Participants: Glenn Russell & Ranko Stefanovic (Host)
Series Code: MTBOTB
Program Code: MTBOTB00001A
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00:22 Hi, I'm Glenn Russell.
00:23 Welcome to our special series on the Book of Matthew. 00:27 This is one of the exciting series 00:30 here at 3ABN entitled Books of the Book. 00:33 I'm sure you'll enjoy a fascinating journey 00:35 through the Gospel of Matthew. 00:37 We'll be exploring the book from beginning to end looking 00:40 at key ideas and passages with our guest and teacher, 00:44 Dr Ranko Stefanovic. 00:45 Before we begin let's enter into prayer. 00:50 Lord, before we open your word, 00:52 we ask that you'll open our hearts. 00:55 We need you to come and teach us and guide us 00:57 into the deeper things of Your word, 00:59 for Your glory, in Jesus' name, amen. 01:03 Now, let's meet our teacher. 01:05 I'm so glad to welcome Dr Ranko Stefanovic. 01:07 Ranko is a beloved teacher, author, pastor and speaker. 01:14 You teach at the Andrews University Theological Seminary, 01:17 Professor of New Testament. 01:18 Ranko, welcome dear friend and colleague, 01:21 and tell us a little bit about this process 01:24 that we are getting into about exploring 01:26 the Book of Matthew, What's it all about? 01:29 As we know everybody who reads the Bible 01:33 is aware that there are four gospels in the Bible. All right. 01:38 But when you read those four gospels, 01:42 there are some many similarities, 01:45 and there are many differences between them. 01:48 The first three gospels Matthew, Mark and Luke 01:52 are very much alike. 01:53 We call them synoptics. 01:56 While the Gospel of John is little bit different, 02:00 the early Christians they called it spiritual gospel, 02:03 because it contained some spiritual insight into 02:06 the life of Jesus that's not found 02:08 in the first three synoptic gospel. 02:10 Let me just explain to the -- viewers the word 'synoptic', 02:13 it's actually Greek. 02:15 The Greek word 'syn' or 'sone' means together 02:19 or with, an optic which is related optic, 02:22 it simply means seen together. 02:25 So it's a reference to the first three gospels 02:28 that they describe the life of Jesus 02:31 through the same glasses something we look at. 02:33 Now, Ranko, the word 'gospel' where do we get that from? 02:38 Yeah. The word 'gospel' simply in the original language 02:43 Greek means the good news. 02:46 And it is good news. It's a good news 02:47 about Jesus Christ. 02:49 So at the very beginning the word referred 02:52 to the preaching of the gospel, 02:53 you know, in the early Christians after the ascension 02:57 of Jesus to the heavenly places, they went around to proclaim 03:00 the good news about Jesus Christ who came down to the earth, 03:05 He ascended there to the heavenly places. 03:08 That was the good news about the salvation 03:10 that all the human beings 03:11 they could have through Jesus Christ. 03:14 But it was after, mostly likely Mark 03:17 if you open the Gospel of Mark Chapter 1, 03:19 Mark refers to his book as the gospel of Jesus Christ, 03:24 so after that from singular gospel, it came the plural 03:30 usage of the gospels with reference 03:33 to the four accounts of the life of Jesus. 03:36 So the proclamation became the writings. 03:38 It's been the writings. 03:40 It's for the- it's for the same purposes. 03:42 It's for the preaching of the good news about Jesus Christ. 03:46 Now, as we think about this gospel according to Matthew, 03:50 we're reminded who's really the author he wrote, 03:52 but God is the author. 03:54 And what is he helping us to see what picture of Jesus? 03:57 What does he wanting us to know? 03:58 See in order to answer that question, 04:03 first we've to ask another question is -- 04:05 why do we have four gospels? 04:07 Everybody who teaches four gospels, we know that sometimes 04:10 it's not easy to do - do it. 04:14 Why? Because there are some, 04:15 sometimes slight differences, etcetera. 04:19 So, why do we have four gospels? 04:21 We've to understand that the four gospels 04:24 were written by four individuals, 04:28 and they had each one of them had a particular 04:32 kind of people in mind to whom they wrote. 04:36 So, the four gospels are four portraits of Jesus 04:41 addressing different needs and circumstances 04:45 of those original readers who read them. 04:48 So, one Savior, four gospels. Four gospels. 04:51 And we would expect that they'd be a little bit 04:53 different because if not, why have four of them. 04:56 If they're just gonna be a copy of each other. 04:58 Actually, in the book, very good book 05:01 titled The Selected Messages. 