Part 1 of the Series (Covers Matthew 1:1-4:11): Of all the members of the inner circle of the followers of Jesus, Matthew understood what religious rejection feels like. Because he was a tax collector, he was on the receiving end of the hostile treatment and rejection by religious moralists. This gives Matthew an unusual insight into the teachings of Jesus, and he is the one who could write and show us the beauty of the gospel and the message of grace from the inside-out. Matthew unveils the beauty of holiness that compelled him to follow Jesus. The truth he saw and heard from the Lord helped him see through the religious games of his day. Throughout the book of Matthew we see the liberty and piercing message about the love of God, and the message that elevates this lowly carpenter from Galilee far above all the religious figures of the world.