1. What are ALL the sources Matthew use to write his Gospel?
The gospel of Matthew was written from various sources such as the Septuagint, the gospel of mark, Paul’s letters, the church, and the Q source. Like other books in the New Testament, the gospel of Matthew is grounded on sources that were existent for some time. The gospel of mark and the logia, also known as the Q source or the “sayings of Jesus” are the most prominent. Matthew is also derived from a source known as M that contains unique portions of the gospel that are not contained in other gospels such as the account on the birth of Jesus, the visit of the wise men from the east, the meeting of these wise men with Herod and the verdict by king Herod that all male infants be killed.
2. What is striking about Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17)?
What is striking about the genealogy of Jesus is that Jesus was existent from the beginning, and that he can be traced from Abraham, through different generations to being born by Mary and his father joseph. The genealogy traces the origins of Jesus before Moses and even before the Law to show that Jesus is not only the son of David, but is also the son of Abraham. The long trace from Abraham seeks to position Jesus as belonging to the messianic line. Messiah is a Hebrew word for Jesus Christ while Christ is the Greek word and both mean the Anointed One.
3. Throughout his Gospel, how does Matthew emphasize Jesus’ Jewish heritage? Why does he do this?
Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ Jewish heritage because the gospel was intended for a Jewish Christian masses living in close proximity to the birthplace itself. Out of the four gospels, Matthew emphasizes about the Jewish origin of Jesus because the Jewish Christian community was encountering some new tensions in the period of reconstruction after the first revolt. The emphasis is to show that Jesus is truly a man from Israel and his fully legitimate to teach the traditions of the law. That may be found in Matthew 5: 17 where Jesus said 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
4. What details are included in Matthew's infancy narrative (Matthew 1:18-2:23)? What is Matthew trying to convey to his reader?
There are little details given about Jesus’ infancy in the gospel of Matthew. The account given in Matthew is the visit of the wise man from the east led by the star come to Jerusalem to adore the child. When Herod heard about the visit of the wise men, he directs them to spy and report back to him about the baby Jesus. The wise men brought presents of myrrh gold, and frankincense to the baby. However, they did not return to Herod as an angel instructed them to return to their own country. An angel also warned joseph that Herod intends to kill the child, so he took his wife Mary and the child to Egypt. They live in Egypt until the death of Herod and then returned to Nazareth. Matthew is trying to convey to the readers to recall the experience of Moses and the exodus by the Israelites.
5. Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29) – INCLUDING the footnotes. Name at least 5 Old Testament references that Jesus/Matthew incorporate (quote the Old and New verses - not just chapters and numbers). What is the significance of this in Matthew’s Gospel?
Murder
Jesus reminded the crowd that it was written long ago that one shall not murder
New Testament verse: Matthew 5: 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,”
Old Testament verse: exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
Adultery
New Testament verse: Matthew 5: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.”
Old Testament verse: exodus 20: 14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
Divorce
New Testament verse: Matthew 5: 31 ““It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Old Testament verse: Deuteronomy 24: 1 “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.”
Oaths
New Testament verse Matthew 5: 33 “do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’
Old Testament verse: Deuteronomy 23:21 “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin.”
Eye for Eye
New Testament verse: Matthew 5:38 “‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.”
Old Testament verse: Exodus 21:24 “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,”
The significance of this in the Gospel of Matthew is to have Jesus position himself as a real Jew who follows the law in accordance to Matthew 5: 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
6. What differences do you find in Matthew's crucifixion and resurrection narratives, compared to Mark?
The Gospel of Matthew and Mark give varying accounts of crucifixion and resurrection narratives. Mark provides a fearful perspective in mark 16:1-8 whereby Mary Magdalene, Salome and the other Mary came with spices to anoint the body of Jesus, only to find a young man wore a white robe sitting on the right side of the ossuary. The young gentleman told them that Jesus had risen, and that they should tell his followers that Jesus is going ahead of them in galilee. However, the women never told anyone because they were so afraid.
On the other hand, the account of resurrection according to Matthew 28: 1-10, the gospel records two women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the ossuary and there was a vehement tremor because the angel of the Lord came down from heaven to the grave where Jesus was laid. The angel wore white clothes and the guards of the tomb shook because of the angel’s appearance. The angel asked the women to tell the disciples that Jesus is going before them in galilee. According to Matthew, the women were mixed with emotions as they were both filled with joy and were afraid at the same time. Matthew further records in verse 9 that Jesus suddenly met the women. The women hugged Jesus feet and worshipped him. Then, Jesus told the women to tell the disciples to go to galilee where they will see him.
The gospel of Matthew was written from various sources such as the Septuagint, the gospel of mark, Paul’s letters, the church, and the Q source. Like other books in the New Testament, the gospel of Matthew is grounded on sources that were existent for some time. The gospel of mark and the logia, also known as the Q source or the “sayings of Jesus” are the most prominent. Matthew is also derived from a source known as M that contains unique portions of the gospel that are not contained in other gospels such as the account on the birth of Jesus, the visit of the wise men from the east, the meeting of these wise men with Herod and the verdict by king Herod that all male infants be killed.
