Chapter 94
THE GREATEST COMMANDMENT
Matthew 22:24-40
As it is our custom, before we begin this study, let us pray.
Dear Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God, as we go through this study please open our spiritual ears, eyes, and heart. Please Father, cause us to truly hear, see, understand, and accept Your Word as the Truth. Please Lord; give each one of us a true spirit of repentance and faith in Your Son, Jesus Christ.
Amen
INTRODUCTION
Our study begins by reading an interchange Jesus once had with the Pharisees. The first portion of this interchange for this study is found in,
Matthew 22:34-40
[34] But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. [35] Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, [36] “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?” [37] Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.[38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ [40] On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
To help us to understand and appreciate the message of this encounter we will:
1. Explore in more depth the interchange Jesus had with the Pharisees.
2. Discover that, in our natural state, we are not capable to fulfill the requirements of the Law.
3. Discover the reason God gave the Law.
4. Find that it is by faith in Jesus Christ we are saved from our sins.
5. Discover that Jesus Christ also came to grant us a new life in the Holy Spirit.
With the above introduction in mind let us now explore,
THE INTERCHANGE BETWEEN JESUS AND THE PHARISEES
To do this let us first read,
THE PHARISEES’ QUESTION
To refresh our memory of the question asked by one of the Pharisees, let us reread,
Matthew 22:34-36
[34] But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. [35] Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, [36] “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?”
Let us notice the following verses,
34 … It was after the Pharisees heard how Jesus refuted the Sadducees regarding their question about the resurrection (see Chapter 93), that they gathered together to test Him.
35 - 36 … A lawyer or scribe, who was an expert in the Law of Moses, asked Jesus the question of which commandment of the Law was the greatest.
This question was crafted with the intent of testing or put into question Jesus’ knowledge about the Law of Moses. The Law the scribe was referring to was the Ten Commandments. To refresh our memories of exactly what the Ten Commandments are, let us read from,
Exodus 20:1-17
[1] And God spoke all these words, saying:
[2] “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
[3] You shall have no other gods before Me
[4] You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
[5] you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
[6] but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.
[7] You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes His name in vain.
[8] Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
[9] Six days you shall labor and do all your work,
[10] but the seventh day is the Sabbath of the Lord your God. In it you shall do no work: you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your male servant, nor your female servant, nor your cattle, nor your stranger who is within your gates
[11] For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, and rested the seventh day. Therefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day and hallowed it.
[12] Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God is giving you.
[14] You shall not commit adultery.
[16] You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.
[17] You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, nor his male servant, nor his female servant, nor his ox, nor his donkey, nor anything that is your neighbor’s.”
With the above in mind let us now read,
JESUS’ RESPONSE TO THE PHARISEES
To do this we return to Matthew and read,
Matthew 22:37-39
[37] Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. [38] This is the first and great commandment. [39] And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself. [40] On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.”
In other words, Jesus summed up the Ten Commandments by describing the type of love we must have. Thus, Jesus was teaching them and now us that love fulfills the requirements of the Law. To see this let us read from,
Romans 13:10
[10] Love does no harm to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.
Another way to see this is by reading,
Galatians 5:14
[14] For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.”
With all the above in mind let us now read,
THE LAWYER/SCRIBE’S RESPONSE TO JESUS
To do this we go to,
[32] So the scribe said to Him, “Well said, Teacher. You have spoken the truth, for there is one God, and there is no other but He. [33] And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the soul, and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as oneself, is more than all the whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
One would think that the conversation between Jesus and the scribe would have ended right here. However,
JESUS HAD ONE MORE IMPORTANT RESPONSE
To read what Jesus said, we go to the Gospel of Mark and read from,
Mark 12:34
[34] Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” But after that no one dared question Him.
Jesus’ response raises the question as to; “Why was the scribe only close to the Kingdom of God.” The answer to this question is because with our own natural or carnal capabilities,
WE ARE NOT EQUIPPED OR HAVE THE ABILITY TO COMPLETELY FULFILL THE LAW
The reason for this is twofold:
First of all, the Bible teaches us that even though Adam was created in the image of God, we, you and I, have been born with a sin nature.
