The Gospel of Matthew was authored by one of the twelve apostles selected by Jesus. He was a publican from Galilee and universally hated by the Israelite's because of the heavy tax burden he imposed on behalf of the Romans.

The waning Seleucid Empire lost its grip on Israel with the Maccabean revolt, leading to a century of revolving control by the Hasmonean crime family. With the mix of Sadducee's, Pharisees, Herodians, Essene's, and others, it made for a sensational story line involving political power, greed, betrayal, war, death, and destruction.

The Israelite's lived with constant civil unrest, a corrupt system, and to top it off, a descendant of Esau had been appointed to rule over them. They longed for a Messiah that would re-establish the Kingdom of Israel and drive out the invaders. The constant turmoil made it seem there was no hope of a righteous king and this is why the apostles asked Jesus when He would restore the kingdom to Israel.

Sermon Outline: https://www.eaec.org/sermons/2020/RLJ-1777.pdf

RLJ-1777 October 11, 2020

THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW Part 1: Historical Introduction

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