Matthew wrote his Gospel to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah, the fulfillment of everything the Hebrew Scriptures had foretold. Written with Jewish readers especially in mind, it is designed to prove that Jesus of Nazareth is the King and Savior whom Israel had long awaited. More than any other Gospel, Matthew builds a bridge between the Old Testament and the story of Jesus.
Jesus as the fulfillment of prophecy
Matthew’s central purpose shows in his constant appeal to Scripture. Again and again he pauses to note that an event happened “that it might be fulfilled which was spoken through the prophet.” From the virgin birth to the flight into Egypt to the ministry in Galilee, Matthew presents Jesus’ life as the deliberate completion of God’s ancient promises. For a Jewish audience wrestling with whether Jesus was truly the Messiah, this weight of fulfilled prophecy was the heart of his argument.
The King in the line of David
Matthew opens his Gospel with a genealogy tracing Jesus back through David to Abraham (Matthew 1:1), rooting him firmly in Israel’s royal and covenant history. He repeatedly calls Jesus the “Son of David,” a messianic title, and presents him as the rightful King — from the wise men seeking “he who is born King of the Jews” (Matthew 2:2) to the triumphal entry into Jerusalem. Matthew wants his readers to see that the kingdom of heaven has arrived in the person of this King.
A teacher for the church
Matthew also wrote to instruct. He gathers Jesus’ teaching into five great blocks, the most famous being the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5–7), presenting Jesus as the authoritative teacher who both fulfills and deepens the Law. His Gospel closes with the Great Commission, where the risen Jesus sends his followers to “make disciples of all nations… teaching them to observe all things that I commanded you” (Matthew 28:19–20) — showing that this King’s reign reaches beyond Israel to the whole world.
Jesus as the new Moses
Matthew shapes his Gospel in a way that would resonate deeply with Jewish readers by presenting Jesus against the backdrop of Moses and the Law. He organizes Jesus’ teaching into five major discourses, which many have seen as echoing the five books of Moses, and he stages the Sermon on the Mount with Jesus teaching from a mountainside, much as Moses received the Law at Sinai. Where Moses delivered the Law, Jesus fulfills and deepens it, saying, “You have heard that it was said… but I tell you.” Through this careful design Matthew presents Jesus not as one who abolishes Israel’s heritage but as the one who brings it to completion.
Why it still matters
So Matthew wrote to persuade and to teach: to convince Jewish readers that Jesus is the Messiah promised in their Scriptures, and to equip the church with his King’s teaching. His Gospel remains the great connector of the two testaments, opening the New by showing how thoroughly it fulfills the Old.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why did Matthew write his Gospel?
Matthew wrote to show that Jesus is the promised Messiah who fulfills the Hebrew Scriptures, and to teach his followers. He aimed especially at Jewish readers, proving Jesus is the King in the line of David whom Israel awaited.
Who was Matthew writing for?
His Gospel is directed especially toward Jewish readers, which is why he draws so heavily on the Old Testament and emphasizes the fulfillment of prophecy and Jesus’ descent from David and Abraham.
Why does Matthew quote the Old Testament so often?
Because his central aim was to show that Jesus fulfilled what the prophets foretold. His repeated phrase — “that it might be fulfilled” — ties Jesus’ life directly to God’s ancient promises.
What is the main theme of Matthew’s Gospel?
That Jesus is the Messiah and King, the Son of David, in whom the kingdom of heaven has come. Matthew presents him as both the fulfillment of prophecy and the authoritative teacher of God’s people.
How does Matthew’s Gospel end?
It ends with the Great Commission, where the risen Jesus sends his followers to make disciples of all nations, baptizing and teaching them — extending his reign from Israel to the whole world (Matthew 28:19–20).