Gospels (51) - Matthew 22:23 – 23:36, Mark 12:28-37 & Luke 20:41-44

Teacher: Rusty Kennedy
​Series: Gospels

Rusty's Notes

THE PRIMARY COMMANDS
Matthew 22:34-40
34 When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they came together. 35 And one of them, an expert in the law, asked a question to test him: 36 “Teacher, which command in the law is the greatest?”

• There was always a debate among the Jewish law experts to prioritize the commandments.
• They gave weight to each one.
• They had documented 613 commandments in the Law, 248 positive and 365 negative.
• No person could ever hope to know and fully obey all of these commandments.
• So, to make it easier, the experts divided the commandments into “heavy” (important) and “light” (unimportant).
• A person could major on the “heavy commandments” and not worry about the trivial ones.
• The fallacy behind this approach is obvious: You need only break one law, heavy or light, to be guilty before God.
• James 2:10 - “For whosoever shall keep the whole Law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all”.[1]

37 He said to him, “Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. (Deuteronomy 6:5) 38 This is the greatest and most important command. 39 The second is like it: Love your neighbor as yourself. (Leviticus 19:18) 40 All the Law and the Prophets depend on these two commands.”[2]

• If we have a right relationship with God, we will have no problems with His commandments.
• Love is the basis for obedience.
• In fact, all of the Law is summed up in love (Rom. 13:8–10).
• If we love God, we will love our neighbor; and if we love our neighbor, we will not want to do anything to harm him.[3]

 
THE PRIMARY COMMANDS
Mark 12:28-34
28 One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked him, “Which command is the most important of all?”
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is Listen, O Israel! The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. 31 The second is, Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.”
32 Then the scribe said to him, “You are right, teacher. You have correctly said that he is one, and there is no one else except him. 33 And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.”
34 When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And no one dared to question him any longer. [4]

• He is the flawless lamb of God.

• Jesus had now answered three difficult questions.

• He had dealt with the relationship between religion and government, (Give to Caesar…)
• between this life and the next life, (Marriage in the resurrection)
• and between God and our neighbors.
• These are fundamental relationships, and we cannot ignore our Lord’s teachings.
• But there is a question more fundamental than these, and Jesus asked it of His enemies.[5]

 
THE QUESTION ABOUT THE CHRIST
1 Chronicles 17:3-15 - 3 But that night the word of God came to Nathan: 4 “Go to David my servant and say, ‘This is what the Lord says: You are not the one to build me a house to dwell in. 5 From the time I brought Israel out of Egypt until today I have not dwelt in a house; instead, I have moved from one tent site to another, and from one tabernacle location to another. 6 In all my journeys throughout Israel, have I ever spoken a word to even one of the judges of Israel, whom I commanded to shepherd my people, asking: Why haven’t you built me a house of cedar?’
7 “So now this is what you are to say to my servant David: ‘This is what the Lord of Armies says: I took you from the pasture, from tending the flock, to be ruler over my people Israel. 8 I have been with you wherever you have gone, and I have destroyed all your enemies before you. I will make a name for you like that of the greatest on the earth. 9 I will designate a place for my people Israel and plant them, so that they may live there and not be disturbed again. Evildoers will not continue to oppress them as they have done 10 ever since the day I ordered judges to be over my people Israel. I will also subdue all your enemies.
“ ‘Furthermore, I declare to you that the Lord himself will build a house for you. 11 When your time comes to be with your fathers, I will raise up after you your descendant, who is one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He is the one who will build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be his father, and he will be my son. I will not remove my faithful love from him as I removed it from the one who was before you. 14 I will appoint him over my house and my kingdom forever, and his throne will be established forever.’”
15 Nathan reported all these words and this entire vision to David.[6]
 
Matthew 22:41-46
41 While the Pharisees were together, Jesus questioned them, 42 “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?”
They replied, “David’s.” (1 Chronicles 17)
43 He asked them, “How is it then that David, inspired by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’:
44 The Lord (Hebrew-Jehovah) declared to my Lord (Hebrew-Adonai),
‘Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet’? (Psalm 110:1)

• This verse was always interpreted to be referring to the Messiah.
• Only the Messiah could sit at Jehovah’s right hand.

45 “If David calls him ‘Lord,’ how then can he be his son?”

• “If Messiah is David’s Son,” Jesus asked, “then how could Messiah also be David’s Lord?”
• There is only one answer to this question.
• As God, Messiah is David’s Lord; as man, He is David’s Son.
• He is both “the root and the offspring of David” (Rev. 22:16).
• Psalm 110:1 teaches the deity and the humanity of Messiah.
• He is David’s Lord and He is David’s Son.
• The rulers had heard the multitudes proclaim Him as “Son of David” when He rode into Jerusalem.
• The fact that He accepted this title is evidence that Jesus knew Himself to be the Messiah, the Son of God.
• As God, He was David’s Lord; but as man, He was David’s Son, for He was born into the family of David (Matt. 1:1, 20).[7]

• There were two views of the Messiah:

1. Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53)
2. Conquering and reigning monarch.

• 1) Jesus suffered on the cross
• 2) Jesus raised from the dead in triumph

46 No one was able to answer him at all, and from that day no one dared to question him anymore.[8]

• Until His arrest.

