Imagine for a moment that at some point this week you will be approached by someone who is not familiar with the truths, precepts, and promises of the Bible; has never been involved with any particular church community; and clearly does not profess to be a follower of Jesus Christ. Yet, this individual comes to you to sincerely and earnestly ask questions such as these: “Why does the church exist? What purpose do you really have?” What might your response be to that individual?
Perhaps you are a long-time member, or even a regular attender, or even a first-time guest who has pondered those very questions within your own mind as well. Have you found yourself wondering if this church family has a greater purpose than gathering together for worship services and Bible studies each week? sharing in some fellowship meals together throughout the year? conducting wedding ceremonies and funeral services? and having what may seem to be an endless stream of “committee meetings?”
Today I want us to continue in a series entitled, “THE RETURN OF A MIGHTY CHURCH,” to help us, as the body of Christ, answer these types of questions. The first blog in this series was based upon the passage of Revelation 2:1 – 7, “The Return of a Mighty Church.” We learned from that message that what makes a great church— and what can mark the return of a mighty church— is one where the heart of the people burns with a “first love” devotion, adoration, and passion for the Lord Jesus Christ. Today’s blog is taken from Mark 12:28 – 34, and is simply entitled, “The Great Commandment.”
In the historical setting of this text, it is the Tuesday of Passover week, just three days before Jesus would be betrayed and crucified. As Jesus and the disciples were entering the Temple in Jerusalem, He was confronted with the first of at least three planned attempts by the Jewish religious leaders to entrap and discredit Him. The following questions were devised with the intent of bringing an end to Jesus and His ministry: a) authority (11:27 – 12:12)— the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders demanded to know who gave Him the authority to do the things He did; b) responsibility (12:13 – 17)— some of the Pharisees and the Herodians asked Jesus if it were lawful, or moral, for the Jews to pay taxes to Caesar; and c), eternity (12:18 – 27)— some of the Sadducees questioned Jesus regarding a hypothetical situation regarding the teaching of resurrection.
Then, as we come to our passage of study for today, one of the scribes who had been observing Jesus’ responses to each of the previous three tests approached Jesus. Something seems to have been different, though, from this particular individual compared to the manner in which the Pharisees, Sadducees, chief priests, elders, and other scribes had approached Jesus. This man seemed to convey a genuineness and sincerity to Jesus when he raised the question of priority (12:28 – 34). His motive did not seem to be driven by the motive to entrap and discredit Jesus as his colleagues had attempted to do. Instead, this scribe earnestly asked Jesus about the greatest commandment that a follower of God could possibly fulfill.
Now, keep something in mind at this point. The Jewish scribes had determined there were 613 precepts in Jewish law (248 positive laws, and 365 negative laws). They often debated over which one of these 613 precepts had the greatest priority among the Jewish people. So, this man approached Jesus to ask Him which of all the commandments was the one of greatest priority and significance. And Jesus responded to him by declaring that the greatest commandment the people of God are called to obey is that of loving God and loving others.
This passage reveals to us three basic precepts to help us understand what is involved with obeying the Great Commandment. First, loving God calls for the experience of a supernatural reality (vv.28 – 30). Jesus responds to the question posed to Him by the scribe by quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4 – 5 (referred to in orthodox Judaism as “the Shema”), which emphasized God’s sovereignty, unity, and covenant relationship with His people.
The term, “hear,” in the language of the Old Testament speaks to obedience; but not the kind of obedience which is rooted in nothing more than legalistic duty and responsibility. Instead, this word conveys the concept of obedience which is motivated by a whole hearted, loving devotion and loyalty to God. Loving God is a supernatural reality because it originates with His own agape love. In 1 John 4:10, 19 we read… “In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins… We love Him because He first loved us.”
Listen, loving God is about a relationship of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, rather than a mere religion of outward appearance, self-righteous and self-rewarding works, and empty tradition. In order to experience this supernatural reality of God’s agape love, you and I “must be born again” (cf. John 3:7). We must be made alive unto God through Jesus Christ and His crucifixion, resurrection, and righteousness if we are to love Him with a wholehearted devotion (cf. Romans 6 – 8 & Ephesians 2:1 – 10).
