jesus
Matthew begins by tracing the legal and royal lineage of Jesus from Abraham through King David to Joseph, the husband of Mary. This genealogy establishes Jesus as the promised descendant of Abraham and heir to David’s throne. It demonstrates that His birth fulfilled God’s covenant promises concerning the coming Messiah.
Matthew 1:1-17The Birth and Early Life of Jesus
Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, fulfilling the prophecy that a virgin would give birth to Immanuel - “God with us.” Wise men from the East came to worship Him, but King Herod sought to destroy Him. Joseph was warned by God to take Mary and Jesus into Egypt, and the family later returned and settled in Nazareth.
Matthew 1:18-2:23John the Baptist, Jesus’ Baptism and Temptation
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus by calling people to repentance and announcing that the Kingdom of Heaven was at hand. When John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him and the Father declared that Jesus was His beloved Son. Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness, where He fasted for forty days and overcame every temptation of the devil by speaking the written Word of God.
Matthew 3:1-4:11Jesus Begins His Public Ministry
Jesus began preaching in Galilee, calling people to repentance and announcing the arrival of God’s Kingdom. He called His first disciples, healed every kind of sickness and disease, and great crowds began following Him. In the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus taught the principles of Kingdom living, including faith, prayer, forgiveness, love, righteous conduct, and complete trust in our heavenly Father.
Matthew 4:12-7:29The Miracles, Parables and Teachings of Jesus
Jesus demonstrated the power and compassion of God’s Kingdom by healing the sick, cleansing lepers, casting out demons, calming storms, feeding multitudes, and raising the dead. Through His parables and teachings, He revealed spiritual truths concerning faith, forgiveness, prayer, the condition of the heart, and the Kingdom of Heaven. As opposition from the religious leaders increased, Jesus continued preparing His disciples for His suffering, death, resurrection, and their future ministry.
Matthew 8:1-25:46The Crucifixion and Resurrection of Jesus
Jesus shared the Passover meal with His disciples, was betrayed by Judas, arrested, falsely accused, and condemned to death. He willingly gave His life upon the cross, shedding His blood for the forgiveness of sin and opening the way for humanity to be reconciled to God. On the third day, Jesus rose triumphantly from the dead, and the angel told the women at the empty tomb that He had risen just as He had promised.
Matthew 26:1-28:10The Great Commission
The resurrected Jesus appeared to His disciples and declared that all authority in heaven and on earth had been given to Him. He commissioned them to go into all nations, make disciples, baptize believers in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to obey everything He had commanded. Jesus concluded with the enduring promise that He would remain with His followers always, even to the end of the age.
Matthew 28:16-20
Miracles in the Gospel of Matthew
- Healing of the Leper - After the Sermon on the Mount, a man with leprosy approaches Jesus in faith and asks to be made clean. Jesus touches him and immediately heals him, then instructs him to show himself to the priest as commanded in the Law of Moses. Matthew 8:1-4
- Healing the Centurion’s Servant - A Roman centurion displays remarkable faith by believing Jesus can heal his servant without visiting him. Jesus praises his faith and heals the servant from a distance. Matthew 8:5-13
- Healing Peter’s Mother-in-Law - Jesus finds Peter’s mother-in-law sick with a fever. He touches her hand, the fever leaves immediately, and she rises and begins serving them. Matthew 8:14-15
- Healing Many Demon-Possessed and Sick - Many sick and demon-possessed people are brought to Jesus. He casts out spirits with a word and heals all who are sick, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy concerning the Messiah. Matthew 8:16-17
- Calming the Storm - A violent storm arises while Jesus and His disciples cross the Sea of Galilee. Jesus rebukes the winds and waves, and the storm becomes completely calm, demonstrating His authority over nature. Matthew 8:23-27
