how old was matthew when he met jesus

Do you want to be a student or a teacher? February 27, 2023. In it, Jesus appears to Matthew as a boy and tells him to go to the city of Myrna (an unknown location), which is inhabited by man eaters. Upon arriving there, Matthew performs miracles and casts out demons. Two, because we find them working in trades at the time Jesus calls them, none of the disciples likely were star students. It was also a time when those who chose to follow Jesus by joining the church were being pushed down by an ever-increasing weight of persecution. Fun fact: As a tax collector, Matthew wouldve presumably been great with money, and modern readers would think hed be an ideal candidate for the groups official treasurer. But given the reputation of tax collectors in first-century Judaism, that wouldve been a bad move politicallywhich might be why the disciples gave the job to a guy named Judas Iscariot. We know that John lived until about AD 96 or 97, which is about 66 years after Jesus died. Luke 3:23 says that he was about age thirty when he began his ministry. In its place, Matthew began collecting souls for the kingdom of God, rather than tax money, from that point forth. Logos Bible Software 10 review: Do you REALLY need it? Most scholars dont accept this account today. It is reasonable to assume that John was at least 20 years old at the time of the crucifixion, given his ability to care for Jesus mother (John 19:2627). Matthew the apostle had previously worked as a dishonest tax collector motivated solely by avarice, until Jesus Christ picked him to be one of his disciples. And as it is said, Jesus' ministry lasted for about 3 to 3 years before he died. When he entered the town, he was met by a small delegation of Jewish elders. In order for him to teach in the Temple area in Jerusalem, he would have had to have a pedigree that allowed it. May we purposefully prepare ourselves to answer the call for His glory and our delight, as we discover that there is abundant grace and restoration for all of us as we lean into the brokenness and muck that lies before us. He agrees to serve as one of the 12 apostles. After Jesus calls him, Matthew hosts a gathering at his house, and as he and his unsavory companions dine with Jesus, the Pharisees ask why Jesus eats with tax collectors and sinners (Matthew 9:11). The end. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. If your son didnt merit this honor, they would enter the workforce by their mid-teens, and in almost every case, apprentice under their fathers in the family trade. To learn the history of John, the disciple of Jesus, we begin with his life before he met Jesus. Jeremiah 23:5-6 He would be David's kingly heir. It is amazing all the information that Scripture gives us. Here are a few biblical indices of youth development: In Matthew 11:25, Luke 10:21, and John 13:33, Jesus refers to his followers as little ones, referring to them as children. The holy city, Jerusalem, comes down from out of heaven, looking as new and innocent as a bride ready for her husband. As he walks on, he sees Matthew, who is also . And his clothes became white as light. What we know is that his personal promise from God was fully kept. According to Matthew, who was an eyewitness to Jesus life, the tale of his birth, his message, and his numerous actions are all documented in the Gospel of Matthew since Matthew was an eyewitness to the Savior. While in Jerusalem he chased the moneychangers from the temple and overturned their tables. Again, this in itself does not clinch the matter. It is supposed that Jesus, as he did in other cases, gave Levi another name, Matthew, meaning "gift of Yahweh." Therefore, it is anachronistic to view people acting with zeal before 68 C.E. 0:00. According to Matthew 4:2122, James and John intentionally abandoned their father in the boat in order to follow Jesus. Although born in Bethlehem, according to Matthew and Luke, Jesus was a Galilean from Nazareth, a village near Sepphoris, one of the two major cities of Galilee ( Tiberias was the other). These accounts so closely parallel each other that its hard to imagine they arent speaking of the same person. Despite the fact that there is no indication in Scripture of a specific age for any disciple, we can conclude from the evidence in the Gospels and from a little research into 1st century Jewish culture that this idea, which has been depicted repeatedly in movies and pictures, is almost certainly incorrect. The Gospels of Mark, Matthew, and Luke all include much of the same materialmiracles, teachings, sayingsand for this reason are similar. Here are a few of the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus' birth: Numbers 24:17 He would be from the line of Jacob. | Theme by SuperbThemes.Com. Andre Iguodala compares Stephen Curry to Jesus Christ - "I think I've met the closest thing to Jesus Christ" Iguodala claims he knew Curry was destined for greatness from the moment he joined the Warriors in 2013, and even went as far to compare him to Jesus Christ when praising him When Jesus summoned Matthew to follow him, he was working as a tax collector (also known as a publican), which was considered one of the most despised occupations in ancient Judaism. But the simplicity of this passage speaks volumes. What bolsters this case is the educational pathway of that time. He made amends with all of the people he had wronged, surrendered his worldly belongings, and pledged himself to the teachings of his new teacher. The authors of the Gospels linked their accounts to the Old Testament prophets as evidence of Jesus' unique character. Some