Date last updated: January 19, 2022. Jesus said to him, "Follow me!" So Matthew got up and followed him. Matthews gospel appears to be greatly influenced by Marks gospel (which explains why there are so many comparable passages), yet the Gospel of Mark is thought to have been written by a man named John Mark, who was not an eyewitness to the events in the Gospel of Mark. It is amazing all the information that Scripture gives us. They had already formed a negative opinion of Jesus, but now he was associated with the lowest strata of Hebrew society. It feels like a lifeline to me right now. When Jesus entered Peter's house in Luke 4:38-43 it appears to not be the first time he met Peter. Matthew, who was also known as Levi, was a minor character in the Bible; he is only referenced by name in the lists of apostles and in the story of his calling. Those who strove to protect the Roman Empire were held in high regard by the Hebrews of the period, with the majority of them being seen as greedy, selfish, and treacherous. How the disciples could be living and writing about the events of Jesus life as late as 95-100 A.D. Matthew travels extensively with Jesus and the apostles. Imagine this scene if the brothers were grown men (Matthew 20:20-24)! And despite the fact that the church has long considered him the author of the Gospel of Matthew, little else was ever recorded about him. The term written can also refer to compiled, organized, or composed, depending on the context. Matthew was an accurate record keeper. While Matthew is honored as a martyr, no one knows for sure where or how he died. While there are credible arguments against his authorship, no alternative writer has been named. Despite the fact that there are compelling reasons against his authorship, no alternate author has been identified. But after that, the consistent picture of the disciples is of an older Peter and James with long beards, some gray hair, or balding heads, clearly middle aged, and clearly older than their strapping young Rabbi. He was sitting at his tax collector's desk near the Sea of Galilee when Jesus told him to follow him (Matthew 9:9; Mark 2:14). Lessons in Ghana, Liberia, Cote dIvoire and Senegal by John Oakes Lessons in English and French. We know that John lived until about AD 96 or 97, which is about 66 years after Jesus died. May we purposefully prepare ourselves to answer the call for His glory and our delight, as we discover that there is abundant grace and restoration for all of us as we lean into the brokenness and muck that lies before us. According to Matthews Gospel, which was written 3040 years after Jesus resurrection, he was in his 20s when he followed Jesus on earth, implying that Matthew was in his 20s when following Jesus on earth. But that in no way makes him not unintelligent. The famous parable of the talents (Matthew 25:14-20) only appears in the Gospel of Matthew. A young man could just as truly pray that his life is fulfilled in seeing Messiah, that he can now die happy. You see, Matthew was a member of the Republican Party. 2020. The Gospels are the four books that make up this collection. The meaning of Matthew . Remember also that Jesus nicknamed them Sons of Thunder because they were probably either loud or bold, characteristics of youth. He becomes an active follower/disciple of Jesus. Matthew makes it plain that Jesus is the King of the Jews. Kilburn. No children are mentioned. Therefore, we examine the evidence through the lens of historical context as well as insights drawn from Scripture. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Jesus would have entered into ministry when he reached the age of thirty. The scripture that can be confusing in this connection is Mark 1:14-20. They were considered religious outcasts since the manner in which they carried out their profession publicly flouted the Law of Moses. Two, because we find them working in trades at the time Jesus calls them, none of the disciples likely were star students. New Testament citations: John 1:29, John 1:36, John 19:33, John 19:36, 1 Corinthians 5:7-8, 1 Peter 1:19. The early church claimed he wrote it, and the attribution according to Matthew was added possibly as early as the second century. The term "child" is mentioned in Matthew 2: 13-14. However, because males began working at a young age maybe as early as 12 that would be regarded unacceptable today, it is possible that estimating their ages would be a suitable solution. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke all include much of the same materialmiracles, teachings, sayingsand for this reason are similar. Interestingly, Matthew calls this person Matthew, and Mark and Luke call him Levi: As Jesus went on from there, he saw a man named Matthew sitting at the tax collectors booth. Wait There Were How Many Herods?! It was not until Antioch, some years after Jesus resurrection, that the term Christianity was coined. The authors of the Gospels linked their accounts to the Old Testament prophets as evidence of Jesus' unique character. 