Secondly, being sinners, we are not filled or equipped with the spiritual power to do what Jesus’ said.
With this short introduction let us first explore the fact that,
WE AND ALL OF MANKIND WERE BORN IN THE IMAGE OF ADAM
We begin by noting that the book of Genesis records for us that after Adam and Eve sinned and were banished from the Garden of Eden, they had two sons: (1) Cain and (2) Able. Unfortunately, there was strife between the two sons. This strife ultimately led Cain to kill his brother Able (Genesis 4:1-8).
When Adam was 130 years old, he had another son named Seth. To read what the Bible teaches us about Seth’s image and likeness, we go to,
Genesis 5:3
[3] When Adam had lived 130 years, he had a son in his own likeness, in his own image; and he named him Seth.
It is noted that Cain, Able and Seth were born after Adam and Eve sinned and were cast out of the Garden of Eden. Thus, even though, Adam was created in God’s image and likeness, Seth, Adam and Eve’s offspring, was born in the image and likeness of Adam. This is the same for you and me. In other words, we were also born in Adam’s image and likeness. The significance of this comes to light by noting that because Adam and Eve sinned, we too are sinners. To see this let us read from,
Romans 5:19(a)
"[19] For just as through the disobedience of the one man the many were made sinners, …
Consequently, we do not have the spiritual power, in our own human, carnal, nature to fulfill the requirements of the Law. This is clearly recorded in,
Romans 7:14-23
[14] For we know that the law is spiritual, but I am carnal, sold under sin. [15] For what I am doing, I do not understand. For what I will to do, that I do not practice; but what I hate, that I do. [16] If, then, I do what I will not to do, I agree with the law that it is good. [17] But now, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. [18] For I know that in me (that is, in my flesh) nothing good dwells; for to will is present with me, but how to perform what is good I do not find. [19] For the good that I will to do, I do not do; but the evil I will not to do, that I practice. [20] Now if I do what I will not to do, it is no longer I who do it, but sin that dwells in me. [21] I find then a law, that evil is present with me, the one who wills to do good. [22] For I delight in the law of God according to the inward man. [23] But I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members.
As we reflect upon the above, we come to understand we are in a very sorry state. We realize our tendency to sin comes from the sinful nature we inherited from Adam. Thus, in our natural state, we find ourselves to be sinners, spiritually dead, and separated from the Kingdom of God!
In other words, it is our innate nature to sin and transgress against God’s Law. Consequently, we are unable to save ourselves from the sin and transgressions that so easily entangles us.
If anyone feels that they have no sin within them or have not sinned, please read the following admonition from God the Holy Spirit as recorded in,
1 John 1:8-2:2
[8] If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. [9] If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. [10] If we say that we have not sinned, we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Secondly, with our own will power or determination, not only do we not have the power or capability to fulfill the requirements of the Law but,
WE ALSO DO NOT HAVE THE LOVE WITHIN US TO DO WHAT JESUS SAID
The reason for this is because the love Jesus talked about to the Pharisees is the love that only comes from God the Holy Spirit.
To see why this is the case, let us read the definition of the type of love Jesus spoke to the Pharisees and now to us.
According to Wuest’s translation of the New Testament, the Greek here used is God’s love produced in the heart of the yielded saint by the Holy Spirit.
To read a description of this love we go to,
1 Corinthians 13:4-8a
[4] Love suffers long and is kind; love does not envy; love does not parade itself, is not puffed up; [5] does not behave rudely, does not seek its own, is not provoked, thinks no evil; [6] does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth; [7] bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things. [8a] Love never fails.
Consequently, without God the Holy Spirit living inside us, we can never have this type of love come forth from within us.
The question arises as to; “What then was God’s purpose in giving the Law?” The answer to this question is that,
THE LAW WAS GIVEN TO LEAD US TO JESUS CHRIST
Before we explore this truth, it is noted that throughout the first three months after God miraculously delivered the Israelites from their bondage to the Egyptians they moaned, groaned, and complained about the difficulties of their journey. Their complaints became so nasty they even accused God of bringing them out of Egypt to kill them (Exodus 15:22-18:27).
