Matthew
Matthew opens the New Testament as a bridge from Israel's story to the church's, beginning with a genealogy that roots Jesus in the promises made to Abraham and David. Written with a teacher's care, it gathers Jesus' words into five great discourses, the Sermon on the Mount towering among them. Again and again Matthew pauses to note that what happened took place to fulfill the prophets. The Gospel moves from a manger sought by foreign magi to a mountain in Galilee, where the risen Christ sends his disciples to all nations, promising his presence to the end of the age.
Traditionally attributed to Matthew the tax collector, one of the twelve apostles
AD 60–90
Primarily Jewish Christians, likely in Antioch or Palestine
To show that Jesus is Israel's promised Messiah, the fulfillment of the Law and the Prophets, and Lord of a new community drawn from all nations.