Teaching Matthew: Unlocking the Gospel of Matthew for the Bible Teacher (Teaching the Bible)

by David Jackman; William Philip

Publisher:

Christian Focus

, 2003

Overview

Matthew’s Gospel is a substantial book to consider teaching through as a whole. With large teaching excurses and expansive theological reflection seeming to predominate over the action of the story, it may seem daunting to the preacher, compared to the relative brevity and flowing action of Mark. But precisely because there are such rich seams of theology, and so much teaching from the mouth of the Lord Jesus himself, it is a wonderful treasure-trove for the Bible student. Moreover, as a way of explaining the message of the New Testament gospel so as to open up to the hearer a sense of its continuity with the whole Old Testament, and its fulfillment of all God’s covenant promises from the beginning of time in Jesus Christ, teaching Matthew could hardly be bettered.

This book is designed to help and encourage Bible teachers, and stimulate study with a view to teaching Matthew’s message. Though principally aimed at preachers who are preparing expository sermons, the hope is that Bible teachers in a variety of settings—as well as those simply reading Matthew for themselves—will gain help from the approach.

Contents

Top Highlights

“That is one of the great purposes of the Sermon on the Mount; not to show us that here is a law which, if we fulfil, will bring us the kingdom of heaven as a reward, but that we cannot for one moment live up to this standard.” (Page 36)

“At the very beginning of Christ’s ministry, through the forerunner’s preaching, God is confronting Israel with the demands of their king.” (Page 16)

“For a modern, western reader the start of the book could hardly be more unappetising. The first sixteen verses seem to us to be an almost endless list of names, which we cheerfully skip, to move on to the much more promising material of the birth narratives. Matthew, however, has a key purpose. In tracing the genealogy of Jesus from Abraham he establishes that he was a true Jew, and in taking his line through Judah to David, he is making a claim that the subject of the book stands in the royal line, perhaps even has a claim to the throne of David. We are alerted to claims about Jesus Christ being a true Israelite and being the Davidic king from the very start of the book.” (Pages 11–12)

“Not surprisingly then, in chapter 4, we find Jesus, as the true representative of Israel, facing the same temptations which Israel as a nation had faced in the wilderness, but coming through victoriously, where they had failed.” (Page 17)

“Matthew is really saying that we can only understand the person who is the subject of his book, if we take into account all that has preceded him.” (Page 12)

Product Details

• Title: Teaching Matthew: Unlocking the Gospel of Matthew for the Bible Teacher
• Author: David Jackman
• Publisher: Christian Focus
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 240

About David Jackman

David Jackman was the President of the Proclamation Trust and was the founder-director of the Cornhill Training Course, London. Before teaching part-time on the Cornhill course, as well as engaging a world wide ministry for proclamation trust, he was the minister of Above Bar Church, Southampton.