We also know from the writings of the prophets in the old testament that there would be a promised Messiah -- a Christ expected to come -- but at the time, many were unaware of how or when this event would be established. Even those who proclaimed to know the scriptures, and to be wise, eloquently speaking of the intricacies of the law on every street corner, had missed the Word of the Lord declared through prophecy. It is, perhaps, for this reason that Matthew spends considerable time confirming that Jesus is indeed the promised Messiah, and that in Him alone, ALL authority to heal, restore, deliver, and forgive us our sins exists. (Matthew 28:18)
At the end of Matthew's writing, we see Jesus as the victorious King of kings and Lord of lords. Indeed, Jesus came and spake unto them, saying, "ALL power is given unto Me in heaven and in earth." (Matthew 28:18)
But in the beginning, we see Matthew offering a bridge between the old covenant of law and the new testament written in the blood of our Saviour, so that we too, could know (as he did) Jesus as our Lord and Saviour. I am sure that Matthew's attempt to reconcile the two was not an easy feat, but this is where we begin nevertheless.
What we are witnessing here in this first book of the new testament is the undisputed record of prophecy linked to a Saviour being fulfilled. Therein, Matthew diligently and methodically connects the prophecies of old to this same Jesus whom these later would crucify on a cross. And, thus, beginning with Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, Matthew presents a genealogy that confirms the blood line that spanned generations directly to the birth of Jesus Christ -- the child of the Holy Ghost - God manifest in the flesh. (Matthew 1:1-16; I Timothy 3:16; Isaiah 9:6; John 1:10-11)
But the old covenant is not just about the Law, and Matthew wants us to know that the numerous declared prophecies -- the Word of the Lord through various prophets telling of a Saviour point directly to Jesus as well.
Thus, we learn that when the burden of the Word of the Lord to Israel by Malachi was spoken -- the Lord was proclaiming to His people (and similarly, to us by extension) that the greatest love story ever told to mankind was drawing nigh. That He would send His messenger beforehand, so that "he shall prepare the way before Me, and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom you delight in; behold, He shall come," saith the Lord of hosts." (Malachi 3:1)
The Lord whom ye seek -- the messenger of the covenant whom ye delight in shall indeed come, and be here, and dwell among us, so that we could behold His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth. (John 1:1-18)
We learn more when Matthew refers to a particular moment in time -- when Jesus is asking the multitudes concerning John the baptist. "What went ye out for to see? A man clothed in soft raiment? Behold, they that wear soft clothing are in king's houses. But what went ye out for to see? A prophet? Yea, I say unto you, and more than a prophet, for this is [he] of whom it is written, "Behold, I send My messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee." (Matthew 11:8-9)
Here, Jesus is asking them, "So, what did you expect to see?" John the baptist wasn't a celebrated king, a man of royalty, a prince in his own right, and yet, these willingly traveled in droves to see this man. An interesting question, given that John's sustenance came from wild locusts and honey. (Matthew 3:4)
So what was Jesus really saying them?
"All the prophets and the law prophesied until John, and if ye will receive [it], this is Elias, which was for to come." (Matthew 11:12-13)
Not just the law, but all the prophets and the law together foretold of the promised Messiah to come. But as we can see here, those who stood on the banks "watching" John the baptist (rather than getting baptized themselves) still only wanted to point to the law as evidence of the Lord God, rather than to the prophets also (who spoke of the soon coming of the Lord as a mighty man). (Isaiah 42:13)
But Matthew, having followed Jesus as one of His beloved disciples, knew the difference. Thus, in his writing of the first gospel, we see Matthew boldly proclaiming that Jesus is the promised Messiah, using established prophetic evidence as proof. Herein, Matthew is saying, Jesus is the Lord of hosts. The same Lord God who created man and woman in the beginning is now in our midst -- the King has come -- the kingdom of God is nigh!
"Therefore, the Lord Himself shall give you a sign; "Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son, and shall call His name, Immanuel." (Isaiah 7:14; Luke 1:31-35; John 1:45; Revelation 12:5; Isaiah 8:8-10; Isaiah 9:6)
Is this not what happened?
And the angel answered and said unto [Mary], "The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore, also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God." (Luke 1:35)
"And she shall bring forth a son and thou shalt call His name JESUS, for He shall save His people from their sins. Now all this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken of the Lord by the prophet, saying, "Behold, a virgin shall be with child, and shall bring forth a son, and they shall call His name Emmanuel, which being interpreted is, "God with us." (Matthew 1:21-23)
"Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judaea, in the days of Herod the king, behold, there came wise men from the east to Jerusalem, saying, "Where is He that is born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him." (Matthew 2:1-2)
But this was only the beginning of prophecies coming to fruition.
And they said unto [Herod the king], "In Bethlehem of Judeae; for there it is written by the prophet, "And thou Bethlehem, in the land of Juda, art not the least among the princes of Juda, for out of thee shall come a Governor, that shall rule My people Israel." (Matthew 2:6)
These latter two scriptures, as Matthew points out, were first scribed when the Word of the Lord came to Micah, the Morasthite in the days of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah, kings of Judah, which he saw concerning Samaria and Jerusalem.
"Hear all ye people; hearken, o earth, and all that is therein, and let the Lord God be witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple. For behold, the Lord comes forth out of His place, and will come down, and tread upon the high places of the earth." (Micah 1:1-3)
And again, the Word of the Lord confirmed in Micah 5:2. "But thou, Bethlehem, Ephratah, [though] thou be little among the thousands of Judah, [yet] out of thee shall come forth, unto Me [that] is to be ruler in Israel, whose goings forth [have been] from of old, from everlasting ..." (Micah 5:2)
What is unfolding, through the writings of Matthew, is the "fulfillment" of prophecy in Jesus.
