In addition to a heavy emphasis on Old Testament prophecy, Matthew also keys in on the idea of the “Kingdom.” This is an extension of two foundational Old Testament promises, one to Abraham and one to David. While Matthew really highlights Jesus’s teaching about what his new kingdom will be like, the New Testament writers as a whole connect Jesus to these ancient promises and emphasize that the kingdom of Jesus is the culmination of God’s redemptive work.
Matthew focuses on the Jesus the Jew more than the other gospel writers, especially in the way that Jesus is the culmination of so much Old Testament Hebrew prophecy. While Jesus fulfills more prophecy than just the ones listed on this chart, these are some of the most explicit references in Matthew, along with some overarching prophetic themes.
We begin our foray into the New Testament with the Gospel of John; not the first gospel in most English Bibles, but the one that most closely parallels the beginning of the Bible in Genesis. What is different about John’s version of Jesus’s story, and what does he emphasize more than the other authors?
(Preaching on the gospel. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on September 28, 2025.)
Any Gospel parallels will be limited by John’s Gospel. A list of events common to Matthew, Mark, and Luke would be much longer than the following list. John acknowledges this (John 20:30-31), and by including John in our examination, we can dig toward the very core of the Gospel story. Even so, remember that everything mentioned by any of the gospels is important to the Christian message.
I post this every year around Easter as people are thinking about the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus, with minor revisions and updates (this year some more-than-minor revisions). I hope this is helpful to you in some small way as you more deeply consider the resurrection of our Lord.
There is a mysterious recurring figure in the Old Testament: “The Angel of Yahweh” appears at several critical points in the narrative to guide, support, and direct the people of Israel. What is so special about the angel, and what distinguishes him from other angels in the Bible?
(Preaching through the story of the Bible. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 16, 2025.)
Jesus, immediately after claiming that he came not to abolish, but fulfill the law of Moses, proceeded to make what seems to be pretty major alterations to the law in Matthew 5-6. What did he mean by claiming to “fulfill” the law, and how should we understand his teaching about the things that were told to the Israelites of old?
(Preaching on the law of Moses. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on March 2, 2025.)
This is the second part of our consideration of how the modern Christian should relate to the law of Moses. If there is so much difference between the laws of Moses and Christ, why was the law of Moses given at all? If Christ was always the plan, why didn’t God just jump straight to Jesus?
(Preaching on the law of Moses. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on February 16, 2025.)
Inevitably as a person reads through the Law of Moses in Exodus-Deuteronomy, the many, many differences between that law and what would later come through Jesus and his apostles become glaring. How can we explain and understand the differences between God’s expectations for the Israelites, and his expectations of his people today? And why do the differences matter?
(Preaching on the law of Moses. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on February 9, 2025.)
We conclude our series on the work and identity of Jesus with one of the most used, and perhaps most misunderstood, titles of Jesus – the Christ. What does “Christ” mean, and why is it so important?
(Preaching on the work and identity of Jesus. This sermon was preached at the Dewey Church of Christ on December 29, 2024. Below you can find the chart mentioned in the sermon.)
Watts in the Word 