By Stan Cox, on October 15th, 2011
The gospel of Matthew begins with a genealogy of Jesus. This history of Jesus’ ancestors serves a very important purpose. Any individual who would claim to be the Christ would be taken seriously only if he could prove to the Jew that his lineage was in accord with the prophecies concerning the coming “Son of David.”
In both Matthew 1 and Luke 3, the lists supplied show Jesus to be a son of Abraham, a son of Isaac (the son of promise, through whom all nations of the earth would be blessed), a son of Judah (the tribe from whom the Kings came), and the son of David.
In all, according to the record of Matthew, 42 generations spanned the time from Abraham until the day that the Christ was born into the world.
The word “Christ” is an important one. Jesus was the “annointed of God,” the Messiah come into the world. Matthew later recorded these angelic words, “And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins” (vs. 21). Jesus, the son of Abraham, the son of David, Savior of the world.
By Stan Cox, on September 1st, 2009
Matthew 4:18-22
After being tempted by the devil (vs. 1-11) we find in this passage the beginning of Jesus’ preaching ministry (vs. 17). He immediately began to assemble his disciples, and recorded in this passage is his recruitment of Peter, Andrew, James and John. Each of these disciples were fishermen, and Jesus met them as they tended their nets on the shores of the Sea of Galilee.
Matthew was added to the disciples in chapter 9, and the full list of the twelve is given in chapter 10.
One interesting aspect of this text is Jesus’ play on words as he addressed Peter and Andrew. The Greek states that Peter and Andrew were “fishers” (halieus). Jesus said to them, “Follow me and I will make you fishers of men” (halieus anthropos) (vs. 19).
Using the illustration, we are to “lure” men with the gospel of Christ (cf. Romans 1:16). We seek to entice them, and capture them for Christ. In so doing, we benefit them spiritually, as their souls are saved.
Brethren, it is fine to be a fisherman. But it is a far better vocation to be a fisher of men. Christ expected it of his apostles, and he expects it of us as well.
By Stan Cox, on June 7th, 2008
Matthew 6:5-8
Before giving a model prayer for his disciples to emulate (vs. 9-13), Jesus instructed his disciples in how to pray.
He taught them to recognize the private and personal nature of prayer. Prayer is not performance, and those who treat it as such merely secure for themselves the recognition of men, not God. The Pharisees were of this ilk, and got what they wanted, the praise of men.
These performances are public, and often consist of “vain repetitions.” While such words may impress the hearers, they do not impress God, who sees the heart.
Instead, we should recognize that God knows our needs and desires. The purpose of prayer is not to inform God of those things, rather it is a means of acknowledging our dependence upon Him. We pray to God, not because He needs us to, but because he deserves our praise and thanksgiving. Pray to be seen of God, not men; and you will be rewarded.
By Stan Cox, on February 2nd, 2008
Matthew 10:5-15
The text consists of what is commonly called the Limited Commission, in contrast to the “Great Commission” recorded in Matthew 28:16-20. On both occasions the apostles were commanded to go and preach, but where the “Great Commission” had as its scope “all the nations,” the commission of Matthew 10 was limited to the “lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
The apostles were to preach the coming of the kingdom, and were to depend totally upon God’s provision to care for and protect them in their ministry.
Two lessons can be learned from the text. First, we can depend upon God’s providence as we live our lives as His children (vs. 9-13).
Second, those who reject the gospel of our Lord show themselves to be unworthy of salvation (vs. 14-15).
Paul and Barnabas referred to those in Israel who rejected the gospel as “judge [-ing] yourselves unworthy of everlasting life” (Acts 13:46).
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