The Big Read – Matthew

Powerpoint Pictures: Mickey Mouse, Marge Simpson, Pinocchio, Shrek, Elvis with most of the picture covered up

Can you tell me who the following pictures are of? *[Mickey Mouse; Marge Simpson; Pinocchio; Shrek; Elvis]*.

We can recognise them because they have some feature which makes them recognisable whether it be their ears or their haircut.

What’s true for them is also true for Jesus.

When we look at Jesus we should be able to recognise who He is.

In Matthew’s Gospel, Matthew tells us about Jesus, and says we should recognise who He is.

But just in case we’re not sure, he gives us a massive clue in the opening line.

*“A record of the genealogy of Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham.” (Matthew 1:1)*

We don’t generally don’t see how this line is so amazing because we’re not the people of Israel.  We haven’t been waiting hundreds of years for God to keep His promise about a King from the line of David who will reign forever.  A King who would bring God’s blessing or salvation which was promised to Abraham to all the nations of the world.

The people of Israel were waiting for the Messiah or Christ, the promised King who saves, and Matthew wants his readers to know that this King is HERE!

Throughout the book we see Matthew pile on the evidence to convince us that Jesus is the promised King who saves people from their sin.

But not everybody recognised that Jesus was this King.

Throughout Matthew there is a variety of responses to Jesus.  The crowds were amazed, the Pharisees refused to believe, and the disciples worshipped although some doubted.

The question is, do we recognise that Jesus is this King, and have we responded by repenting of our sin and following Him?