05:04 There is something very interesting, it says 05:06 "In our Bible, we might ask, why we need Matthew, 05:10 Mark, Luke, and John in the gospels. 05:13 Why need the Acts of the Apostles, 05:15 and variety of writers in the Epistles, 05:17 go over the same thing? 05:19 There are sometimes "petition." 05:22 He says, the Lord gave His Word in just the way 05:26 He wanted it to come. 05:27 He gave it through different writers, 05:30 and now it's significant, each having his own individuality, 05:34 going through the same history. 05:37 Their testimonies are brought together in one book. 05:40 They do not represent things in just the same style. 05:44 Each has an experience of his own, and this diversity 05:47 broadens and deepens the -- knowledge that is brought out 05:52 to meet the necessities of varied minds. 05:55 So, we'll put four gospels together, 05:57 we'd really have the -- complete picture of Jesus 05:59 that appeals to different people 06:01 in their needs of circumstances. 06:03 So, the very diversity gives us the richness. Yes. 06:06 Christ is so - so wonderful, it can't be explained 06:09 in just one reference. Okay. 06:11 So, you've said a little bit about why, who and - and when, 06:16 and the Bible wasn't just written for us today, 06:20 it had an original audience. Help us with that. 06:22 So, the Gospel of Matthew, like, the other gospels 06:25 and the entire New Testaments written about 2,000 years ago. 06:30 Not today. And, when we study the Bible, 06:34 they are so called five Ws questions 06:37 that we have to ask ourselves. 06:40 So, if that question begins with W, who wrote? 06:44 To Whom it was written? 06:47 Sometimes, it's important when and where. 06:50 Sometimes, it's not. 06:52 But the last question is the most significant. 06:54 Why was the book written? 06:58 So, let's deal with the first one, who wrote. 07:01 All right, tell us about Matthew? 07:03 See, the early Christian, they named this gospel 07:07 this book to be the Gospel of Matthew. 07:10 It means it was written by a person, 07:13 inspired by the Holy Spirit, moved by the Holy Spirit 07:16 by name of Matthew. 07:18 We don't know too much about him. 07:21 But, when we read the gospel and we'll come to that text, 07:24 Matthew actually was a -- tax collector, and he joined, 07:29 he was invited by Jesus. 07:31 That appeal of Jesus, forgiving voice of Jesus 07:34 made - made such a great impact on him, 07:36 so he decided to follow Jesus, 07:38 and he became the follower of Jesus. 07:41 Something very interesting is, when we open 07:44 Gospel of Matthew he introduces 07:46 himself as Matthew, tax collector. 07:50 But if we go to Mark Chapter 2, 14 to 17, 07:54 we would not read these texts now and Luke 07:56 Chapter 5, 27 to 32, these gospels 08:01 they know him as Levi or Levia. 08:05 So, Levi clearly points to an origin. Yes. 08:09 Why? Because, you see we've the list 08:12 of the twelve disciples. 08:14 In that list, you have Matthew, but in Mark and Luke, 08:18 you don't have Matthew you have Levi, 08:20 and it's always tax collector. 08:21 So, this is the reason we know 08:23 that he had actually two names. 08:25 So, we get a little idea that he has a Jewish background. 08:27 Yes. And this will come into importance 08:30 as we think about his audience. 08:32 By the way we will come 08:33 in the conclusion of today's series. 08:35 And we will see how much he refers to the Old Testament 08:40 just to show that -- Jesus was the fulfillment 08:43 of the Old Testament's prophecies. 08:46 Now, the question is, to whom did he write? 08:50 This is what people are doing their best 08:53 in order to understand, but the suggestion was made 08:57 since he was a Jew, he lived there in Palestine, 09:01 and we know that after the persecution of Christians 09:04 in Jerusalem, many Christians they fled. 09:07 They scattered all around. 09:09 But most of Christians they lived in antichrist area. 09:13 That's why today most Bible students 09:17 they think that the Gospe of Matthew was written 09:20 in anti agency area and for the needs of the church. 09:26 Now, it's very natural for us in ministry 09:29 to wanna reach our own people. Yeah. 09:32 What would be, I'm sure we're gonna explore 09:35 some of the thing, what would be some of the ideas 09:37 that he would need to deal with, he would need to address 09:40 certain objections and concerns in the process. 09:42 So, as we study through this book of Matthew, 09:45 we're going to see that he addresses 09:47 those specific things that helped him. 09:49 You know, one of the obligate things 09:55 when we read the Gospel of Matthew, 09:57 we have always those long debates with the Pharisees. 