The MacArthur Study Bible, NKJV

by John MacArthur

  10. Judas’ suicide (27:1–10)

  11. The trial before Pilate (27:11–26)

  12. The soldiers’ mocking (27:27–31)

  13. The crucifixion (27:32–56)

  14. The burial (27:57–66)

  15. The resurrection (28:1–15)

  VII. (Epilogue) The King’s Assignment (28:16-20)

  The Gospel According to

  MATTHEW

  Matthew 1

  The Genealogy of Jesus Christ

  (Ruth 4:18–22; 1 Chr. 2:1–15; Luke 3:23–38)

  1The book of the agenealogy1 of Jesus Christ, bthe Son of David, cthe Son of Abraham:

  2dAbraham begot Isaac, eIsaac begot Jacob, and Jacob begot fJudah and his brothers.

  3gJudah begot Perez and Zerah by Tamar, hPerez begot Hezron, and Hezron begot Ram.

  4Ram begot Amminadab, Amminadab begot Nahshon, and Nahshon begot Salmon.

  5Salmon begot iBoaz by Rahab, Boaz begot Obed by Ruth, Obed begot Jesse,

  6and jJesse begot David the king.

  kDavid the king begot Solomon by her 2who had been the wife of Uriah.

  7lSolomon begot Rehoboam, Rehoboam begot mAbijah, and Abijah begot 3Asa.

  8Asa begot nJehoshaphat, Jehoshaphat begot Joram, and Joram begot oUzziah.

  9Uzziah begot Jotham, Jotham begot pAhaz, and Ahaz begot Hezekiah.

  10qHezekiah begot Manasseh, Manasseh begot 4Amon, and Amon begot rJosiah.

  11sJosiah begot 5Jeconiah and his brothers about the time they were tcarried away to Babylon.

  12And after they were brought to Babylon, uJeconiah begot Shealtiel, and Shealtiel begot vZerubbabel.

  13Zerubbabel begot Abiud, Abiud begot Eliakim, and Eliakim begot Azor.

  14Azor begot Zadok, Zadok begot Achim, and Achim begot Eliud.

  15Eliud begot Eleazar, Eleazar begot Matthan, and Matthan begot Jacob.

  16And Jacob begot Joseph the husband of wMary, of whom was born Jesus who is called Christ.

  17So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, from David until the captivity in Babylon are fourteen generations, and from the captivity in Babylon until the Christ are fourteen generations.

  Christ Born of Mary

  (Luke 2:1–7)

  18Now the xbirth of Jesus Christ was as follows: After His mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph, before they came together, she was found with child yof the Holy Spirit.

  19Then Joseph her husband, being 6a just man, and not wanting zto make her a public example, was minded to put her away secretly.

  20But while he thought about these things, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream, saying, “Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take to you Mary your wife, afor that which is 7conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit.

  21b“And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name 8JESUS, cfor He will save His people from their sins.”

  22So all this was done that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying:

  23d“Behold,9 the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel,” which is translated, “God with us.”

  24Then Joseph, being aroused from sleep, did as the angel of the Lord commanded him and took to him his wife,

  25and 10did not know her till she had brought forth eher11 firstborn Son. And he called His name JESUS.

  Matthew 2

  Wise Men from the East

  1Now after aJesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea in the days of Herod the king, behold, 1wise men bfrom the East came to Jerusalem,

  2saying, c“Where is He who has been born King of the Jews? For we have seen dHis star in the East and have come to worship Him.”

  3When Herod the king heard this, he was troubled, and all Jerusalem with him.

  4And when he had gathered all ethe chief priests and fscribes of the people together, ghe inquired of them where the Christ was to be born.

  5So they said to him, “In Bethlehem of Judea, for thus it is written by the prophet:

  6‘Buth you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah,

  Are not the least among the rulers of Judah;

  For out of you shall come a Ruler

  i Who will shepherd My people Israel.’ ”

  7Then Herod, when he had secretly called the 2wise men, determined from them what time the jstar appeared.

  8And he sent them to Bethlehem and said, “Go and search carefully for the young Child, and when you have found Him, bring back word to me, that I may come and worship Him also.” Family Tree of Herod

  9When they heard the king, they departed; and behold, the star which they had seen in the East went before them, till it came and stood over where the young Child was.

  10When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceedingly great joy.

