1:1–4:16 Review · In the first major section of Matthew’s Gospel, the author introduces Jesus of Nazareth by identifying him as the Jewish Messiah, son of David; the enactor of restoration from exile; hope for the Gentiles; the obedient Son who represents faithful Israel; and “God with us.” Moving from Jesus’s genealogy and his conception by the Spirit to the threat that his God-authenticated kingship poses to Herod, Matthew narrates God’s protection and guidance of Jesus and his family in the face of societal and political threats. Decades elapse between Matthew 2 and 3, where we are introduced to John the Baptist and the adult Jesus. Matthew 3 narrates Jesus’s preparation for ministry as he is baptized by John, signaling God’s covenant faithfulness to Israel and affirming Jesus’s faithf…