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Biblical Imagination
By Michael Card Matthew: The Gospel of Identity (The Biblical Imagination Series) Paperback - July 2013
"You are the salt of the earth . . . You are the light of the world." Matthew 5:13-14 "I also say to you that you are Peter, and on this rock I will build My church." Matthew 16:18 The world tries to define us in different ways. We try to define ourselves one way or another. But who are we really? How does God define us? The Gospel of Matthew was written to a group of Christians who didn't yet know who they were. They were faithful Jews in the synagogue community in Galilee who had found the Messiah. Jesus had changed everything. But how should they think of themselves now, as Jewish or Christian? What did it all mean? Matthew writes his Gospel to help his readers define their new identity as followers of Jesus the Messiah. Michael Card unpacks how Matthew's emphasis on fulfillment confirms their Jewish connection to the Torah, while his focus on the kingdom helps them understand their new identities in Christ. Matthew presents this process of redefinition as an exercise of the imagination, in which Jesus reshapes who we are in light of who he is. Come alongside Matthew in this pilgrimage, and discover how your new identity in Christ fulfills all that you are meant to be.
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First published April 1, 2010
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About the author
Michael Card
111 books97 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the GoodReads database with this name.
Michael Card (born April 11, 1957) is an American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in contemporary Christian music, which couple folk-style melodies and instrumentation with lyrics that stem from intensive study of the Bible. Since his debut in 1981, he has sold more than 4 million albums and has written 19 No. 1 singles.He has also authored several books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner A Sacred Sorrow.
http://www.michaelcard.com/#/about-mi...
Michael Card (born April 11, 1957) is an American Christian singer-songwriter, musician, author, and radio host from Franklin, Tennessee. He is best known for his contributions in contemporary Christian music, which couple folk-style melodies and instrumentation with lyrics that stem from intensive study of the Bible. Since his debut in 1981, he has sold more than 4 million albums and has written 19 No. 1 singles.He has also authored several books, including Gold Medallion Book Award winner A Sacred Sorrow.
http://www.michaelcard.com/#/about-mi...
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
July 18, 2015
I found this book helpful in my preparation to teach Matthew to high school students this fall. Card pointed out connections I'd not seen before.
January 23, 2023
Songwriter Michael Card offers this devotional commentary to help people engage the text with "informed imagination."
Imaginative prayers using gospel stories is an interesting Ignatian practice of discernment, though it's not like it's owned by them exclusively!
Michael Card's careful research and engaging writing helps bring these stories to life for the reader. He doesn't cover every question or issue in the text, but it's a nice devotional read!
Imaginative prayers using gospel stories is an interesting Ignatian practice of discernment, though it's not like it's owned by them exclusively!
Michael Card's careful research and engaging writing helps bring these stories to life for the reader. He doesn't cover every question or issue in the text, but it's a nice devotional read!
May 22, 2022
Wonderful and accessible, Card's book on Matthew is paradigmatic of all his other work. This would be a great first commentary for someone going deeper into biblical study. It's not super technical or even lengthy, but the vast majority of Card's writing packs a punch and brings so much extra biblical literature to bear on the background of this gospel. My imagination was engaged throughout.
September 13, 2017
I continue to appreciate the work that Michael Card has done in writing these commentaries. I have found each one to be helpful, and I almost always consult them in my sermon preparation when preaching from one of the gospels.
November 14, 2020
I have been finding this series extremely helpful - scholarly yet very keen on sparking one's imagination. At times, I sense an echo of Ignatius of Loyola's approach in his exercises. Michael Card's biblical knowledge and skill with the poetry of song comes across on every page.
February 5, 2025
Michael Card’s commentaries are my favorite I have come across. They are not technical in any capacity, but rather offer helpful additional details to better engage with the 1st century Roman context. Easy reads and very helpful, supplemental resource for better understanding the Gospels.
August 28, 2025
4.5 / I really enjoyed this accompaniment to my reading of Matthew. It was a gift from a friend and it blessed me. I didn’t always agree with everything the author said, but he did make me think and consider and wonder and imagine.
June 27, 2019
Thank you Michael. I feel like I have heard from Matthew what he wanted to say about Jesus. I know Jesus better!
April 5, 2020
Love Michael Card’s insight into scripture. Such an amazing gift in quiet time!
June 23, 2021
Michael Card knows his Bible and his history. He makes this "commentary" readable. He makes the Gospels so much more real.
April 22, 2025
An excellent survey of Matthew, and seems well-researched. My only real criticism is that it could've been longer.
January 9, 2014
Despite being a long time fan of Michael Card as a musician, I was completely unaware that he had written a series of commentaries on the Gospels. When attending a Christmas concert this past year where he performed with another perennial favorite artist of mine named Phil Keaggy, I happened to wander by the table where the artists were selling CDs, hoping to pick up some music I did not have. It was then I discovered the Biblical Imagination Series by Michael Card of which his book Matthew: The Gospel of Identity is a part.
