The Story of Israel in the Gospel According to Matthew - Intro

As I've continued to read and study scripture and have grown in my knowledge of the Bible, I've discovered some themes and storylines throughout scripture that I didn't even realize were there. In future blog series' I'm going to do my best to dive into some of these incredible themes and narratives that connect throughout the entirety of the scriptures. One of my favorite areas of study that I have been introduced to in the last couple of years is what's called "New Testament use of the Old Testament." This is when we see narratives, themes, quotations, illusions, prophecy fulfillment, and etc. which connect the New Testament story back to the Old Testament story. They are like these little hyperlinks all over the New Testament scriptures that when we track them back will take us to important corresponding places in the Old Testament.

In following this track I've recently been studying through The Gospel of Mathew, tracking the hyperlinks and storylines that connect Matthew's Gospel back to Old Testament scripture, especially concerning Israel's story and history. In the next several weeks or months I invite you to join me as we uncover how Matthew weaves Old Testament storylines and images all throughout his Gospel account.

When reading The Gospels (and the rest of the New Testament) it's important to remember that the New Testament writers were Old Testament people. The influence of the Old Testament on the New Testament cannot be overstated. This concept is known as intertextuality and was eloquently summarized by Augustine over 1,500 years ago: "The New is in the Old concealed; and the Old is in the New revealed." As we dig through Matthew, we'll see how Matthew weaves Israel's story and other Old Testament images and motifs all throughout his Gospel account. Engaging with scripture this way requires that we make a conscious effort to detach ourselves from the world in which we currently live, and place ourselves into the world of Bible. This is not always easy, but it will help us keep scripture within its proper context. That does not mean, however, that we cannot step outside the world of the first century Jew for instance to work through a passages present-day application, so long as we do not lose sight of it's original context in the process.

So going forward, in this series we'll be looking at how Jesus greatly succeeded where Old Testament Jewish figures like Adam, Moses, David, and others failed. And how Jesus perfectly fulfilled (that's an important word) Israel's calling. He is the GREATER Israel, the GREATER Moses, the GREATER Adam. Jesus did what they never could! Matthew will take us on a journey through the life of Christ showing us how Jesus' story consistently patterns Old Testament motifs. So stay tuned and follow along as we begin this journey to deepen our knowledge of the Gospel!