  11And when they had come into the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down and worshiped Him. And when they had opened their treasures, kthey presented gifts to Him: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

  12Then, being divinely warned lin a dream that they should not return to Herod, they departed for their own country another way.

  The Flight into Egypt

  13Now when they had departed, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream, saying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, flee to Egypt, and stay there until I bring you word; for Herod will seek the young Child to destroy Him.”

  14When he arose, he took the young Child and His mother by night and departed for Egypt,

  15and was there until the death of Herod, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Lord through the prophet, saying, m“Out of Egypt I called My Son.”

  Massacre of the Innocents

  16Then Herod, when he saw that he was deceived by the wise men, was exceedingly angry; and he sent forth and put to death all the male children who were in Bethlehem and in all its districts, from two years old and under, according to the time which he had determined from the wise men.

  17Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying:

  18“A nvoice was heard in Ramah,

  Lamentation, weeping, and great mourning,

  Rachel weeping for her children,

  Refusing to be comforted,

  Because they are no more.”

  The Home in Nazareth

  (Luke 2:39)

  19Now when Herod was dead, behold, an angel of the Lord appeared in a dream to Joseph in Egypt,

  20osaying, “Arise, take the young Child and His mother, and go to the land of Israel, for those who psought the young Child’s life are dead.”

  21Then he arose, took the young Child and His mother, and came into the land of Israel.

  22But when he heard that Archelaus was reigning over Judea instead of his father Herod, he was afraid to go there. And being warned by God in a qdream, he turned aside rinto the region of Galilee.

  23And he came and dwelt in a city called sNazareth, that it might be fulfilled twhich was spoken by the prophets, “He shall be called a Nazarene.”

  Matthew 3

  John the Baptist Prepares the Way

  (Mark 1:2–8; Luke 3:1–20)

  1In those days aJohn the Baptist came preaching bin the wilderness of Judea,

  2and saying, “Repent, for cthe kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

  3For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying:

  d“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

  e‘ Prepare the way of the LORD;

  Make His paths straight.’ ”

  4Now fJohn himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was glocusts and hwild honey.

  5iThen Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him

  6jand were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

  7But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, k“Brood of vipers! Who warned
you to flee from lthe wrath to come?

  8“Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance,

  9“and do not think to say to yourselves, m‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I say to you that God is able to raise up children to Abraham from these stones.

  10“And even now the ax is laid to the root of the trees. nTherefore every tree which does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

  11o“I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. pHe will baptize you with the Holy Spirit 1and fire.

  12q“His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will rburn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

  John Baptizes Jesus

  (Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21, 22; John 1:29–34)

  13sThen Jesus came tfrom Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

  14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

  15But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

  16uWhen He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and 2He saw vthe Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him.

  17wAnd suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, x“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

  Matthew 4

  Satan Tempts Jesus

  (Mark 1:12, 13; Luke 4:1–13)

  1Then aJesus was led up by bthe Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

  2And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry.

  3Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.”

  4But He answered and said, “It is written, c‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

  5Then the devil took Him up dinto the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple,

  6and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written:

  e‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’

  and,

  f‘In their hands they shall bear you up,

  Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ”

  7Jesus said to him, “It is written again, g‘You shall not 1tempt the LORD your God.’ ”

  8Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and hshowed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.

  9And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.”

  10Then Jesus said to him, 2“Away with you, Satan! For it is written, i‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ”

  11Then the devil jleft Him, and behold, kangels came and ministered to Him.

  Jesus Begins His Galilean Ministry

  (Mark 1:14, 15; Luke 4:14, 15)

  12lNow when Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, He departed to Galilee.

  13And leaving Nazareth, He came and dwelt in Capernaum, which is by the sea, in the regions of Zebulun and Naphtali,

  14that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by Isaiah the prophet, saying:

  15“Them land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali,

  By the way of the sea, beyond the Jordan,

  Galilee of the Gentiles:

  16n The people who sat in darkness have seen a great light,

  And upon those who sat in the region and shadow of death

  Light has dawned.”

  17oFrom that time Jesus began to preach and to say, p“Repent, for the kingdom of heaven 3is at hand.”

  Four Fishermen Called as Disciples

  (Mark 1:16–20; Luke 5:1–11)

  18qAnd Jesus, walking by the Sea of Galilee, saw two brothers, Simon rcalled Peter, and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen.

  19Then He said to them, “Follow Me, and sI will make you fishers of men.”

  20tThey immediately left their nets and followed Him.

