In a clearly written and easily accessible slim volume, Margaret Nutting Ralph compellingly presents the Jesus of Matthew’s Gospel as a man well-versed in the Hebrew Scriptures, capable of drawing on them to refute the erroneous claims of both his Jewish friends and enemies. By the end of the book, the man Jesus emerges as the risen Christ who fulfills God’s promises to them. Ralph accomplishes this by explaining and demonstrating each point she makes.

In her Preface, Ralph announces her overriding contention: “I believe that we cannot understand the good news that we read in the Gospels if we have no knowledge of the Old Testament” (vii). The remainder of the book explains essential points regarding the Old Testament related to the Gospel of Matthew.

Ralph dedicates the first chapter to explaining the meaning of “Gospel,” the reliability of oral tradition, and the likely reasons for Matthew’s position as the first Gospel in the New Testament. Her second chapter addresses the historicity and uniqueness of Matthew’s genealogy, while the third chapter focuses on the nature of infancy narratives, especially Matthew’s infancy narratives. As is true throughout the book, careful attention is given to Old Testament allusions in nearly every point she makes.

Chapters 4 through 8 connect Old Testament references to Matthew’s treatment of Jesus’ public ministry. Ralph thoughtfully provides clear definitions for terms such as miracle story, parable, simile, allegory, and apocalyptic writing, while dedicating extensive attention to complex concepts like Son of Man, messiah, kingdom, and Passover. No attentive reader could fail to grasp the critical messages that Ralph is conveying.

By Chapter 9, “Jesus’s Passover through Death to Resurrection,” Ralph’s points become clear. She guides the reader through the life of Jesus and presents a multitude of Old Testament references, thoroughly convincing us that “Matthew is teaching his primarily Jewish contemporaries that Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promises to them” (150). The resurrected Christ is indeed God’s son, the long-awaited One.

The beauty of this book lies in the fact that, with proper guidance, it can benefit high school students, undergraduates, adult religious education classes, Bible studies, and homilists. Its clear prose, extensive use of Scripture, and straightforward conclusions make it a valuable resource for Christians everywhere.