2. What is striking about Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus (Mt 1:1-17)?
What is striking about the genealogy of Jesus is that Jesus was existent from the beginning, and that he can be traced from Abraham, through different generations to being born by Mary and his father joseph. The genealogy traces the origins of Jesus before Moses and even before the Law to show that Jesus is not only the son of David, but is also the son of Abraham. The long trace from Abraham seeks to position Jesus as belonging to the messianic line. Messiah is a Hebrew word for Jesus Christ while Christ is the Greek word and both mean the Anointed One.
3. Throughout his Gospel, how does Matthew emphasize Jesus’ Jewish heritage? Why does he do this?
Matthew emphasizes Jesus’ Jewish heritage because the gospel was intended for a Jewish Christian masses living in close proximity to the birthplace itself. Out of the four gospels, Matthew emphasizes about the Jewish origin of Jesus because the Jewish Christian community was encountering some new tensions in the period of reconstruction after the first revolt. The emphasis is to show that Jesus is truly a man from Israel and his fully legitimate to teach the traditions of the law. That may be found in Matthew 5: 17 where Jesus said 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
4. What details are included in Matthew's infancy narrative (Matthew 1:18-2:23)? What is Matthew trying to convey to his reader?
There are little details given about Jesus’ infancy in the gospel of Matthew. The account given in Matthew is the visit of the wise man from the east led by the star come to Jerusalem to adore the child. When Herod heard about the visit of the wise men, he directs them to spy and report back to him about the baby Jesus. The wise men brought presents of myrrh gold, and frankincense to the baby. However, they did not return to Herod as an angel instructed them to return to their own country. An angel also warned joseph that Herod intends to kill the child, so he took his wife Mary and the child to Egypt. They live in Egypt until the death of Herod and then returned to Nazareth. Matthew is trying to convey to the readers to recall the experience of Moses and the exodus by the Israelites.
5. Read the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5:1-7:29) – INCLUDING the footnotes. Name at least 5 Old Testament references that Jesus/Matthew incorporate (quote the Old and New verses - not just chapters and numbers). What is the significance of this in Matthew’s Gospel?
Murder
Jesus reminded the crowd that it was written long ago that one shall not murder
New Testament verse: Matthew 5: 21 “You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, ‘You shall not murder,”
Old Testament verse: exodus 20:13 “You shall not murder.”
Adultery
New Testament verse: Matthew 5: 27 “You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.”
Old Testament verse: exodus 20: 14 “You shall not commit adultery.”
Divorce
New Testament verse: Matthew 5: 31 ““It has been said, ‘Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.’[f] 32 But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for sexual immorality, makes her the victim of adultery, and anyone who marries a divorced woman commits adultery.
Old Testament verse: Deuteronomy 24: 1 “When a man hath taken a wife, and married her, and it come to pass that she find no favour in his eyes, because he hath found some uncleanness in her: then let him write her a bill of divorcement, and give it in her hand, and send her out of his house.”
Oaths
New Testament verse Matthew 5: 33 “do not break your oath, but fulfill to the Lord the vows you have made.’
Old Testament verse: Deuteronomy 23:21 “When you make a vow to the Lord your God, be prompt in fulfilling whatever you promised him. For the Lord your God demands that you promptly fulfill all your vows, or you will be guilty of sin.”
Eye for Eye
New Testament verse: Matthew 5:38 “‘Eye for eye, and tooth for tooth.”
Old Testament verse: Exodus 21:24 “an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, a hand for a hand, a foot for a foot,”
The significance of this in the Gospel of Matthew is to have Jesus position himself as a real Jew who follows the law in accordance to Matthew 5: 17 “Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them.”
6. What differences do you find in Matthew's crucifixion and resurrection narratives, compared to Mark?
The Gospel of Matthew and Mark give varying accounts of crucifixion and resurrection narratives. Mark provides a fearful perspective in mark 16:1-8 whereby Mary Magdalene, Salome and the other Mary came with spices to anoint the body of Jesus, only to find a young man wore a white robe sitting on the right side of the ossuary. The young gentleman told them that Jesus had risen, and that they should tell his followers that Jesus is going ahead of them in galilee. However, the women never told anyone because they were so afraid.
On the other hand, the account of resurrection according to Matthew 28: 1-10, the gospel records two women, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to the ossuary and there was a vehement tremor because the angel of the Lord came down from heaven to the grave where Jesus was laid. The angel wore white clothes and the guards of the tomb shook because of the angel’s appearance. The angel asked the women to tell the disciples that Jesus is going before them in galilee. According to Matthew, the women were mixed with emotions as they were both filled with joy and were afraid at the same time. Matthew further records in verse 9 that Jesus suddenly met the women. The women hugged Jesus feet and worshipped him. Then, Jesus told the women to tell the disciples to go to galilee where they will see him.
