The Book of Matthew
Extracting the Treasures of the Bible
Verse by VerseLorraine Day, M.D.
Introduction to Matthew
Matthew, being an Israelite, manifests the Messiah as the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. He is the King of Israel and the Owner of the land. Matthew never rises above the plane of Israel’s interests and hopes.
Four non-Israelite women enter the genealogy of Jesus (verses 3,5,6). Tamar’s sin introduced her into the line of ancestry, and Rahab, the prostitute, came in by faith. Ruth was a Moabite, and Bathsheba (who may also have been of foreign stock) reminds us of David’s great transgression.
The non-Israelite magi come to worship Jesus while Herod (half-Israelite) seeks to kill Him (2:1-2).
The centurion exhibits a faith unknown in Israel (8:5-12).
The Canaanitish woman is commended for her confidence in Christ (15:21-28).
Pilate’s wife – a non-Israelite – seeks to protect and deliver Christ, while the Israelites cry, “Crucify Him. Crucify Him.” (17:10,24)
The Roman centurion at the cross acknowledges that He is the Son of God (17:54)
Matthew, Chapter 1
The lineage of Jesus through Mary
1-6 This is the lineage of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham, through His legal (but not biological) father Joseph, whose father was Jacob. This is in contrast to the genealogy given by Luke, which is the genealogy of Mary, through Mary’s father Heli. Joseph, Mary’s husband, was the son-in-law of Heli, by his marriage with Mary, Heli’s daughter. As Heli had no son of his own, his allotment passed to his daughter’s husband (Numbers 27:8) and so Joseph is the legal son of Heli and the physical son of Jacob.
vss 5,6 “And Salmon begat Boaz of Rahab; and Boaz begat Obed of Ruth; and Obed begat Jesse: And Jesse begat David, the king.”
Jesus was NOT a Jew
Rahab was NOT even an Israelite (much less a “Jew.”) She was a Canaanite prostitute living in Jericho who helped the Israelite spies as they surveyed the land for takeover. (Joshua, Chapter 2) She subsequently married Salmon and was the mother of Boaz. So Rahab, the prostitute was the great, great grandmother of David.
Ruth was also NOT an Israelite. She was a Moabite. (Ruth, Chapter 1)
The Old Testament Israelites were NOT Jews, even though most of Christendom refers to them erroneously as Jews. They actually were Christians because they were looking forward to their Messiah, Jesus Christ.
Those who believe erroneously that Jesus was a Jew should have difficulty explaining why he has two NON-Israelite (NON-Jews – according to those who think Jesus was a Jew) women in His lineage. According to present-day “Jews” – the Jewishness comes through the mother, and that means that none of the off-spring of Rahab OR Ruth could have been “Jewish.”
That fact, by itself, would have eliminated Jesus (and David, and Solomon – and ALL the kings of Israel) from being “Jewish.”
But more importantly, Jesus was God – in human form – and had no genes of either Joseph or Mary. He was a child of the Holy Spirit. Mary was, if you will, a surrogate mother of Jesus. His “seed” was placed in her womb, but Jesus had none of Mary’s genes, because it is impossible for “man” – a human being (Mary) – to create God!
Vs 6 And Jesse begat David the king; and David the king begat Solomon of her that had been the wife of Uriah.
God is not going to let the world forget David’s great sin of 1) adultery with Bathsheba and, 2) of murdering Uriah in order to steal Uriah’s wife. Because of his great sin, David’s firstborn son by Bathsheba died soon after birth, and David’s son Solomon, by Bathseba, started out wise but later became very wicked, to the point of sacrificing his children to the pagan god Molech.
It is Solomon, in his pagan, wicked state, who is the hero and the model for present-day Masons.
Does God Approve of Tattoos and Body Piercing?
Vs 10 “Jehoiakim (or Shallum) is omitted from the list of kings because he refused Jeremiah’s warnings, forsook the covenant and turned to other gods (Jer 22:1-7) In Chronicles mention is made, not only of his abominations, or idolatry, but to ;that which was found on him’ (2 Chr. 36:8). He made cuttings or marks on his flesh (tattoos??) as a sign of his allegiance to other gods (Lev. 19:28). Hence he was denied human burial and his name is blotted out of the register of kings (Deut 29:18-20).” Concordant Commentary of the New Testament, p 11
Lev 19:28 says,
“Ye shall not make any cuttings in your flesh for the dead, nor print any marks upon you: I am the Lord.”
Vs 17 So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into (exile in) Babylon are fourteen generations: and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.
