Matthew 2:16-18

¹⁶ Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men. ¹⁷ Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying: ¹⁸ “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.”

Commentary
When the wise men failed to return to Herod he realized that he had been deceived by them, and so the Child was not going to be betrayed to him by them. Therefore in a fit of rage Herod now orders the execution of every male child born in Bethlehem and its surrounding districts that were two years old and under, according to the time which he determined from the wise men when they had seen His star. Thus Herod by doing so in a very cold and calculating way sought to destroy any and all possible rivals to himself. Now the number of children put to death by him is not known, but what is known in doing so Herod was unwittingly fulfilling what the prophet Jeremiah foresaw and spoke of when he said; “A voice was heard in Ramah, Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning, Rachel weeping for her children, Refusing to be comforted, Because they are no more.” (Jer. 31:15). Now Ramah was located outside of Bethlehem and so it was there where the massacre took place, a location which was also the ancient burial place of Rachel, Jacob’s (i.e. Israel’s) wife, and thus she is seen in Jeremiah’s prophecy mourning and weeping over the loss of their children. This prophecy then being fulfilled by Herod’s heinous act will begin the journeys of the Lord Jesus Christ's Childhood and what will be the long awaited journey for Israel’s restoration to God through their King and Messiah the Lord Jesus Christ, the bulk of which is yet to be fulfilled, and won’t be fulfilled until the fullness of the Gentiles comes in (Rom. 11:25-27).

Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Matthew 2:13-15

¹³ Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” ¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

Commentary

Vs. 13 With the departure of the wise men, (and provisions now made for Joseph, Mary and the Child) the angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.” And so though Joseph and Marry were ignorant of Herod and his plans to destroy the Child, God wasn’t. For God sees all, knows all, and is always one step ahead of His enemies, moving and guiding His people into His Will so that His will is accomplished and fulfilled for them and through them.

Vs. 14-15 ¹⁴ When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt, ¹⁵ and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, “Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

 Joseph then believing the Word of God spoken to him by the angel of the Lord departs by night with the Child Jesus and His mother and begins what to them must have seemed like a very perilous journey, but to the Lord of heaven and earth, it was just a matter of fulfilling His destiny according to the Word of God. Now how long the Child Jesus was there in Egypt with Joseph and Marry may be speculated on (but is of little relevance) for what is relevant is that God kept them there in His care until the death of Herod. And so it would be from there that Word of God spoken through the prophet Hosea centuries before which declared, “Out of Egypt I called My Son” (see Num 24:8; Hosea 11:1) would be fulfilled. And so like the Israelites whom God brought up in and then delivered out of Egypt, so too would the Lord Jesus Christ have a time in Egypt before God would call Him out of there and into His plans and purposes for Him. And so with Christ’s being born in Bethlehem, and then sent into Egypt (until the death of Herod) before being called out of Egypt, and finally going too and growing up in Nazareth, there is a very direct and purpose filled plan that God was doing in fulfilling His Word regarding His Son, the most important of which was yet to be fulfilled, and so God was not reacting to the circumstances of Mary and Joseph and specifically the Child Jesus that they were facing at any given time, for God new and already foretold all the steps that His Son would take (and have to take) in fulfilling His Word.


Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Matthew 2:1–12

¹ Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.” ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” ⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” ⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

Commentary

Vs. 1-2 “Now after Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem, ² saying, “Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen His star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

