Rev Brendan Edwards

The Four Faces of Jesus, Part 1

The theme of King in Matthew

(More than in other Gospels)

The word king is used 24 times and The word kingdom is used 53 times

Matthew (a Jew) has this focus because the Jews  are waiting for the Messiah to rescue them

Chapter 1- Genealogy to prove Jesus is a descendant of King David
Promised Messiah to come from David’s line
(Isaiah 11)

Jesus is the Messiah!

What Matthew learned and wanted to share….
The Kingdom of heaven:
– is not of this world
– is for sinners who repent
– is not for the religiously proud
– is for everyone (not just Jews)
Note Jesus title in Chapter 2:1-2 and 27:11

2 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem 2 and asked, “Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

Matthew 2:1-2

11 Meanwhile Jesus stood before the governor, and the governor asked him,
“Are you the king of the Jews?”  “You have said so,” Jesus replied.

Matthew 27:11,37

37 Above his head they placed the written charge against him:
this is Jesus, the king of the Jews.

The Kingdom of heaven:
– is for sinners who repent Matt 9:10-13

10 While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and sinners came
and ate with him and his disciples.
11 When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?”

12 On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick.
13 But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice.’ For I have not come to call the righteous, but sinners.”

What Matthew learned and wanted to share….
The Kingdom of heaven: is not for the religiously proud
– is for everyone (not just Jews)

Matt 22: 1-15

1 Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: 2 “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. 3 He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.

4 “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’

5 “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business. 6 The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them. 7 The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.

8 “Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. 9 So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ 10 So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests….
15 Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.

What does this mean for you?
The Kingdom of heaven:
– is not of this world
– is for sinners who repent
– is not for the religiously proud
– is for everyone (not just Jews)

Matt 5: 3-10

3“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.  4 Blessed are those who mourn,
for they will be comforted.5 Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.  6 Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,  for they will be filled.  7 Blessed are the merciful,  for they will be shown mercy.  8 Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.  9 Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.  10 Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,  for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

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