Once we have been born again into the family of God, Romans 5:5 teaches us that “the love of God has been poured out in our hearts by the Holy Spirit who was given to us.” What does this mean for those of us who are followers of Jesus? It means that the Holy Spirit Himself has endowed us with the capability of responding to our Heavenly Father’s agape love with meaningful and continual measures of wholehearted devotion. What is the objective of this agape love? That we might glorify God in every arena of our lives!
We can experience this supernatural reality of loving God based upon a redeeming relationship of faith and trust in Jesus Christ, and, through the continual measures of agape love which the Holy Spirit has poured into our hearts as God’s children. The Apostle John exhorted his fellow believers of his generation with the following words, and they are just as applicable to our generation today: “And now, little children, abide in Him, that when He appears, we may have confidence and not be ashamed before Him at His coming” (1 John 2:28). Remember, the greatest commandment the people of God are called to obey is that of loving God and loving others.
Second, loving God calls for the expressions of a sold-out vitality (v.30). Jesus characterized the vitality of such love in four distinct ways:
Ø “with all your heart”— that is, with all of my emotion and passion;
Ø “with all your soul”— with all of my will, through the exchange of my will for God’s will over my life;
Ø “with all your mind”— with all of my intellectual ability and understanding;
Ø “with all your strength”— with all of my being, with all that I have, knowing that He is my sufficiency.
Now, let us restate these four aspects, and then look to a few examples of those who demonstrated this sold – out vitality in loving God. Those who know and love God…
v have great energy for God (“your heart”). In Daniel 11:32b we read, “…but the people who know their God shall be strong, and carry out great exploits.” In other words, when the need arises, those who know God, trust God, and love God will stand firm and take action when His truth and honor are on the line! I also like the expression which J. I. Packer gives to this phrase, “with all your heart,” in his classic book, Knowing God. He writes, “People who know [and love] their God are before anything else people who pray, and the first point where their zeal and energy for God’s glory come to expression is in their prayers” (p.28, emphasis mine).
v show great boldness for God (“your soul”). Consider the examples of…
1) Shadrach, Meshach & Abed-Nego (Daniel 3:13 – 18). Those three young men refused to bow down in worship to King Nebuchadnezzar and his golden image of himself, even at the risk of being thrown into a fiery furnace.
2) Nehemiah (Nehemiah 6:1 – 4). Nehemiah led the remnant of God’s people who had returned to Jerusalem from the Babylonian captivity to rebuild the walls of that holy city. This great task was completed in just 52 days. However, it was not accomplished apart from opposition and hostility against Nehemiah and God’s people. This resistance was led by three men named Sanballat, Tobiah, and Geshem. They utterly despised Nehemiah and the influence he had gained so quickly with God’s people. So, they attempted to deceive Nehemiah to quit working on the wall, and meet them in the valley of Ono to “discuss matters” with him. In reality, they only wanted to kill Nehemiah. Nehemiah refused to come down from that wall, because he knew that he was doing a great work in the name of God.
3) Peter & the apostles (Acts 4:13 – 22 & 5:12 – 42). Following the healing of the lame man mentioned in Acts 3, Peter and John were detained by the Sanhedrin, “commanding them not to speak at all nor teach in the name of Jesus” (cf. 4:18). Their response was nothing less of one than great boldness. They declared before those Jewish leaders, “Whether it is right in sight of God to listen to you more than to God, you judge. For we cannot but speak the things which we have seen and heard” (cf. 4:19).
Such boldness was displayed once again in Acts 5, when the Jewish high priest and a group of the Sadducees had the apostles arrested. They then interrogated the disciples, asking them, “Did we not strictly command you not to teach in this name? And look, you have filled Jerusalem with your doctrine, and intend to bring this Man’s blood on us!” (cf. 5:28). The disciples’ response was unbelievably powerful and bold. They stated to those Jewish leaders, “We ought to obey God rather than men” (cf. 5:29). The disciples were then severely beaten, and commanded once again not to speak in the name of Jesus before they were released. But, amazingly, those men immediately displayed their boldness for Christ once again: “So they departed from the presence of the council, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer shame for His name. And daily in the temple, and in every house, they did not cease teaching and preaching Jesus as the Christ” (cf. 5:41 – 42).
