Matthew 1  

Between Malachi and Matthew was 400 hundred years and Israel was a mess! It was time for God to send Jesus to Israel and bring back Israel's earthly Kingdom. The book of Matthew is about the gospel of the Kingdom. A Lion is the King of the beast, and The Lion faced creature in the book of Ezekiel and Revelations best describe Matthew.
The book of Matthew starts out going through the generations of Jesus! Notice it doesn't go backwards or start with Adam as Lukes version does it begins with David the King! He then goes to Abraham and on down the line. (I didn't list them all here but you can read Matthew 1 and see them all.) This beginning tells us that the King and Kingdom were of great importance!

 

We then read that the conception (which is really the miracle) and the birth of Christ was by the Holy Spirit and that His name would be Emmanuel, "God with us"! Think about that!!! That the creator of the Universe! The God above is now with us! I can't imagine what they were thinking then but even in this age of cell phones, computers and space rockets it is still unbelievable! GOD WITH US!

 

I'm sure Mary and Joseph were scared AND excited, but mostly they were faithful! They had to have had faith and people of great integrity and character! They had no idea how this would play out, but they went along in faith, and this is how we must live also. We don't know what will happen in life, but we must walk by faith day by day even if we know there will be persecution or other issues. Live Like Joseph in Faith regardless of the ridicule or rejection that may come your way!

Herod was King in those days. Herod's linage comes from Esau, and you know how Esau wanted to kill his brother Jacob for deceiving him of his birthright and blessing. Jacob also was to become "Israel", and the nation would come after his name, and he was also in the linage of Jesus. Esau rebelled against his father Issac and God, so the linage of Esau is not a good one! When Herod heard that they wanted to worship this new King he became jealous.

 

This is how we can be also. We can want the attention and praise of others can't we. We can desire to be loved, worshiped and honored in some way and then demand by being mad and attacking in some way. We want to be "King" or "God" don't we. Just like Adam and Eve did in the garden we end up in the sin of trying to be God of our own lives!

 

Then the Angel tells Joseph to leave and go to Egypt because Herod was coming after Jesus, and this was fulfilling prophecy and saving Jesus.

 ... 13 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeareth to Joseph in a dream, saying, Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt, and be thou there until I bring thee word: for Herod will seek the young child to destroy him. 14 When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt: 15 And was there until the death of Herod: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, Out of Egypt have I called my son. 16 Then Herod, when he saw that he was mocked of the wise men, was exceeding wroth, and sent forth, and slew all the children that were in Bethlehem, and in all the coasts thereof, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had diligently enquired of the wise men.

 

Then The Angel appeared again and told them to go back to Israel for Herod had died. 

 

And they went to Nazareth and again prophecy was fulfilled because he was to be called a Nazarene.

God was there and orchestrated everything even when Satan was using evil men to kill our Lord! Let us not forget that when problems, issues and hurtful people come our way, that we have already escaped this world and alive in Christ and won the fight through Jesus Christ our Lord!  

 

 

THE KINGDOM IS AT HAND! This what John the Baptist preached and what Matthew is all about! Jesus earthly ministry is about Israels earthly Kingdom. They could have had it all in fact we all could have had it all if Israel would have accepted the King of kings! Jesus is the King and He was more than ready, but the nation was not! They were filled with religion, pride and arrogance and wanted a stately King not a carpenter. They wanted their way not God's way!

 

Sound familiar! Yes, the world is full of religious zealots, that want their way and not God's way. They want to be Israel and act like the Pharisees with their traditions and customs, but they are only shadows of the real deal and that being Jesus Christ!

 

Later on in Matthew we see John water baptizing those who would believe and repent. They had 400 years of misery and needed to return and be faithful. They had 400 years of bad leadership and religion that was work and law oriented. They needed to be cleansed as priest so they could evangelize the world. 

 

God the Father than says from Heaven 

 

This is what our God says about every true and genuine believer "I am well pleased" for we are in Christ! 

FOLLOW ME! 

Jesus preaches the Kingdom gospel and chooses His 12 Apostles. He says, "follow me" and they began to follow Him and to make "disciples". He says I will make you "fishers of men" in other words while they were fishing for fish to eat, He would teach them to fish for men who would follow Him!

 

We all can be "fishers of men"! There is no need to be dispensational here but rather take it for what it is and that is to bring people to Christ. Paul would travel the world preaching and bringing people to the Lord and starting churches. I know this guy in Yuma who works for the Post office and shares the word everywhere he goes. He gives out tracts wherever he goes, so he is fishing for men!

 

Keep this in mind wherever you go and proclaim Jesus Christ according to the revelation of the mystery. His death burial and resurrection have been told but not all have really understood it. Tell them how He changed your life, and how you gave your life to Christ and that they too can have eternal life in Christ!