The Gospel of Matthew is a book of mystery. Bible teachers hardly have any debates concerning the Gospel of John. But for centuries there have been many debates among Bible teachers regarding the Gospel of Matthew. This is because this book is a book of mystery. In Matthew there is something so mysterious.
Many Christians know that Matthew speaks of Jesus as the King. In Matthew 2:2, the wise men asked, “Where is he that is born King of the Jews?” When He was crucified there was a sign placed over Him that said, “The King of the Jews” (Matt. 27:37). But what does it mean that Jesus is the King? The kingdom of Jesus is revealed in this book, but it is really difficult for anyone to understand it properly. Many Bible teachers have held different concepts concerning the kingdom in Matthew. The Brethren teachers say that Jesus came as a king to present the kingdom of God to the Jewish people, but since they rejected Him, the kingdom was suspended. Then they say that Jesus began to build the church while the kingdom was suspended, and one day, when the church age is over, the suspended kingdom will be brought back. Some of the dispensational teachers say that the book of Matthew is for the Jews, not for us. Hence, we see that there are different concepts concerning the Gospel of Matthew. It is because this book is a book of mystery. We need heavenly, spiritual insight in order to read this book.
In this book Jesus preached the gospel of the kingdom. What is this? It is not the gospel of grace or the gospel of forgiveness, but the gospel of the kingdom. It is easy to understand the gospel of grace, but it is not so easy to understand the gospel of the kingdom. The Gospel of Matthew speaks of the gospel of the kingdom. Jesus preached and also predicted that this gospel of the kingdom would be preached to the uttermost part of the earth, and then the end would come. The gospel of grace has been preached to every part of the earth, but not the gospel of the kingdom. If you were to go to Africa today, you would find many Christians who know and accept the gospel of grace. But if you were to ask them concerning the gospel of the kingdom, they would say that they have never heard of such a thing. There is the need of a further preaching of the kingdom, not only in Africa, but also in America. Do you believe that Christians in the United States know what the gospel of the kingdom is? The Gospel of Matthew as a book of mystery speaks something hidden and mysterious.
Let me tell you something else about this Gospel. Jesus is the King, but He is also the kingdom. In the entire world there is not a book that tells us of a certain king being the seed of His kingdom. This is really a foreign, heavenly language. It says further that when this seed grows, the kingdom comes forth. No wonder it is difficult to understand this book. Matthew tells us that the King Jesus came as a sower. “And he spake many things unto them in parables, saying, Behold, a sower went forth to sow” (Matt. 13:3). Yes, Jesus came as a King, but not as a King in our natural concept, in our definition, or in our understanding. He is a wonderful and mysterious King.
Have you ever heard of a king coming into office riding on a baby donkey? “All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass” (Matt. 21:4-5). Suppose the president of the U.S.A. came into office in this way. I do not believe that he would be accepted. Jesus is a king in a completely different way than we would think according to our natural concept. According to the above verse, He came as a meek king. Our concept is that a king is one who exercises authority to rule over everyone in an outward way. But we must put down this concept. Jesus was never such a king.