Matthew

A Brief Introduction 

Global Message for Today 

Often it is tempting to skim over the long chronologies in the Bible. However, it helps us to see that the coming of Christ was already foreseen in the Old Testament (Luke 24:44–46). When we read of Abraham, Boaz, David, Solomon, and others we are to see that their greater Son is now coming into the world. Now the time of shadows is over. The Son Himself has now come. How does this fulfilled prophecy strengthen your faith? 

Jesus’ saving work is at the forefront of the Gospels. Matthew records the angel’s words, “And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins” (v. 21). Sinners of all stripes and dyes can find in this Godman a qualified and able Savior. His spotless life of obedience and His payment of the price for sin resulted in a complete and effective salvation. Are you trusting in Christ to save you from sin? 

Though His personal name is Jesus, Christ’s royal title is Emmanuel, “God with us.” In the person and work of Jesus, God was coming to dwell or tabernacle among His people. He did this visibly during His life on earth, but He also promises to be with His people forever (28:20). How does Christ continue to be “God with us” even now while He is in heaven? 

Jerusalem’s response to the announcement of Christ’s birth shows us the reality of our sinful hearts. The good news does not appear to be good until the Holy Ghost opens our ears and hearts to receive it as good news. Our hostility against God by nature runs deep. Like Herod, we would rage against Christ lest He would reveal our sin. Yet in spite of man’s exceedingly wicked thoughts, God will fulfill all His counsel (Isa. 46:10). How does man’s opposition to Christ appear today? 

Matthew notes several dreams from God given to Joseph (v. 19; 1:20) and the wise men (v. 12). In today’s world there are many people who claim to receive dreams from the Lord that reveal His personal will to them. However, now that redemption has been accomplished and God has finally spoken in His Son (Heb. 1:1–4), Scripture is God’s means of revealing His gracious plan of redemption as well as His will for our lives. 

Note Joseph’s unwavering obedience to God, in both chs. 1 and 2. A sinner himself, Joseph showed this obedience as a fruit of God’s work through Christ, his adopted Son. We too need to be ready and willing to obey the commands of God regardless of the personal conflicts this may cause (Heb. 11:26). How might it have been hard for Joseph to obey? How is it hard for you? 

Repentance is not merely feeling bad about things we do or say. Nor is it simply forsaking certain bad habits. True repentance stems from the grace of God in the heart of a sinner, which makes him or her mourn over sin, hate it, and turn from it toward God and His ways. Like the Pharisees in this chapter, many seem to want to repent or appear to repent, but there is no real fruit, because there is no true root. What fruit of repentance is there in your life? 

Christ came to John to be baptized not because He had a need for John’s baptism of repentance, but because He would be like His brethren in all things (Heb. 2:17). He became like sinners so that He might make sinners more like Himself. Better yet: He was made sin, that sinners might be made the righteousness of God through Him (2 Cor. 5:21). 

Christ’s temptation gives us both the pattern and power for overcoming the Devil. The pattern: recognizing how Satan tempts us to doubt God’s Word and goodness and resisting the Devil by exercising faith in specific truths of Scripture. The power: although our first Adam fell under temptation, casting all mankind under the Devil’s power, Christ stood firm and therefore can effectively lead us to conquer sin (Heb. 2:18; 4:15; 1 John 3:8). How do we find victory over temptation in Him? 

Though these men would be specially trained by Christ for apostleship (ch. 10), Christ’s call is essentially the same in every age: “Follow me.” Discipleship involves submission to Christ’s teaching, fellowship with His person, imitation of His ways, and setting aside everything that hinders our allegiance to Him (vv. 18–22). He has a right to each of our lives. He alone deserves to be followed. The life of faith is one of following the Lamb wherever He leads (Rev. 14:4). What does this mean in your life right now?

When Christ spoke the Beatitudes, He was not promoting some kind of perfectionism or offering a higher level of spirituality to those already saved, but giving a concise description of the character of those blessed by God. How would you summarize the kind of person Jesus says is a member of His kingdom? How can these traits help believers recognize the work of the Spirit in their hearts and confirm their assurance of salvation? 