What exactly is this Biblical Imagination Series of commentaries all about? Matthew Card addresses his perspective of a biblical concept of imagination, noting in the preface to this commentary on Matthew the following statement:
“On one side are those who study Scripture with their minds. They engage intellectually, puzzling over the text as if it were only a cipher to be solved. They tend to gravitate toward theology. They revel in being “right.” On the other side are those who engage the Bible predominantly with the heart. They lean toward the emotional, even mystical understanding of the Scripture. Rather than theological, I would describe them as devotional in their approach. Neither approach is wrong, but both are incomplete. God has given us hearts with which to feel and minds for reasoning. He longs to recapture them both with the truth of the Word.”
It is the recapturing of the imagination and the refocusing of the mind and heart to a thorough and complete studying of God’s word that is behind the concept of the Biblical Imagination Series.
As I began to read through Card’s commentary on Matthew, I was immediately struck by the simplistic profundity by which he engages Scripture. Keep in mind this series of commentaries is not scholarly in nature yet it is scholarly in its depth of thought. This means that Card exegetes Scripture with a view to the layman without sacrificing when needed the engagement of what could be termed more scholarly material.
An example is his discussion of the background of the area known as Galilee, noting important geographical matters that impact the story, issues that many may overlook such as the size of the Sea of Galilee and the rocky shores that surround this lake. While avoiding a deep dive into all the various geographical or historical elements that comprise more lengthy style commentaries, Card provides the reader with valuable information that relates to the message at hand in a manner that is informative yet does not get overly bogged down in minutia.
Card walks through the entire book of Matthew one chapter at a time, devoting a chapter in this book to the events that Matthew records in his gospel. The commentary is written in such a way that the reader can work through several chapters at one time or they can journey through the Gospel of Matthew slowly. Either approach will work as again the text is written in such a manner as to not be too overwhelmingly scholarly while still providing much food for thought. Card’s exegesis is theologically sound and the passion for the Word of God that for many years was reflected in his music is clearly evident throughout this commentary. I was really struck by the attention paid by Card to how Jesus interacted with those around him and why that matters. Additionally, I appreciated the manner in which Card elucidated why Matthew included certain elements of Jesus’ life in his Gospel, points which may have received a passing submission or even a longer look by the other gospel writers. Understanding the author, in this case the Gospel of Matthew is important for understanding why some things are included and Card does an excellent job of outlining those important issues.
At the end of this commentary, Card provides several short yet helpful appendices that help the reader engage in more detail some aspects of Matthew’s Gospel. Appendix A lists the five major blocks of Jesus’ teaching found in Matthew, Appendix B lists content found only in Matthew’s gospel, Appendix C provides a very interesting look into the flogging endured by Jesus in the Synagogue, Appendix D is a discussion of the historical notation made by the Jewish historian Josephus regarding John the Baptist, and Appendix E provides a quick but helpful examination of what was considered to be work on the Sabbath.
I highly recommend Michael Card’s commentary, Matthew: The Gospel of Identity for scholars and layman alike. Additionally, I recommend the accompanying music CD called Matthew: The Penultimate Question. As with all of Michael Card’s music, this CD is biblically sound and musically excellent, providing a wonderful supplement to the commentary. Both are well worth your time. I greatly look forward to reading the other books in this series and listening to the other CDs that Michael Card has produced to go along with the other books in his wonderful Biblical Imagination Series.
What exactly is this Biblical Imagination Series of commentaries all about? Matthew Card addresses his perspective of a biblical concept of imagination, noting in the preface to this commentary on Matthew the following statement:
“On one side are those who study Scripture with their minds. They engage intellectually, puzzling over the text as if it were only a cipher to be solved. They tend to gravitate toward theology. They revel in being “right.” On the other side are those who engage the Bible predominantly with the heart. They lean toward the emotional, even mystical understanding of the Scripture. Rather than theological, I would describe them as devotional in their approach. Neither approach is wrong, but both are incomplete. God has given us hearts with which to feel and minds for reasoning. He longs to recapture them both with the truth of the Word.”
It is the recapturing of the imagination and the refocusing of the mind and heart to a thorough and complete studying of God’s word that is behind the concept of the Biblical Imagination Series.
As I began to read through Card’s commentary on Matthew, I was immediately struck by the simplistic profundity by which he engages Scripture. Keep in mind this series of commentaries is not scholarly in nature yet it is scholarly in its depth of thought. This means that Card exegetes Scripture with a view to the layman without sacrificing when needed the engagement of what could be termed more scholarly material.
