In the fifth chapter of the Book of Matthew, we read a popular sermon on the Beatitudes. This story from Jesus’ life offers both admonishment and hope. Jesus’ ability to resist the Devil, and His commandment for us to emulate Him, are meant to show us that we too can overcome temptation. “Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God” ( Matthew 4:4). In this story, Jesus spoke words that are still often quoted in Christian circles today. We see this as he experienced spiritual guidance ( Matthew 4:1), and he experienced hunger ( Matthew 4:2). This account is important because we witness Jesus both as the Son of Man and Son of God. In Matthew 4, we read about how Jesus was tempted in the wilderness by the Devil. Tax collectors were known to extort money from others to gain profit and because they simply had that authority. Matthew’s role as a tax collector was infamous because of their corrupt dealings with people. For I didn’t come to call the righteous, but sinners” ( Matthew 9:13). “Go and learn what this means: I desire mercy and not sacrifice. Jesus was there to save each and every one of them. Matthew was indeed a sinner, and unbeknownst to them, much like the Pharisees. In this same chapter, Matthew writes how Jesus responded to the Pharisees’ perspective. Matthew was a tax collector, and in the eyes of the Pharisees, that was a position in society equivalent to that of a sinner ( Matthew 9:11). “As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax office, and he said to him, ‘Follow me,’ and he got up and followed him” ( Matthew 9:9). Along with the details he writes about Jesus, Matthew also includes brief details about how he became one of Jesus’s disciples. This is the only biblical text ascribed to his authorship. The writer of the Book of Matthew is none other than Matthew himself. There are also unique details written, such as The Great Commission and the Sermon on the Mount. This book also includes a number of different miracles performed by Jesus during His ministry, parables told by the Savior, and a few predictions about Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. Consisting of 28 chapters, the Book of Matthew conveys a number of ideas that appear in other books such as Jesus’ genealogy, the Lord’s prayer, and events from Jesus’ life. The Book of Matthew appears in the New Testament, after the Book of Malachi and before the Book of Mark.

Book of matthew bible study