Mark 12:28-37
Notes
Transcript
Intro
Intro
Theme: Who is Jesus
Theme Statement: Jesus calls us to be disciples through a relationship with Him
Recap
Recap
Last week we talked about the fig tree and Jesus clearing the temple of the money changers and thieves.
We mentioned how the fig tree was a representation of Israel in that it looked like it should be producing fruit but instead it was dead inside.
Without a relationship with Christ all of the things that you do will not amount to anything.
He cares about your heart, the intention that you have behind what you are doing.
So last week we talked about your actions being tied to your heart.
God cares about your heart’s intent behind what you do.
This week we are going to learn that simply knowing about God is not enough for salvation, it takes us actually believing and placing our faith in Jesus if we desire to see a changed and transformed life.
The bible tells us that even the demons acknowledge God and they are terrified of Him.
So in order to be a disciple of Jesus it takes more than knowledge of God, it takes faith in Him and submission to Him
PRAY
PRAY
28 And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Now first thing to note here is that we are jumping into the middle of Jesus having a philosophical and theological mental battle with the religious leaders in Jerusalem.
All of the Pharisees and Sadducees were trying to get Jesus to stumble in some way.
As they are arguing with Him He is answering their questions and not just answering their questions but also stumping them with questions that He was asking them
One of the scribes actually likes what Jesus is saying.
verse 28 says that this scribe thought Jesus answers were great.
So He asks Jesus a question himself
Which commandment is the most important.
Which commandment is the most important.
Now this is interesting because at this time culturally...
Context + Content = Meaning
This time culturally there was a great debate amongst these religious groups as to which law of the 600+ laws in the old testament were the most important.
So this is why the scribe asks Jesus to answer this question.
This would be our modern day equivalent of asking a hot topic question like “is it okay to have an abortion”
And Jesus gives Him an answer that has shaped the history of modern Western civilization as we know it.
29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
Jesus begins with part of the Shema which is a prayer that Jews recite every morning and evening
The phrase the Lord is one is not talking about God being a singular being, it is actually saying that the Lord our God is unique.
He is one of one
There is no other being in all creation that is like Him.
There is only one God, only one creator, only one King of the universe and it is God almighty.
And because there is only one God who is unique from all other creation...
30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’
Anything else that you worship or anything else that you love more than Him is a false God and will not bring you satisfaction.
Does this mean that you can’t love other things?
Of course not!
But do you love them more than you love God.
When you are struggling where do you turn?
If you are not able to meet with God in a quiet time what does your screen time look like?
Do you care more about the opinions of others than about what God wants you to do?
So often we as Christians like to say yes I believe in the Jesus Christ and I call Him my Lord but we live the rest of our week as if He has no authority in our lives.
If you love God then He has to be your very first priority in your life.
Even in my own marriage there are times when Corinne and I are having a hard week or a hard month and the first thing that I have to do as a husband and as a father is step back and run to the Lord in prayer and talk to Him first.
As God leads me I will lead my family.
It’s not that I don’t love my wife or love her input in our conversations but first I must go and submit myself before God because He supersedes my wife and even my own desires.
So we love God with every fiber of our being first and foremost.
Then as we love God and build our relationship with Him we look around us and see a hurting and broken world in need of God’s love.
So we go out and love on others
31 The second is this: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”
The whole law, 600+ commandments are summed up by two laws,
Love God
Love others
If you love God you will build your relationship with Him, you will desire what He desires.
If you love others you will desire that they come to know that same love that you have for God
After Jesus answers this scribe the man agrees with Jesus!
That’s what verse 31-33 are about, the scribe simply says “you have answered well” then repeats what Jesus said to him
Most times in the Bible we see the religious leaders hating Jesus after He answer their questions.
Remember at this point the scribes and pharisees and other priests were plotting how they were going to kill Jesus and here in this moment one of them tells Jesus that He is right!
Jesus actually said something that the scribe agreed with in His head.
In his head he agreed with what Jesus was saying.
34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.
Jesus even recognizes that this scribe understood that He had answered His question well and He tells Him that you are not far off from the kingdom of God.
Now this is a really interesting statement because for us as Americans this idea of the kingdom of God doesn’t make much sense but lets look at the context here
Context
Context
The kingdom of God was something that Jesus talked a lot about throughout His ministry and in our terms today it can be understood as salvation.
To be brought into the Kingdom of God you must be saved by recognizing Jesus as your Lord and savior.
9 because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Jesus is acknowledging to this religious leader personally that He is not far off from salvation.
He understood what Jesus was saying and he was open to Jesus teaching in this moment.
He had all the head knowledge BUT....
There was still something missing.
Notice that Jesus tells Him you are not far off from the Kingdom
Translation: you’re so close to getting it.
What was the missing piece of the puzzle?
If our actions aren’t enough to save us, and if knowledge alone of who God is won’t save us.
Then what will save us?
35 And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared,
“ ‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
until I put your enemies under your feet.” ’
37 David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?” And the great throng heard him gladly.
Jesus answers the question here in a very interesting way.
He begins to talk about King David.
It was prophesied that the Messiah would come from the line of David.
Side note: Jesus actually comes from the line of David
That long “boring” list of names in the Bible actually serve an incredible purpose of proving that Jesus is in fact legitimately from the genealogy of David as it was prophesied.
It was prophesied that the Messiah would be from David’s line or in other words the son of David but then Jesus poses the question why would David call Him Lord?
Your dad will never seriously refer to you as his Lord
Now once again we can be very confused if we do not understand the context here in verses 35-37.
Context
Context
Jesus is asking those that are around Him how it is possible that the Messiah who was recognized by the Jews as the Son of David (or from the line of David) is also called by David himself Lord.
And then He answers this question by quoting David himself saying that the coming Messiah is his Lord.
I don’t have a ton of time to explain this part but this is what the Lord said to my Lord means.
The word Lord used twice is actually two different Hebrew words
The first Lord is the word Yahweh meaning God the Father
The second Lord is Adonay which was used as a term for ruler or Lord and when talking about God it was often used to describe God’s rule over humanity.
David here is saying that God said to the one ruling over David (this was understood by those in the Old Testament to be the Messiah)
So God said to the Lord of David (the messiah) “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under you feet”
David here recognizes that the Messiah was Lord over all creation.
And He is Lord over His life.
This is what the scribe in the first 7 verses missed.
Everything that Jesus said made sense to Him
He was doing all the right actions
But in his heart he still had not placed his faith in Jesus
In his heart he had not declared that Jesus Christ is Lord.
In his heart he had not declared that Jesus Christ is Lord.
Many of us in this room know about Jesus
Many of us are doing what Christians are supposed to do .
But a heart that is not submitted to Christ or a heart that does not love God cannot be saved.
Salvation does not come to those who know about Jesus,
If that was the case then everyone in Western civilization would be saved.
Salvation does not come to those who do Christian activities.
It is not a magic checklist to get into Heaven
Salvation comes to those that believe and place their faith in Jesus Christ as their Lord and Savior
Even the end of verse 37 tells us that the whole crowd around Him heard Jesus gladly.
What He said made them happy, they agreed with Jesus!
But once again they knew what He was saying but they didn’t place their faith in Him which is why in a few short DAYS they will be crying “CRUCIFY HIM” at His trial.
If you desire a relationship with Jesus you must daily place your faith in Him