17 Six days later, Jesus took Peter, James, and John the brother of James up on a high mountain. God has the ability to utilize anybody to assist him in his job. Others have speculated that Matthew was a bit older than the others because he had a fairly important position as a tax collector. After seeing this final miracle, the king and his kingdom of man-eaters come to realize the one true God and place their trust in Jesus as their Savior. He is also listed among the twelve, but without identification of his background, in Mark 3:18, Luke 6:15 and Acts 1:13. It seems that the author paid particular attention to Jesus statements about money, had a greater understanding of financial matters, and saw finance as a helpful lens to understand the gospel. Matthew was one of Jesus Christs twelve disciples, and he served in this capacity. Matthew 14:14. Virtually everything we really know about Matthew comes directly from the gospels. Matthew 4:18-22 relates that Andrew and Peter were fishing, plying their trade when called, and James and John were mending nets with their father. Both Daniel and Zechariah Ch 9-14 are the product of the Hellenistic era and have no messianic prophecies. At the time of his call as an Apostle, Peter was living with his wife and his wife's mother. 2 While they watched, Jesus was changed. The disciples were most likely not middle-aged men, as shown in historical films and even in the most recent television miniseries, The Bible, which is currently showing. For example, consider this passage from the prayer as reported by Matthew and Luke: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Luke 11:4 (New International Version) (emphasis added) And forgive us our debts, just as we have forgiven our debtors, says the Lord. Females are seen by Jesus as genuine persons, not simply as the objects of male desire. Lets get ready. After that, the Son of Man will be handed up to the chief priests and scribes, who will condemn him to death and hand him over to the Gentiles to be ridiculed, flogged, and crucified, after which he will be resurrected on the third day. Jesus and His followers had embarked on a journey to the city of Jerusalem from Galilee. This tax collector was reviled for who he was, but Jesus loved him for who he was. This is a designation designated for the traditional writers of the four gospels: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. So why would an eyewitness use an account written by someone who wasnt there? In the end, this is speculation, and we simply cannot know how old the apostles were. Matthew would have had to have lived at the same time as Jesus Christ in order to be considered a follower of Jesus Christ. Irving Jensen: Matthew's reporting skips most of the first year of Jesus . To learn the history of John, the disciple of Jesus, we begin with his life before he met Jesus. No one dared to disagree with them since their judgments were enforced by Roman soldiers. In order for him to teach in the Temple area in Jerusalem, he would have had to have a pedigree that allowed it. Tax collectors had very little accountability. These cookies do not store any personal information. 4, p. 643). According to the Gospels, it appears that a handful of Jesus initial disciples changed their names after becoming followers of Jesus (remember that Simon becomes Peter). Jesus had walked down from the brow of the low mountain outside of Capernaum, his adopted home ( Matthew 4:12-16 ). The Bible says were all sinners (Romans 3:23), but in ancient Judaism, the label was reserved for the worst of the worstlike tax collectors. Over 30,000 video lesson and teaching resources are available in one convenient location. Of fact, this group of young Jewish men were not recognized as Christians when they arrived. Here are a few biblical indices of youth development: In Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21, and John 13:33, Jesus refers to his followers as little ones, referring to them as children. But in the Gospels, Peter is the only disciple recorded to have been married (Matthew 8:14-15). Consider this: they were concerned about placing a tax collector in charge of their money, but Judas not only stole from the money bag (John 12:6), but he also betrayed Jesus at the end of the story. St. Peter was a fisherman by trade. St Matthew became a saint because he was one of the four gospel writers, and one of Jesus helpers, and also St Matthew preached the Good News, even after Jesus was crucified What did St. Jesus is on the lookout for those who are truly committed. (Mark 3.16). Verse Concepts. As an example, Levi becomes Matthew, which is taken from the Hebrew word meaning gift of Yahweh. Matthew is a fascinating character for theologians and historians since he was not a well-liked individual in his day. The earliest records say he carried out his ministry in Ethiopia (not what we consider Ethiopia, but a region south of the Caspian Sea), Persia, Macedonia, and/or Syria. Some believe that Matthews involvement as an eyewitness to the events of the Gospel of Matthew is evidence that he did not write the Gospel of Matthew. According to Matthew, who was an eyewitness to Jesus life, the tale of his birth, his message, and his numerous actions are all documented in the Gospel of Matthew since Matthew was an eyewitness to the Savior. So the Synoptic Gospels actually begin later in Jesus' ministry. (Lk 24:13-31) He said, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God." (Mt 16:16) This man thought Jesus was the Son of God because Jesus told him, "I saw you under the fig tree." (Jn 1:48-50) They . . Calling his disciples children may indicate they were mostly gasp! Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. Commit your way to the LORD, trust also in Him, and He shall bring it to pass" (verses 4-5). Claims to fame: Matthew works as a tax collector before meeting Jesus. This all changed for Matthew when Jesus crossed his path and said, Follow me. Thats all there is to it. Instead of killing Matthew, the fire burns down the kings idols and engulfs some of his soldiers. Jesus and Matthew first met at a tax booth at Capernaum, a city on the edge of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus was preaching. 10. According to Matthew 4:2122, James and John intentionally abandoned their father in the boat in order to follow Jesus. What will happen to Matthew for the rest of his life is undetermined. As a tax collector, Matthews job wouldve involved meticulously recording and documenting tax information. These two gentlemen were brothers. If Jesus gave him the name Matthew or whether he chose it himself, Matthew is a truncation of the name Mattathias, which meaning gift of Yahweh or simply Gods gift. Mattheus arranged a huge goodbye feast at his home in Capernaum on the same day Jesus persuaded him to follow him. How Old Was Jesus When He Began His Ministry? According to what we can gather from the book of Acts, the early Jesus movement was referred to as The Way (Acts 9:2; Acts 24:14). Assuming that the identification of Matthew with Levi is correct, Matthew (probably meaning "Yahweh's Gift") would appear. It comes from the Greek word evangelion, meaning good news. These four writers proclaimed the good news of Jesus Christ with their writings. Generally speaking, the Book of Matthew is thought to have been written by, yep, Matthew, who was a disciple, apostle, and evangelist in the early Christian community. Since Zacchaeus was "short in stature," he ran ahead. Hebrew Scriptures reference: Exodus 12:1-51. So what do we really know about him? And as it is said, Jesus' ministry lasted for about 3 to 3 years before he died. Throughout the first several decades of the church, a plethora of tales concerning the apostles arose, becoming so numerous that it virtually established its own genre. His mother was also there for her Jewish religious ritual of Purification or Cleansing. Matthew invites over his "sinner" friends to meet Jesus. The Gospel of Matthew was written 30-40 years after Jesus' resurrection, indicating that Matthew was perhaps in his 20s when following Jesus on earth. Youd have to be completely convinced that Jesus is who He claims to be, that His is the only path to genuine life, and that its definitely worth it to push through the muck and gloom in order to see the beauty. Why was Jesus regarded odd by the establishment? The Bible tells us that Peter had a wife when Jesus cured his mother-in-law, according to Matthew 8:14-15. Missionary Teaching Trip to Ghana, Liberia, Cote dIvoire and Senegal by Dr. John Oakes. Four, the Mishnah explains why Jesus didnt start his ministry until age 30 even though his mission of redemption by death could have been accomplished at any age. What is the relationship between the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant? JESUS CALLS MATTHEW, THE TAX COLLECTOR. They were religious outsiders, because the way they practiced their profession openly defied the Law of Moses. One, it means that if most of the disciples are apprenticing at their trades when called, as in the case of James and John working in the family fishing business, they must have been older than 15. Moses: The Old Testaments Greatest Prophet. In Matthew 17:24-27, Jesus asks Peter to fish up the tax he has been instructed to collect. Were going to look at what the Bible says about Matthew, what we know about the gospel that bears his name, and some other tidbits about this enigmatic apostle. At the very least, Jesus motivation to live and die in complete surrender to His Fathers will, knowing that His Fathers goals and mission are the best shows itself in this prophecy when considered in its context. Its possible that out of respect, friendship, or deference, Matthew used Peters account for consistencys sake. Think about that: they were worried about putting a tax collector in charge of their money, but Judas not only stole from the money bag (John 12:6), but ultimately betrayed Jesus. A period of preparation is underway, and we will be encouraging you to walk through that season intentionally; knowing that at the end of the road lies a bloody cross and our Saviour, who rose from the dead and is God with us. Matthew, on the other hand, goes on to describe two further events in which Jesus disclosed these truths to His followers. To utilize anybody to assist him in his job & # x27 ; ministry lasted for about to. 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