In each group there are fourteen generations. David, as the most important progenitor, is counted twice. “Each period began with a revival and closed in apostasy. At the end of the first, the land was oppressed by the Philistines; at the end of the second, it was beneath the feet of Babylon: at the end of the third, it was under the Roman yoke.” Ibid.
Jesus had NO genes of Mary
Vs 18 Now the birth of Jesus Christ was as follows: When as his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child of the Holy Spirit (God’s Breath of Holiness).
This verse tells us that Jesus Christ was a “child of the Holy Spirit” not that the “father” of Jesus was the Holy Spirit and that Mary was His biological mother. As stated above, Mary was the surrogate mother of Jesus. The “seed” of Jesus was placed in Mary’s womb. Jesus was God – and human beings (Mary) – cannot create God. Jesus had no genes from either Joseph OR Mary. (also, see vs. 20)
Man CANNOT create God!
Universal Restoration
Vs 21 “And she (Mary) shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call His name Jesus (Savior): for He SHALL save His people from their sins.”
This verse does not say that Jesus will “offer” to save His people from their sins, it says He SHALL do it.
And just who are “His people”? Certainly this is not referring to the present-day “Jews” as many Christians have been erroneously taught. Jesus is the creator of every person who has ever been on this earth. “His people” refers to ALL His children – every person that He has created.
This is the first mention of Universal Restoration (God will save Everyone He has ever created) in the New Testament. God wastes no time in telling us of His plans to save everyone in the world! He tells us in the very first Chapter of Matthew, the first chapter in the New Testament.
The False Doctrine of the Trinity
Vs 23 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.
Here is the first biblical negation in the New Testament of the false doctrine of the Trinity. Jesus is declared to be - God – NOT just a “part” of God. Jesus is not “one in three.”
The Bible tells us that God is Invisible and that Jesus is the Visible form of God.
Jesus is “the image of the invisible God, , ,” Col 1:15
Jesus, “Who being the brightness of His (God’s) glory, and the express image of His (God’s) 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;” Heb 1:3
God is Invisible, and Jesus is the Visible form of God. Jesus and God are One and the same person.
“Hear O Israel, the Lord our God is ONE Lord.” Deut 6:4
“Jesus saith unto him (Philip), Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known me, Philip? He that hath seen me hath seen the Father; and how sayest thou then, Show us the Father?” John 14:9
Continuing in Matthew 1:25:
“And Joseph knew her (Mary) not till she had brought forth her firstborn son: and he called his name Jesus.”
The name Jesus is from the Latin Jesu (pronounced Yehsoo) from the Greek Yeshua or Joshua. (“Y” becomes “J” in the English alphabet.)
This is why Joshua – not Moses – had to lead the Israelites into the Promised Land. It was symbolic for Jesus (Yeshua/Joshua) eventually leading ALL of His children into the “Promised Land” of heaven and the New Earth.
Matthew, Chapter 2
Vs 1 Now when Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold there came wise men (magi) from the east to Jerusalem.
Bethlehem, meaning the House of Bread, can be traced back in the family of Jesus to the time of Boaz and Ruth (Ruth 1:1,2). Here David dwelt.
The magi represent those who are learned in the lore of nature.
Vs 2 Saying, Where is He that is born King of the Judeans? For we have seen His star in the east, and are come to worship Him.
It is highly unlikely that “star” that led the wise men to Bethlehem was a normal occurrence. No such star could guide the magi for a long period and then take its place above Bethlehem, as distinct from Jerusalem. (Bethlehem is only about 6 miles from Jerusalem.) It is much easier to believe that it was an extraordinary star- such as a group of angels – the angels that heralded the birth of Christ to the shepherd.
Vs 3 When Herod the king had heard these things, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.
Herod the Great was an Edomite, or possibly half Israelite and half Edomite. He was the first sovereign of the Edomites who reigned over Judea, under Roman supremacy. It is not surprising that Herod was troubled over the rumored birth of the Messiah, but why was “all Jerusalem (troubled) with him”? They should have been overjoyed to hear of the birth of the Messiah, but apparently the apostasy among the Israelites was so deep that this news was “troubling” to them. Apparently, they preferred things to remain as they were.
Vs 4-7 And when he (Herod) had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he demanded of them where Christ should be born.
And they said unto him, In Bethlehem of Judea; for thus it is written by the prophet
And thou Bethlehem in the land of Judah (those living there were called “Judahites” – NOT “Jews.”) art not the least among the princes of Judah: For out of thee shall come a Ruler, that shall shepherd My people Israel. (A quote from Micah 5:2)
Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, inquired of them diligently what time the star appeared.