An example is his discussion of the background of the area known as Galilee, noting important geographical matters that impact the story, issues that many may overlook such as the size of the Sea of Galilee and the rocky shores that surround this lake. While avoiding a deep dive into all the various geographical or historical elements that comprise more lengthy style commentaries, Card provides the reader with valuable information that relates to the message at hand in a manner that is informative yet does not get overly bogged down in minutia.
Card walks through the entire book of Matthew one chapter at a time, devoting a chapter in this book to the events that Matthew records in his gospel. The commentary is written in such a way that the reader can work through several chapters at one time or they can journey through the Gospel of Matthew slowly. Either approach will work as again the text is written in such a manner as to not be too overwhelmingly scholarly while still providing much food for thought. Card’s exegesis is theologically sound and the passion for the Word of God that for many years was reflected in his music is clearly evident throughout this commentary. I was really struck by the attention paid by Card to how Jesus interacted with those around him and why that matters. Additionally, I appreciated the manner in which Card elucidated why Matthew included certain elements of Jesus’ life in his Gospel, points which may have received a passing submission or even a longer look by the other gospel writers. Understanding the author, in this case the Gospel of Matthew is important for understanding why some things are included and Card does an excellent job of outlining those important issues.
At the end of this commentary, Card provides several short yet helpful appendices that help the reader engage in more detail some aspects of Matthew’s Gospel. Appendix A lists the five major blocks of Jesus’ teaching found in Matthew, Appendix B lists content found only in Matthew’s gospel, Appendix C provides a very interesting look into the flogging endured by Jesus in the Synagogue, Appendix D is a discussion of the historical notation made by the Jewish historian Josephus regarding John the Baptist, and Appendix E provides a quick but helpful examination of what was considered to be work on the Sabbath.
I highly recommend Michael Card’s commentary, Matthew: The Gospel of Identity for scholars and layman alike. Additionally, I recommend the accompanying music CD called Matthew: The Penultimate Question. As with all of Michael Card’s music, this CD is biblically sound and musically excellent, providing a wonderful supplement to the commentary. Both are well worth your time. I greatly look forward to reading the other books in this series and listening to the other CDs that Michael Card has produced to go along with the other books in his wonderful Biblical Imagination Series.
June 5, 2015
Plot: A
Writing: B
Vocabulary: A
Level: Intermediate
Rating: PG13
Worldview: Jewish, Christian
This is an in-depth commentary written for laymen to use in personal and public Bible study. I highly recommend listening to the companion CD, "Matthew: The Penultimate Question."
Mike researches and writes through the lenses of informed imagination, setting devotional ideas in their proper setting to be shaped by natural and cultural history.
(I would write a longer, glowing report but have no more time at the moment!)
Writing: B
Vocabulary: A
Level: Intermediate
Rating: PG13
Worldview: Jewish, Christian
This is an in-depth commentary written for laymen to use in personal and public Bible study. I highly recommend listening to the companion CD, "Matthew: The Penultimate Question."
Mike researches and writes through the lenses of informed imagination, setting devotional ideas in their proper setting to be shaped by natural and cultural history.
(I would write a longer, glowing report but have no more time at the moment!)
September 10, 2013
This was a good read. Matthew Card does a good job of transporting our imagination into the world of the text so that we encounter Jesus in a fresh way. Well-researched but aimed at the heart. I thought that Card's focus on the question of identity, "Who are we?" answered by "Who is Jesus?", really helped bring out the voice of Matthew and the questions he is addressing to his first century Jewish-Christian listeners. I highly recommend it.
November 2, 2013
Over all a very good and insightful read. Does not have the depth of a commentary but I don't believe it was written to be a commentary. I used the book to complement daily devotions and I enjoyed it in that perspective.
April 5, 2014
I am enjoying reading "The Imagination Series" by Michael Card. I read Luke learned a lot.
Reading Matthew I also learned things I didn't know before.
I like his style of writing it causes me to go deeper. It gets me thinking, pondering and digging deeper into the Word.
Reading Matthew I also learned things I didn't know before.
I like his style of writing it causes me to go deeper. It gets me thinking, pondering and digging deeper into the Word.
June 25, 2016
The third in Michael Card's excellent series on the Gospels. This one is no different from the previous two in its fabulousness and insight. My wife and I have enjoyed reading these together and look forward to starting the next one.
March 4, 2015
Another excellent entry in this series. Once again, I read this in tandem with William Barclay's commentaries. Two complementar approached.
July 15, 2016
Wonderful book! I only rated it four stars because I found Michael Cards books on Luke and Mark a bit more insightful. But I still loved it and can't wait to read John.
February 12, 2023
Excellent book. Loved it
November 22, 2020
Thought-provoking commentary on the first gospel
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews