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But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. And one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question to test him. “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” And he said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.” Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them a question, saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How is it then that David, in the Spirit, calls him Lord, saying, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet’? If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” And no one was able to answer him a word, nor from that day did anyone dare to ask him any more questions.(Matthew 22:34–46)
The Sadducees sought to trap Jesus, but they failed. No one can trap Jesus. It's futile. He's too smart. He is, after all, God in human flesh. He knows all things. In the end, Jesus trapped the Sadducees.
When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, they sought to trap Him, also. Well, in due time, they will learn their lesson.
A lawyer, namely a Bible scholar, asked Jesus, “Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” Believe it or not, they had 613 manmade laws. Can you imagine living under a system containing 613 laws? You would constantly worry about doing this or that right. The law would be more on your mind than a concern for God or the neighbor. The Islamic religion today, for example, is law based with no love or mercy toward others. So, the Jewish people, during the time of Jesus, missed God's original intent and purpose of the law. Their 613 manmade rules were completely lacking in love and mercy toward one another.
So, if Jesus said that the law on Kosher foods was the great commandment in the Law, they could argue with him for not picking the law about walking on the Sabbath. Or, if Jesus said that the law on ceremonial washing was the great commandment, they could argue with him for not picking the law on circumcision. It would be an endless debate. This is how they sought to trap Jesus.
Jesus knew their hearts. He knew that, because their goal was perfection, they put one fence after another around the law to prevent people from sinning. Jesus knew that they thought they could fulfill the law. Jesus knew they were legalistic. Jesus knew they were not thinking in terms of love and mercy toward God or toward one another.
You see, God is love and, so, His Word and promises reflected His love. Even His law was given out of love for our safety and protection and the safety and protection of one another. God is also merciful, and so, His Word and promises reflected His mercy. God promised to send a Savior, and out of love and mercy, this Savior would fulfill the Law and the Prophets for the sake of salvation. But the Pharisees didn't get it.
“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?” The lawyer asked a law question, and he got a law answer. Jesus said to him, “You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. This is the great and first commandment. And a second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets” (v. 37–40). Jesus quoted Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18.
The lawyer didn't know what to say. He was silenced. Jesus trapped him.
It's time, now, for Jesus to ask the Pharisees a question. But Jesus doesn't ask them a “law” question. He asks them a “Gospel” question. Jesus basically asks them a question about His own identity. Jesus asks them, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They basically said that the promised Messiah will descend from the line of David. He will be the son of David. Bravo! They were correct.
Even King David understood that the promised Messiah will come from his line, that the Savior will be like a son to him. Yet, since this Savior will be greater than David, King David will recognize Him as Lord. In other words, the promised Messiah will be human. He will come from the line of David. But He will also be God in human flesh. After winning victory, this Savior will sit at the right hand of the Father with His enemies under His feet. Again, David recognized that the promised Savior will be both human and divine.
This is all recorded in Psalm 110. So, Jesus will ask the Pharisees another question regarding the proper interpretation of Psalm 110. If they don't understand the purpose of the coming Messiah, then they will not interpret Psalm 110 correctly. Jesus asked the Pharisees, “If then David calls him Lord, how is he his son?” (v. 45). And no one was able to answer him a word. Jesus trapped them, too.
Jesus is from the line of David. He is human, but He is also divine. Jesus is David's son, but Jesus is also Lord. But the Pharisees didn't get it, because they reject Jesus. They refuse to believe that Jesus is the promised Savior. By rejecting Jesus, they are not loving God, and they are not loving Jesus their neighbor.
Dearly beloved, who is Jesus to you? This is a very important question. The Law is important. It is good and healthy for us. But the law cannot save us. Only Jesus can save us from death, sin, and the devil. Who is Jesus? He is your Savior from sin, death, and the devil.
The great and first commandment is to love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind. In other words, we are to love Him with our whole being.