There are many people who believe that being a Christian frees one from all moral imperatives or obligations to obey God’s laws. This is antinomianism. Some people believe Christians should be directed mostly by spiritual experiences and feelings instead of careful attention to the Bible. This is unbiblical mysticism. Yet others build their lives upon the pride and self-righteousness of keeping a list of rules for behavior that were largely invented by man. This is legalism. Jesus rejects all these errors and teaches us that the core of true godliness is a heart set free by the power of His kingdom in order to seek after obedience to God’s laws with humility and love. This is the piety promised and practiced in the Old Testament (Pss. 40:8; 119:16), revealed with even more clarity and power by the ultimate Prophet of the church. How can you seek to resist distortions of God’s truth even as you pursue true piety? 

If your heart delights in Christ’s teachings even as they humble you over your sins, then it is a sign that you are a Christian. The believer delights in the law of God in the inner man even as he grieves over the rebellion against that law he finds in himself. If this is true of you, what is one way Christ’s words challenge you to grow in repentance? If you find Christ’s words offensive, foolish, or legalistic, then what does that reveal about your relationship with Him?  

Our private prayers, tithing, and fasting should be marked by a veil of privacy or secrecy. This curtails the sinful ambition to be praised by man. God rewards those who seek Him in faith by the effectual working of the Holy Spirit. Is it a comforting thought to know that what the Christian does for the glory of Christ is not neglected or forgotten? How will this motivate you in your private worship? 

Note the practical implications of faith in this chapter. Jesus warns His disciples that they should not give in to sinful anxiety (vv. 25–32). He states in v. 30 that having such sinful anxiety is the result of having little faith in God’s providential care over life. How can you exercise faith in Christ’s promises so that you can overcome fear and worry? 

Jesus taught His disciples to call God “our Father.” Christ’s work results in God’s adoption of sinners who place their trust in Him, so that they are part of God’s family. How could viewing God as your “Father” change the way you view money, possessions, and your needs?  

A judgmental spirit, that is, judging people hypocritically without having judged our own hearts, is evidence that we have not come off the throne of our lives. The kingdom of grace is a place where God’s Spirit uses the Word to help us see the judgment we are under and to encourage us to seek mercy by Christ’s death and to show mercy to one another. How are you tempted to judge others? How should you instead judge yourself first? 

While we are not to judge hypocritically, Jesus taught us to recognize that there are two kinds of people, and only one will enjoy eternal life. Christ divided mankind between travelers on the broad and narrow ways, bad trees and good trees, wise and foolish builders. His words press us to not assume all is well. Are you on the narrow way? Are you a good tree by God’s grace? 

Christ did not teach the people the way that the Pharisees did—by endless recitation of other men’s opinions. Rather, He taught with authority. When we read God’s Word, we cannot simply sit back to have our ears tickled. It should expose our sin, show us God in Christ, and drive us outside of ourselves to seek mercy with this King. How have you been convicted to be a “doer” and not a “hearer” only (James 1:21–25). 

Christ is the exalted King who teaches with authority and confirms His message with miracles. However, Christ is also the lowly servant, who bears His people’s sin as a substitute (v. 17) and has nowhere to lay His head (v. 20). He is glorious as a King yet approachable as a servant. How necessary and suitable a Savior Christ is! How does this encourage you to trust in Him? 

Christ can drive away diseases, disasters, and demons with a mere word. His presence and power amaze people. His disciples exclaim, “What manner of man is this, that even the winds and the sea obey him!” (v. 27).The answer is that Christ is God, the glorious Creator. However, recognizing His glory is not the same as trusting in Him. The demons believed and trembled, begging to be sent away. The Gentiles begged Him to go away. Do you know Christ’s majesty? How does it affect you, with love and a desire to be with Him, or with a desire to get away? 

As Israel was to shout and rejoice over the certain prospect of the coming King, so we should rejoice over Christ has authority on earth to forgive sins (v. 6). People today speak of forgiving themselves, but they fail to see that they are not the Judge. Christ alone possesses the authority to condemn or to forgive. In this chapter we see Him granting forgiveness to weak and worthless sinners like the paralytic and great sinners like Matthew the tax collector. Obviously His forgiveness is not bought with money or earned with good works. Rather it is received by faith, just as healing was received by faith when Jesus worked miracles (vv. 2,22,28–29). Do you believe that Christ is able to forgive your sins? Are you trusting Him to actually forgive you? Remember, Christ did not come to save the righteous, but as a spiritual doctor for sinners. 