Jesus Christ’s birth in Bethlehem of Judea was no accident, but was the fulfillment of God’s prophecy spoken through Micah the prophet (see Matt 2:6 quoting Micah 5:2). While the location of Bethlehem itself is historically significant since Bethlehem was also the birth place of David, God’s chosen king upon which the Lord Jesus Christ’s throne would be established forever. Even the name Bethlehem means: *“house of bread” a house then which would be the birthplace of the Bread of Life! (John 6:35). Now Jesus Christ’s birth takes place during the days of Herod the then “king”; who is also referred to as Herod the great; the cunning and ruthless governor of Judea who by his posturing amongst the Romans who instilled him there as ruler had himself proclaimed “king” of the territory of Judea. Now it was this Herod whose father the Romans also instilled before him to keep the Jews in subjection to them. Now Herod himself was not a Jew by birth, but an Edomite, (or Idumean); and thus he was a descendent of Esau, whose people the Edomites became the enemies of the Jews whom the Lord Himself will destroy forever (Isaiah 63:1-6). And so though Herod was a convert to Judaism, and at times he showed much interest in their religion (consider Mark 6:20), this Herod like his father before him, was no ally of God, nor of His plans and purposes in the earth. But he was first and foremost an ambitious and unscrupulous man, who by his own craft and cunning not only advanced himself to the Romans, but also through the same ruled the Jews whom he did much to placate during his tenure with his building programs and his beautifying and expanding their Temple by which he brought himself into “favor” with the religious leadership of the Jews. That said the Jews as a whole never accepted Herod as their king, and so Herod though ruling Judea as their “king” maintained his position there not through the loyalty of ordinary Jews to himself, but rather only by Rome’s ongoing might and support of himself by which he ruled and crushed any and all dissension and dissenters with an iron fist. Yet in spite of all Herod’s attempts to control and subjugate the Jews, there were always potential rivals and uprisings that were an ever present threat to his tenure and reign. And so when the wise men (magi) having seen Jesus’ star in the east (consider Num. 24:17) follow it into the land of Judea, and they come to Herod to inquire of as to where the King of the Jews had been born so that they could worship Him (vs. 2), Herod must have been shaken to his very core at this news that the true King of the Jews had been born in his territory. 

Vs. 3-6 ³ When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him. ⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ” 

And so with the magi news of the birth of Christ the King of the Jews (and all of all who believe in Him) both Herod and all Jerusalem were troubled; a seemingly strange parallel to joy of the wise men and shepherds who diligently sought out and rejoiced at the revelation and their discovery of the Christ infant Child until one considers that this is exactly how those of this world will react when Christ returns for the judgment of it, before setting up His everlasting Kingdom (Rev. 1:7). Therefore if Herod and those of Jerusalem were the people of God their response would’ve been like the magi who proclaimed Jesus’ arrival to them. Instead they were only troubled, because their “service” and “religion” was not about living for and in anticipation of God’s Promised Redemption; theirs was only about maintaining the status quo, and thus their own privileged positions within it. Contrast them then with Anna and Simon in Luke 2:25-38.  

Vs. 4-6 ⁴ And when he had gathered all the chief priests and scribes of the people together, he inquired of them where the Christ was to be born. ⁵ So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet: ⁶ ‘But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, Are not the least among the rulers of Judah; For out of you shall come a Ruler Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

Therefore with the news of the birth of Christ the King, Herod gathers all of the chief priests and scribes together, for these were the authorities in the law of God, (not that they believed the Word of God, but they were the “scholars” of it, consider John 5:39-46). And so having assembled the religious authorities of the Jews, Herod inquires of them where the Christ was to be born. Now Herod’s inquiry of them was not that of a seeker, of someone whose heart and soul God has stirred so that they might in hope seek and find the Lord Jesus Christ for themselves. No Herod’s inquiry of them was purely sinister in nature, so that in finding out the birth place of the Christ he could as we will soon see seek to destroy the Child Christ before He could become a Man, and thus become God’s people’s Ruler and King. Now the spiritual reality of this is seen in (Rev. 12:13-17). For just as there is a physical realm where the battles for men and woman’s souls and lives takes place, there is also an invisible spiritual realm where these realities are also playing out, where all the players are seen as they truly are. Herod then having inquired of them then is informed by them that God’s prophecy declares that Christ’s birth was to take place in Bethlehem (see Micah 5:2) where Joseph and Marry were now staying with the Child Jesus, Marry having given birth to Him there.