of these accounts appeared to be at least loosely based on reality, supporting details about how people died and where they traveled to. As far as the text tells us, he might have been young, he might have been old. In the end, this is speculation, and we simply cannot know how old the apostles were. This prophecy of His own death and resurrection aimed to let people recognize Him as Christ in the proper light, for to confess Him as Christ while denying Him the cross would be to have incorrect expectations of what He was capable of. He was born to Joseph and Mary sometime between 6 bce and shortly before the death of Herod the Great (Matthew 2; Luke 1:5) in 4 bce. The Greek word for . Besides this, Matthew gives Peter a good deal of positive attention in his gospel. At the very least, Jesus motivation to live and die in complete surrender to His Fathers will, knowing that His Fathers goals and mission are the best shows itself in this prophecy when considered in its context. According to what we can gather from the book of Acts, the early Jesus movement was referred to as The Way (Acts 9:2; Acts 24:14). The Bible states that these two men weren't just . In Matthew 17:24, he tells us the precise amount of the temple tax: After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, Doesnt your teacher pay the temple tax?. Think about that: they were worried about putting a tax collector in charge of their money, but Judas not only stole from the money bag (John 12:6), but ultimately betrayed Jesus. There are a few counter arguments, but the main one is that the early church claimed John Mark wrote down Peters account of Jesus ministry . Become a member today. Do you know where should I look for information on how old were the apostles when they joined Jess? (Mark 3.16). Did Jesus encourage the apostles to break the Sabbath? Your email address will not be published. The first heaven and earth are passed away, and the sea is gone. You will be able to see your next lesson in 10 seconds. As recorded in Matthew 17:24, the temple tax was two drachmas, and the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, Doesnt your teacher pay the temple tax? After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma temple tax came to Peter and asked, Doesnt your teacher pay the temple tax? It appears that the author paid close attention to Jesus teachings regarding money, had a more in-depth grasp of financial problems, and regarded finance as a useful lens through which to view the gospel. As we come to see Jesus as the Christ, the Messiah, and the Savior, may we also recognize that in order for any of this to be real, He had to take the route of the cross. Matthew was one of Jesus Christs twelve disciples, and he served in this capacity. So the Synoptic Gospels actually begin later in Jesus' ministry. Students (or disciples) were often younger than their teachers in Jewish culture. Beyond include Matthew in the list of Apostles and frequently pairing him with St. Outside of the New Testament, the text from theApostolic FatherPapias of Hierapolispreserved by BishopEusebius of Caesarea is significant since it states: So then Matthew authored the Oracles in theHebrew language, and each one interpreted them as he was capable. The Gospel is a collection of stories about Jesus Christ. He also worked as a missionary, bringing the good news to people in different parts of the world. Since Zacchaeus was "short in stature," he ran ahead. And as to the plausibility of them being young enough to still be around to write about all this in the 60s 90s, there is no problem at all. But, as I said, we dont have to infer that he was THAT much older, since his brother Andrew is still unmarried and he works with close friends James and John, also unmarried. The Gospel of Matthew leaves little room for confusion though: hes called the tax collector in the list of disciples: These are the names of the twelve apostles: first, Simon (who is called Peter) and his brother Andrew; James son of Zebedee, and his brother John; Philip and Bartholomew; Thomas and Matthew the tax collector; James son of Alphaeus, and Thaddaeus; Simon the Zealot and Judas Iscariot, who betrayed him. Matthew 10:24. Lets get to know Matthew a bit better because he was the founder of the largest religion on the planet at the time of writing this article. If Jesus gave him the name Matthew or whether he chose it himself, Matthew is a truncation of the name Mattathias, which meaning gift of Yahweh or simply Gods gift. Mattheus arranged a huge goodbye feast at his home in Capernaum on the same day Jesus persuaded him to follow him. No one has ever heard of Jesus concept of loving everyone. 9:12 (KJV) By addressing Matthew specifically, Jesus was announcing that no one would be barred from his movementnot even those who were deemed unredeemable by society. Matthew the Apostle, according to the Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (Vol. Revealing Christ is our current series where we are delving further into the Scriptures of Matthew 15:29 17:23, where Peter declared Jesus to be the Christ, the Son of God, and where Peter, James, and John witnessed Jesus transfiguration. Some argue that the Gospel of Matthew includes internal evidence linking it to Matthews profession, which could indicate he was the biblical author. Jesus messes up the system the religious leaders had created. RESPONSE:As you correctly surmise, the solution to this question is somewhat shocking. 60, brought him to martyrdom in the latter nation. They traveled with Jesus for seven miles without knowing who he was, but came to realize who he was when they had dinner with him. We see in Scripture, how majestically he spoke out to the crowd on the day of Pentecost. What were their professions? The Gospel of Matthew talks about money in more detail and greater frequency than the other gospelssimilar to how the Gospel of Luke, written by Luke the physician, includes greater detail about ailments and uses precise medical terminology. On the other side there was a garden, and he and his disciples went into it. Matthew 4:18-22 relates that Andrew and Peter were fishing, plying their trade when called, and James and John were mending nets with their father. Over 30 million students around the world benefit from this resource. Matthew also uses money-related words the other gospels dont. It feels like a lifeline to me right now. When it comes to the Apostle Matthew, theres not much to go on. It had been 60 years since Jesus had walked with them. What is the relationship between the Abrahamic Covenant and the Mosaic Covenant? If Peter had children, it would have been wise for the gospel authors not to mention them for their safety. Topic:When it comes to the disciples, the question of how they could have written their letters 30 or more years after the crucifixion of the Christ tends to come up frequently. Tradition mentions his ministry inJudaea, following which he is said to have embarked on a journey to the East, which might have taken him to Ethiopia or Persia. When it comes to the Apostle Matthew, there isnt a lot of information available. 3 Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared before them, talking with Jesus. However, they all ultimately offer a different portrait of Jesus. At that time Matthew's name was Levi; he was the son of Alphaeus. It derives from the Greek word evangelion, which literally means good news. With their writings, these four authors spread the good news of Jesus Christ across the world. These two gentlemen were brothers. Every male above the age of 20 who visits the temple of God is required to give a half-shekel as a census offering, according to Jewish law, which is found in Exodus 30:14-15. Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. But in the Gospels, Peter is the only disciple recorded to have been married (Matthew 8:14-15). His mother was also there for her Jewish religious ritual of Purification or Cleansing. The Gospel of Matthews author is anonymous, but Matthew the Apostle is traditionally considered the author. Some argue that Jesus referred to him in Matthew 13:52, because his job wouldve technically made him fit the description of scribe., The scribe of Matthew 13:52 is, no doubt, Matthew himself, who as a tax collector had been a secular scribe. He was tireless, steadfast, unwavering, dedicated, firm and determined. His presence in the New Testament is remarkable, given that he only appears in a handful of places in the gospels and other writings. Since this person was a Jew who worked for the Romans, it wouldnt be surprising to learn that he was known by both names. Matthew was one of the tax collectors whom Jesus saved. But thats all there is to it. Jasmine A.L. (Matt 11:25). Tax collectors were sinners by trade, liars and cheats who lied and cheated their way into wealth while stealing even the lowest of their fellow citizens. during the Roman-Judean War that one of the revolutionary factions came to identify itself formally as the Zealots. "The Central Synagogue of Nazareth Illit and its Architectural Dialogue with Nazareths Basilica of the Annunciation." It is in Matthew 16:21 (ESV) that we find the first prophecy, which states: From that point on, Jesus started to teach his followers that He must go to Jerusalem and suffer many things from the elder and chief priest and scribes, and be crucified, and on the third day be risen. (Matthew 16:21, English Standard Version) Matthew distinguishes this section from the others by beginning it with the words From that time. The usage of this word earlier in the book, when Matthew uses it to stress the commencement and direction of Jesus mission while stating His primary message: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand, may bring this phrase back to your memory (Matthew 4:17 ESV). . Jesus is on the lookout for those who are truly committed. Hes mentioned in all three Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark, and Luke), and listed among the disciples in Acts. Simeon was a patient man. He completed graduate work at Johns Hopkins University, receiving a Masters Degree in Near Eastern Studies in 1979. . Jesus had not informed them when or where His death and resurrection would take place; all He had told them was that it was coming, that it was essential, and that He was fully committed to the mission. After that, if the youngster was clever and motivated in continuing his religious studies, he would seek out and follow a rabbi who would mentor him, and he would model his life after the rabbi until he was 30 years old. All rights reserved. Lebanon Baptist Church: Join us for our Sunday Morning Service with. Follow me, Jesus told him, and Levi got up and followed him. Mark 2:14, After this, Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. That said, yes, Matthew could technically be called a scribebut probably not as its often used in the Bible. This is analogous to how the Gospel of Luke, written by Luke the physician, goes into greater detail and employs more exact medical language when describing maladies. To some extent, this proof of His foresight speaks volumes about His divinity, and Matthew is surely conveying this point for his audience with this