  21uGoing on from there, He saw two other brothers, James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother, in the boat with Zebedee their father, mending their nets. He called them,

  22and immediately they left the boat and their father, and followed Him.

  Jesus Heals a Great Multitude

  (Mark 1:35–39; Luke 4:44; 6:17–19)

  23And Jesus went about all Galilee, vteaching in their synagogues, preaching wthe gospel of the kingdom, xand healing all kinds of sickness and all kinds of disease among the people.

  24Then 4His fame went throughout all Syria; and they ybrought to Him all sick people who were afflicted with various diseases and torments, and those who were demon-possessed, epileptics, and paralytics; and He healed them.

  25zGreat multitudes followed Him—from Galilee, and from 5Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

  Matthew 5

  The Beatitudes

  (Luke 6:20–26)

  1And seeing the multitudes, aHe went up on a mountain, and when He was seated His disciples came to Him.

  2Then He opened His mouth and btaught them, saying:

  3“Blessedc are the poor in spirit,

  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  4dBlessed are those who mourn,

  For they shall be comforted.

  5eBlessed are the meek,

  For fthey shall inherit the 1earth.

  6Blessed are those who ghunger and thirst for righteousness,

  hFor they shall be filled.

  7Blessed are the merciful,

  iFor they shall obtain mercy.

  8jBlessed are the pure in heart,

  For kthey shall see God.

  9Blessed are the peacemakers,

  For they shall be called sons of God.

  10lBlessed are those who are persecuted for righteousness’ sake,

  For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

  11m“Blessed are you when they revile and persecute you, and say all kinds of nevil against you falsely for My sake.

  12o“Rejoice and be exceedingly glad, for great is your reward in heaven, for pso they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

  Believers Are Salt and Light

  (Mark 9:50; Luke 14:34, 35)

  13“You are the salt of the earth; qbut if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men.

  14r“You are the light of the world. A city that is set on a hill cannot be hidden.

  15“Nor do they slight a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house.

  16“Let your light so shine before men, tthat they may see your good works and uglorify your Father in heaven.

  Christ Fulfills the Law

  17v“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.

  18“For assuredly, I say to you, wtill heaven and earth pass away, one 2jot or one 3tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled.

  19x“Whoever therefore breaks one of the least of these commandments, and teaches men so, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever does and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

  20“For I say to you, that unless your righteousness exceeds ythe righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven.

  Murder Begins in the Heart

  (Luke 12:57–59)

  21“You have heard that it was said to those 4of old, z‘You shall not murder, and whoever murders will be in danger of the judgment.’

  22“But I say to you that awhoever is angry with his brother 5without a cause shall
be in danger of the judgment. And whoever says to his brother, b‘Raca!’6 shall be in danger of the council. But whoever says, 7‘You fool!’ shall be in danger of 8hell fire.

  23“Therefore cif you bring your gift to the altar, and there remember that your brother has something against you,

  24d“leave your gift there before the altar, and go your way. First be reconciled to your brother, and then come and offer your gift.

  25e“Agree with your adversary quickly, fwhile you are on the way with him, lest your adversary deliver you to the judge, the judge hand you over to the officer, and you be thrown into prison.

  26“Assuredly, I say to you, you will by no means get out of there till you have paid the last penny.

  Adultery in the Heart

  27“You have heard that it was said 9to those of old, g‘You shall not commit adultery.’

  28“But I say to you that whoever hlooks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart.

  29i“If your right eye causes you to 10sin, jpluck it out and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

  30“And if your right hand causes you to 11sin, cut it off and cast it from you; for it is more profitable for you that one of your members perish, than for your whole body to be cast into hell.

  Marriage Is Sacred and Binding

  (Matt. 19:9; Mark 10:11, 12; Luke 16:18)

  31“Furthermore it has been said, k‘Whoever divorces his wife, let him give her a certificate of divorce.’

  32“But I say to you that lwhoever divorces his wife for any reason except 12sexual immorality causes her to commit adultery; and whoever marries a woman who is divorced commits adultery.

  Jesus Forbids Oaths

  33“Again you have heard that mit was said to those of 13old, n‘You shall not swear falsely, but oshall perform your oaths to the Lord.’

  34“But I say to you, pdo not swear at all: neither by heaven, for it is qGod’s throne;

  35“nor by the earth, for it is His footstool; nor by Jerusalem, for it is the city of rthe great King.

  36“Nor shall you swear by your head, because you cannot make one hair white or black.