Matthew wants to make it clear that Jesus was not simply the Jewish messiah but the world’s savior and king. We can see this emphasis from the beginning of the Gospel, as the magi from the east come to pay homage to the infant Christ and bow down before him.

Matthew ends his Gospel with this same theme, with Jesus giving the Great Commission: “Go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to obey everything that I’ve commanded you” (Matthew 28: 19-20, emphasis added). — Adam Hamilton, Faithful: Christmas through the Eyes of Joseph (Nashville: Abingdon Press, 2017).

 

I have just completed a series of six Christmas Lessons. They are available on Amazon in both print and Kindle versions, as well as part of my Good Questions Have Groups Talking Subscription service. For a medium-sized church, lesson subscriptions are only $10 per teacher per year.

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