The book of Matthew is wonderfully placed in the order of the Bible. The Old Testament ends with the book of Malachi, and after the book was written, the people of God encountered four hundred years of silence. During this period of four hundred years, there was no voice spoken through a prophet, for there were no prophets in the land. Even the Maccabees report of this time of silence.
The Old Testament was filled with references to the coming Messiah, and the people of God looked forward in eager anticipation for the fulfillment of the Scriptures. The book of Malachi ends with prophecies concerning Elijah’s return and the coming of the Messiah. It is no wonder why the book of Matthew was placed first in the New Testament.
Matthew is filled with prophetic references and their fulfillments. It is also a book that was written to the Jewish community. As a result, Matthew is a remarkable connection between the Old and New Testaments. Matthew’s book begins with Jesus’ relationship with Abraham, the beloved father of the faith, and David, the beloved king.
Matthew tells us of Jesus’ descent from Abraham and then to David, from David, then to Joseph. Thus, Jesus is depicted as the long-awaited Messiah King Who would come and sit upon the throne of David.
God dwelling with man
But have you ever thought of how the book of Matthew both starts and ends? Have you ever thought of God’s great desire to dwell with His people? In the Garden, God dwelled in the presence of Adam and Eve. This was God’s original intent, and He called it good. God has not created and left His people to fend for themselves. God is intimately involved with His creation and has been from the beginning.
When man sinned against God, it brought about a separation between God and man. The rest of the Bible can be summed up as God seeking unity between Himself and His creation once again.
As we approach Matthew, we see that God sent His Son, Jesus, into the world. Let the coming of Christ permeate your thoughts this Christmas. Allow Jesus to take first place and rejoice in the incarnation.
The Bible tells us, “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” (KJV, Matt. 1:23). Here we see the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Jesus is God with us.
As we look to the end of Matthew, we see that the end is much like the beginning. Jesus speaks to His disciples and tells them that all authority has been given to Him. As a result, Jesus gives the Great Commission. He tells His disciples to go out into all the world and make disciples of all the nations and to baptize the new converts in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
The disciples were to teach the new converts to obey the commands of God, thereby making disciples themselves. But at the very end, we read these words, “…and, lo, I am with you always, even unto the end of the world. Amen” (Matt. 28:20). Jesus told His disciples and tells us today that He is with us always until the end of the age. Thus, we can see that Matthew both starts and ends his Gospel with Immanuel, God with us.
With that being said, let us look inside Matthew’s Gospel to see Jesus as God with us.
He is with us in temptation
Temptation is something that the Christian cannot escape in this life. There are ways in which the Christian must pray that God would not lead him into temptation. The Christian must also avoid certain situations. However, temptation will come while living in this fallen world.
Satan is said to be the great tempter. Satan sought to tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden, and he succeeded. As a result, sin entered the world, and life has never been the same.
When Satan tempted Eve, he did so through the avenues of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life. John tells us that the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life are the three avenues in which sin travels in this world.
In the Garden the fruit of the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil looked good to the taste; this was the lust of the flesh. The fruit looked like a delight to the eyes; this was the lust of the eyes. Finally, the fruit was thought to make one wise; this was the pride of life. In all of these ways, temptation came. Man fell in the Garden, but God had a plan.
In Matthews’s account, Jesus is portrayed as being tempted through the same avenues. First, Satan sought to tempt Jesus by turning stones into bread, the lust of the flesh. Then Satan sought to tempt Jesus by showing Jesus the kingdoms of the earth, the lust of the eyes. Finally, Satan sought to tempt Jesus by proving He was God by throwing himself down to the ground and having angels catch Him, the pride of life.
Despite the temptations, Jesus never sinned. As a result, Jesus can minister to us in our weaknesses. Scripture says, “For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin” (Heb. 4:15). Jesus was tempted in like manner. Therefore, we can go to Jesus amid temptation and know He is with us and ready to help.
He is with us in the storm
Not only is Jesus with us during our times of temptation, but Jesus is with us in the storm. Life is filled with times of sorrow, trial, affliction, and more. The storms of life will come, and there is no avoiding this fact. But take courage in knowing Christ is with the Christian in the midst of it all.
In Matthew 8:23-27 we see a glimpse of Jesus with His disciples in a boat. But have you thought much about the context of the passage? Go back to Matthew 8:18-22, and you will encounter the preceding story. In Matthew 8:18-22 we read of a man turning to Jesus and stating that he would follow Jesus wherever Jesus went. Jesus replied by saying that He had nowhere to lay His head. Therefore, if the man followed Jesus, it would be incredibly difficult. Then another man asks Jesus if he could bury his father before following Jesus. Jesus responds by telling the man that the dead should bury the dead. In other words, a true disciple should be concerned with Christ even if it means it will cost him. As we look at Matthew 8:18-22, we can deduce that discipleship has a cost.
After this passage, we encounter the storm. Jesus and His disciples are in a boat. Suddenly a storm arises, and the boat begins to be covered with water from the waves. However, Jesus slept throughout it all. The disciples panic, and their fear can be felt in their words, “…Lord, save us: we perish” (Matt. 8:25). Jesus hears their cry, wakes up, and rebukes the winds. Scripture tells us, “And he said unto them, Why are ye fearful, O ye of little faith? Then he arose, and rebuked the winds and the sea; and there was a great calm” (Matt. 8:26). Jesus was with them in the storm. Jesus is with the Christian today.
The Christian need not fear what this world may bring. God has declared, “When thou passest through the waters, I will be with thee; and through the rivers, they shall not overflow thee…” (Is. 43:2). God has promised to be with His people. Jesus has come, and He is Immanuel, God with us.
Matthew began His Gospel with Jesus being with us, and he ended his Gospel in like manner. Jesus is with the Christian during times of temptation, and He is with the believer throughout all the storms of life. Man should look no further for help than Immanuel.
Final prayer
Father, I thank You for the presence of Christ in my life. Help me recognize that Jesus is with me today and be encouraged by Christ’s faithfulness.