Divisions of Matthew

Matthew may be divided into the following sections: chapters 1-4, the birth and divinity of Jesus; chapters 5-7, the principles of the kingdom, its rejection supposed, and the character of its subjects; chapters 8-12, His grace and power displayed in the midst of Israel and His rejection by the leaders and the nation; chapters 13-17, the kingdom rejected by Israel, He publicly breaks the bonds that naturally existed between Himself and the people after the flesh, and as the sower He goes forth to sow; when He acts thus in grace on the basis of promise, the way is opened up to the Gentile; chapter 18 through chapter 20:28, principles belonging to the new order of things; chapter 20:29 through chapter 25, His final presentation to Israel as the Son of David, the true King of Israel; chapters 26-28, His death and resurrection.
The genealogy of the first chapter begins with Abraham and ends with “Jesus, who is called Christ” (Matt. 1:16), or “Messiah”—both words, the one Greek and the other Hebrew, may be translated “Anointed”. Matthew alone refers to Emmanuel (Matt. 1:23; Isa: 7:14), and “He that is born King of the Jews” (Matt. 2:2). He was indeed Jehovah come down to dwell among His people, and He was rightly their king. Remarkably, it is the wise men from the east, Gentiles, that bare testimony of this to the Jews—yet another detail only to be found in Matthew.
Israel expected the Messiah—the prophecies of the Old Testament were known (Matt. 2:4-5)—but their expectation was entirely selfish; they looked forward to the restoration and exaltation of their nation (Luke 24:21). They felt nothing of their own wretched condition (Matt. 3:7-9). Though Matthew presents Jesus as the Messiah, His rejection by the nation underscores the entire book. To this day, Israel as a nation is unable to accept the character of the Lord’s first coming, though fully detailed by the prophets (Luke 24:26-27; Isa. 53).
When we do find Jesus identified with the people, it is always with the remnant. In chapter 3 we see the remnant separated by John, and Jesus with them (Psa. 16:3). In chapter 4, with John now in prison, Jesus returns into Galilee to the poor and despised of the flock (Zech. 11:11; John 1:46). John himself, though the messenger, must receive Him as one of the remnant, on the testimony that the Lord bore to Himself (Matt. 11:4). Unlike Mark and Luke, at the close of the book, we do not read of His ascension; rather, we find the Lord in Galilee with His own.