Matthew's portrait of Jesus communicates the importance of the human element of Jesus's existence. While Mark's Jesus may be the most human, Matthew was most interested in the human story of Jesus among the Gospel authors. This narrative critical examination of Matthew's portrait prioritizes the human element of Jesus's story. He purposely balances the human and transcendent so that he can reinforce the reader's belief in Jesus and hope that Jesus's life can be imitated.

Matt Jones is an assistant professor of New Testament Studies at Colorado Christian University outside Denver.