BIBLE BOOK GUIDE
Matthew
28 chapters
Jesus is the promised King from David's line who brings the kingdom of heaven, dies and rises to save His people, and commissions His disciples to make disciples of all nations.
Matthew
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Why this book was written
Matthew wrote primarily for a Jewish audience to demonstrate that Jesus is the long-awaited Messiah who fulfills Old Testament prophecy, to teach the ethic of kingdom living, and to commission the church for global disciple-making.
Structure
- 1–4The King's Birth and Preparation
- 5–7The Kingdom Manifesto: Sermon on the Mount
- 8–10The King's Power and Mission
- 11–13The Mystery and Response to the Kingdom
- 14–20The King's Path to the Cross
- 21–28The King's Trial, Cross, and Resurrection
Major themes
The Kingdom of Heaven
The kingdom has arrived in Jesus but awaits full consummation; disciples are to seek and live out its values now.
Messianic Identity
Jesus is the Son of David whose words, authority, and suffering fulfill Old Testament messianic prophecy.
Faith and Discipleship
Genuine faith expresses itself in obedience, self-denial, and a missional witness to the world.
Righteousness and Mercy
Kingdom righteousness exceeds Pharisaic legalism and is marked by mercy, sincerity, and inward transformation.
Judgment and Eschatology
Jesus foretells judgment on unbelief and the end times, calling listeners to watchfulness and readiness.
The Great Commission
The risen Christ commissions the church to baptize, teach, and make disciples of every nation.
How it points to Christ
Matthew portrays Jesus as the fulfillment of every Old Testament hope: greater than Solomon, greater than the temple, the new Moses, the suffering Servant, and the risen King. His teaching reveals the Father's heart, His miracles demonstrate the kingdom's power, His death pays the ransom for many, and His resurrection launches the global mission of His church.
Key verses
- 1:1Opens by anchoring Jesus in covenant history as the fulfillment of messianic promises.
- 5:17–18Jesus clarifies His relationship to the Old Testament as its fulfillment.
- 11:28–30A gospel invitation promising rest and a yoke of grace.
- 16:16Peter's confession identifying Jesus as the Messiah and Son of God.
- 20:28Defines Jesus' mission as a ransom for many, central to the cross.
- 26:26–28Institution of the Lord's Supper pointing to the new covenant in His blood.
- 28:18–20The Great Commission with the promise of Christ's presence closes the book.
Films & series on Matthew
Each has a guide: scripture sources, where it departs from the Bible, discussion questions, and where to watch

The Chosen
Series · 2019
The life of Christ through the eyes of those who encountered him.

Jesus of Nazareth
Series · 1977
Dramatizes the Birth, Life, Ministry, Crucifixion, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, largely according to the Holy Bible's New Testament Gospels.

The Passion of the Christ
Film · 2004
A graphic portrayal of the last twelve hours of Jesus of Nazareth's life.

Son of God
Film · 2014
In the Holy Land, the Roman occupation has produced a cauldron of oppression, anxiety and excessive taxes levied upon the Jewish people. Fearing the wrath of Roman governor Pontius Pilate , Jewish high priest Caiaphas tries to keep control of his people. That control is threatened when Jesus arrives in Jerusalem, performing miracles and spreading messages of love and hope. Those who fear that Jesus will inspire a revolution decide that he must die.

The Gospel of Matthew
Film · 2014
The Gospel of Matthew was the most popular Gospel in the early Christian centuries. Written for a Christian community as it begins to separate from the Jewish world, Matthew's Gospel goes to great lengths to show that, as the Messiah, Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophecies referring to God's Saviour. Narrated in the NIV version by leading British actor Stephen Tompkinson and in the KJV by David Threlfall - featuring specially constructed sets and the authentic countryside of Morocco - it immerses the viewer in the world of first-century Palestine.

The King of Kings
Film · 2025
Charles Dickens tells his young son Walter the greatest story ever told, and what begins as a bedtime tale becomes a life-changing journey. Through vivid imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus, witnessing His miracles, facing His trials, and understanding His ultimate sacrifice.
Reflections on Matthew
People in this book
Questions for reflection
- ·Which command of the Sermon on the Mount challenges you most right now, and how can you let kingdom values displace worldly ones?
- ·How are you living out the call to be salt and light in your daily work and relationships?
- ·In light of Jesus' warning that not everyone who says 'Lord, Lord' enters the kingdom, how do you examine the authenticity of your relationship with Him?
- ·How does the truth that Jesus gave His life as a ransom reshape your view of sacrifice, service, and forgiveness?
- ·To whom or where is the Great Commission sending you, and what is one step you can take today?
Want to read Matthew start to finish? Open the reader for parallel Chinese/English text and ask anything as you go.
Start reading MatthewMatthew
Chapter 4
1Then was Jesus led up of the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted of the devil.
2And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he afterward hungered.
3And the tempter came and said unto him, If thou art the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.
4But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.
5Then the devil taketh him into the holy city; and he set him on the pinnacle of the temple,
6and saith unto him, If thou art the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and, On their hands they shall bear thee up, lest haply thou dash thy foot against a stone.
7Jesus said unto him, Again it is written, Thou shalt not make trial of the Lord thy God.
8Again, the devil taketh him unto an exceeding high mountain, and showeth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them;
9and he said unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.
10Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.
11Then the devil leaveth him; and behold, angels came and ministered unto him.
12Now when he heard that John was delivered up, he withdrew into Galilee;
13and leaving Nazareth, he came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the borders of Zebulun and Naphtali:
14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through Isaiah the prophet, saying,
15The land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, Toward the sea, beyond the Jordan, Galilee of the Gentiles,
16the people that sat in darkness saw a great light, and to them that sat in the region and shadow of death, to them did light spring up.
17From that time began Jesus to preach, and to say, Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
18And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw two brethren, Simon who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishers.
19And he saith unto them, Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men.
20And they straightway left the nets, and followed him.
21And going on from thence he saw two other brethren, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets; and he called them.
22And they straightway left the boat and their father, and followed him.
23And Jesus went about in all Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, and preaching the gospel of the kingdom, and healing all manner of disease and all manner of sickness among the people.
24And the report of him went forth into all Syria: and they brought unto him all that were sick, holden with divers diseases and torments, possessed with demons, and epileptic, and palsied; and he healed them.
25And there followed him great multitudes from Galilee and Decapolis and Jerusalem and Judaea and from beyond the Jordan.
