In chapters 14-20, the next main section of the book, Matthew explores the different perspectives people had about what it meant for Jesus to be the Messiah. Jesus keeps healing sick people, and twice he miraculously provides food for huge crowds in the desert, one of which is made up of Jewish people (ch. 14), the other non-Jewish (ch. 15). This sign is very similar to what Moses did for Israel in the wilderness (Exod. 16), so lots of people become excited about Jesus and think that he’s the great prophet and Messiah.
The religious leaders, however, are not convinced. Their view of the messiah is centered and built on passages such as Psalm 2 or Daniel 2 about a victorious messiah who will deliver Israel and defeat the pagan oppressors. From their point of view, Jesus is a false teacher who’s making blasphemous claims about himself, so they increase their opposition and start hatching a plan to kill him.
In chapters 16 and 17, Jesus withdraws and teaches his closest disciples what it really means for him to be Israel’s Messiah, because it’s not what they expect. Jesus asks the disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” Peter comes up with the right answer: “You’re the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” It soon becomes clear, however, that Peter is thinking of a king who will reign victoriously through military power.
Jesus challenges Peter, saying that, yes, he will become king but in a different way. Jesus starts teaching on themes from the prophet Isaiah, who said that the messianic king would suffer and die for the sins of his people. Jesus was positioning himself as a messianic king who reigns by becoming a servant and laying down his life for Israel and the nations.
Peter and the disciples don’t really get it, so Jesus continues into the fourth large block of teaching in chapter 18, followed by another series of teachings in chapters 19 and 20. These are all about the upside-down nature of Jesus’ messianic Kingdom and how it turns our normal value system on its head. In the community of the servant King, you gain honor by serving others. Instead of revenge, you forgive and do good to your enemies. You gain true wealth by giving it away. To follow the servant Messiah, you must become a servant yourself.
