Here we meet John the Baptist, the precursor to the Christ. Click HERE for the video and discussion questions.
The evangelist we call "Matthew" wrote a structured gospel. If we take away his Passion narrative, we can see five sections; each have narrative and discourse. The author edited Mark's gospel and the verses he shared with Luke ("Q" Sayings) to fit into the themes of those sections.
With an emphasis on fulfilling Scripture quotes, most scholars throughout the centuries assume Matthew wrote to a Jewish-Christian audience. So, to understand the gospel of Matthew, we need some background in the culture of Judea at the time of Jesus.
Early believers were Jews who faithfully kept the Law. They had a keen interest in its application to their lives; this was known as "Halakhah." To understand how the Law applies to us, we need some background in the Law and how its application in the early Church evolved.