Vs. 7-12 ⁷ Then Herod, when he had secretly called the wise men, determined from them what time the star appeared. ⁸ And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” ⁹ When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was. ¹⁰ When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy. ¹¹ And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh. ¹² Then, being divinely warned in a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

When Herod was informed as to the birth place of the Christ by the chief priests and scribes he sets out a plot to destroy the Christ. Now in order to do this he first secretly calls the wise men to himself; so as not to alert anyone as to his scheme; and so he will further inquire of them when they had seen His Star in the east. And having determined the location and time of the birth of the Christ, Herod under the guise of wanting to also seek and worship Him, now tells the wise men: “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” ^{vs. 9}

The wise men then being ignorant of Herod’s evil intentions set out for Bethlehem. Now as they are travelling the Star which the wise men had originally seen in the east, and thus brought them to Jerusalem, again goes before them. This was no natural phenomenon then; this was the Hand of God guiding them so as to bring them to the birth place of His Son. For they (unknown to themselves) had been chosen by God to be the first ones to honor His Son’s Presence and Arrival here on earth, something which neither Herod nor all of the Satanic powers of darkness working through his own evil will could ever destroy, and keep God from fulfilling His Word and Purposes through His own Son. Thus the Star guided the wise men to the house and stood over it where the infant Christ was now staying in the care of Joseph and Mary. And with their discovery of the Child’s exact location, even before entering the house, the wise men rejoiced with exceedingly great joy, for having traveled many miles in a perilous journey in search of God’s King, they in finding Him rejoice with an exceedingly great joy!, Something which you yourself may also do if you have been on your own life’s journeys and pursuits, and yet unknowingly seeking for what only God can give you that will fully satisfy you! And having found Christ the King, the Savior of the world, they enter the house and find the young Child with Mary His mother, (a poignant scheme indeed God in flesh being nurtured and cared for by His own creation), and having come into Christ’s Presence they fall down and worship Him, and Him alone, presenting their gifts not to Mary, but to the Christ alone, honoring Him alone, as the Scripture states; …“And when they had opened their treasures, they presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” ^{vs. 12} Now in the Believers Bible Commentary there is a wonderful exposition on the gifts they presented and their significance, there it states: “The treasures they brought spoke volumes. Gold is a symbol of deity and glory; it speaks of the shining perfection of His divine Person. Frankincense is an ointment or perfume; it suggests the fragrance of the life of sinless perfection. Myrrh is a bitter herb; it presages the sufferings He would endure in bearing the sins of the world. The bringing of gifts by Gentiles is reminiscent of the language of Isaiah 60:6. Isaiah predicted that Gentiles would come to the Messiah with gifts, but mentioned only gold and frankincense: “… they shall bring gold and incense. And they shall proclaim the praises of the Lord.” Why was myrrh omitted? Because Isaiah was speaking of Christ’s second advent—His coming in power and great glory. There will be no myrrh then because He will not suffer then. But in Matthew the myrrh is included because His first coming is in view. In Matthew we have the sufferings of Christ; in this passage of Isaiah, the glories that shall follow.”

Having then found and honored the Christ greatly, and thus fulfilled God’s purposes for them, God warns them in a dream not to return to Herod, and with that they depart and return to their own country by another way so as not to be found by Herod or any of his agents (vs. 12). And so like the wise men each and every individual will have an opportunity to enter into Christ's legacy, and unlike Herod, be on the right side of history and eternity, which side shall you be on?  

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Additional Resources Consulted
MacDonald, William. Believer’s Bible Commentary: Old and New Testaments. Edited by Arthur Farstad. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1995.