Were it not for Christ and the mission He gave to the apostles, we would all be completely in the darkness of paganism. On the apostles the foundation of the church was built (Eph. 2:20). After Christ’s ascension, the church was spread abroad by the apostles as an enlargement of God’s nation, Israel, among all peoples. This is what God had promised to Abraham, that in him all the nations would be blessed (Gen. 12:3; see Gal. 3:8). What does this chapter teach us about missions? How are you and your church implementing these principles? 

In these days when people generally want their lives to run smoothly, let us remember that Christ did not hide from His disciples the reality of the suffering they will experience (vv. 24,38). So rooted in pride and rebellion is the human race, that they killed Jesus Christ who went about healing, preaching, and saving lost sinners. So too, the Christian message and the Christian life is likely to arouse persecution and suffering today. In what way will you need to take up the cross if you will follow Jesus? What teachings of Christ in this chapter can give you the courage to follow through?     

John, though mighty in the Lord, was weak in himself. Even the best of men are men at best. But Christ is much better than any man. He directed John’s fainting heart to Himself. John had to learn that patience works experience; “and experience, hope: and hope maketh not ashamed” (Rom. 5:4–5). Do not be surprised when great servants of Christ fall into seasons of weakness. Instead, pray for them and point them to Christ, who is the answer to all our doubts and fears. 

The gospel brings great accountability to its hearers. Capernaum was privileged above most places in Israel at this time in the sense that Christ spent more time there teaching and performing miracles than anywhere else. Through Christ’s ministry it was as if they were “exalted unto heaven”; however, they would be cast down to hell because of their unbelief. We could say that the “hottest” places in hell are reserved for people who have lived the closest to gospel privileges and yet have continued in sin. What implications does this have for those of us in Bible-preaching churches? 

Many find it difficult to hold together God’s sovereignty and man’s responsibility. Verses 25–30 show God’s glorious sovereignty in salvation and also the gentle call of the gospel to all who hear. Rather than arrogantly arguing about sovereignty and responsibility, we need to humble ourselves as spiritual “babes,” to believe all that Christ teaches and to see the beauty of God’s sovereignty and our responsibility. 

Christ did not declare the Sabbath to be like any other day, but declared Himself to be the Lord of the Sabbath and taught His disciples how to observe it rightly. Legalists ruin the day by their burdensome traditions, but Christ loved the Sabbath and reserved a few of His greatest miracles for the Sabbath day. Christians also should love the Sabbath and keep the Lord’s Day. What does Christ’s example and teaching show us about how to truly keep the Sabbath? 

Christ will not break the bruised reed or quench the smoking flax (v. 20). God’s true people often go through life bruised and assailed. It may seem like everything and everyone is against them, especially their sins. Christ is a tender Savior. He can nurse and nurture the flame of faith in the heart. His work on the cross ensures a full victory for even the weakest believer. How can His gentle spirit encourage you in your own struggle against sin? 

Christ pointed to His true family: “For whosoever shall do the will of my Father which is in heaven, the same is my brother, and sister, and mother” (v. 50). This was a holy rebuke to His brothers, who were later converted. It is not fleshly connections that ultimately matter. However, let those who obey Christ’s Word take comfort that Jesus Christ embraces them as the family of God. Why is this a great comfort to believers? 

Christ searches our hearts, and His parables call us to search ourselves. Which soil are you? In reality, all the negative influences of Satan, sin, and the world remain in the hearts of believers. But God’s grace prevails and they bear a harvest of good works. We must not rest in hearing and reading the Word. Others have enjoyed the same privilege and yet in the end proved to be fruitless. Nor may we rest in it having some influence upon us. Many fish caught in the net were later thrown away. The only sure sign that God’s Word has saved a sinner is a changed life. It changes the inner life, for the converted count Christ as their greatest joy and treasure. It changes the outer life, for the converted bear fruit. How has the gospel changed you? How is it changing you now? 2. The kingdom of heaven may appear as insignificant as a tiny seed or a little piece of leaven, but at the completion of this age it will tower over all other kingdoms. Nothing else will matter compared to the great question of whether one goes to the fires of hell, where the wicked weep and gnash their teeth, or to the glories of heaven, where the righteous shine like the sun. How should this truth change the way we think about ourselves, other people, and our lives? 

John the Baptist died because of faithfulness to his Lord. He would not hide the truth, and he didn’t cease to warn transgressors. His death was not a tragedy. He was immediately translated from the dungeon of Herod to the throne room of God, to the festival of the spirits of righteous men made perfect in the presence of their Lord. How can his example help you to not fear to suffer or die for the Lord? 