"Out of Egypt have I called My son." (Matthew 2:15)
"When Israel [was] a child, then I loved Him, and called My son out of Egypt." (Hosea 11:1)
(Note: the Word of the Lord came also unto Hosea, the son of Beeri, in the days of Uzziah, Jothan, Ahaz, and Hezekia, kings of Judah, and in the days of Jeroboam the son of Joash, king of Israel.)
But this was just the tip of the iceberg. As Matthew wrote, there were many more prophecies to prove that Jesus was the revealed fulfillment of the promised Christ.
"God, who at sundry times and in diverse manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by [His] Son, whom He hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also He made the worlds, who being the brightness of [His] glory, and the express image of His person, and upholding all things by the Word of His power, when He had by Himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high." (Hebrews 1:1-3)
Therefore, in writing the first gospel, we see one prophecy after another being established, until the accumulation of evidence from Matthew so overwhelming that it makes the gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ no longer refutable. Other prophecies include:
"In Rama was there a voice heard, lamentation, and weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, and would not be comforted, because they are not." (Matthew 2:18; Jeremiah 31:15)
This occurred when Herod, the king of the time, became troubled at the news of another k/King being born, and ordered all the children under the age of two to be killed. (Matthew 2:3)
"And He came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, "He shall be called a Nazarene." (Matthew 2:23)
As we see in the third chapter of Matthew, John the baptist is baptizing with water unto repentance, ever cognizant that was to come after him, "is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear, He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost and [with] fire." (Matthew 3:11)
"For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, "The voice of one crying in the wilderness, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight His paths." (Matthew 3:3; Isaiah 40:3)
Moreover, as Isaiah had prophesied, "And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse, and a branch shall grow out of his roots; and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord ..." (Isaiah 11:1-2)
Confirmed again in prophecy, as well as in the genealogy, "And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her [that had been the wife] of Urias." (Matthew 1:6: Isaiah 11:1; Isaiah 4:2; Zechariah 6:12-13)
"Ye are My witnesses," saith the Lord, "and My servant whom I have chosen, that ye may know and believe Me, and understand that I am He. Before Me, there was no God formed, neither shall there be after Me." (Isaiah 43:10)
"I, even I, am the Lord, and beside Me, there is no Saviour." (Isaiah 43:11)
Here was the the Word of the Lord proclaiming the good news to one and all through the prophet Isaiah -- "And in that day shall ye say, "Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted." (Isaiah 12:4)
"I, even I, am the Lord, and beside Me, there is no Saviour." (Isaiah 43:11)
Here was the the Word of the Lord proclaiming the good news to one and all through the prophet Isaiah -- "And in that day shall ye say, "Praise the Lord, call upon His name, declare His doings among the people, make mention that His name is exalted." (Isaiah 12:4)
The final test when Jesus Himself was baptized by John. As we read, John forbade Him saying, "I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?" (Matthew 3:14) But Jesus answering, said unto him, "Suffer [it to be so] now; for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness." (Matthew 3:15)
"And Jesus, when He was baptized, went up straightway out of the water; and, lo, the heavens were opened unto Him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him, and lo a voice form heaven, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:9-11)
" ... and the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon Him; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and fear of the Lord ..." (Isaiah 11:2)
As an aside, (because too many will refer to man's wisdom rather than John's account when explaining this particular scripture), please read John 1:29-36:
"The next day, John sees Jesus coming unto Him, and saith, "Behold the Lamb of God which takes away the sin of the world. This is He of whom I said, "After me comes a man which is preferred before me -- for He was before me. AND I KNEW HIM NOT; BUT THAT HE SHOULD BE MADE MANIFEST TO ISRAEL, THEREFORE AM I COME BAPTIZING WITH WATER. AND I KNEW HIM [Jesus] NOT, BUT HE THAT SENT ME TO BAPTIZE WITH WATER, THE SAME SAID UNTO ME, "UPON WHOM THOU SHALT SEE THE SPIRIT DESCENDING, AND REMAINING ON HIM, THE SAME IS HE WHICH BAPTIZES WITH THE HOLY GHOST ..." (John 1:29-33)
John only knew who Jesus was because of the Lord previously saying to him, "Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizes with the Holy Ghost." (John 1:33) Only when this happened would John know assuredly that Jesus was who He declared to be. But I digress.
Most assuredly then, as Matthew repeatedly testifies, Jesus is the King of kings and Lord of lords. Jesus has the Authority to save people from their sin. He is our deliverer and healer, restoring our lives and renewing our purpose(s) placed in our heart whilst still in our mother's womb. The great I AM who came unto His own and His own received Him not. (John 1:10-11) The Word made flesh. (John 1:1-18)
Although this post today only covers prophecy in the first three chapters of Matthew, we should recognize that we are quickly becoming privy to the mystery that was beheld in the bosom of the Father since the beginning of the world. The invitation to come and dine at the Master's table is in plain view. Indeed, Matthew, like John the baptist, is saying, "This is He who takes away the sin of the world," come worship Him. The same God who declared peace and good will to one and all is seeking your heart, mind, soul and strength.
And there was delivered unto Jesus the book of the prophet Esaias. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written, "The Spirit of the Lord [is] upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor; He hath sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised ... to preach the acceptable year of the Lord" (Luke 4:17-19; Isaiah 49:8-9; Isaiah 61:1-2)
"Then said I, Lo, I come (in the volume of the book it is written of Me,) to do Thy will, O God." (Psalm 40:7; Hebrews 10:7)
This is the SAME He who took away the first, that He may establish the second. The same He by which will we are sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once and for all. (Hebrews 10:1-39) And Matthew, a tax collector to whom Jesus specifically said, "Follow Me," wants you and I to do the same.
Stand in the offering plate.
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