A Simple Guide to Matthew

The Gospel According to Matthew
Chapter 1 – The Ancestry and Birth of Jesus
1:1-7 - Jesus’ ancestors
1:8:25 - Jesus is born

Chapter 2 - Jesus’ Infancy
2:1-12 - Visitors from the east
2:13-23 - Jesus’ family flees; Herod tyrannizes; the family returns

Chapter 3 - Baptism
3:1-12 - John preaches Baptism
3:13-17 - Jesus accepts Baptism

Chapter 4 - Turning to the Father
4:1-11 - Jesus turns to the Father
4:12-25 - Jesus teaches others to turn to the Father—i.e., to repent

Chapter 5 - Jesus Teaches on the Mountain
5:1-12 - Reasons to rejoice
5:13-20 - Rejoicing should be expressed and taught
5:21-26 - How to rejoice in the Covenant
5:27-37 - Keeping promises; taking oaths
5:38-48 - Loving

Chapter 6 - On the Mountain, Jesus Continues to Teach about the Covenant
6:1-8 - What’s the right relationship with God?
6:9-15 - How to pray
6:16-24 - More advice on keeping a right relationship with God
6:25-34 - Anxiety about our relationship with God

Chapter 7 - On the Mountain, Jesus Continues to Teach about the Covenant
7:1-12 - Our relationships with others
7:13-23 - Accepting the Covenant means acting on it
7:24-29 - Jesus concludes his teaching on the mountain

Chapter 8 - Jesus is Sought as a Healer
8:1-4 - A healing as Jesus descends from the mountain
8:5-13 - Reaching Capernaum, Jesus is again asked for a healing
8:14-23 - Healing should lead to trust–but does it?
8:24-34 - No trust on a boat trip; no trust in Gentile territory

Chapter 9 - What Is Healing; Why Do We Need It?
9:1-8 - Healing the human spirit
9:9-17 - Who follows Jesus?
9:18-26 - Two more healings
9:27-38 - Faith expresses itself in cries for help and healing

Chapter 10 - The Mission of a Disciple of Jesus
10:1-4 - Jesus commissions twelve disciples
10:5-15 - Instructions for the disciples
10:16-23 - How should disciples deal with opposition?
10:24-31 - Giving witness in the face of opposition
10:32-42 - Choose to trust—as Jesus does

Chapter 11 - Jesus Again Teaches Repentance
11:1-11 - Praise for John the Baptist’s call to wait and watch
11:11-19 - Waiting and watching is over; turn to the Good News now
11:20-30 - How to receive the Good News now

Chapter 12 - Despite More Healing, Jesus Meets More Resistance
12:1-14 - What’s sin - What’s service?
12:15-29 - God’s work is healing
12:30-37 - Accepting and rejecting God’s Spirit
12:38-50 - The signs of believing are repentance and reconciliation

Chapter 13 - Back in Capernaum, Jesus Keeps Talking about Accepting God’s Word
13:1-15 - A parable about a richly rewarding idea
13:16-30 - Jesus explains one parable and tells another
13:31-43 - Jesus teaches the Kingdom will come–slowly, but surely
13:44-58 - Jesus advises choosing the Kingdom NOW

Chapter 14 - After a Flashback, Matthew Describes More Traveling and Powerful Work
14:1-21 - An example of lack of faith; Jesus’ belief
14:22-36 - Do people trust in God’s power?

Chapter 15 - How Do We See Our Needs - How Does God See Our Needs?
15:1-9 - Do you need to see yourself as righteous?
15:10-20 - Evil comes from the heart
15:21-28 - Faith comes from needing it
15:29-39 - Back home, Jesus heads up the mountain again, and teaches

Chapter 16 - Rejecting and Accepting Jesus’ Message
16:1-12 - No one seems to understand Jesus’ message of repentance
16:13-20 - A glimmer of accepting Jesus’ message
16:21-28 - Jesus’ message of repentance seems bleak

Chapter 17 - Lessons in Trusting
17:1-13 - Divine glory doesn’t look like human glory
17:14-27 - Divine power, unlike human power, isn’t pushy

Chapter 18 - Divine Power is Seen in Humility, Patience, and Forgiveness
18:1-9 - What it means to be lowly and weak
18:10-20 - Patience and forgiveness are divine work
18:21-35 - We are called to share the divine work of forgiveness

Chapter 19 - On the Way to Jerusalem: Meeting Challenges, and Teaching
19:1-12 - More challenges
19:13-30 - Jesus reviews his basic teaching

Chapter 20 - Reviewing Lessons about the Kingdom, Suffering, Greatness, and Healing
20:1-16 - What’s the Kingdom like?
20:17-34 - Suffering, serving, and healing

Chapter 21 - First Days in Jerusalem
21:1-17 - Acclaim; indignation
21:18-32 - Jesus teaches again about faith and repentance
21:33-46 - Jesus teaches about judgment

Chapter 22 - In Jerusalem, Jesus Continues Proclaiming Good News
22:1-14 - Good News for those who seek the Kingdom
22:15-22 - Jesus turns a trap into a lesson
22:23-33 - Another trap; another lesson
22:34-46 - One more confrontation; two more lessons

Chapter 23 - The Price of Lessons Not Learned
23:1-12 - Jesus warns against bad example
23:13-22 - A lament about bad teaching
23:23-39 - The lament continues

Chapter 24 - Learning More about Repentance
24:1-14 - Repentance takes a lifetime
24:15-28 - Repentance and faithfulness will be necessary right to the end
24:29-35 - The teachings of Jesus, the Son of Man, will prove true
24:36-51 - So, wait for Jesus’ teaching to prove true

Chapter 25 - Repentance–i.e., Accepting the Covenant–Will Transform You
25:1-13 - Do you take the Covenant seriously?
25:14-30 - Is the Covenant a good deal?
25:31-46 - The Covenant affects all you do

Chapter 26 - Passover, and the Rejection of Jesus
26:1-16 - Examples of accepting and rejecting the Good News
26:17-30 - Jesus celebrates Passover with his disciples
26:31-46 - Jesus feels abandoned by all but his Father
26:47-56 - Jesus is arrested; the disciples flee
26:57-68 - Jesus is rejected by Jerusalem’s officials
26:69-75 - Peter rejects Jesus, then repents

Chapter 27 - Accomplishing Jesus’ Death
27:1-10 - Judas regrets his choice
27:11-26 - Another pretense at justice
27:27-44 - The official sentence is carried out
27:45-56 - Jesus dies
27:57-66 - Jesus is buried

Chapter 28 - Jesus is Raised from the Dead; He Sends His Disciples to Proclaim the Good News
28:1-10 - Risen from the dead
28:11-20 - Doubts about the Good News