Jesus is Lord and God. Though a prophet, like Moses who saw the Lord divide the sea and provide manna to Israel, Jesus is far greater than Moses, for Christ walked upon the sea and enabled Peter to do the same. Therefore, it is right that we worship Him in our prayers and praises. Do you delight to worship Christ with holy fear? If so, then remember that your greatest act of worship is to trust Him. What can we learn from Peter about honoring Christ by faith?   

The heart of sin is the sin of the heart. The scribes and the Pharisees focused on external sins, especially the rituals they dictated, but the Lord Jesus said that all the moral evils of mankind proceed out of the heart (v. 19). When God works in our heart, He gives us the ability to see how deeply rooted sin is and how corrupt and deceitful our hearts are. Our salvation cannot simply be dressing up or cleaning up the outside of our lives. Christ must heal our blindness. We need the new birth. God must plant new life within us. How does this humble you? How does it glorify the Savior? 

Christ’s dealings with the woman of Canaan appear harsh. However, His silence and apparent objections provoked her faith to shine brightly against the backdrop of this glorious Son of David. William Cowper said it well: “Behind a frowning providence / He hides a smiling face.” Let us imitate the persistence and humility of the Canaanite woman’s faith. When the Lord is not answering your prayers, acknowledge your unworthiness but cling to Christ all the more.    

Christ had to unseat the false religion of the Pharisees in the hearts of His disciples (v. 12). Like leaven, false teaching can easily enter and influence all our lives. The church and its ministers must contend for the faith that was once for all delivered to the saints and expose false teachers (Jude 3–4). Why is this an important part of our faithfulness to God? 2. The great question of all time is, “But whom say ye that I am?” (v. 15). The world has its opinion of Christ. Religion has its opinion. And our lives are issuing a constant verdict of who Christ is. Perhaps your actions say that Christ is a person you run to in need, but for the rest He has to fit in with your program and life. Perhaps you have an orthodox opinion about Christ but you do not listen to His demands. What does your life declare about who Jesus is? 3. Though Peter confessed Jesus as Christ, the Son of the living God, he still foolishly and vainly attempted to thwart Christ’s sacrificial suffering and death. The gospel of the cross is foolish and offensive to men. The call of discipleship is a call to die. Do you understand your need for Christ to die an accursed death in your place? Are you taking up your own cross and following Him? 

Christ’s divine glory and majesty shine wonderfully through His humanity, confirming the focus of many Old Testament promises. Yet He came to earth veiled, with His glory largely hidden. Christ’s transfiguration took place between announcements of His suffering and death (vv. 22–23; 16:21). If we seek glory with God apart from the humiliation and death of Christ, then we still imagine ourselves to be saved by man’s works, wisdom, and glory. Christ did not take the crown apart from the cross, and neither can we. We must listen to Christ’s words about the cross and follow in His crucified footsteps. How does this help you understand what it means for a Christian to pursue glory? 

When Christ descended from the mountain of glory, He entered, as it were, the workshop of the Devil. This demon had stymied all the efforts of the child’s father and Christ’s disciples, but it was no match for the power of Christ (vv. 14–21). Christians need not fear the Devil, so long as they cling to Christ by faith, for greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. How can this comfort us? 

Conversion is absolutely necessary if we are to be saved. This applies to us, our children, our parents, our friends and neighbors, those who have grown up in the church, and those who have not. Christ described conversion here in terms of turning around and childlike humility (vv. 3–4). Every true disciple of Christ has a root of repentance and humility planted in his heart by grace. But as believers we must continually work to put our pride to death. How are you working at this in your own life? 

Much of our humility comes from realizing that the guilt of our sins is like a debt of billions of dollars that we owe to God’s justice (v. 24). A true sense of our sin shows us both that we deserve horrible punishment from God and, unlike the servant in the parable, that we cannot possibly save ourselves from it no matter how long and hard we work. This puts us in the position of a beggar before God (5:3), whose only hope is free and lavish grace. How bad do you really believe your sins are against God? How much do you value the grace of Christ? 

The practical effect of true Christian humility is hatred of sin (vv. 7–9) and love for other Christians (v. 5) that especially shows itself in seeking to make peace with those who wrong us (v. 15), working to preserve the purity of the body of Christ (vv. 16–20), and forgiving others for their sins against us (vv. 21–35). How is the Holy Spirit convicting you regarding these heart issues? 

