THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW Part 1

The Gospel of Matthew was authored by one of the twelve apostles selected by Jesus. He was a publican from Galilee and universally hated by the Israelites because of the heavy tax burden he imposed on behalf of the Romans. The waning Seleucid Empire lost its grip on Israel with the Maccabean revolt, leading to a century of revolving control by the Hasmonean crime family.

With the mix of Sadducees, Pharisees, Herodians, Essenes, and others, it made for a sensational storyline involving political power, greed, betrayal, war, death, and destruction. The Israelites lived with constant civil unrest, a corrupt system, and to top it off, a descendant of Esau had been appointed to rule over them.

They longed for a Messiah that would re-establish the Kingdom of Israel and drive out the invaders. The constant turmoil made it seem there was no hope of a righteous king and this is why the apostles asked Jesus when He would restore the kingdom to Israel.