The Gospel of Mathew

Abstract

The Gospel of Mathew is the first book in the New Testament and it dates back to the second century a.d. The main content of this first Gospel is related to issues on Judaism. Furthermore, it has provided a commendable transition to the New Testament from the Old Testament.

Content Reaction

The Gospel of Mathew has quite a strong connection to the Old Testament. Mathew has effectively ensured that the teachings of Jesus mostly concerning Judaism are known. He insisted that prophesies in the Old Testament were fulfilled by Jesus. He also preached new laws in various sermons like the one he gave while up on a mountain. Jesus had to hide in Egypt in the same manner that Moses did in order to get away from a vengeful king (Mertzger & Ehrman, 2005). Also, Moses took forty years to deliver the Israelites while in the wilderness, and Jesus was in the wilderness for forty nights and days while being tempted. It is thus clear that there is a continuation of the Old Testament in the Gospel of Mathew through the actions of Jesus Christ (Kaiser & Garret, 2006).

Positive Reflection- There are three key themes that have been echoed in the various passages in the Gospel of Mathew. Firstly, it is about the faith people need to have in God and this against any worldly or visible rewards or results. Secondly, it is about having faith in God and the reward that people will receive if they follow God and become his servants. Thirdly, it is about the downplaying and general matters concerning the people who were against God and the value of God’s power. The Gospel of Mathew is a book that truly reflects the true nature of God and the plans that he has for mankind. Therefore, the book is relevant to people who want to have a future in Heaven if they follow God’s teachings (Kaiser & Garret, 2006).

Critical Reflection- The Gospel of Mathew can sometimes attract quite a number of criticisms, especially among people who are in doubt of Jesus’ miracles. Even some of the people who saw him performing miracles did not believe him, and others even thought that he got his powers from the devil. However, the miracles performed by Jesus were for the purpose of doing good and not evil (Kaiser & Garret, 2006). It means that the devil only uses his power to cause harm and not to benefit people. People who want to gain entry into ministry should be well informed about this gospel so as to remove any skepticism that people may have (Mertzger & Ehrman, 2005).

Personal Reflection- It is evident that Jesus had come to earth in order to let people know and see God’s power. He therefore went to many towns where he performed miracles and urged people to repent. In my opinion, I believe that people would not have believed Jesus if he claimed that he was the son of God without any proof. People tend to believe the words of people who can provide evidence for their claims and in this case it was through performing miracles. The journey of Jesus’ life is extremely interesting because it is about a man who was quite different from the ordinary man. There are not many people who can undergo the suffering that Jesus went through and still abide by their faith. Indeed, the Gospel of Mathew has a lot of valuable information regarding the life of Jesus and its importance to Christians.

References

Kaiser, W. & Garret, Duane. (2006). NIV Archeological Study Bible: An Illustrated Walk through Biblical History and Culture. New York: Zondervan.

Mertzger, B. & Ehrman, Bart. (2005). The Text of the New Testament: Its Transmission, Corruption, and Restoration. Oxford: Oxford University Press.