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The "Companion Bible" gives the structure in the form of an alternation, and as most
of our readers have access to (if not possession of) this valuable work we will not occupy
space by reprinting it here.
While recognizing all the labour that has been expended by other believers in the past,
let us once more turn to the gospel of Matthew itself and see what fresh light the Lord
may be pleased to give. We observe in the opening verse that Jesus Christ is set before
us as the Son of David and the Son of Abraham, and that the genealogy itself is
artificially subdivided as follows:
"So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations, and from
David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the
carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations" (Matt. 1: 17).
Here we have two patriarchs with whom covenants were made and promises given
that find their fulfillment only in Christ. The failure of Israel led to their rejection and to
the rise of Nebuchadnezzar, with whom commenced the "Times of the Gentiles", and it is
suggestive that we meet the word musterion "mystery" for the first time in the book of
Daniel.
This great prophetic event throws light upon the turn taken in the Gospel at
chapter 13:, where we meet, for the first time, the expression "The mysteries of the
Kingdom of Heaven". We cannot prove from Matt. 1: 1, but we receive a suggestion
from that verse, that Matthew may have subdivided his theme so that his gospel shall set
before us first, Christ as Son of David, and secondly, Christ as the Son of Abraham, the
former title stressing kingship, the second title referring to the antitypical death and
resurrection of the true "Isaac" offered on one of the mountains of Moriah at a place
called Calvary. We discover by reading through* the gospel, that there are two great
time periods which cannot be ignored, and these therefore we present as our first pair of
items in the discovery of the structure of Matthew.
[NOTE: * - The reader must remember that there are no short cuts to truth. What
occupies a few inches of space, and takes a minute or two to read, may have cost
many hours of patient research and prayerful acknowledgment of human inability.]
"From that time Jesus began to preach, and to say, Repent: for the kingdom of heaven
is at hand" (Matt. 4: 17).
"From that time forth began Jesus to show unto His disciples, how that He must go
unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be
killed, and be raised again the third day" (Matt. 16: 21).
Here most evidently we have two distinct departures, two ministries, two themes. The
first stresses the kingdom, the second the cross. The former ranges under the name
"David" the second under the name "Abraham". One finds its type in Solomon the Son
of David, the other in Isaac the son of Abraham.
The next repeated feature which our reading brings to light, is found in the records of
the baptism at Jordan and the transfiguration on the Mount.