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Matthew 1:17

Commentary

In Matthews Gospel there are 42 generations that divide up into three fourteen generation segments, each one then to represent a perfect arrangement, for our God and Father who is the Author of the Holy Scriptures had a very deliberate plan in just how and when He would bring forth His Son into the world. And so from Abraham to David there are listed fourteen generations which cover the establishment of God’s Covenant, Nation, and Christ’s Future Throne. The next fourteen generations then cover Israel as a divided nation, whose kings largely led them into apostasy (consider Ezekiel 43:6-9), and ultimately into their 70 year captivity in Babylon (historically recorded for us in the Books of I and II Kings/Chronicles. Now in spite of this God’s timing and redemption plans for both His people and all of believing humanity was neither subverted nor thwarted. For the Sovereign God of all things in all places and at all times is never taken by surprise by what we do or don’t do. The final phase then tracts the Israelites who came up from Babylon to rebuild Jerusalem and the Temple (according to the Word of the Lord; historically recorded for us in the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah), who unknown to them at that time were preparing the way for Christ’s arrival, which as the prophet Daniel also foretold would take place after several nations had first risen and fallen. And so Matthew in this last section of the genealogical record of the birth of Christ brings us to what would have been their present day, and thus to God fulfilling His Word about His Son the Lord Jesus Christ who came into the world according to it. Joseph and Marry then being the last listed as the humble and obscure family chosen by God through whom the Lord Jesus Christ would come into the world (Vs. 16). And so Matthew in the first seventeen verses of his Gospel has recorded for us the principal genealogical lineage that the Lord Jesus Christ chose in becoming a Man, the Son of Man; whose right and privilege as the Heir of all that God has prepared and established for Him to inherit through His own Word has become through His own obedience to the Word of God not only our Savior, Judge and King, but also He is the Lord God Almighty from Everlasting to Everlasting.

Scripture Quotations

The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.

Matthew 1:1-16

 ¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham: ² Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. ⁴ Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. ⁵ Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. ⁸ Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. ¹² And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. ¹³ Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. ¹⁴ Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. ¹⁵ Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. ¹⁶ And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ. ¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

Commentary

Vs. 1 Now Matthews Gospel opens up with a profound declaration about the Author and Finisher of our salvation: “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham”… And so two things are readily apparent in Matthews Gospel’s opening; first is that the Lord Jesus Christ came to earth as a Man, following a very specific lineage according to the Word of God that said He would do just that. Second is that He was not going to be just any man but the Man whom God had for generations foretold and ordained that through Him He would bring salvation not only to His own chosen people, but also through the Christ He would bring salvation to the ends of the earth. And so Matthew’s Gospel opens with establishing the Lord Jesus Christ’s birth right as the Messiah through the linage of David (as the promised Root or Branch that would descend through David (see Isaiah 11:1, 10, 53:2; Rom 15:12 etc.) so as to reveal to us all that the Lord Jesus Christ has come in fulfillment of God’s Word. Immediately following or linked with that then is the tracing of the Lord Jesus Christ’s descendency from David right back to Abraham, the father of the nation of Israel, and more importantly the father of our Faith, because it was with Abraham that God made the covenant promise of justification by faith in His Person. And so right from the beginning verse one establishes Jesus Christ as the promised “Son” (i.e. descendant) of David in accord with the lineage of Abraham, through whom God’s Salvation and thus His New Covenant and Promises come to be enacted in our own lives the moment we repent and believe in Him.  

Vs. 2-16 ² Abraham begot Isaac, Isaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot Judah and his brothers. ³ Judah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, Perez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram. ⁴ Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon. ⁵ Salmon begot Boaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse begot David the king. David the king begot Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah. ⁷ Solomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot Abijah, and Abijah begot Asa. ⁸ Asa begot Jehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot Uzziah. ⁹ Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot Ahaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah. ¹⁰ Hezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot Amon, and Amon begot Josiah. ¹¹ Josiah begot Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were carried away to Babylon. ¹² And after they were brought to Babylon, Jeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot Zerubbabel. ¹³ Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor. ¹⁴ Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud. ¹⁵ Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob. ¹⁶ And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

