Matthew 22:34-46
Q.1. From where did the lawyer get his question? What was his question? Why did Jesus give him two commands? How did Jesus simplify the demands of the Law and the Prophets? – (Mt.22:34-40)
This was a concerted attack on Jesus by all the Jewish religious leaders (Mt.22:15-35). Here the Pharisees set up their expert lawyer to trap Jesus over His orthodoxy (Mt.22:34-35). He asked Jesus – Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law? (Mt.22:36). Mark recorded that Jesus started His answer with the Shema – The foremost is, hear O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord (Mk.12:29 c.f. Dt.6:4-5). This declared the unity of the Godhead. Then Jesus summed up all the teaching of the Law and Prophets, not with one, but with two commandments … one Godward and the other Manward – 37 … You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the great and foremost commandment. 39 The second is like it,You shall love your neighbour as yourself.’ 40 On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets (Mt.22:37-40). God had given the Law, and then later the Prophets, to document Israel’s religious and moral duties. These not only focused on God, but also the flow through to others. The Law is a sublime simplification of how to love and please God (Mt.22:40).
Q.2. What question did Jesus pose to the Pharisees? Did He know how they would answer? How did the Scriptures elevate David’s descendant? Why were the Pharisees silent? – (Mt.22:41-46)
They had tried to expose Jesus. However, He now turned the focus on them – What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He? (Mt.22:42). He knew what they would reply – they said to Him, “The son of David (Mt.22:42). He then referred them to the Scriptures, pointing out that if Messiah was a descendant of David – 43 …Then how does David in the Spirit call Him Lord,' saying, 44The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, until I put Your enemies beneath Your feet”‘? 45 If David then calls Him `Lord,’ how is He his son?” (Mt.22:43-45). This was not speaking about David. It was a prophecy declaring that David’s descendant, the Messiah, would indeed be Lord. The Pharisees were silenced. They could not catch Him out, and Jesus was making a strong biblical claim that He was both Messiah and Lord (Mt.22:46). If Jesus lived by ‘every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God’ (Mt.4:4), how much more should we? We need to know the Scriptures.