Marriage is not a contract that we may define as we please, but a sovereign act of the Creator, defined by His will. Despite attempts to make it normal to have sexual relations outside of marriage, engage in homosexuality, and divorce at will, God’s standards for marriage remain unchanged. If we desire His blessing, we must repent of our failures and live in the joy of sexual faithfulness. How can you honor this sacred relationship, whether you are single or married? 

Children have an important place in the church of God. God’s promises belong to Abraham’s seed, that is, to the children of believing parents (Acts 2:39). This does not remove their need to be born again. Jesus’ words to His disciples—“Suffer little children, and forbid them not” (v. 14)—encourages believers to bring children to the Lord through prayer and teaching and to watch that we do not hinder their coming to Christ. How can you bring children to Jesus? 

The rich young man’s response to Christ reveals a deadly spiritual illness that infects many people. Though they may have respect for Jesus and a desire for eternal life, they see mankind as essentially good, themselves as obedient to God’s laws, and Christ as a mere teacher to show them what to do to gain heaven for themselves. They operate as if still under the covenant of works in Paradise before Adam’s fall (Gen. 2). However, the last Adam is able to expose our sin with His Word and Spirit. If the rich man took Christ’s words to heart and returned to Him, how might he approach Christ differently? What might he say?  

Christ announces the basic kingdom pattern as one of servanthood. Christ is the great Servant, who gives His life as a ransom (v. 28). His disciples must also pursue greatness by humbling themselves to serve others. We must renounce our tendency to envy others and criticize God’s ways, and instead receive whatever He gives us with gratitude. Are you able to have joy and contentment in serving God however and wherever God determines to use you? 

Christ asked the same question of the mother of James and John, and the blind men: what do you want? (vv. 21,32). Their answers are a study in contrasts, for one sought personal glory out of pride and ambition, and the others sought mercy and sight. Ironically, it was the disciples who were blind to what really mattered. What are you seeking from God in your prayers? What does that reveal about your soul? 

Christ came riding into Jerusalem as a glorious, yet meek and lowly King, as prophesied by Zechariah. Sinners need such a Savior! Just as He came to Jerusalem, so He comes in the preaching of the gospel. Do we come to hear the Word, praying, “Hosanna,” that is, “Lord, please save us”? 

The fig tree with beautiful leaves, but no fruit, represents hypocritical religion among any professing people of God. The hypocrite loves to make himself or herself look nice to the outside world. However, when God comes to pluck the fruits of true repentance, there are none. For all the hypocrite’s fine words to the Lord, he remains disobedient. Far better to confess our sinfulness to the Lord with honesty, and then repent and turn to obedience with sincerity. What can we learn from the publicans and harlots, of whom Christ said, they “go into the kingdom of God” before many other religious people (v.31)? 

God’s call to the marriage supper of His Son is remarkably open and indiscriminate. However, all who inherit salvation have come through the narrow gate, namely, through Jesus (John 14:6). Those who do not come by way of repentance and faith in Jesus Christ are not found dressed in His righteousness alone. At the last, they will be cast out as those who would not submit to the righteousness of God. How do you know if you are clothed with wedding garment? 

Many people use religion as a cloak to keep away from Christ. They love arguments. They love to identify with this party or that sect. In the end their basic attitude is “tempting” Christ (v. 35). It is one thing to know Scripture or even debate aspects of Scripture. It is another thing to listen to Scripture and submit to the Son (Ps. 2:12). How can you tell which you are doing? 

The source of the Pharisees’ problem rested in their pride (vv. 6–7). Pride blinds us to our sin. Pride leads us to justify ourselves before God (Luke 16:15). We think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think (Rom. 12:3). Meanwhile, we bind ourselves and those around us to traditions, ceremonies, rules that have not been expressly laid down in the Scriptures. The law, however, can only arouse sin in us and render us condemned before the tribunal of God. The gospel is the only remedy. Our unrighteousness is not as much of an obstacle to our salvation as our self-righteousness. How can we avoid the pit of being like the Pharisees?  

