The Kingdom of God, Israel, and the Church in Matthew's Gospel

Introduction

          The life, death and resurrection of Jesus has sent shockwaves throughout the world. As yeast spreads throughout bread and causes it to rise, the Kingdom of God, inaugurated by Jesus, has been spreading throughout the world in the growth of His church. Jesus prophesied the incredible growth of His church when He told Peter, “On this rock I will build my church, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it” (Mt. 16:18 ESV). The Greek word used for “church” in this passage is ἐκκλησία which is formed from the Greek word ἐκ which means “out of” and καλέω which means “to call”.[1]The church is therefore those who have been “called out”. With such differentiation in denominations within the contemporary church, it is a worthwhile endeavour to seek to understand how the early Gospel writers portrayed those who have been “called out”. This paper will evaluate the Gospel of Matthew, and his portrayal of the relationship between Israel, the Kingdom of God, and the church. This paper will argue that while the Kingdom of God arises out of Israel, it is not confined to Israel, and the church of the Kingdom of God are the Israelites and Gentiles who, in recognition of their need for a physician, respond in faith to the call of Jesus with repentance.

         To support this thesis, this paper will include three main sections. The first will present data from the Gospel of Matthew that supports my postulations about Israel, the Kingdom of God, and the ecclesia. The second section will provide an interpretation of the data provided in section one and suggest some conclusions about Matthew’s vision for the church. The third section will describe a potential pitfall that some conteporary churches may succumb to.

Data Supporting an Understanding of Israel, The Kingdom of God, and Ecclesia in Matthew

 The Kingdom of God no Longer Confined to Israel

          The following pericopes reveal that while Matthew portrays Jesus as having come from Israel, as the fulfillment of Israel, His mission extends far beyond Israel to the Gentiles. By opening his Gospel with a genealogy (Mt. 1:1-16), Matthew unveils Jesus’ identify within very Jewish terms.[2] By connecting Jesus to Abraham, Matthew displays how Jesus has undoubtedly arisen from the nation of Israel. This connection to Israel’s history also links Jesus with the developing purpose of God which was being revealed within the Old Testament (OT).[3] It is this linkage between Jesus and the purposes of God in the OT that aligns with Matthew’s continual use of the phrase “to fulfill” or “then was fulfilled” (Mt. 1:22-23; 2:15; 2:17-18; 2:23; 4:14-16; 8:17; 12:17-21; 13:35; 21:4-5; 27:9-10) to describe how God’s previously announced purposes in the OT have reached their fulfilment in Jesus.[4] However, with Jesus being the fulfilment of the OT Scriptures, there is a concomitant reversal that entails a new era in redemptive history, an era that includes the Gentiles.[5]

          The inclusion of the Gentiles within the Kingdom of God is first foreshadowed in Matthew’s description of the visit of the wise men from the east, who came to worship Jesus and offer him their treasures (Mt. 2:11). They were also the first to acknowledge his kingship (Mt. 2:2). The actions of the wise men seem to be a prefiguring of Jesus words in Mt. 8:11 when He says, “I tell you, many will come from east and west and recline at table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven, while the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness.” It is interesting to juxtapose the wise men’s worship of Jesus as king (Mt. 2:2), and the centurion’s recognition of Jesus’ authority (Mt. 8:8-10) in contrast to Israel’s leadership and how they mock Jesus’ kingship (Mt. 27: 41-42) and question His authority (Mt. 21:23-27). In this example, these Gentiles appear to have a better understanding of Jesus than the Jewish leaders.

          The veracity of the Gentiles inclusion within the Kingdom of God is solidified in when Jesus commands His disciples to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Mt. 28:19 ESV). Therefore, it can be observed that while Jesus arises from the nation of Israel, His Kingdom can be seen as extending far beyond the nation of Israel to the Gentiles. The Kingdom of God is no longer confined to just Israel.

The Kingdom of God Extended to “Those Who are Sick.”

          The following data from Matthew will elucidate how the Kingdom of God is primarily extended towards and received by “those who are sick” (Mt. 9:12 ESV) who have recognized their need of a physician, while the Kingdom is withheld from those who are self-righteous, as exemplified by the Pharisees.