- Deliverance of Two Demon-Possessed Men - In the region of the Gadarenes, Jesus encounters two violent demon-possessed men. At His command the demons leave the men and enter a herd of pigs, which rushes into the sea. Matthew 8:28-34
- Healing of a Paralytic - A paralyzed man is brought to Jesus in Capernaum. Jesus first forgives his sins and then heals him physically, demonstrating His authority both to forgive and to heal. Matthew 9:1-8
- Healing of a Woman with an Issue of Blood - A woman who has suffered from bleeding for twelve years touches the hem of Jesus’ garment in faith. She is immediately healed, and Jesus acknowledges that her faith has made her well. Matthew 9:20-22
- Raising of Jairus’ Daughter - Jesus goes to the home of a synagogue leader whose daughter has died. He takes her by the hand and raises her back to life. Matthew 9:23-26
- Healing of Two Blind Men - Two blind men follow Jesus, calling Him the Son of David and asking for mercy. After they affirm their faith in His ability to heal them, Jesus touches their eyes and restores their sight. Matthew 9:27-31
- Healing of a Demon-Possessed Mute Man - A man unable to speak because of a demon is brought to Jesus. Jesus casts out the demon, and the man immediately begins speaking. Matthew 9:32-33
- Healing of a Man with a Withered Hand - Jesus encounters a man with a withered hand in the synagogue on the Sabbath. He emphasizes mercy and doing good, then completely restores the man’s hand. Matthew 12:9-13
- Healing of a Demon-Possessed, Blind and Mute Man - Jesus delivers a man who is unable to see or speak because of demonic oppression. The man’s sight and speech are restored, causing the crowd to wonder whether Jesus is the promised Son of David. Matthew 12:22
- Feeding of the Five Thousand - Jesus receives five loaves and two fish and blesses them. The food multiplies so that five thousand men, in addition to women and children, eat their fill, with twelve baskets remaining. Matthew 14:13-21
- Jesus Walks on Water - During the night, Jesus walks across the Sea of Galilee toward the disciples’ boat. Peter briefly walks on the water toward Jesus but begins to sink when fear replaces faith, and Jesus reaches out and saves him. Matthew 14:22-33
- Healing of the Sick in Gennesaret - The people recognize Jesus and bring the sick to Him from throughout the region. All who touch the hem of His garment are completely healed. Matthew 14:34-36
- Deliverance of a Canaanite Woman’s Daughter - A Canaanite woman persistently asks Jesus to free her daughter from demonic oppression. Jesus commends her great faith, and her daughter is delivered at that very moment. Matthew 15:21-28
- Healing of Many People - Crowds bring the lame, blind, crippled, mute, and many others to Jesus on a mountainside near the Sea of Galilee. He heals them, and the people glorify the God of Israel. Matthew 15:29-31
- Feeding of the Four Thousand - After the crowd remains with Jesus for three days, He refuses to send them away hungry. Seven loaves and a few small fish multiply to feed four thousand men, besides women and children, with seven baskets remaining. Matthew 15:32-39
- Deliverance of a Boy with a Demon - A father brings his afflicted son to Jesus after the disciples are unable to help him. Jesus rebukes the demon, and the boy is delivered and healed. Matthew 17:14-21
- Coin in the Fish’s Mouth - When Peter is questioned about the temple tax, Jesus instructs him to catch a fish. A coin sufficient to pay the tax for both Jesus and Peter is found in the fish’s mouth. Matthew 17:24-27
- Healing of Two Blind Men near Jericho - Two blind men cry out to Jesus for mercy as He leaves Jericho. Jesus compassionately touches their eyes, immediately restoring their sight, and they follow Him. Matthew 20:29-34
- Withering of the Fig Tree - Jesus finds a fig tree covered with leaves but bearing no fruit, and it withers at His word. He uses the event to teach His disciples about believing prayer and the power of faith in God. Matthew 21:18-22
- Healing of the Sick in the Temple - After cleansing the Temple, Jesus receives the blind and lame who come to Him. He heals them while children openly praise Him as the Son of David. Matthew 21:14
- The Resurrection of Jesus - On the third day after His crucifixion and burial, Jesus rises from the dead. The empty tomb and His appearance to Mary Magdalene and the other Mary confirm His victory over sin and death. Matthew 28:1-10