4) Paul (Romans 1:16). “For I am not ashamed of the Gospel of Christ, for it is the power of God unto salvation for everyone who believes, for the Jew first and also for the Greek.” This statement exhibits a spiritual eloquence, boldness, and resolve we would all do well to emulate in our own walks of faith today.
Such “is the spirit of all who know [and love] God. They may find the determination of the right course to take agonizingly difficult, but once they are clear on it they embrace it boldly and without hesitation” (Packer, Knowing God, p.30).
v have great thoughts of God (“your mind”). Consider Daniel’s prayerful thoughts concerning the Lord from the following passages: Cf. 2:20 – 23 \ 4:25 & 5:21 \ 9:4, 7, 9, 14.
Upon reading these verses, let us ask ourselves: “Do we possess such thoughts regarding God’s sovereignty and majesty? His righteousness and holiness? His redeeming grace and unending mercies? His steadfast faithfulness and unchanging love?” Such elevated thoughts about our God and Savior will keep us humble and dependent before Him, and motivate us to give Him our whole hearted devotion and obedience in every area of life!
v have great contentment in God (“your strength”). The Apostle Paul testified to the peace which one possesses in heart, in soul, and in mind when fully assured that he or she has known God, and God has known him or her. In Philippians 4:6 – 7 we read, “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, make your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.” That statement is nothing less than one which testifies to our lasting contentment in the Lord Jesus.
What is it that these four statements regarding a sold-out vitality to Christ really saying to you and me today? Well, let us ponder the words of a preacher, theologian, and author from the early 20th century, a man named William Graham Scroggie. He said that the essence of the meaning of these four phrases boils down to this thought: “The Master wants the maximum, and not the minimum, of our devotion” (The Gospel of Mark, p.222). And I am persuaded within my own heart, soul, and mind that Scroggie was right. Remember, the greatest commandment the people of God are called to obey is that of loving God and loving others.
Third, and finally, loving God calls for the embrace of a selfless priority (v.31). The second part of the Great Commandment is based upon our love for our fellow man, as Jesus quoted from Leviticus 19:18. Jesus emphasized here that a genuine love for people is directly related to one’s love for God; we cannot truly love the Lord and be consumed with hatred and malice in our hearts toward our fellow man at the same time (cf. 1 John 2:9 – 11 & 3:10 – 11, 14 – 15).
It has been said that the sign a person was of the seed of Abraham was circumcision. The sign that a person genuinely believed the law of Moses was recognized in keeping the Sabbath. The sign that a person believed John the Baptizer’s message of repentance was expressed through baptism. But Jesus taught that the sign we are truly His disciples is that we love one another as He has loved us.
The following Scriptures clearly affirm this selfless priority: John 13:34 – 35 \ 1 John 4:7 – 8 \ Romans 13:8 – 10. Take a moment and read each of these passages. What is the significance of this emphasis upon loving our neighbors, our fellow men, as Jesus first loved us? Scroggie once again provides us with some keen insight into this issue. He wrote that, “The keeping of all [biblical and moral] laws must be motivated by love; if it is not, then the moral value of obedience is lost” (The Gospel of Mark, p.221, emphasis mine).
Now, here is the crucial two-fold question for you and me: “Does your life, and mine, reflect a wholehearted, devoted obedience, adoration, and passion for the Lord Jesus Christ in every area of our lives? Do you want it to?”
Are you willing to declare today…
Ø “Lord Jesus, I declare a renewed surrender of my life to you in this moment?”
Ø “Lord Jesus, I ask that by Your indwelling Spirit, may my love for you be renewed and revived through a devoted obedience to Your Word, Your will, and Your ways?”
Ø “Lord Jesus, I acknowledge that You are worthy of the preeminence You have over my life. Whatever You call me to do; wherever You want me to go; whatever You ask me to give; whatever measure of obedience You may ask, I give You all of me?”
Remember, loving God is a relationship of obedient devotion to, and trust in, Jesus Christ rather than a mere religion of outward appearance, self-righteous and self-rewarding works, and empty tradition. Jesus wants all of you, and all of me; not just a certain part of our lives. Let us be found faithful in… “Loving Christ; Loving His Church; Loving our City!” because of this unchanging truth and mandate that the greatest commandment the people of God are called to obey is that of loving God and loving others. This is… “The Great Commandment.”