<div>Four hundred years of silence. Where was the&nbsp;promised Messiah?&nbsp;<br><br>The Jewish people were waiting for word of the&nbsp;prophets to come true, for they prophesied that he&nbsp;would come. Then the angel Gabriel announced his&nbsp;birth.&nbsp;<br><br>Wise men sought him.&nbsp;Herod wanted to kill him.&nbsp;John the Baptist presented him to Israel.&nbsp;God anointed him.&nbsp;Satan cruelly tempted him.&nbsp;Then the King came into the Jewish meeting&nbsp;house and announced:&nbsp;<br><br><b>“I am here! I have come to set you free and to&nbsp;wash away sins,&nbsp;And liberate those who love and follow me.”&nbsp;</b><br><br>It is believed that Matthew was the first apostle&nbsp;to write a gospel, possibly as early as 50 AD. He was&nbsp;a wealthy tax collector who profited greatly from his&nbsp;duty of representing Rome. And then one day, the Man from Galilee stood in front of him and said,&nbsp;“Come follow me.”<br><br>&nbsp;</div>