With this background, let us now read from,
Galatians 3:19-20
[19] What purpose then does the law serve? It was added because of transgressions, till the Seed should come to whom the promise was made; and it was appointed through angels by the hand of a mediator. [20] Now a mediator does not mediate for one only, but God is one.
Let us now notice the following verses,
19a … Because of the sins committed by the Israelites, during their exodus from the Egyptians, the Law was added.
19b … It was put into effect until the Seed was to come. This Seed was a reference to Jesus Christ. To see this let us read from,
Galatians 3:16
[16] Now to Abraham and his Seed were the promises made. He does not say, “And to seeds,” as of many, but as of one, “And to your Seed,” who is Christ.
Let us return to Galatians and notice the following verses,
19c - 20 … Jesus the Christ is the only mediator between God the Father and man. This is recorded in,
1 Timothy 2:5-6
[5] For there is one God and one Mediator between God and men, the Man Christ Jesus, [6] who gave Himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time,
Let us now move on to,
Galatians 3:21-22
[21] Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. [22] But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.
Let us notice the following verse,
22 … This promise to be received by faith in Jesus Christ is God’s righteousness. To see this, let us read from,
Philippians 3:7-9
[7] But what things were gain to me, these I have counted loss for Christ. [8 ] Yet indeed I also count all things loss for the excellence of the knowledge of Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them as rubbish, that I may gain Christ [9] and be found in Him, not having my own righteousness, which is from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which is from God by faith;
With this in mind we return to Galatians and read from,
Galatians 3:23-24
[23] But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. [24] Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith.
Let us notice the following verses,
23-24 … In other words, the Law, which includes the Ten Commandments and the Ceremonial Law (regulations), was our tutor or teacher to lead us to Jesus Christ.
The result of this glorious gift of mercy is beautifully summarized in,
Galatians 3:25
[25] But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.
Now some may ask as; “How does the Law lead us to Jesus Christ?” The answer to this question is twofold.
First, the Moral Law or the Ten Commandments reveals to us our need for a Savior. The reason it does this is because the Law activates and reveals to us our sinful nature and desires. To see this let us read from,
Romans 7:7-13
[7] What shall we say then? Is the law sin? Certainly not! On the contrary, I would not have known sin except through the law. For I would not have known covetousness unless the law had said, “You shall not covet.” [8] But sin, taking opportunity by the commandment, produced in me all manner of evil desire. For apart from the law sin was dead. [9] I was alive once without the law, but when the commandment came, sin revived and I died. [10] And the commandment, which was to bring life, I found to bring death. [11] For sin, taking occasion by the commandment, deceived me, and by it killed me. [12] Therefore the law is holy, and the commandment holy and just and good. [13] Has then what is good become death to me? Certainly not! But sin, that it might appear sin, was producing death in me through what is good, so that sin through the commandment might become exceedingly sinful.
Let us now read the Paul’s reaction to the above truths as recorded in,
Romans 7:24-25
[24] O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? [25] I thank God—through Jesus Christ our Lord!
“Why Jesus Christ?” “Why does God the Father instruct us to place our faith in His only begotten Son, Jesus Christ?” The reason is that,
JESUS CHRIST IS OUR LORD AND SAVIOR
To see this let us read the following excerpt from the second letter of the Apostle Peter’s closing statement. To do this we go to,
2 Peter 3:18
[18] … grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. ...
The Bible also teaches us there is no other person under Heaven by whom we can be saved. To see this, we go to Peter’s dissertation to the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin. The Scripture of interest is,
Acts 4:12
[12] Nor is there salvation in any other, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
This raises the question as to; “Why is it only by belief or faith in Jesus Christ we are saved from receiving the penalty for failing to comply with the requirements of the Law?” This brings us to the purpose of the,
Ceremonial Law
This portion of the Law presents the regulations for the various sacrifices along with the observance of the various feasts and special days. It is noted that these rituals were foreshadowings of Jesus Christ and what He did to save us from the penalty of our sins.
To see this, let us read what Jesus once said to Nicodemus, a Pharisee and member of the Jewish ruling council. The specific conversation for this portion of our study pertains to why Jesus was to be crucified on the cross. To do this we go to,
John 3:14-15
[14] And as Moses lifted up the serpent in the wilderness, even so must the Son of Man be lifted up, [15] that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have eternal life.
