Hebrews were waiting for the Messiah to come and set them free; free from the bondage of the Roman enemy. But then, announced to a group of shepherds one night, the Messiah arrived, was wrapped in strips of cloth, and took His royal position in a feed trough. This was the Son of God who takes away the sins of the world! He was given authority from His Father. He would show signs of His Messiahship and have a great following because of His miraculous healings; even bringing the dead back to life! But His message was confusing to some. He didn’t meet the expectations of the Messiah. He said that we should love our enemies. He said that God was a loving heavenly Father and even referred to Him as “Daddy” (Abba Father). And then there was His message of relating to God through humility.

Matthew’s writing helped the early Hebrew Christians recognize Jesus is the Messiah; an important message that encourages one to stand firmly in faith. Recognizing and identifying with the Messiah’s message will lead us to call upon our one true Teacher and Savior, Jesus Christ through whom we receive God’s loving grace and mercy.