The repeated formula

Five times in Matthew, and only in Matthew, a discourse of Jesus is closed with the words “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished…” The wording varies slightly with each occurrence: “had ended these sayings” (Matthew 7:28), “had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples” (Matthew 11:1), “had finished these parables” (Matthew 13:53), “had finished these sayings” (Matthew 19:1), and “had finished all these sayings” (Matthew 26:1).

Because the formula appears each time immediately after a long block of teaching, it functions as a structural marker. It tells the reader that a discourse has concluded and that the narrative is resuming. The fivefold repetition is too regular to be accidental: it divides the body of the Gospel into five sections, each consisting of narrative followed by a discourse.

Division one: the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 3–7)

After the birth narrative of chapters 1–2, the first division records the ministry of John the Baptist, the baptism and temptation of Jesus, and the calling of the first disciples (chapters 3–4). It climaxes in the Sermon on the Mount (chapters 5–7), where Jesus teaches the righteousness of the kingdom of heaven: the beatitudes, the fulfilling of the law, and the house built upon the rock.

The first occurrence of the formula closes the sermon: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had ended these sayings, the people were astonished at his doctrine” (Matthew 7:28).

Division two: the commissioning of the twelve (Matthew 8–10)

The second division gathers a series of miracles — the leper, the centurion’s servant, the calming of the storm, the man sick of the palsy — demonstrating the authority of the King (chapters 8–9). The discourse that follows is the commissioning of the twelve apostles, sent to “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” with instructions for their mission and warnings of persecution (chapter 10).

The second occurrence closes the charge: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had made an end of commanding his twelve disciples, he departed thence to teach and to preach in their cities” (Matthew 11:1).

Division three: the parables of the kingdom (Matthew 11–13)

The third division records growing opposition: John the Baptist’s question from prison, the unrepentant cities, and the Pharisees’ accusation that Jesus casts out devils by Beelzebub (chapters 11–12). The discourse is the great parable chapter, in which Jesus speaks of the sower, the tares, the mustard seed, the leaven, the treasure, the pearl, and the net — “the mysteries of the kingdom of heaven” (chapter 13).

The third occurrence closes the parables: “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these parables, he departed thence” (Matthew 13:53).

Division four: the discourse on the little ones and forgiveness (Matthew 14–18)

The fourth division includes the death of John the Baptist, the feeding of the five thousand and the four thousand, Peter’s confession at Caesarea Philippi, the transfiguration, and the first plain announcements of the coming crucifixion (chapters 14–17). The discourse concerns life among the disciples: becoming as little children, dealing with an offending brother, and the parable of the unforgiving servant (chapter 18).

The fourth occurrence closes this teaching and marks the departure from Galilee: “And it came to pass, that when Jesus had finished these sayings, he departed from Galilee, and came into the coasts of Judaea beyond Jordan” (Matthew 19:1).

Division five: the Olivet prophecy (Matthew 19–25)

The fifth division follows Jesus to Jerusalem: the triumphal entry, the cleansing of the temple, the disputes with the chief priests and Pharisees, and the woes of chapter 23. The closing discourse is delivered on the mount of Olives: the prophecy of the end of the age, with the parables of the ten virgins and the talents, and the judgment of the sheep and the goats (chapters 24–25).

The fifth occurrence is distinct from the previous four. It adds the word “all”: “And it came to pass, when Jesus had finished all these sayings, he said unto his disciples, Ye know that after two days is the feast of the passover, and the Son of man is betrayed to be crucified” (Matthew 26:1–2). The formula no longer closes one discourse only; it closes the whole teaching ministry. From this point the Gospel moves without interruption into the betrayal, crucifixion, and resurrection (chapters 26–28).

What the structure shows

The five divisions give Matthew a deliberate rhythm: narrative demonstrating who Jesus is, followed by discourse recording what Jesus taught, five times over. The framework is bounded on one side by the genealogy and birth of the King (chapters 1–2) and on the other by his death and resurrection (chapters 26–28), where the risen Lord commands that disciples be taught “to observe all things whatsoever I have commanded you” (Matthew 28:20) — pointing the reader back to the five bodies of commandment the Gospel has just recorded.

Many readers have also observed that a book built on five blocks of teaching recalls the five books of Moses. Matthew presents Jesus as the prophet like unto Moses, teaching from a mountain, giving the law of the kingdom of heaven. The text itself does not state this comparison, but the fivefold arrangement it does state — through the repeated formula — invites the reader to receive the Gospel as one connected body of doctrine, delivered in five parts and sealed by the words “when Jesus had finished all these sayings.”