Matthew is written by the former tax collector and disciple of Jesus. His perspective is that of trying to convince his Jewish brethren that Jesus was, in fact, the prophesied Messiah, as demonstrated by his frequent quoting of Old Testament scripture.
I’ve simply listed here the events recounted in the Gospel of Matthew in the order of their telling. If you desire more commentary, I have a Chronological Study of the Gospel available by subscription.
What I Learned as I Read the Gospel of Matthew, and “What I Learned” from Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount are also available.
Events in the Gospel of Matthew:
genealogy of Jesus via Joseph
Mary with child by Holy Spirit
angel of the Lord appears to Joseph in a dream and he keeps Mary a virgin until Jesus is born
visit of the magi
flight of Jesus’ family to Egypt; Herod slaughters babies 2 and under in region of Bethlehem; Jesus’ family returns from Egypt after Herod dies and settles in Nazareth
John the Baptist ministers in the region of the Jordan baptizing for repentance from sin
John baptizes Jesus, Spirit alights on Him, and God the Father speaks from heaven, saying Jesus is His Son
Jesus is tempted by Satan in the desert for 40 days, answering each temptation with Scripture
John is arrested
Jesus settles in Capernaum of Galilee, repeating John’s message, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand”
Jesus calls the first four disciples and immediately they follow
Jesus ministers in Galilee by teaching, proclaiming the gospel, and healing
Matthew 5-7 (Days 5, 6, 7, and 8):
Jesus gives His Sermon on the Mount to His disciples/followers, teaching what following Him looks like (we are to be righteous, perfect as He is perfect; serve to be noticed only by Him; pray as He taught us; forgive others; seek Him first and trust Him for our needs; not judge that which can only be judged by God; aspire to righteousness first before demanding it of others; be careful of sharing our treasures, even treasures of thought and wisdom, with those who will treat them and us badly; seek God for wisdom and direction; treat others as we want to be treated; enter the narrow gate; distinguish false prophets by their lawlessness; act on the words of Christ)
Jesus performs more acts of healing, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy about the Messiah
Jesus cautions potential followers that following Him is not easy
Jesus calms the sea
Jesus casts demons into swine who then destroy themselves—and the city begs Him to leave
back in Capernaum, Jesus declares a paralytic’s sins forgiven and then heals him to demonstrate He has the authority to forgive sins
Jesus calls Matthew; the Pharisees criticize Him for eating with tax collectors and sinners in Matthew’s home, and He explains His desire to heal them from sin
Jesus explains His disciples will fast when He, the bridegroom, is taken away from them
Jesus heals synagogue official’s daughter, woman with hemorrhage, two blind men, and demon-possessed man, and calls for beseeching the Lord of the harvest to send more workers—and then He sends more workers in the form of His disciples, telling them to heal and preach, and telling them they will be persecuted for it
Jesus teaches about courage in the face of persecution, with confidence of the eternal reward, and the importance of fearing God and not man
John sends his disciples to Jesus to verify that He is the Expected One and Jesus verifies that John is a prophet, even Elijah who was to come
Jesus rebukes men for rejecting both Him and John, for different and inconsistent reasons
Jesus condemns the cities which have witnessed His miracles and not repented, saying it will be more tolerable for Sodom in the day of judgment than for them
Jesus explains that He gives revelation to the humble and peace to the souls of those who come to Him
Jesus, by example, teaches that He is Lord of the Sabbath and that it is lawful to do good on the Sabbath; the Pharisees begin to conspire to destroy Jesus; Jesus peacefully withdraws and continues to heal people
When Jesus heals a demon-possessed man and the Pharisees claim He casts out demons by Beelzebub, He explains that blasphemy against the Holy Spirit is unforgiveable
Jesus explains that if He casts out demons by the Spirit of God, then the kingdom of heaven has come near, so the Pharisees ask for a sign; He says an evil and adulterous generation seeks after a sign, but they will be given the sign of Jonah, in that the Son of Man will spend three days and three nights in the heart of the earth
Jesus explains that whoever does the will of His Father in heaven is His family
Jesus teaches in parables, explaining the kingdom of heavean, and explains why He teaches in parables
the sower and the seed
the wheat and the tares
mustard seed
leaven
treasure hidden in the field
pearl of great value
drag net
Jesus visits Nazareth but does not do many miracles there because of their unbelief
John the Baptist is beheaded by Herod
Jesus feeds 5000
Jesus walks on the water
Jesus is welcomed in Gennesaret (where He had been asked to leave after He cast the demons into the swine)
Jesus has further arguments with the Pharisees about the disciples not washing their hands according to the tradition of the elders and Jesus explains they transgress the commandments of God for the sake of the precepts of men
Jesus heals the demon-possessed daughter of a Syrophoenician woman
Jesus heals many on the mountain near the Sea of Galilee
Jesus feeds 4000
Jesus warns against the teaching of the Pharisees and Sadduccees
Peter makes his confession that Jesus is the Christ, Son of the Living God; Peter is then rebuked for focusing on man’s interests and not God’s
Jesus explains that if any want to come after Him, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Him
Jesus is transfigured in the presence of Peter, James, and John, while Moses and Elijah appear to Him and God speaks out of heaven
Jesus’ disciples are unable to heal a demon-possessed boy and Jesus explains the importance of prayer and fasting