 
THE QUESTION ABOUT THE CHRIST
Mark 12:35-37
35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple, he asked, “How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? 36 David himself says by the Holy Spirit:
The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies under your feet.’
37 David himself calls him ‘Lord’; how then can he be his son?” And the large crowd was listening to him with delight. [9]
 
THE QUESTION ABOUT THE CHRIST
Luke 20:41-44
41 Then he said to them, “How can they say that the Christ is the son of David? 42 For David himself says in the Book of Psalms:
The Lord declared to my Lord,
‘Sit at my right hand
43 until I make your enemies your footstool.’
44 David calls him ‘Lord’ how then can the Christ be his son?”[10]
 
RELIGIOUS HYPOCRITES DENOUNCED

• This was our Lord’s last public message.
• It is a scathing denunciation of false religion that paraded under the guise of truth.
• Some of the common people no doubt were shocked at His words, for they considered the Pharisees to be righteous.[11]

Matthew 23:1-39
1 Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples: 2 “The scribes and the Pharisees are seated in the chair of Moses.

• The Pharisees placed themselves in authoritative position over the people to fulfill their own political agendas.
• Were these men real leaders?
• Self-imposed authority
• God-imposed authority
• The Shepherd is not about the position of authority but the love for the flock.
• Pastor, family

3 Therefore do whatever they tell you, and observe it. But don’t do what they do, because they don’t practice what they teach. 4 They tie up heavy loads that are hard to carry and put them on people’s shoulders, but they themselves aren’t willing to lift a finger to move them. 5 They do everything to be seen by others: They enlarge their phylacteries (boxes tied around their foreheads and arms) and lengthen their tassels.

• Deuteronomy 6:5-9 - 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength. 6 These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. 7 Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. 8 Bind them as a sign on your hand and let them be a symbol on your forehead. 9 Write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates. [12]

6 They love the place of honor at banquets, the front seats in the synagogues, 7 greetings in the marketplaces, and to be called ‘Rabbi’ by people.
8 “But you are not to be called ‘Rabbi,’ because you have one Teacher, and you are all brothers and sisters. 9 Do not call anyone on earth your father, because you have one Father, who is in heaven. 10 You are not to be called instructors either, because you have one Instructor, the Messiah. 11 The greatest among you will be your servant. 12 Whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.
 
13 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You shut the door of the kingdom of heaven in people’s faces. For you don’t go in, and you don’t allow those entering to go in.

1. The rejection of Jesus as Messiah is transferred to the Jewish Nation.

[14 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You devour widows’ houses and make long prayers just for show. This is why you will receive a harsher punishment.]
     2. Taking advantage of widows is forbidden in the Old Testament.15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to make one convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as fit for hell as you are!
      3. Pharisees evangelized Gentiles to become like them.

• Saved by grace… finished by works.

16 “Woe to you, blind guides, who say, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the temple, it means nothing. But whoever takes an oath by the gold of the temple is bound by his oath.’ 17 Blind fools! For which is greater, the gold or the temple that sanctified the gold? 18 Also, ‘Whoever takes an oath by the altar, it means nothing; but whoever takes an oath by the gift that is on it is bound by his oath.’ 19 Blind people! For which is greater, the gift or the altar that sanctifies the gift? 20 Therefore, the one who takes an oath by the altar takes an oath by it and by everything on it. 21 The one who takes an oath by the temple takes an oath by it and by him who dwells in it. 22 And the one who takes an oath by heaven takes an oath by God’s throne and by him who sits on it.
       4. The sanctified is greater than the one who sanctifies.23 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You pay a tenth of mint, dill, and cumin, and yet you have neglected the more important matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faithfulness. These things should have been done without neglecting the others. 24 Blind guides! You strain out a gnat, but gulp down a camel.
        5.  The inability to choose important over unimportant.

• How do you teach living your life by the Spirit?
• We’ve been taught to live our life by obeying in our own strength.

25 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26 Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup, so that the outside of it may also become clean.
       6. External righteousness vs the heart27 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside, but inside are full of the bones of the dead and every kind of impurity. 28 In the same way, on the outside you seem righteous to people, but inside you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.
       7. Numbers 19:16 - 16 Anyone in the open field who touches a person who has been killed by the sword or has died, or who even touches a human bone, or a grave, will be unclean for seven days.[13]

• Every Spring they whitewashed the tombs so no one could touch them and become spiritually unclean.

29 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! You build the tombs of the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we wouldn’t have taken part with them in shedding the prophets’ blood.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32 Fill up, then, the measure of your ancestors’ sins!
33 “Snakes! Brood of vipers! How can you escape being condemned to hell? 34 This is why I am sending you prophets, sages, and scribes. Some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35 So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah (2 Chronicles), son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
         8. They will be held accountable for the bloodshed and denial of the prophets lives and words.36 Truly I tell you, all these things will come on this generation.
70 AD – Destruction of Jerusalem

[1] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 81). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books
[2] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mt 22:34–40). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[3] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 81). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[4] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mk 12:28–34). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[5] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 82). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[6] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (1 Ch 17:3–15). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[7] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 82). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[8] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mt 22:41–46). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[9] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Mk 12:35–37). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[10] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Lk 20:41–44). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[11] Wiersbe, W. W. (1996). The Bible exposition commentary (Vol. 1, p. 83). Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
[12] Christian Standard Bible. (2017). (Dt 6:5–9). Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
[13] The Holy Bible: Holman Christian standard version. (2009). (Nu 19:16). Nashville: Holman Bible Publishers.