God is our Creator. He is the one and only true God. Therefore, we are to fear, love, and trust in Him above all things. He wants us to fear His wrath, avoiding every sin. Our love for and our trust in Him should be evident in our daily living. We should not worry, doubt, complain, or feel unfairly treated when things go wrong. We are not to withhold from God what is rightfully His. Our Lord's Word is to be evident in our daily speech and conduct. We are not to curse, speak carelessly or misuse God's name. God wants us to trust in Him to answer our prayers according to His good and gracious will. He does not want us to despise His Word by neglect or by paying little or no attention to it when it is read or preached. He wants us to attend the Divine Service faithfully and not sporadically.
All of these things incorporate loving God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. Do we do these things perfectly? No. We have the Old Adam inside of us. We have inherited a fallen nature. Another purpose for giving the law is for us to see our sin. It is like a mirror which shows us our sin. Our only recourse is to seek mercy from God alone.
The second great commandment is like the first: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Have you been angry, stubborn, or disrespectful toward those in authority over you? Do you lose your temper or injure your neighbor by thoughts, words, or deeds? Do you hold grudges or harbor resentment? Do you look at others lustfully and, thereby, commit adultery with them in your heart? Do you take care of what you have, pay what you owe, return what you borrow, and respect other people's property? Do you give generously, or are you selfish, stingy, and greedy with your time and money? Do you gossip, listen to rumors, or take pleasure in talking about the faults or mistakes of others? Are you discontent with the spouse, family, vocation, job, or employees the Lord has given you? Have you encouraged disharmony in the congregation, family, or workplace?
If we have answered any of these questions incorrectly, then we have not loved our neighbor. Our neighbor is someone who is loved by God, and God wants us to love them as well. Have we failed? Yes. The Old Adam is inside of us. We have inherited a fallen nature. Our only recourse is to seek mercy from God alone.
Does God have mercy upon us? Yes, through His Son.
We get to know what true love is all about by looking at the person and work of Jesus. In order to save us sinners, Jesus came down from heaven and was born of the virgin Mary. He was born within the line of David. Throughout His life and ministry, He truly loved His heavenly Father. Jesus never committed idolatry. He was never self–centered or selfish. He never worried, but He would often pray to His Father. He never complained, but He prayed, “Not my will, but Thy will be done.” Jesus truly loved His Father 100% of the time and with His whole being.
Furthermore, Jesus loved his neighbor. He was respectful toward Mary and Joseph. He never had thoughts of hatred in His heart toward His neighbor. He fed the hungry and healed the sick. He never gossiped or lied about His neighbor, but He always spoke the truth. Jesus once said, “Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy them, but to fulfill them” (Matthew 5:17). And He fulfilled the law perfectly.
Furthermore, He loved you, his neighbor, so much that He willingly went to the cross in your place and for your sake. Since we do not do everything that is written in the law, we were suppose to be cursed, but Jesus was cursed in our place. Scripture says, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree.” Jesus hung on the cross and was cursed because of our sin.
This is love: Christ died upon the cross for you. He then suffered God's judgement for every sin. He laid down His life as the sacrifice for the sins of the whole world. He laid down His life out of love for you. Three days later, He rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven where He sits at the right hand of the Father with His enemies at His feet. Psalm 110 has been fulfilled.
Dearly beloved, you were baptized into the death and resurrection of Christ. What He owns you now own. You have been covered with the robe of His righteousness. In Christ, you are forgiven. Because Jesus lives, you too shall live. Eternal life is yours through faith in Christ. You have been given God's love and mercy in Christ. This Gospel is preached into your ears. It is given to you at the altar. It is fed into your mouth with the body and blood of Christ.
As baptized believers in Christ, we delight to follow the law. As repentant believers who trust in the forgiveness of sins, we are glad to help the neighbor who is in need. We love God, because He first loved us. Love toward God and toward our neighbor flows out of a heart of faith. We love, not in order to be saved, but because of the salvation which has been freely given to us.
So, who is Jesus? He is your Savior from sin, death, and the devil. He is your Shepherd. He is your refuge and strength. Thanks be to God. Amen.
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