Verses two through sixteen then record and establish the exact linage that Jesus Christ followed in becoming a Man, beginning with Abraham and then moving forward from there to David; the two most prominent men in that list; prominent because God through them not only established the means of our salvation, by faith alone, but also it is through David that God established the Throne for His own Son to reign on. And so the point of tracing Jesus’ lineage back to Abraham is that Abraham is the one through whom God made the Covenant Promise with, and thus it is through him that the Covenant Nation was born (see Gen. 17:14). And so it is through the nation of Israel that God has brought forth His own Son, so as to bring forth His Redemption and Salvation and thus His Everlasting Covenant to each and everyone who likewise believes in Him (Gen 15:6). As well then (and of equal importance) through Abraham God’s Promise of eternal salvation by faith alone comes (Rom 4:9-23). And so having true knowledge of the Lord Jesus Christ trusting in Him and Him alone is the only way to have God’s salvation. And thus Abraham is rightly called in the Scriptures the father of every believing Jew and Gentile who simply and unconditionally believes in the Lord Jesus Christ (Rom 4:16).

Now following Jesus’ linage to David and onto Joseph and Marry is also very significant and critically important, since it was through David that God has established the Lord Jesus Christ’s Kingship and Throne. And so knowing these things, that these two pivotal men in God’s redemption plans for us all who believe in Him, were themselves not the fulfillment of God’s Promises and Prophecies but were the men whom God brought forth and established, so that He could set up His Holy Nation and Throne of His own Son in the fulfillment of time of His Word for us all (holy nation beginnings Exodus 19:6, fulfillment 1 Peter 2:9). Now most of the persons and names listed in Matthew’s genealogical list would have been understood by Matthew and the Jews of his generation, but will be obscure to most of us unless we are avid Bible students. Nonetheless the names listed there do give some real insights into the Scriptures and God’s redemption plans that did not follow a nice clean path, but quite knowingly and deliberately God included in His own Sons mortal genealogy those who were less then blameless in the sight of God, opening then the door for the redemption and salvation of everyone who is likewise less than blameless in the sight of God. 

For the Lord Jesus Christ in following a specific lineage in becoming a Man has not only fulfilled God’s Promises about Himself, but by doing so He has opened the door for the redemption of every believing Jew and Gentile through Himself (John 14:6), something that was not so freely available to one and to all before His own life and then death on the Cross (John 3:16). And so in becoming a Man, Jesus did not follow a “blameless” or “perfect” linage, because no one this side of eternity is sinless in the sight of God. And so though Sinless and Blameless, as both the Son of God and Son of Man, Jesus’ path into humanity took a very direct and certain path through the linage of Abraham and then David that the Word of God foretold that the Christ would come that would make Him to be a descendant of both righteous men and women, and not so righteous men and women, all which becomes readily apparent when one examines the names and persons on that registry. For though Jesus was numbered with transgressors on the Cross, according to and in fulfillment of the Word of God’s prophecies about His doing so for our redemption from sin and death (Isaiah 53). Jesus in choosing that path of ancestry was also quite intentionally and deliberately aligning Himself with all of us who were once far off from God, who were not even of the covenant people of God, and thus who could claim no rights to God’s covenant or God’s promises until the Lord Jesus Christ came in fulfillment of them all, for us all. Something which the Apostle Paul makes abundantly clear when he states in the Book of Ephesians: “Therefore remember that you, once Gentiles in the flesh—who are called Uncircumcision by what is called ^uthe Circumcision made in the flesh by hands—¹² that at that time you were without Christ, being aliens from the commonwealth of Israel and strangers from the covenants of promise, having no hope and without God in the world. ¹³ But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far off have been brought near by the blood of Christ.” ^{Eph. 2:11-13}

And that is where Matthews Gospel and every Biblical Gospel written about the Lord Jesus Christ leads us too, to an exclusive faith In the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God who became the Son of Man for our Everlasting Redemption from sin and death, which becomes enacted in our own lives by the Spirit of God the moment we repent and believe in Him. Something that I now urge you to do so that you may have remission of all your sins and new and everlasting the moment you believe and receive the Lord Jesus Christ for yourself. For only in Christ Jesus do you have all of God’s Promises enacted in your own person and life, therefore don’t delay be reconciled to God today!

Scripture Quotations
The New King James Version. Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1982.