How do sum up what you believe?

(90) The First Commandment – Summing Up

Today we sum up the “testing” of Jesus – kind of like examining the sacrificial lamb for flaws. The Pharisees, Herodians, and Sadducees have found nothing wrong. So now the scribes try. The scribe in question may well be keeping records for the Pharisees, and his question may be honest, though the Pharisees seek to remove any records of what Jesus offers.

1.       Read Mark 12:28, Matthew 22:34-36. What’s the biggest difference between the way the question is asked in Matthew and in Mark?

a.       What was Jesus’ emphasis when he talked about commandments?

2.       Read Mark 12:29-30, Matthew 22:37-38, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, 5:6-7 How does the “greatest” commandment differ from the “first” commandment?

a.       What does that tell us about God’s priorities?

3.       Read Mark 12:31, Matthew 22:39-40, Leviticus 19:18. Are you surprised to find this is in Leviticus?

a.       Given the huge number of laws in Leviticus, how do this and the Deuteronomy verse sum up God’s law?

b.       How do they sum up the prophets (Matthew 22:40)

4.       Read Mark 12:32-34. How far is “not far” from the kingdom of God?

a.       What keeps us close to the kingdom?

The Pharisees were listening—they may have sent the scribe to ask the question. But now Jesus asks his own question.

1.       Read Mark 12:35, Matthew 22:41-42, Luke 20:41 Is Jesus trying to trip them up or guide them forward?

a.       How can we tell the difference?

2.       Read Mark 12:36-37, Matthew 22:43-46, Luke 20:42-44, Psalm 110:1. The verse in Psalms might be read: Yahweh says to my Adoni, (notice the capitalization in some Bibles) ,so let’s look at who this Adoni is:

a.       Read Psalm 110 How might each of its verses apply to Jesus?

b.       In Mark, the common people hear Jesus gladly. In Matthew the Pharisees can’t answer him. How significant might this difference be, given that Matthew is writing for Jewish believers?

c.       Who did David write the psalm for? Who would have read or sung it, and when?

d.       Imagine the Levites singing “The Lord God said to my master, ‘Sit at my right hand…’” We already know that prophecy can have more than one application. If we’ve read Leviticus we probably know law can have more than one application too. What about praise/psalms? Could this psalm have two meanings?

e.       If the Pharisees were genuinely convinced, they went on to order the death of someone they knew was the Messiah. But Jews today don’t find this argument convincing. Do you suppose the leaders were really convinced, or just that Matthew thought they were?

Did you remember, before reading this, that the two passages we’ve just looked at came so close together?

Jesus has summed up the law, and the prophets, and the psalms. Can you paraphrase the combined message of these two passages? How do you “sum up” your faith?