Matthew For You: God with Us (Expository Guide with commentary to help sermon preparation, personal devotions and Bible-study leading)

by Tim Chester

Accessible commentary on the Gospel of Matthew, enabling readers to treasure the glory of Jesus being God with us, then, now, and eternally. Use as a daily reading, teaching, or preaching resource."Matthew’s Gospel tells the story of Jesus, Immanuel, God with us, Israel’s Messiah, and the hope of all nations. If you are a Christian, this is the story of your Savior-King. Matthew’s Gospel is something of a training manual to show you how you can live within this wonderful story."

Unpacking the Gospel, pastor and theologian Tim Chester helps readers to follow the contours of Matthew's writing, seeing how Jesus fulfills the Old Testament, what membership of his kingdom looks like in our lives, and how the hope of Jesus is for the whole of the world.

God’s Word For You resources are accessible commentaries. They are designed for devotional reading or teaching prep, or to help you dig deeper into the Bible. Each commentary offers expository reflections on a book of the Bible and includes straightforward insights into history, culture, and more.

224 pages

Published November 1, 2025

About the author

Dr Tim Chester is involved in The Crowded House, a church planting initiative in Sheffield, UK. He was previously Research & Policy Director for Tearfund UK, and has been published widely on prayer, mission, social issues and theology. He is married to Helen and has two daughters.

Reviews

[Oana]

A good companion when working through the Gospel of Matthew. Chester does a great job of highligting Matthew’s links to the Old Testament, and showing how its promises and patterns find their fulfilment in Christ (one of the main reasons I picked up the book).

Matthew is a highly structured Gospel, not simply a chronological sequence of events and teachings. Chester is particularly good at helping readers see the broader theological point Matthew is making when grouping stories and teachings thematically.

Good commentary overall.

[Aaron]

In Matthew For You, Tim Chester presents an accessible commentary that shows the glory and joy of the coming of God’s kingdom in the arrival of his promised King.

What Chester does well in this book is help you stay on track with the big themes in Matthew’s Gospel. You never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is the hope of the nations. You never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is Immanuel, God with us. And you never lose sight of the fact that Jesus is the head of the church. He brings these themes to the forefront with his insightful explanations.

Little Ones

Chester is also clear and succinct, making the Gospel of Matthew easy to understand. In breaking down the Lord’s Prayer, he walks us through point by point, calling us to examine the framework of our own prayers and if they align with God’s priorities.

What interested me the most was how Chester highlighted Matthew’s allusions to “little ones” and “children” throughout his gospel. It made me reflect on child-like humility, caring and protecting the weak and vulnerable in our community, and how we relate to God as his children. It’s honestly something that got me interested to studying further.

Into the Light

Matthew For You is a wonderful resource that will guide you into the light of Matthew’s Gospel.

I received a media copy of Matthew For You and this is my honest review. @diveindigdeep

[Ashlee Schmidt]

I’ve always thoroughly enjoyed each commentary I have read in this series, and this book was no exception. Tim Chester does a great job unpacking the book of Matthew and providing the reader with a richer understanding of the marvelous truths it contains.

[Phil Butcher]

Another excellent edition in the "God's word for you" series. I especially appreciated seeing all the links within Matthew - and came away with a greater understanding and deeper appreciation of God's salvation plan.

[Maci Feather]

Such a wonderful resource for people who want to do a deep dive in the book of Matthew. I also highly recommend to give as a gift to new believers!