Informed by “Four Gospels, One Jesus?” by Richard Burridge.
If Mark gives us Jesus the man of action, Matthew gives us Jesus the teacher. His gospel reveals the life of Jesus, punctuated by five major blocks of teaching in chapters 5—7, 10, 13, 18, and 23—25.
Burridge cautions against pressing it too firmly, but perhaps these five blocks of teaching, connected with mountains, remind us of the five books of the Torah (Jesus the new Moses?), or the five books of the Psalms. “…Matthew deliberately structures his gospel around these five sermons. moving from narrative to discourse, from the Teacher’s activity to his teaching, and back again, as he tells the story of Jesus.” Burridge, Richard. Four Gospels, One Jesus?: A symbolic reading (p. 112).
How do we know these blocks of teaching are significant and connected? Partly because they all end with the same phrasing: ‘Now when Jesus had finished saying these things…’ (Matthew 7.28; 11.1; 13.53; 19.1; 26.1). Burridge further points out the interesting ordering and organisation of the discourses. Note the centrality of the parables and the move from present to future:
| Chapters | Number of verses | Content of teaching |
|---|---|---|
| 5-7 | 107 | Teaching for the present |
| 10 | 38 | The church’s mission |
| 13 | 50 | Parables of the kingdom |
| 18 | 33 | The church’s life |
| 24-25 | 94 | Teaching for the future |
Why does this structure matter? It matters because the five discourses in Matthew are a manual for kingdom discipleship. They reveal Jesus as the greater Moses, the teacher of God’s new covenant, and they shape the Church’s understanding of who we are, what we’re called to do, and where history is headed.
Concluding Note
Matthew’s gospel ends on a mountain in Matthew 28.16. The new Moses, the one revealed as God enfleshed, has delivered his teaching, demonstrated its efficacy, and now promises to be with his ‘teachers’ sent not to Israel, but to the world.
“This is not an ending, but more of a beginning – and one which is all embracing: ‘all authority’ is given to Jesus, the disciples are to go to ‘all nations’, teaching them ‘all things’, and Jesus will be with them for ‘all time’…” Burridge, Richard. Four Gospels, One Jesus?: A symbolic reading (p. 133).
Malcolm Cox
Prepared in advance of a visit to speak at our sister church in Birmingham.