“It is evident, from the anxiety of Herod to get the exact time when the star first appeared, and his order to kill all the babies under two years, that the Magi did not visit Bethlehem when Christ was born, but a long time afterward. He was now a little Boy, and Herod does not consider it safe to allow any child under two years to live. It is probably that they saw the star in the east at His birth, and after some time for preparation, took their slow journey to Judea.” Concordant Commentary, pg 12
vs 8-10 And he (Herod) sent them (the wise men) to Bethlehem and said, Go and search diligently for the young child; and when you have found him, bring me word again, that I may come and worship him also. When they had heard the king, they departed; and lo, the star, which they saw in the east went before them, till it came and stood over where the young child (little boy) was.
When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy.
How ironic. The Israelites – those who claimed to be God’s “chosen people” - were “troubled” but the Magi (probably pagans) were “rejoicing with exceeding great joy.”
King Herod and the Chief Priests and scribes were not interested in traveling 6 miles to see if this was the Messiah. Yet the Magi – probably pagans – undoubtedly traveled many hundreds of miles, a major undertaking with a lot of pre-planning in those days, to see Jesus. Jesus was probably close to two years old when the Magi arrived.
The Nativity scene that is set up every Christmas, showing the shepherds and the three wise men at the manger is very likely incorrect. It is true that the Shepherds saw Jesus lying in a manger, because they were in the fields near by and came to see Jesus right away.
The Magi, in the east, also saw the star in the east, but had to come from a very long way to see Jesus. Herod gave an order to kill all the baby boys in Bethlehem under the age of 2 because it was 2 years before that the “star” had first appeared.
Obviously, the Chief Priests and scribes doubted if this baby born in Bethlehem was really the Messiah because they arrogantly assumed that God would have told them – rather than the lowly (what the priests considered second-class) shepherds in the fields.
Vs 11 And when they were come into the house, they saw the young child with Mary his mother, and fell down, and worshipped him; and when they had opened their treasures, they presented unto him gifts; gold and frankincense, and myrrh.
Vs 13-15 And when they were departed, behold, the angel of the Lord appeared 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.
When he arose, he took the young child and his mother by night, and departed into Egypt:
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.”
God now told Joseph to take Jesus to Egypt to hide Him. But before Joseph and Mary could go, they had to have the funds to pay for the trip. This God provided through the gifts brought by the magi.
Egypt was at that time the center of the world’s wisdom but we do not read that any of the wise men in Egypt recognized Him in Whom all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge are concealed (Col 2:3).
Here also was the home of the Septuagint, the Greek version of the Scriptures that Jesus used in His ministry.
From here He, like the nation before Him, was called out of Egypt. (Hosea 11:3). The nation of Israel was called God’s chosen people. Their mission was to exhibit the character of God and spread the truth of God to the world. But they had failed miserably. Jesus would succeed by following the same steps where Israel failed.
“There are amazing parallels between the history of Israel and the history of Jesus Christ. In Hebrew history, a young man named Joseph, who had dreams, went to Egypt. In the New Testament we find another man named Joseph who had dreams and then went to Egypt.
“When God called Israel out of Egypt, He called that nation “my son.’ Exodus 4:22. When Jesus came out of Egypt, God said, “Out of Egypt I have called My Son.”
“When the nation of Israel left Egypt, the people went through the Red Sea. They were ‘baptized. . . in the sea.’ 1 Cor 10:2. In the third chapter of Matthew, we read that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River ‘to fulfill all righteousness.’ Verse 15. Then God called Jesus, ‘my beloved Son.’ Verse 17
“After the Israelites passed through the Red Sea, they spent 40 years in the wilderness. Immediately after Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river, He was ‘led up of the Spirit into the wilderness’ for 40 days (Matthew 4:1,2). At the end of the 40 days, Jesus resisted the devil’s temptations by quoting three Scriptures. All were from Deuteronomy, the very book that God gave to Israel at the end of their 40 years in the wilderness!
“What does this mean? It means that in Matthew’s book, Jesus is repeating the history of Israel, point by point, and is overcoming where they failed. He is becoming the new Israel, the Prince of God, the one victorious Man who overcomes all sin.” Exploding the Israel Deception, by Steve Wohlberg, pp 20,21
Matthew, Chapter 3
Vs 1-3 In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea
And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
For this is he that was spoken of by the Prophet Isaiah, saying, “The Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.
