This first book in the New Testament was written by Matthew, also called Levi, who was a tax collector for the Roman government. As you can imagine in this position he was not well received by his Jewish community. It was likely written around 50 A.D. which, from a historical perspective, is almost immediately after Jesus' resurrection. Of the New Testament books, Matthew is the only one to use the phrase "Kingdom of Heaven." As his record of Jesus was written originally in Greek, his target audience must have been to Jewish believers in Christ. As such he gives a full accounting of Jesus' life providing his complete genealogy back to Abraham. His readers likely wanted reassurance that Jesus truly was a King with a Kingdom from the lineage of David. The Gospel of Matthew perfectly represents the "upside down Kingdom". One need look no further than Chapter 5 with the Beatitudes. Here we see how God's view is often diametrically opposite to how we perceive things. Not many of us, in the natural, would feel blessed by persecution for being righteous. Reading the Bible is different than reading any other book. It is more than a narrative about God, it is more than a story of broken individuals and the trials they faced. It is more than a set of rules and regulations. It is even more than a love letter. It is the very essence of Jesus. It is about Him, but there is more than that. It is God's conversation with us. It is alive. It is active. It is a 2-way conversation. When we need wisdom, insight, guidance, how do we hear what God is saying to us? God has given us the Bible. It's a powerful & intimate way to listen to Him and it is the primary way God tells us about Himself.