Before we read how the above incident was and is also a foreshadowing of what Jesus did for us, it is important we first read about the Ceremonial Law concerning the animal sacrifice for the sin offering.
To do this, let us read what required when an Israelite realized he unintentionally committed a sin. To do this we go to,
Leviticus 4:27-31
[27] If anyone of the common people sins unintentionally by doing something against any of the commandments of the Lord in anything which ought not to be done, and is guilty, [28] or if his sin which he has committed comes to his knowledge, then he shall bring as his offering a kid of the goats, a female without blemish, for his sin which he has committed. [29] And he shall lay his hand on the head of the sin offering, and kill the sin offering at the place of the burnt offering. [30] Then the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger, put it on the horns of the altar of burnt offering, and pour all the remaining blood at the base of the altar. [31] He shall remove all its fat, as fat is removed from the sacrifice of the peace offering; and the priest shall burn it on the altar for a sweet aroma to the Lord. So the priest shall make atonement for him, and it shall be forgiven him.
Let us notice the following verses,
27-28 … These actions were to be taken when he was found guilty or if he recognized he had sinned. Thus it also was required for unintentional sins.
29(a) … He was to lay his hand on the head of the animal, which was to symbolically transfer his sin to the animal.
29(b) … He, the person who sinned, was to slaughter the animal. Thus, he knew exactly why the animal was to die…namely for the sin that he committed and symbolically placed upon the animal.
30 … The priest took some blood and presented it to God.
31(a) … The fat of the animal, which was considered the best part, was also to be offered to God.
31(b) … Once completed, atonement or amends between them and God was now made.
One might ask; “Why was it required for the person who sinned to do all this?” The answer to this question was to teach, in a very vivid way, that:
1. The wages or penalty for sin is death. This is recorded in,
Romans 6:23
[23] For the wages of sin is death …
And,
2. The life of a living creature is in the blood. This is recorded in,
Leviticus 17:11
[11] For the life of the flesh is in the blood, and I have given it to you upon the altar to make atonement for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the soul.
With this background let now discover why Moses lifted up the serpent.
The incident concerning the snake occurred during the later portion of Israel's exodus from Egypt. At the time of the incident the people of Israel had been travelling in the desert for many years. In fact, by this time Aaron, Moses' brother, had already died. From a human perspective their journey had been a very difficult one. The majority of the time the only solid food they had for nourishment was the thin wafers of manna that each morning God miraculously provided for them. However, as we read earlier, throughout their journey the Israelites moaned, complained and grumbled. With this background, let us now read what happened, as recorded in,
Numbers 21:4-9
[4] Then they journeyed from Mount Hor by the Way of the Red Sea, to go around the land of Edom; and the soul of the people became very discouraged on the way. [5] And the people spoke against God and against Moses: “Why have you brought us up out of Egypt to die in the wilderness? For there is no food and no water, and our soul loathes this worthless bread.” [6] So the Lord sent fiery serpents among the people, and they bit the people; and many of the people of Israel died. [7] Therefore the people came to Moses, and said, “We have sinned, for we have spoken against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord that He take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. [8] Then the Lord said to Moses, “Make a fiery serpent, and set it on a pole; and it shall be that everyone who is bitten, when he looks at it, shall live.” [9] So Moses made a bronze serpent, and put it on a pole; and so it was, if a serpent had bitten anyone, when he looked at the bronze serpent, he lived.
Let us notice the following verses,
4-5 … The people grew impatient and sinned against God and Moses. Rather than believing and trusting that God delivered them from Egypt to save them from Pharaoh’s tyranny, they believed God brought them to the desert to kill them by starvation.
6 … As a result, God became angry and sent deadly poisonous snakes to bite the people. Let us recall that the wages or penalty for sin is death.
7 … The people confessed their sin, that is, admitted that they were in grave error, and asked Moses to ask God to have mercy and forgive them.
8 … God told Moses to make a bronze snake and put it on a pole. He also told Moses that whoever would look up at the snake would live.
9 … Moses followed God’s command and God fulfilled His promise.