Today, when a city is successful in being chosen for the Olympic games, it spends millions of dollars in beautification, when normally its infrastructure, like most other cities, is in poor repair. The same thing happened in cities in Israel and the surrounding countries. The wretched roads in the East were seldom repaired unless in preparation for some royal visitor. “To see the peasants employed in removing the stones and straightening the road, and leveling its rough places was a sure sign that some one of high rank was expected. John the Baptist was the herald of the King, calling on His subjects to prepare His path before Him (Isa. 40:3)
The name John (Jonas or Jonah in the Hebrew) means “dove” – a symbol of peace that Jesus would, in the end, bring to the world.
Vs 4 And the same John had his raiment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey.
There is a controversy over the question of whether the “locusts” that John the Baptist ate were actually “bugs” or whether the “locusts” were the fruit and/or leaves of the “locust” tree that grows in that area of Palestine.
Vs 5 Then went out to him Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region round about Jordan.
It is interesting that the translators translate the word Judea properly, but when an “n” is placed at the end of the word, making it “Judean” – the translators erroneously shorten it to “Jew.” The word Judean described either the location where the person lived (Judea) or their distinctive worship of Jehovah whose presence resided in the temple in Jerusalem in Judea. It was a spiritual distinction between the Judeans who worshiped the God of heaven versus the nations (mistranslated “Gentiles”) who worshiped many pagan gods.
But the translators by arbitrarily and improperly shortening the word Judean to “Jew” - were clearly attempting to make the word define an ethnicity, which it did not. The Israelites were not “Jews.” But they did worship the God whose presence resided in the temple in Jerusalem in Judea. Therefore they were Judeans!
Vss 6-8 And were baptized of him in Jordan, confessing their sins.
But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees come for his baptism, he said unto them, O brood of vipers, who has warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance.
“John came in the spirit and power of Elijah (Matt 11:14; Luke 1:17). The superficial ceremonial without a corresponding condition of the heart was offensive to his spirit. He loathed hypocrisy. So he refused to baptize the religious zealots whose lives were not in accord with their profession. True repentance alone could avail to prepare them for the Coming One. Water could only symbolize the inward cleansing. It was not a substitute.” Ibid. p 13
Vs 9 And think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham as our father; for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.
John the Baptist was well aware of the arrogance of the Pharisees and Sadducees, and their belief that their position and their works “to be seen of men” would bring them salvation. But it is the true worshipers of God who are the “children of Abraham.”
“And if you are Christ’s, then are you Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the Promise.” Galatians 3:29
Vss 10,11 And now also the ax is laid unto the root of the trees: therefore every tree that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but He that comes after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: He shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit (God’s breath of holiness) and with fire.
There are three baptisms here, water, spirit (God’s breath of holiness), and fire. John used water only. This method was continued during the Lord’s ministry. But after His resurrection He told them, “John, indeed, baptizes in water, yet you shall be baptized in holy spirit (breath of holiness) after not many of these days. (Acts 1:5)
Baptism by water symbolized a cleaning of the outward man, and a recognition that God is our creator. Baptism by God’s spirit (or God’s breath of holiness) is the type that occurred at Pentecost, when the eyes of the disciples of Jesus were opened to understand Spiritual things – to be able to see what was happening from God’s point of view.
Vs 12 Whose winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly purge His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.
The baptism of fire is the burning of the chaff – the sin in our life. That was the only baptism that the Pharisees and Sadducees deserved. Those whom He does not baptize in His spirit (giving them His breath of holiness – His eonian life), He will baptize in fire – in judgment.
Vs 13-17 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him, Allow it to be so now: for this it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. Then he allowed him.
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 from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Jesus did not need cleansing, for He had no sin. But He, calling Himself the “Son of God” - needed to identify with us as “sons and daughters of God” to show us His example so we could follow in His footsteps.
God’s spirit (breath of holiness) has no material form so it is shown to us in various ways. It is usually presented as a blast of air (breath – a respiration), for this is the primary meaning of the word pneuma (John 3:8, Acts 2:2, Rev 5:6).
When Jesus was a baby, presented to the Lord, His parents offered two squabs of the doves (Luke 2:24).
“The Spirit of God gives Jesus power for the proclamation of the gospel of the kingdom, not by presenting Him with a sword and mace (which the Israelites would have preferred), and not by crowning Him with a crown, but by investing Him with the far more godlike powers of gentleness and sacrifice.” Ibid. p 14