LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD

Matthew 22:34-46

Key Verse 22:37

Jesus replied: " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' "

Why did the Pharisees get together? (34) What question did one of them ask Jesus? (36) Why might this be a difficult test question?

** They got together again to test Jesus, after hearing the Sadducees had failed. They were determined to find a way to silence Jesus because he spoke about them negatively. 

** The one who questioned Jesus was an “expert” in the law. He asked: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?”. 

** “The Law” refers to the law given through Moses. Some scholars number the number of laws to total 613. Among all of the laws, Jesus was asked to single out the greatest commandment. Even the word “greatest” may be seen as a subjective word, making a correct answer to this test question very difficult. In addition, that an “expert” asked this question shows that this was a difficult question without a commonly accepted answer. Because Jesus had many answers to choose from (at least 613), maybe the Pharisees thought that this was a good question to try and trap Jesus somehow.

Read verse 37. In reply, Jesus quoted from Deuteronomy 6:5. Considering the Israelites' situation at the time this commandment was given: 1) Who is “the Lord”, and 2) How did he become their God? (Deu 6:10,12; Exo 6:7-8) How does this relate to a Christian today? 

**This commandment was given after the Lord had brought the Israelites out of slavery in Egypt. They had been led by the Lord in the desert for 40 years as they journeyed to the land of Canaan. Before they were about to enter the land, Moses had a review session with them and gave this commandment. 

** 1) “Who is the Lord?” 

>”The Lord”: This is the name by which God revealed himself. 

Deu 6:10: “When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you—a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build…” 

The Lord is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. He is the one who called them and made promises to them. God had revealed himself as God Almighty to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, the Creator of heaven and earth. 

Deu 6:12: “be careful that you do not forget the LORD, who brought you out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.” 

The Lord is the one who brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. He was compassionate to them and heard their cry in their slavery. In his mercy he brought them out with mighty acts of power and judgment. 

** 2) “How did he become their God?” 

Exo 6:7-8: “⁷ I will take you as my own people, and I will be your God. Then you will know that I am the LORD your God, who brought you out from under the yoke of the Egyptians. ⁸ And I will bring you to the land I swore with uplifted hand to give to Abraham, to Isaac and to Jacob. I will give it to you as a possession. I am the LORD."

He became their God by taking them out of slavery in Egypt to be his own people. It was God’s action first that he became their God. In Exodus 6:7-8, he revealed his purpose in this. They would be his people and he would be their God. 

The Lord became their God through his mercy to them in remembering the covenant with Abraham and through bringing them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. The Lord was their God because of his love for them first. In his love, he showed them his grace and power to set them free and make them the people belonging to God. They were slaves. They were sinners, just like the Egyptians, and probably worse. Why did God bring them out? It was not because they were better or more righteous or that they deserved it or had paid for it. It was because of his love and mercy. When they belonged to Pharaoh, they lived as slaves. But when God made them a people belonging to God, they had a new life and new purpose. They were called to know God, have fellowship with God, and be holy like him. They were his instruments to reveal his salvation and glory in all nations. His love and power brought them hope and new life. They had a brand new status as God’s people. 

The command says, “the Lord your God.” God is our God because of his love first. And his love gave new life and hope. But he is not distant. He is “your” God. 

** Knowing who the Lord is and how he became their God directly applies to Christians today because God is the same God, he is the Lord our God. Further, the way he became their God directly relates to how he became our God as well. We love because he first loved us. And we should know who it is that we are called to love as the first and greatest commandment. 

He is the Creator, he is God Almighty, he is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and he is the God who brought the Israelites out of the land of slavery to be his own people. He is the creator and owner of my life, and he brought me out of slavery to be his people and he my God. God has designed that we have fellowship with him as our God. 

What does it mean to love the Lord your God "with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind"? (37) Why do you think this is the “first” and greatest commandment? What does this reveal about Jesus? 

** This tells us the way in which we are to love God, the standard by which we must measure our love for him practically. With “all” your: 1) heart; 2) soul; and 3) mind. 

Firstly, it simply means with all of my being, inside and out. It is a sincere and truthful love that is wholly devoted to the Lord and devoid of one’s self. This love is not based on changing emotions, but one’s will. This commandment focuses not on an outward show of “love”, but begins with the heart, and moves to one’s soul and mind, meaning, from the inside out. 

** It is because love is God’s nature; God is love (1 John 4:16). And we are made in God’s image and likeness. God designed our lives to be lives of love. We are created to enjoy God’s love and to love God with all our being and lives.

** Jesus exemplifies the very definition of God’s love and the love by which we are to love God. In his love God sent his Son Jesus as the atoning sacrifice to save all people from the power of sin and death and take them as his own and to be their God. So we see that in Jesus we are called to love God as he has loved us and enjoy this love relationship with God. In love for God and us, Jesus humbly laid down his life. 

What is the second commandment? (39) Jesus says that it is like the first. In what way is it? What do "the Law" and "the Prophets" refer to? What does it mean that "all the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments"? (40) How did Jesus fulfill these two commandments? How can we?

** Verse 39: “And the second is like it: 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' “ 

** They are related by the command to love. Since Jesus added this second command in his reply about the greatest command, we can see that loving the Lord our God must come with loving our neighbor as ourselves. We cannot love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and yet not love our neighbor as ourselves. God created man in his own image and likeness. We must keep this second command. 

** “The Law” and “the Prophets” collectively refer to the Old Testament Scriptures. 

** It means that they can be summarized by these two commands: to love God and to love our neighbor as yourself. 

** We can do so in and through Jesus Christ. This is why it is imperative that we know him more and more, and make the decision to follow him and obey him by faith. 

What did Jesus question the Pharisees about? (41-42) In what way was their answer correct? (Mat 1:1) Yet, what else do the Scriptures show about the Christ? (43-45) What does it mean that the Christ is David’s Lord? What does this show about Jesus? Why do you think Jesus asked them about the Christ? 

** Jesus asked them who the Christ is, specifically, “Who son is he?”. 

** Matthew 1:1 says that Jesus Christ is the son of David. So, technically, they were correct. 

** In verse 44 Jesus quoted from Psalm 110:1. Here, David refers to the Christ as his “Lord.” So Jesus asked them another question, “If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” So the Scripture showed the Christ was more than David’s son. He was David’s Lord. And the Christ would sit at God’s right hand and all his enemies would be put under his feet. He is the Lord, even greater than David.

** Jesus is the Lord and is greater than David. David was the king. Who was his Lord? Only God was above the king. Jesus, the Christ, is God’s son. 

** Although they were experts in the law, they did not know who God was, who the Christ really was. How then could they love him if they didn’t know who he was? Also, to show that they made a big mistake in their misjudging of who Jesus is.