The Gospel of Matthew: The Jewish Gospel

I have been reading the Gospel of Matthew for the past couple of weeks and I find that it is one priceless theological gem. No wonder the early church placed it not only as the First Gospel but also the first book of the New Testament. It truly deserves its pride of place because Jesus Christ shines through as the King of the Jews. If there is any book that promotes that Jesus was the Jewish Messiah or Jesus the Jew was the Messiah for the Jews it is the Gospel of Matthew. Only in the first Gospel you have Jesus say, "I have come only for the lost sheep of Israel" and restrained his disciples from going to the Gentiles. Jesus' mission was first and foremost to his own people, the Jews and in his life-time restricted his ministry within his own countrymen.