Expository Notes on the Bible (Constable)

• Literary form and characteristics
  Malachi's style is quite different from that of any other writing prophet. Instead of delivering messages to his audience, he charged them with various sins, six times in all. His was a very confrontational style of address. ...
• Plan and Structure
  Matthew often grouped his material into sections so that three, five, six, or seven events, miracles, sayings, or parables appear together.27Jewish writers typically did this to help their readers remember what they had writt...
• Outline
  I. The introduction of the King 1:1-4:11A. The King's genealogy 1:1-17B. The King's birth 1:18-25C. The King's childhood 2:1-231. The prophecy about Bethlehem 2:1-122. The prophecies about Egypt 2:13-183. The prophecies about...
• 2. Jesus' baptism 3:13-17 (cf. Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23)
  Jesus' baptism was the occasion at which His messiahship became obvious publicly. Matthew recorded this event as he did to convince his readers further of Jesus' messianic qualifications.3:13-14 John hesitated to baptize Jesu...
• 1. The setting of Jesus' ministry 4:12-16
  Comparison of John's Gospel and Matthew's shows that Jesus ministered for about a year before John the Baptist's arrest. John had criticized Herod Antipas for having an adulterous relationship with his brother Philip's wife (...
• III. The manifestation of the King 8:1--11:1
  "Matthew has laid the foundational structure for his argument in chapters one through seven. The genealogy and birth have attested to the legal qualifications of the Messiah as they are stated in the Old Testament. Not only s...
• The healing of many Galileans 8:16-17 (cf. Mark 1:32-34; Luke 4:40-41)
  That evening many other people brought their afflicted friends and relatives to Jesus for healing. In the Jewish inter-testamental literature the writers spoke of demons as responsible for making people ill.384Jesus cast out ...
• 4. Jesus' continuation of His work 11:1 (cf. Mark 6:12-13; Luke 9:6)
  Here is another of Matthew's formulas that ended a discourse (cf. 7:28-29; 13:53; 19:1; 26:1). Matthew had no concern for recording what happened when the Twelve went out having received Jesus' instructions. He passed over th...
• IV. The opposition to the King 11:2--13:53
  Chapters 11-13 record Israel's rejection of her Messiah and its consequences. Opposition continued to build, but Jesus announced new revelation in view of hardened unbelief."The Evangelist has carefully presented the credenti...
• The confusion of the King's forerunner 11:2-6 (cf. Luke 7:18-23)
  Even John the Baptist had doubts about whether Jesus was really the promised Messiah."Matthew includes the record of this interrogation for at least two reasons. First, the questioning of Jesus by John, a representative of th...
• The commendation of the King's forerunner 11:7-11 (cf. Luke 7:24-28)
  John had borne witness to Jesus, and now Jesus bore witness to John. In doing so Jesus pointed to Himself as the person who would bring in the kingdom.11:7-8 As John's disciples were leaving, Jesus took the opportunity to spe...
• 2. Indifference to the King's message 11:20-24
  One indication of Israel's opposition to her King was the antagonism she displayed toward John and Jesus' methods (vv. 2-19). Another was her indifference to Jesus' message. Jesus and His disciples had preached and healed thr...
• 3. The King's invitation to the repentant 11:25-30
  This invitation is a sign of Israel's rejection of her King since with it Jesus invited those who had believed in Him to separate themselves from unbelieving Israel and to follow Him. In verses 20-24 Jesus addressed the conde...
• The Sabbath and legal observance 12:1-8 (cf. Mark 2:23-28; Luke 6:1-5)
  The immediate connection between this section and what precedes is twofold. The first is the theme of rising opposition (11:2-13:53), and the second is the heavy yoke of Pharisaic tradition that made the Israelites weary and ...
• The parable of the pearl 13:45-46
  The same basic point recurs in this parable. The difference between this parable and the last is that here the person who finds the treasure is looking for it whereas in the previous parable the discovery was accidental. In J...
• 5. The departure 13:53
  Matthew leaves the reader with the impression from this concluding transition, as well as from the structure of the discourse, that Jesus related all the preceding parables at one time. This was apparently the case. Jesus now...
• The opposition of Herod and his friends 14:1-12 (cf. Mark 6:14-29; Luke 9:7-9)
  14:1-2 "At that time"is again a loose connective not intended to communicate chronological sequence necessarily. Herod Antipas lived primarily at Tiberias on the west shore of Lake Galilee.579Word about Jesus' ministry reache...