Jesus pays a tax from a coin found in the mouth of a fish He tells Peter to fish for
Jesus explains that the greatest in the kingdom of heaven are those who are humble like children
Jesus explains His particular protection over children and declares woe to those who cause stumbling blocks
Jesus explains the Father’s will that none perish
Jesus explains how to handle someone who sins against you: first in private, then with one or more witnesses, then in the church, and then by treating them as a Gentile or tax collector if they do not repent
Jesus explains we should forgive seventy times seven, that we should be merciful as we have been shown mercy, and that our heavenly Father will not forgive us if we do not forgive others
Jesus explains that divorce is permitted only in cases of immorality
Jesus warns against hindering children from coming to Him
the rich young ruler demonstrates possessions can be a distraction from following Jesus
Jesus reassures that those who leave all to follow Him will be rewarded in life and in eternity
Jesus tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard, reassuring that all will be rewarded with eternity no matter when in life they come to Him
Jesus explains His impending death and resurrection
the mother of the sons of Zebedee asks that her sons sit on his right and left in His kingdom; He warns that they will be martyred and that God the Father determines such rewards; Jesus explains to the other indignant disciples that greatness means service because Jesus did not come to be served but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many
Jesus restores the sight of two blind men outside Jericho and they follow Him
Jesus enters Jerusalem on a donkey, with the crowds laying branches in the road and shouting, “Hosanna”
Jesus goes to the temple and drives out all those buying and selling, and overturns the tables of the money changers and the seats of those selling doves; the chief priests and scribes are indignant with this, His healing people, and the children praising Him
Jesus spends the night outside the city and He withers a fig tree in the morning on the way in because it is not bearing fruit
Jesus refuses to answer question of His authority because chief priests and elders will not answer about John the Baptist’s authority
parable of the two sons
parable of the landowner
parable of the marriage feast
Jesus answers the plot to trap Him in His words with the admonition to render to Caesar what is his and to God what is His
the Pharisees and Sadducees test Jesus with questions, but He tests them with a question in return, silencing them
Jesus teaches the people about the religious leaders, saying to follow what they teach but not what they do
Jesus declares eight woes on the scribes and Pharisees for their hypocrisy
Jesus declares His love for Jerusalem and His desire to save, and laments over their rejection and the consequences of that rejection
Jesus explains to His disciples the sign of His coming and of the end of the age, with the admonishment to be ready
parable of the ten virgins, five prudent & five foolish
parable of the three slaves with the talents
Jesus explains how He will separate the righteous from the unrighteous when He comes in judgment, like a shepherd separates sheep from goats, explaining all that we do for others is as if we did it unto Him
Matthew 26 (Day 41, Day 42, & Day 43)
the chief priests and elders of the people plot to steal Jesus by stealth and kill Him
woman pours alabaster jar of costly perfume on Jesus’ head
Judas conspires with high priests to hand Jesus over for thirty pieces of silver
Jesus’ disciples prepare the Passover for Him
Jesus institutes the Lord’s Supper
Jesus and His disciples go to the Mount of Olives and He warns them they will fall away that night
Jesus prays and submits His will to the Father, while the disciples sleep when He asked them to watch and pray
Judas comes with a large crowd with swords and clubs to arrest Jesus
Jesus is taken to the court of the high priest, where the scribes and elders try to obtain false testimony against Him; when He confirms He is the Christ, they accuse Him of blasphemy and say He is worthy of death
Peter denies Jesus three times
Jesus is delivered to Pilate
Judas feels remorse that Jesus had been condemned; he tries to return the thirty pieces of silver, throwing it into the sanctuary when the chief priests and elders refused it, and then hangs himself; the silver is used to buy the Potter’s Field as a burial place for strangers, fulfilling the prophecy of Jeremiah
Jesus, before Pilate, only answers accusation that He is King of the Jews; the crowd demands Barabbas’ release and Jesus’ crucifixion; Pilate washes his hands of Jesus’ blood and hands him over to be crucified
Roman cohort mocks and mistreats Jesus and then leads Him away to Golgotha, “Place of a Skull” to be crucified, finding Simon of Cyrene to bear His cross, dividing up his garments by casting lots, and placing the charge, “THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS” above His head
Crucifixion
chief priests, scribes, elders, those passing by, and two robbers crucified with Him all mock, insult, and hurl abuse at Him
darkness falls from the sixth to ninth hour, when Jesus cries out, “MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAVE YOU FORSAKEN ME?” and yields up His spirit
earthquake, veil of temple is torn in two, tombs are opened and saints are resurrected
centurion and those with him declare, “Truly this was the Son of God!”
Jesus’ body is placed in the tomb of Joseph of Arimithea, which is secured by the guards of the religious authorities
Matthew 28 (Day 46)
Jesus rises from the dead; angel tells two women; Jesus appears to these same two women; angel and Jesus tell them to tell disciples He will see them in Galilee
guards are bribed by the religious authorities to say Jesus’ body had been stolen
Jesus appears to His disciples in Galilee and gives them the Great Commission
Thank you for this! Very helpful