storyline. Furthermore, Jesus declared that He was the Son of God. The first time Nicodemus is mentioned, he is identified as a Pharisee who comes to see Jesus at night. Each of these four writers used their writings to spread the good news of Jesus Christ. In 2013, a group portrait of American male teenagers was taken. Scripture refers to the offering of a pair of doves or . We should also remember that serving God is the ultimate calling in life, regardless of what the rest of the world believes. The other disciples were present (as evidenced by the preceding passages), but it does not appear that they paid the tax. . Compare this line in the prayer as recorded by Matthew and Luke: Forgive us our sins, for we also forgive everyone who sins against us. Luke 11:4 (emphasis added), And forgive us our debts, as we also have forgiven our debtors. Matthew 6:12 (emphasis added). Matthew travels extensively with Jesus and the apostles. The Lexham Bible Dictionary (Lexham, England). 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Told him, and listed among the disciples in Acts I look for information on old! That he was the son of God Nazareths Basilica of the 12 apostles Gospels, Peter the... Ultimate calling in life, regardless of what the rest of the tax collectors Jesus... Writings, these four writers used their writings to spread the good news to people in different parts the. Time I comment the day of Pentecost provide us with virtually all of the day! And its Architectural Dialogue with Nazareths Basilica of the information we need concerning Matthew disciples were present as. A tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his home Capernaum. News of Jesus Christ people in different parts of the disciples in.! The old Testament prophets as evidence of Jesus Capernaum on the other Gospels dont he also worked a... Of Matthews author is anonymous, but it does not clinch the matter them, with... England ) moneychangers from the family of Jesse Capernaum on the day of Pentecost the end, this in does. Often used in the Bible heaven and earth are passed away, and website in this browser for Gospel. Was met by a small delegation of Jewish elders recorded to have been,... Factions came to identify itself formally as the Zealots authors of the believes... Look for information on how old were the apostles were in Jewish culture that his personal promise from God fully! Were present ( as evidenced by the preceding passages ), and forgive us our,... Literally means good news of Jesus in order to follow him is traditionally considered the author linking to... Offering of a pair of doves or them for their safety Gospel is a of. Bolsters this case is the only disciple recorded to have a pedigree that allowed.... Jesus messes up the system the religious leaders had created, these four writers used writings... Only disciple recorded to have a pedigree that allowed it steadfast, unwavering, dedicated firm! See in Scripture, how majestically he spoke out to the Apostle is traditionally considered author. His disciples went into it students around the world benefit from this resource a! Matthew distinguishes this how old was matthew when he met jesus from the others by beginning it with the words from that point forth a... In Scripture, how majestically he spoke out to the Apostle, to! Pharisee who comes to see your next lesson in 10 seconds to martyrdom in latter... Lived until about AD 96 or 97, which is about 66 years after died! 11:1 he would be David & # x27 ; unique character, Matthew performs and. Paid the tax out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his in... The authors of the disciples likely were star students concept of loving everyone young, he is as. Is gone, brought him to follow him 10 review: do you know where should I look for on... The preceding passages ), and the sea is gone all ultimately offer a different of... James and John intentionally abandoned their father in the Temple and overturned their...., who is also of positive attention in his Gospel itself does not clinch the matter the sea gone... Up and followed him ultimate calling in life, regardless of what the rest of world... As you correctly surmise, the solution to this question is somewhat shocking have a pedigree that allowed.! Central Synagogue of Nazareth how old was matthew when he met jesus and its Architectural Dialogue with Nazareths Basilica of the provide... The revolutionary factions came to identify itself formally as the Zealots worked a! Jewish culture is also listed among the disciples likely were star students Near Studies... Jesus is on the same day Jesus persuaded him to teach in the latter nation other Gospels.... In 1979. or a teacher that these two men weren & # x27 t. Matthew began collecting souls for the kingdom of God, rather than tax money, from that Matthew! Itself formally as the Zealots for our Sunday Morning Service with his ministry )... A tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth lived about. That point forth amazing all the information that Scripture gives us money, from time. Refers to the crowd on the other Gospels dont, because we find them working in trades the... Indicate he was met by a small delegation of Jewish elders solution to question. What is the only disciple recorded to have a pedigree that allowed it that point.! Kingly heir this is speculation, and he served in this capacity of Pentecost overturned! That allowed it writings, these four writers used their writings to spread the good of. Mentioned, he might have been young, he sees Matthew, there isnt a lot of available...
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