The source of the Pharisees’ problem rested in their pride (vv. 6–7). Pride blinds us to our sin. Pride leads As much as we admire beautiful buildings, even the best architecture will fall under God’s judgment if it houses rebellion and unbelief toward Christ. Our only safety is in following Christ to the end. Christ did not promise it would be easy. He warned that believers would see many tribulations, including wars, national disasters, and persecutions. He said that they must stand against false teachers and false Christs. However, He promised that He will return and gather His elect safely to Himself. How can we find the strength to persevere with Christ by leaning on the hope of His second coming? 

Just as surely as the Roman army destroyed Jerusalem in AD 70, so the Son of Man will return with His angels to judge the world. This will be a day of sudden destruction for the wicked, but a day of gracious reward for the faithful servants of the Lord. We cannot know when it will happen, but we must be prepared. All of us have been made stewards of something, certainly our souls, and most of us much more. Are you faithful to the Lord? Are you prepared for Christ’s coming? 

There is no middle category between foolish and wise, sheep and goats. We are one or the other. The parables of this chapter give us three tests of whether we are truly the Lord’s people. First, are you prepared by God’s Spirit to endure for a long wait before Christ returns? Second, are you actively serving Him now by taking the personal and material resources He has given you and employing them in your vocation for His glory? Third, are you responding with compassionate action to the needs of other Christians around you as members of one family in Christ? These are tests Christ will use on the judgment day, and we should judge ourselves by them now. 

Christians need not fear the return of Christ, for the Son of God will come as the merciful older brother of God’s children. Indeed, if we view Christ as a hard master who treats people unfairly, we must question whether we have faith in Him at all. However, true believers may sometimes view the judgment day with fear too. How can these parables give them comfort and hope? 

Christ deserves our all. Particularly, His willingness to die for sinners ought to elicit all our affection, adoration, and devotion, as it did in Mary. She is not only dedicated to an idea or a cause, but to the Person who loved her and died for her. Do you love Jesus Christ? How has His sacrificial love for His church moved you to pour out your life for Him? 

Though Christ may have appeared like a helpless victim being abused by religious and civil leaders, His institution of the Lord’s Supper shows that His suffering and death was not an accident or some tragedy. His death was appointed in order to accomplish redemption from sin and the full penalty it demanded. How does Christ’s knowledge of what was to come and His submission to His Father’s will increase your own love for Him?  

Note Judas’s false repentance. It was not what Paul would later call a godly sorrow, but the sorrow of the world that brings death (2 Cor. 7:10–11). Remorse over what we have done may simply be the acting of our natural conscience. True repentance involves dying to sin and rising to newness of life by God’s grace at work in us. How have you experienced godly sorrow that leads to true repentance? 

Christ’s suffering at the hands of men was terrible. Being forsaken by His Father, however, was the worst part of Christ’s sufferings. He bore the iniquity of His people and He did so as a public person, as the representative and head of all His people. He was made a curse that the blessing might flow to all who believe, both Jews and Gentiles (Gal. 3:10–14). How do Christ’s sufferings in this chapter reveal what our sins deserve? How do they show the love of God? 

Scripture had prophesied many aspects of Christ’s sufferings. His death was an amazing confirmation of the faithfulness of God to His promises (Rom. 15:8). Nature itself testified to the great significance of this event. Yet, most people present at the time were blind to anything other than a man suffering on a cross. Has the Spirit opened your eyes to see what you deserve as you look at Christ’s suffering and death? Have you seen by faith that the veil has been rent (v.51) between God and sinners, so that sinners now have access to God through Christ’s blood?  

Christ is alive. The veracity of the resurrection is well established by eyewitness accounts in the Word of God. It is not a fairy tale or myth, but a fact of history. Yet Christ is more than a fact—He is a living person who meets us by His Word and Spirit. He deserves our worship, not just the bowing of our bodies but the trust of our hearts and obedience of our lives. How do you relate to Jesus Christ on a personal level? How does His infinite authority (v. 18) appear in your life? 

Christ has all authority in heaven and on earth. Neither demons nor any earthly power can stop the expansion of His kingdom. He claims people from every nation for His disciples, having bought them with His blood. He has commissioned His church to make disciples of all nations, beginning with the apostles and continuing today. His great means are the law, the gospel, and the ordinances of worship commanded in His Word. His promise is His abiding presence with His church by His Spirit. How should these truths press upon the conscience of the church its duty to reach the world with the truth of Christ? How can these truths encourage the church to do its mission with hope, confidence, and perseverance? What do these truths teach us about the methods that the church should use to faithfully fulfill its mission?