The Macrostructure of Matthew’s Gospel 189 overture hinge corpus hinge finale 1,1–4,11 4,12-17 4,18–25,46 26,1-16 26,17–28,20 The overture (1,1–4,11) is a textual unit, in which the narrator presents an image of the origin and identity of Jesus, and his future task. His origin is mentioned in Matt 1–2 (gevnesi" in 1,1.18). Various descriptions clarify his identity: son of David, son of Abraham (1,1), Messiah (1,16), Emmanuel (1,23), king of the Jews (2,2), ruler or shepherd of the people of Israel (2,6), Nazorean (2,23), Son of God (2,15; 3,17). Jesus’ future task is described twice: he will save his people from their sins (1,21) and he is to fulfil all righteousness (3,15). A disadvantage to the regularly applied term “prologue” is that it gives the impression that 1,1–4,11 is a non-narrative introductory section, like the prologue in John 1,1-18. The term “overture” does more justice to the fact that Matthew’s story about Jesus already begins in 1,18. We can distinguish two sections within the overture as a whole (1,1–2,23 and 3,1–4,11) (29). The caesura between 4,11 and 4,12 is, however, much deeper than the one between 2,23 and 3,1; not until 4,12 does the public ministry of Jesus begin. In the finale (26,17–28,20), Jesus’ suffering and death and his resurrection are described. The term “finale” has been chosen in order to express that the passion narrative is an integrated constituent that forms the climax of the entire book. The overture and the finale are connected with one another in many respects. The stories about the beginning of Jesus’ life and the preparations for his mission point towards the passion narrative, and conversely, the last part points back to the beginning again (30). The corpus covers the whole of Jesus’ public ministry. That this lengthy piece is a literary unit is confirmed by the fact that the narrator has his main character hold five discourses that are arranged chiastically in relation to one another. The “programme” discourse at the beginning, the Sermon on the Mount, has a counterpart in the Eschatological Discourse; the Missionary Discourse and the Community Discourse discuss the disciples’ mission and their mutual (29) W. DAVIES – D.C. ALLISON, The Gospel according to Saint Matthew. A Critical and Exegetical Commentary (ICC; Edinburg 1988) I, 286-287, are of the opinion that there is a deep caesura between 2,23 and 3,1. (30) A detailed list of correspondences is to be found in W. WEREN, Matteüs (Belichting van het bijbelboek; ’s-Hertogenbosch – Brugge 1994) 253-255.