          There is a correlation between Mt. 9:12 and the beatitude which says, “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 5:3 ESV), there is also a connection between these verses and Jesus’ declaration in Mt. 11:28-29, “come to me all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” Blomberg notes how Jesus’ appeal for a response to his revelation is often towards those who recognize their spiritual need.[6] This reality is exemplified by Jesus’ continually healing “many” within His ministry (Mt. 8:16; 12:15; 14:34-36; 15:29-31). The story of the paralytic is a potent example of how one who is sick both physically and internally receives both internal and external healing from Jesus. In this story, a paralytic is carried by his friends to see Jesus (Mt. 9:2 ESV), this action would have taken much effort and reveals that this man and his friends carried a recognition of their desperate need for Jesus. When Jesus “saw their faith” he told the paralytic, “Take heart, my son; your sins are forgiven.” At this statement, the Pharisees were internally criticizing Jesus. To display his power to forgive sins, Jesus tells the paralytic “Rise, pick up your bed and go home.” (v.6) The man then rose up and went home (v.7). It is interesting how this man, in recognition of his sickly estate, receives both external and internal healing from Jesus, the “physician”. Conversely, the Pharisee’s never experience one of these encounters with Jesus as the “physician”, because they see no need for him. They are not commended for having faith like the paralytic but are rather described by Jesus as being “hypocrites” who “shut the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces” (Mt. 23:13 ESV). Jesus also calls them “blind guides” (v. 16), “whitewashed tombs” (v. 27) and a “brood of vipers” (v. 33). These are salient examples of how within Israel, it is those who recognize their need for Jesus who are received and healed by Jesus, and those who do not see their need for Jesus (the Pharisees) who receive the harshest rebukes from Jesus.

          Another powerful manifestation of the kingdom of God is Jesus asserting His power over the demonic powers. John Thomas observed how “liberation from demonic powers appears to be an essential preparatory step for people to become favourably inclined towards the kingdom of heaven.”[7] Within His ministry, Jesus can be observed frequently delivering people from demonic oppression (Mt. 8:28-34; 9:32-34; 12:22; 18:14-20). For these demon oppressed people, to be freed from the clutches of the demonic kingdom was a direct encounter with the power of the kingdom of God and Jesus the “physician.” These pericopes reveal how Jesus extends the kingdom of God primarily to “those who are sick” because they recognize their need for Him, while the Pharisees are resistant and unwilling to receive Him because they do not see their need for Him.

Matthew’s Church as those who RESPOND to Jesus Call with Repentance

          R.T. France suggested that one of the most prominent themes that run throughout the Matthew is the separation between the true “people of God” who respond to Jesus’ message and the society around.[8] This section will provide data from Matthew that supports the thesis that Matthew’s ἐκκλησία is comprised of those who respond to Jesus in repentance and obedience. The calling of the disciples is a vivid display of the response required in being a disciple of Jesus. The calling of the first disciples is as follows.

While walking by the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon (who is called Peter) and Andrew his brother, casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And he said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.” Immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going 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, and he called them. Immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.[9]

A noticeable aspect of these encounters between Jesus and His first disciples is how they “immediately” follow him. This can be contrasted by Jesus’ interaction with another disciple.

Another of the disciples said to him, “Lord, let me first go and bury my father.” And Jesus said to him, “Follow me, and leave the dead to bury their own dead.” And when he got into the boat, his disciples followed him.[10]

It is important to notice the lack of immediacy in this encounter, there is a hesitation within this disciple’s willingness to follow Jesus. It is as though Jesus is telling this disciple to “stop finding excuses and follow me.”[11]

          Jesus’ interaction with a rich young man accentuates the necessity for an active response to His call. In this interaction, a young man asks Jesus what he must do to have eternal life (Mt. 19:16 ESV). Jesus asks him if he has kept the commandments, and the young man responds by saying “All these I have kept. What do I still lack?” (v.20) Jesus tells him to sell all his possessions to come and follow Him (v.21), which causes the young man to go away sorrowfully because of his abundance of possessions (v. 22). It can be observed, that for this young man eternal life was an ‘academic’ problem, but Jesus challenges him to drop the academic question in favour of simple obedience.[12] This illustrates the importance of responding to Jesus’ call with action.

          The necessity of repentance in following Jesus is a theme that reveals itself prominently within Matthew, and it builds upon the notion of responding to Jesus with action. John the Baptist is first shown as preaching repentance (Mt. 3:2) warning the people to bear fruit by keeping with repentance (v.8). Jesus then also preaches repentance at the beginning of His ministry (Mt. 4:17). The word for repentance is metanoia which can be defined as a “change of mind” which involves a turning with contrition from sin to God.[13] With this definition in mind, the act of repentance can be witnessed within the disciples turning from what they were doing to follow Jesus (Mt. 4:18-22; 9:9). Repentance and response are therefore closely interrelated. These passages provide data to support the notion that Matthew’s presentation of the ecclesia is of those who have responded to Jesus’ call with repentance.

Interpretations of Data and Conclusions on Matthew’s Vision for the Church

          Considering how Matthew only uses the term ἐκκλησία twice, it is doubtful that Matthew would have had a sophisticated, highly developed ecclesiastical organisation in mind when he wrote his gospel.[14] With this in mind, this paper has sought to describe the characteristics of the individuals who comprised Matthew’s church, rather than describing the nature of the church on an organizational scale. This section will draw from the data provided in the previous section to delineate what characterized those who were “called out” within Matthew’s gospel. Jesus’ call goes out to all, but only some respond and become disciples.[15] What causes someone to respond to Jesus’ call?

          A linkage between those who responded to Jesus’ call, and those who sought him out and experienced His power, is that these individuals were either dealing with a bodily ailment or a heart posture that was “poor in spirit” which caused them to see their need for Jesus to be their “physician.” This can be observed within the call of the first disciples, the paralytic, and the faith of the centurion. In all these encounters, these individuals sought out Jesus because they recognized a certain lack within their lives, which caused them to seek out Jesus, or respond to His call to follow. Peter’s heart posture is more clearly illustrated by Luke’s account, which provides the detail of Peter’s response to Jesus when he is called, he says, “Depart from me, for I am a sinful man, O Lord.” (Lk. 5:8 ESV) This can be contrasted with the rich young man (Mt. 19:16-22) who believed that he had fulfilled all the commandments. Peter saw his internal depravity, the rich young man could not. Peter chose to follow the call of Jesus, the rich young man could not. By comparing these two characters, it is possible to conclude that it is those with a heart posture that is “poor in spirit” who ultimately choose to follow Jesus. With the correlation that has been drawn between repentance and response, it could also be concluded that those who are “poor in spirit” are those who are most likely to respond to Jesus in repentance. Within the context of Matthew’s church, it can be observed that those who have been “called out” share the common characteristic of having a deep dependency on Jesus, with everyone having recognized their own internal depravity and need for the “physician.”

          If everyone in Matthew’s church had a recognition of their own internal depravity, then everyone who is “called out” needs Jesus to forgive their sins just as he did for the paralytic. If everyone needs forgiveness, then “status consciousness and formally constituted authority have no place” within Matthew’s church.[16] If everyone has responded to the one who is “gentle and lowly in heart” (Mt. 11:29 ESV), then how can anyone seek to elevate themselves above someone else within the church, because, as France succinctly states, “ecclesiology is subordinate to Christology.” [17]The disciple is not above his teacher (Mt. 10:24), and so if Jesus, the son of God chooses to be lowly, then those who are “called out” also ought to be lowly in imitating their teacher.

Comparison Between Contemporary Church and Matthew’s Vision of the Church

          In this section, I will briefly consider how within some churches in North America, due to our wealth and comfort, some may succumb to the pitfall of having an “academic” response to Jesus, like the rich young man in Mt. 19:16-22.

          In an article discussing ecclesial discipleship within Matthew, Roedolf Botha describes how many churches are missing “a fundamental but practical transformational element to Matthew’s call of discipleship” which he describes as the “embodied” aspect of discipleship.[18] This lack of “embodied” discipleship can also be observed within Jesus’ interaction with the rich young man (Mt. 19:16-22). In this interaction, Blomberg describes how the young man may have been questioning Jesus to seek out a “loophole to avoid obeying less desirable commands.”[19] The desires of this young man may characterize some within different churches in North America, who desire “loopholes” that would lead to greater comfort and ease of life rather than the difficulties in living a life of obedience to God. One possible “loophole” is to make eternal life and the kingdom of God an “academic” problem.[20] If attaining eternal life is simply a mental exercise, then there is no need for an “embodiment” of Jesus commands. However, Matthew clearly displays how the paradigm for following Jesus and entering the kingdom of heaven is through simple obedience to Jesus (Mt. 19:21). Dietrich Bonhoeffer may have noticed his church adopting a mindset like that of the rich young man, as he asserted that “only he who is obedient believes.”[21] Perhaps this is can also be a lesson for those within the contemporary church who would seek to make following Jesus simply an “academic” pursuit. Matthew reveals in his gospel that discipleship cannot simply be a mental exercise, it must be embodied in actionable obedience to Jesus, just as the disciples chose action in leaving everything they were doing, to follow Jesus.

Conclusion

          In Matthew’s gospel, the kingdom of God is revealed as being available to all people, both Jew and Gentile alike. The Jews and Gentiles who find their way into this kingdom are those who possess a heart posture that is “lowly” and “poor in spirit” which causes them to recognize their need for Jesus to be their “physician.” The Pharisees act as a foil of the people of the kingdom of God, as they are unable to recognize their own spiritual depravity because of their own self-righteousness. Matthew’s description of those who are “called out” are those who respond to Jesus’ call with repentance. This act of responding in repentance is displayed by the first disciples being willing to follow Jesus immediately after He calls. This “embodied” form of discipleship may be missing within some of our contemporary churches. Following Jesus is not simply a mental exercise but involves embodied obedience to Jesus and His commands. Those who have been “called out” must be prudent in ensuring that following Jesus never just becomes an “academic” pursuit.

Notes

[1]           "G1577 - ecclesia - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv)." Blue Letter Bible, 2025. 

[2]           Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture. (The New American Commentary Book 22, B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition), 52.

[3]           France, R.T. Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher. (Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1989), 168.

[4]           Ibid., 171-172.

[5]           Crowe, Brandon D. “Fulfillment in Matthew as Eschatological Reversal.” (The Westminster Theological Journal 75, no. 1, 2013), 127.

[6]           Blomberg, Matthew: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, 193.

[7]           Thomas, John Christopher. “The Kingdom of God in the Gospel According to Matthew.” (New Testament Studies 39, no. 1, 1993), 138.

[8]           France, Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher, 164.

[9]           Matthew 4:18-22 ESV.

[10]         Matthew 8:18-23 ESV.

[11]         Roedolf Botha. “The Transformative Power Embedded in Δεῦτε Ὀπίσω Μου and Ἀκολούθει Μοι in Matthew as Gospel Embodiment in Contemporary Ecclesial Discipleship.” (HTS Theological Studies 77, no. 4, 2021), 3.

[12]         Ibid., 5.

[13]         F. F. Bruce. The Acts of the Apostles: Greek Text Commentary, (London: Tyndale, 1952), p. 97.

[14]         France, Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher, 243.

[15]         Westerholm, Stephen. Understanding Matthew: The Early Christian Worldview of the First Gospel. (Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2006), 129.

[16]         France, Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher, 252.

[17]         Ibid., 251.

[18]         Botha, “Ecclesial Discipleship”, 1.

[19]         Blomberg, Matthew: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture, 297.

[20]         Botha, “Ecclesial Discipleship”, 5.

[21]         Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship, (New York: Simon and Schuster Inc, 1937), 64.

References

Blomberg, Craig L. Matthew: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture. The New American Commentary Book 22, B&H Publishing Group. Kindle Edition.

Bonhoeffer, Dietrich. The Cost of Discipleship, New York: Simon and Schuster Inc, 1937.

Crowe, Brandon D. “Fulfillment in Matthew as Eschatological Reversal.” The Westminster Theological Journal 75, no. 1, 2013.

F. F. Bruce. The Acts of the Apostles: Greek Text Commentary, London: Tyndale, 1952.

France, R.T. Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher. Eugene: Oregon, Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1989.

"G1577 - ecclesia - Strong's Greek Lexicon (kjv)." Blue Letter Bible, 2025. 

Thomas, John Christopher. “The Kingdom of God in the Gospel According to Matthew.” New Testament Studies 39, no. 1, 1993.

Roedolf Botha. “The Transformative Power Embedded in Δεῦτε Ὀπίσω Μου and Ἀκολούθει Μοι in Matthew as Gospel Embodiment in Contemporary Ecclesial Discipleship.” HTS Theological Studies 77, no. 4, 2021.

Westerholm, Stephen. Understanding Matthew: The Early Christian Worldview of the First Gospel. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Academic, 2006.