10:02 And what was always the issue 10:03 about how to observe the law. 10:07 The issue was not should the law be observed or not. 10:10 Unfortunately, many Christians they try 10:12 to read it that way, no. 10:14 I wanna make sure we'd talked that Ranko, 10:16 you said the issue is not to keep the law 10:18 and not the issue is how to keep the law. 10:19 How to keep the law. 10:21 Critical point. So, can you imagine 10:23 when you address your church and most church members 10:26 were Jewish, significant number of them were Pharisees. 10:32 So, when you write that gospel, one more 10:35 time I would like to underline, guided by the Holy Spirit. 10:39 Yes. You want to address the needs of those people 10:41 who are legalist who had become Christians 10:45 but they still live with that mindset 10:48 of their pre-conversion experience and journey, 10:52 and Matthew really puts a strong emphasis on that, 10:55 and when we come to those texts we will see how 11:00 Matthew deal with those issues in his gospel. 11:04 Is there some dimension of structure and so forth, 11:09 was this just dictation from God that he wrote down 11:12 every word or does it - do we see that as a holy man 11:15 of God as scripture says "moved by the Holy Spirit", 11:17 he wrote, God's the author he's the human-writer. 11:21 You know, there's one thing that I learnt about my God 11:28 that He always meets people where they are. 11:35 When we come to Chapter 5 of the Gospel of Matthew 11:38 it will be so obviously, God always meet people, 11:43 and God speaks to the people within their own experience. 11:50 When we study the four gospels, and I'm sorry 11:54 we do not have a time of that but please 11:55 allow me just few moments to reflect on that. 11:59 We have four gospels. 12:01 Matthew evidently wrote to the people who are coming 12:05 from Jewish background. 12:08 So, how would you try to portray Jesus 12:12 to communicate the gospel of Jesus Christ, 12:15 the good news about Jesus Christ, 12:16 I would like to communicate to them 12:18 in the language that they can understand. 12:20 Sure. But the sources and the ideas 12:22 that are important things. Exactly. 12:24 Then, we have the second gospel, is written by Mark. 12:29 Mark lived there in Rome, by the way I would really like 12:32 to stimulate the viewers when they study the Gospel of Mark, 12:35 just to take Chapter 1 and to see how many times 12:38 in the Gospel of Mark the word immediately is used. 12:42 It's used about forty times, 4-0. 12:46 In other three gospels, Matthew, Luke and John, 12:50 that we, I mean, just Matthew has 78 long chapters, 12:53 so Luke 24 long chapters, John 21 long chapters, 12:58 Matthew has 16 short chapters 40 times. 13:01 In other three gospels, the word 'immediately' 13:04 is used 14 times together. 13:07 So, what is dynamic of the gospel is, 13:09 when you write to the Christians in Rome 13:11 who were persecuted, you don't know 13:13 if they will be able to wait the following day. 13:18 I'd never think is immediately in the life of Jewish. 13:20 Luke, you know, the Luke is the only gospel writer 13:24 who was not a Jew, he is a Gentile, 13:27 he writes to the Gentiles and his gospel addresses 13:32 a situation of Gentiles those who are among Jews. 13:36 Four people outcast from the society, women. 13:43 When we read the Gospel of Luke, it's very interesting. 13:46 Only in the Gospel of Luke, we've the parable 13:49 of the Good Samaritan, Richman and Lazarus, 13:54 the conversion of Zaccheus. 13:57 All those things. 13:58 The Prodigal Son, the Lost Sheep and the Lost Coin 14:03 are found in the Gospel of Luke Chapter 15. 14:07 Just one moment is, when we - they are on the cross, 14:09 when you read Matthew, Mark and John, 14:13 two criminals were crucified with Jesus on the cross, 14:16 but suddenly one of those two criminals repents 14:19 and Jesus promised to him one day 14:21 to be with Jesus in paradise. 14:22 So its only in Luke, but John wrote 14:24 to the second generation of Christians. 14:26 So, you see the flavor of that, it's - 14:28 It's a beautiful prospective, Ranko. 14:31 We're gonna take a break in just a moment, 14:33 but I want our listeners to think about 14:35 what you just said that God cared so much 14:38 that He wants us each to know Christ 14:40 in a way that you can understand Him. 14:42 It shows the great magnanimity of God. 14:44 He speaks to us in the way that we can understand it. 14:48 Look tremendous. We're gonna take a break, 14:49 I will be right back. Thanks for joining us. |
Revised 2014-12-17