God's Old Words come true

This term we are learning about Matthew’s Very Good News. Matthew tells the story of Jesus, the Promised King, and how Jesus came to save his people. Matthew also shows how Jesus makes God’s Old Words in the Old Testament come true. Through the stories Matthew tells, we will investigate how Jesus is the King God promised long before in God’s Old Words.

Right at the beginning of his Very Good News, Matthew shows us how Jesus, the Promised King, fits into the family of faithful King David and even further back into Abraham's family. God, the Great King, made the promises in his Old Words come true by sending Jesus as the son of David, who was the son of Abraham.

When people name their babies, sometimes they think very carefully about what the name means. The baby boy born to Mary and Joseph gets two names: Jesus, which means "the Lord saves," and Immanuel, which means "God with us." Both names give us clues about who this baby is and what he will do.

Matthew's Very Good News doesn't tell every single bit of Jesus' story. Matthew chooses parts of Jesus' story to show us who Jesus is. The things that Jesus does remind us of the things that Israel did in God's Old Words. But there is a very important difference: Jesus is God’s faithful son.

Matthew has shown us that Jesus is the Promised King. But Jesus' kingdom is not like the kingdoms of our world because Jesus’ kingdom is an upside-down kingdom where the King dies to save his people. Jesus tells his disciples how his people live in this upside-down kingdom.

The religious leaders had made strict rules about the Sabbath day, the day where everyone was supposed to rest instead of working. But Jesus doesn't follow the religious leaders' rules. Jesus explains that he is the boss of the Sabbath and true rest can only be found in him.

Doing what God does

Two amazing stories show us what Jesus can do. Jesus generously feeds his people and Jesus powerfully walks on water. No human can do these things. When we read these, we are reminded of the stories of God, the Great King, in God’s Old Words, the Old Testament. Jesus is doing the same things that God does.

Living as the forgiven

Jesus tells some special stories to show how his people will live. The people in King Jesus' kingdom have received God's generous forgiveness. The people of King Jesus will remember how much they have been forgiven and match God's great generosity by forgiving others.

The terrible tenants

Jesus has been heading for a clash with the religious leaders. When Jesus tells the story of the terrible tenants, the religious leaders know that Jesus is talking about them. The religious leaders decide to silence Jesus.

Round 1: Rejected

It looks like Jesus will lose. Jesus' disciples can't stay awake to support Jesus in his troubles, and he is arrested by the religious leaders. Jesus is abandoned by his friends and left all alone. Jesus is rejected by the religious leaders. Everything that happens to Jesus makes God’s Old Words come true.

Round 2: Knockout!

It looks like Jesus is knocked out when he is nailed to a cross, dies and is buried. But this is not the end of Matthew's Very Good News. Jesus, the Promised King, comes alive again and invites all people into his kingdom.