Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah and true Son of David whose arrival fulfills Scripture, whose teaching and deeds display kingdom authority and demand greater righteousness, whose mixed reception reveals the mysteries of the kingdom, whose rejection at Jerusalem exposes false religion, and whose resurrection establishes Him as the crucified and risen King who now commissions His disciples to disciple all nations.
Return to the storyline index when you want to compare the wider canonical movement of Scripture by book.
Matthew 1:1-4:25
Matthew presents Jesus as the promised Messiah, true Son of David, and beloved Son whose arrival fulfills Scripture and inaugurates the kingdom.
Sets the Gospel's royal and fulfillment-oriented opening.
Matthew 5:1-10:42
Jesus defines the righteousness of the kingdom in His teaching and displays the authority of the kingdom in His deeds while commissioning His disciples for mission.
Establishes the life, demands, and authority of the kingdom.
Matthew 11:1-13:58
Matthew shows how Jesus brings faith, offense, hardening, and division, and He explains the kingdom through parables to reveal both judgment and hidden growth.
Marks the Gospel's major turn into opposition, mystery, and discernment.
Matthew 14:1-25:46
Jesus forms His disciples, reveals His identity more fully, confronts corrupt leadership, and prepares for judgment, watchfulness, and the coming of the Son of Man.
Drives the Gospel toward its climactic confrontation and eschatological burden.
Matthew 26:1-28:20
Matthew closes with Jesus' betrayal, crucifixion, resurrection, and universal commission, showing that the rejected King now reigns with all authority in heaven and on earth.
Resolves the Gospel in atonement, resurrection, and worldwide mission.
Atonement is God's provision through which the guilt of sin is dealt with, reconciliation with Him is made possible, and His justice and mercy are upheld, ultimately accomplished through the sacrificial death of Jesus Christ.
Covenant is the binding relationship God establishes by His own authority through which He orders His relationship with humanity, governs His redemptive purposes, and carries His promises forward throughout the biblical storyline.
Mission is God's purposeful movement to reveal His glory, redeem sinners, gather a people from every nation, and restore creation, carried out through His covenant people and fulfilled through the saving work and authority of Jesus Christ.
Holiness in Scripture describes God's absolute moral purity, uniqueness, and separation from sin, as well as the calling of His people to reflect His character through lives set apart for Him.
The kingdom of God is God's sovereign rule exercised over His creation, revealed throughout Scripture, opposed by human rebellion, advanced through His redemptive acts, and brought to its decisive fulfillment in Jesus Christ before reaching its full consummation in the new creation.
Christology is the biblical revelation of the person and work of Jesus Christ, showing that He is the promised Messiah, the Son of God, the true King, the perfect Priest, the final sacrifice, and the one through whom God's redemptive purposes are fulfilled.
Faith and obedience describe the covenant response God calls for from His people: trusting His promises and acting in faithful submission to His revealed will, a response ultimately made possible through His saving grace.
Judgment and mercy describe the twin realities of God's righteous response to sin and His compassionate provision of forgiveness and restoration, revealing both His justice and His grace throughout the biblical storyline.