• 1. Instruction about the King's person 16:13-17 (cf. Mark 8:27-29; Luke 9:18-20)
  16:13 The district of Caesarea Philippi lay 25 miles north of Galilee. Its inhabitants were mainly Gentiles. Herod Philip II, the tetrarch of the region, had enlarged a smaller town on the site at the foot of Mt. Hermon.619He...
• Revelation about the church 16:18-20
  16:18 "I say to you"(cf. 5:18, 20, 22, 28, 32, 34, 39, 44; 8:10) may imply that Jesus would continue the revelation the Father had begun. However the phrase occurs elsewhere where that contrast is not in view. Undoubtedly it ...
• The preview of the kingdom 17:1-8 (cf. Mark 9:2-8; Luke 9:28-36)
  The Transfiguration confirmed three important facts. First, it confirmed to the disciples that the kingdom was indeed future. Second, it confirmed to them that Jesus was indeed the divine Messiah. Third, it confirmed to them ...
• The restoration of a wayward disciple 18:15-20
  Jesus proceeded to explain what a humble disciple should do when a brother or sister disciple has wandered from the Shepherd and the sheep.18:15 By using the term "brother"Jesus encouraged a humble approach. The disciples sho...
• 4. Instruction about Jesus' passion 20:17-19 (cf. Mark 10:32-34; Luke 18:31-34)
  There is a theological connection between this section and the former one. The death of Jesus provided the basis for God's gracious dealings with believers in His Son. This connection is clear to Matthew's readers because Mat...
• 2. Jesus' entrance into Jerusalem 21:8-11 (cf. Mark 11:8-11a; Luke 19:36-44; John 12:17-19)
  21:8 The people where acknowledging Jesus as a King by spreading their garments on the road before Him (cf. 2 Kings 9:13). Likewise throwing small branches before Him symbolized the same thing (cf. 1 Macc. 13:51; 2 Macc. 10:7...
• VII. The crucifixion and resurrection of the King chs. 26--28
  The key phrase in Matthew's Gospel "And it came about that when Jesus had finished"(26:1) indicates another major transition (cf. 7:28; 11:1; 13:53; 19:1). As usual, it occurs at the end of a major address. In this case it in...
• Jesus' prediction of the disciples' abandonment and denial 26:31-35 (cf. Mark 14:27-31; Luke 22:31-38; John 13:31-38)
  Jesus evidently gave this prediction before He and His disciples left the upper room (cf. Luke 21:31-38; John 13:36-38). Matthew and Mark probably placed it where they did in their Gospels to stress the gravity of the discipl...
• Bibliography
  Abbott-Smith, G. A. A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament. Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1937.Albright, W. F. and Mann, C. S. Matthew. The Anchor Bible series. Garden City: Doubleday, 1971.Alford, Henry. The Greek Testa...
• 2. The cleansing of a leprous Jew 1:40-45 (cf. Matt. 8:1-4; Luke 5:12-16)
  This pericope evidently describes one incident during the Galilean preaching tour just summarized. It provides a striking example of Jesus' supernatural power. This is only one of two healings of lepers that the Gospels recor...
• Jesus' response to John the Baptist's inquiry 7:18-23 (cf. Matt. 11:2-6)
  7:18-20 "These things"probably include the activities of Jesus that Luke had recorded including the healing of the centurion's servant and the raising of the widow's son. John evidently had second thoughts about Jesus because...
• 2. John the Baptist's open identification of Jesus 1:29-34
  John the Baptist continued his witness to Jesus' identity by identifying Him publicly as the Lamb of God. This witness is a crucial part of the writer's purpose of promoting faith in Jesus.1:29 The very next day John saw Jesu...
• 5. Jesus' triumphal entry 12:12-19 (cf. Matt. 21:1-11; Mark 11:1-11; Luke 19:29-40)
  The importance of this incident in Jesus' ministry is evident from the fact that all four Gospel evangelists recorded it. Matthew and Mark placed this event before Mary's anointing of Jesus in Simon's house (vv. 1-8). However...

Expositions Of Holy Scripture (Maclaren)

• St. Matthew 9-28
  Matthew 9-28
• John's Doubts Of Jesus, And Jesus' Praise Of John
  Now when John had heard in the prison the works of Christ, he sent two of his disciples, 3. And said unto Him, Art Thou He that should come, or do we look for another? 4. Jesus answered and said unto them, Go and shew John ag...
• The Pharisees' Sabbath And Christ's
  At that time Jesus went on the Sabbath day through the corn; and His disciples were an hungred, and began to pluck the ears of corn, and to eat. 2. But when the Pharisees saw it, they said unto Him. Behold, Thy disciples do t...
• Zacharias's Hymn
  And his father Zacharias was filled with the Holy Ghost,, and prophesied, saying, 68. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel; for the bath visited and redeemed His people, 69. And hath raised up an horn of salvation for us in the ...