In his gospel, Matthew shows that Jesus is the long-expected Messiah of Israel, the only one with a right to the throne of David.
The book does not claim to be a complete biography of Christ’s life on earth. It begins with His genealogy and early years, then jumps to the beginning of His public ministry when He was about thirty. Guided by the Holy Spirit, Matthew selects those aspects of the Savior’s life and ministry which proclaim Him as God’s Anointed One—for that is what the title “Messiah” means.
The book moves toward a climax—the trial, death, burial, resurrection, and ascension of the Lord Jesus. And in that climax, of course, is laid the foundation for man’s salvation. That is why the book is called a “gospel”—not so much because it explains the way by which sinful man may receive eternal salvation, but rather because it describes the sacrificial work of Christ by which our salvation was made possible.