Matthew uses the word “kingdom” more than 50 times in his Gospel as he records the life and teachings of Jesus. Jesus preached “the gospel (good news) of the kingdom” (Matthew 4:23). He spoke of the kingdom of heaven, the kingdom of God. The Hebrew Scriptures had foretold that he would come and establish an everlasting kingdom. But the ways in which Jesus exercises his kingship and teaches about the kingdom are not what anyone would have expected. This Gospel is Matthew’s attempt to show that, even so, Jesus is the true King of God’s people, and his kingdom is good.
These are some recommended* resources that might be referenced during our series in Matthew’s Gospel. Take a look, follow along via online sermons, and invite a friend to visit with us for the series!
- Dietrich Bonhoeffer, The Cost of Discipleship
- D. A. Carson, Matthew (Expositor’s Bible Commentary)
- R. T. France, The Gospel of Matthew (NICNT)
- Stanley Hauerwas, Matthew (Brazos Theological Commentary)
- Thomas Weinandy, Jesus Becoming Jesus: A Theological Interpretation of the Synoptic Gospels
(*Disclaimer: it should go without saying, but simply because a resource is recommended doesn’t mean every view promoted by the resource is being endorsed. If you need to know that everything someone says is 100% biblical before you’re comfortable listening to him at all, you’ll never be comfortable—not even with yourself. By God’s grace, we can learn from all kinds of people, even if we disagree about important things.)