The New Testament Reading Challenge: Day 1: WHO is Matthew? And WHY is he writing? + Matthew 1

I had ward conference in my singles ward today, and throughout the classes I got this desire to read the New Testament. So I started today!

I wanted to start a little log of everywhere I go as I study each chapter or the history (as you will see today) of each writer. I will be linking back to where I go and search. I stay on official lds.org sites almost always. I love to look up words and dive deeper into what it is, even if I might know what it is already. Often it can lead me to scriptures that are an added testimony or I learn something about the word I had no idea about.

INTRO TO NEW TESTAMENT + IT'S IMPORTANCE

As a small introduction of the New Testament, here are a few completely cheesy 80's seminary videos that explain what was going on religiously and politically during Christ's time. They are amazing, I totally suggest watching them.

See HERE. 
and HERE. 

HISTORY + BACKSTORY OF MATTHEW

WHO is Matthew? (source here.)

Matthew was one of the Saviors apostles.  He witnessed many of the miracles + events in Christ's life. "Matthew was a publican, or tax collector, known as Levi, the son of Alphaeus. (see Matthew 9:9, Mark 2:14, Luke 5:27-32)

WHY? (same source as above.)

Matthew wrote as another testament that Jesus Christ was the fulfillment of the prophecy of a Savior's coming. He also wrote as a testimony of the miracles Christ performed during his ministry and his divinity as the Son of God and our Savior.

The other descriptions of Matthew are amazing in the manual! I couldn't choose what to put so you can read it here. 

MATTHEW 1

Chapter here. 

The first chapter of Matthew is a prelude to the ministry of Jesus Christ. In this chapter you will read about Christ's birth and childhood.

There is a reoccurring theme of the fulfillment of Old Testament prophecies of his birth.

More about his birth + childhood is found in the book of Luke.

Verses 1-17

The chapter starts with a quick history of Christ's genealogy. The manual gives a great run-down of this, but one paragraph stood out to me:

Though both Matthew’s and Luke’s accounts are correct, the most important aspect of Jesus Christ’s genealogy has been made clear on several occasions byGod the Father: “This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him” (Matthew 17:5; see also Matthew 3:17; 3 Nephi 11:7; Joseph Smith—History 1:17).

President Gordon B. Hinkley declared his testimony of Christ's birth + lineage.

 “I believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the eternal, living God. … I believe that He was born of Mary of the lineage of David as the promised Messiah, that He was in very deed begotten of the Father, and that in His birth was the fulfillment of the great prophetic declaration of Isaiah: ‘For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder’ [Isaiah 9:6]” (“The Father, Son, and Holy Ghost,” Ensign,Nov. 1986, 50).

verse 18

One thing I found interesting in the manual was the difference between betrothal + marriage customs at the time of Christ's birth. When a couple was betrothed, the man took only legal possession (not physical, you could say) of the woman. This means that Mary went to live with Joseph before a marriage ceremony occurred but he only provided for her.

verses 18-25

Once Mary was found to be pregnant, and not with Joseph's child, Joseph could have done so many things. Joseph was going to subject to a quiet annulment, but after an angel visited him and assured him of Christ's lineage and divinity, he proceeded with the marriage.

“Matthew tells us that [Joseph] was of the lineage of King David, that he was a just and considerate man, that in a dream an angel told him who Jesus would be, that he was obedient, and that he gave Jesus his name, which means savior. (See Matt. 1.) We know that he took Mary to Bethlehem, where Jesus was born. (See Luke 2:4–6.) Less than two years later, Joseph took his family into Egypt to escape Herod, after being warned in a dream. In Egypt, a dream again told him when to return, and another dream told him to go to Galilee. (See Matt. 2:13–15, 19–22.) Four dreams from God! Joseph must have been an exceptionally visionary and spiritually sensitive man” (Gerald N. Lund, Jesus Christ, Key to the Plan of Salvation [1991], 51–52).

verse 21

The name Jesus comes from Iēsous, a Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua (Joshua in English). Yeshua means “Jehovah saves,” and the long form of the name,Yehoshua, means “Jehovah is salvation.” Both forms of the name bear witness of the identity and mission of Jesus Christ, who was Jehovah in the premortal life. Matthew described the Savior’s mission of salvation by declaring, “He shall save his people from their sins” (see also Helaman 5:10).

 verse 23

Christ will also be called Emmanuel which means "God with us".

Read the whole Matthew 1 Section in the manual here.