How does all this relate to us and Jesus? To see the analogy, let us remember it was because of the people’s sin they were bitten by a snake and would die. It is the same with us. When we are bitten by sin, we spiritually die.
In the above incident, after the people confessed their sin and asked for mercy, Moses was told to put a snake, which was a symbol of their sin, on a pole for the people to look at. When Jesus Christ was nailed to the cross and lifted up, it was our sin that was placed upon His flesh for us to see.
1 Peter 2:24
[24] who Himself bore our sins in His own body on the tree …
In returning to the incident with Israel, remember when they looked upon the snake they were healed. It is the same with us. When you and I, through faith, see Jesus on the cross bearing our own personal sins we too are healed and His Atonement, the shedding of His blood, is imputed to us. Thus, we are now forgiven for the trespasses we committed against God’s Law.
The question becomes as to; “Why did God the Father send His only begotten Son to do this?” The answer is that God loves us and does not want any one of us to perish. To see this let us read from,
John 3:16-17
[16] For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. [17] For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.
Thus, we discover that God not only gave the Law to reveal the fact that we are all sinners; He also gave the Ceremonial Law to reveal to us all what His Son would go through to save us from the penalty we would incur for our sins. To see this let us read what Jesus once said, as recorded in,
Matthew 5:17
[17] “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
It is noted that if God stopped here, we would still be the same. Yes, we will have been forgiven for our sins. However, we would still have the same old corrupt nature and heart. This brings us to the fact that, when we go to Jesus Christ and place our faith in Him, and call out to Him for help,
JESUS WILL SEND GOD THE HOLY SPIRIT TO LIVE WITHIN US
This is the promise Jesus gave during the Jewish Feast of Tabernacles.
John 7:37-39
[37] On the last day, that great day of the feast, Jesus stood and cried out, saying, “If anyone thirsts, let him come to Me and drink. [38] He who believes in Me, as the Scripture has said, out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.” [39] But this He spoke concerning the Spirit, whom those believing in Him would receive; for the Holy Spirit was not yet given, because Jesus was not yet glorified.
This new heart is the infilling of God the Holy Spirit. When this occurs, we become a new creature or person. To see this let us read from,
2 Corinthians 5:17
[17] Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
The Scripture identifies this as being born-again. This is another reason why the Law was given to lead us to Jesus Christ. To expand upon this a bit more let us read from,
John 1:12-13
[12] But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name: [13] who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.
Since the born-again believer in Jesus Christ has God the Holy Spirit living within them, they now have the necessary love to start fulfilling the demands of the Law. To see this let us read from,
Galatians 5:22-25
[22] But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, [23] gentleness, self-control. Against such there is no law. [24] And those who are Christ’s have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. [25] If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.
Let us notice the following verses,
22-23 … The first fruit or attribute of God the Holy Spirit is love. This is the love Jesus talked about and what we read earlier in 1 Corinthians 13:4-8a.
Also note, there is no law against this love or any other attributes/fruit of the Holy Spirit. In other words, the Holy Spirit will bring forth, from within us, the help we need to comply with God’s Law. To see this let us read from,
Romans 8:1-4
[1] There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit. [2] For the law of the Spirit of life in Christ Jesus has made me free from the law of sin and death. [3] For what the law could not do in that it was weak through the flesh, God did by sending His own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, on account of sin: He condemned sin in the flesh, [4] that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us who do not walk according to the flesh but according to the Spirit.
We now come to,
THE POINT OR MESSAGE OF THIS STUDY
The whole purpose of why God the Father gave us the Ten Commandments, which is the Law, was to lead us to Jesus Christ. When, by faith, we confess our sin(s), ask for forgiveness, and cry out for help, we receive forgiveness of our sins and are filled with God the Holy Spirit. In other words, we become born-again believers in Jesus Christ. This transaction is so important that Jesus once told Nicodemus that unless this occurs in your life you will not be able to enter into the Kingdom of God. To read what Jesus said we go to,
John 3:3
[3] Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.”
Thus, we find in addition to the greatest commandment, the greatest requirement for us is that,
WE MUST BE BORN AGAIN
Amen and Amen