1. The King Has Come 9 2. The Presentation of the King 19 3. A Voice With a Difference 29 4. Mixing the Price Tags 37 5. He Touches Us 47 6. Pearls of Great Price 57 7. The Bread of Life 67 8. No Cross, No Crown 75 9. Paying the Fare 85 10. No Gate-Crashers in Heaven 95 11. Seven Parables of Preparedness 103 12. “He Humbled Himself ” 113 13. Undercomers Anonymous 121

The Book of Matthew is more than just one of the Gospels. In common with the other gospel writers, Matthew exalts and chronicles the life of Jesus. However, it is Matthew who paints the most complete word portrait of Jesus Christ. In that sense alone his Gospel is a unique "work of art." Another very clear distinction is found in the author himself. Matthew had been a hated tax collector—a traitor in the eyes of many Jews. As such, he was almost more of an outsider than the Gentiles. But Matthew met Jesus and everything changed. So almost naturally Matthew wrote his Gospel to the Jewish mind in particular —elevating Christ as Messiah and King.