Several of us have embarked upon a study in Matthew. There are several reasons I thought it wise to do this now. First, I sense that many people are consumed by concern, worry, fear, etc. about the war in Gaza, Israel, about how far it may spread, and what the end-goal is. Does any realistic person think Hamas and their ilk can ever be totally vanquished? Doesn’t each new generation reared in that worldview serve as a potential incubator for jihad and violence? These are basic questions that, surely, any thoughful person must think through in order to even begin approaching a coherent response. Matthew’s gospel says quite a bit about sinners’ responses to truth. And it also says quite a bit about how God reigns over and through evil actions of men in order to bring about His purposes of divine judgment and redemption.

A second reason we have embarked on a study of Matthew is that it’s clear that amidst horror, God’s ways still endure, even though they may appear weak at the time. I’m thinking of Matthew 2, for example. When Jesus took on flesh in the incarnation, the wicked Herod was in power over the region. He had all the male children in Bethlehem and that region who were two years old and under killed. Why? In an effort to prevent the plans of God. But Joseph, Mary, and the Christ child were in Egypt (Mt 2:13-18). Again, per the sovereign plan of God. Man’s evil, personified in the person of Herod, remained under the sovereign plan of God.

A third reason is that Matthew’s 28 chapters end on a high note. The Truth came, took on flesh, lived among us, was rejected and despised, was mocked and murdered. And yet the Truth, because you cannot kill it, triumphed over the plans of Satan and evil men. Christ rose again, just as He said. And amidst all the evil plans of men then, and amidst all the evil plans of men now, Christ still lives and intercedes and rules, and all His enemies are being made a footstool for His feet.

So I invite you to join us as we go through Matthew. I will labor not just to give you theological factoids in order to win an argument. No, my goals are simple: 1) faithfulness to the text; 2) enouragement of the saints; and 3) shepherding well. So, come and welcome.