The Gospel Plan (GPS)
Jesus is the Good Rabbi

Sunday October 6th, 2019 - Pastor Wungreiso Valui

Matthew 22:33-40

"And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching. But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together. Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?' Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.'" (Matthew 22:33-40)

1. The Creator is worthy of love more than any creatures or creations.
2. The greatest thing we can do is respond to a loving God by loving Him first.
3. The divine revelation of God and its purpose are summarized in "these two commandments:" loving God and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

What do you love most?

1. Loving God is aligning what matters most to you with, and what, matters most to God.
2. Sacrificial love is conceding something that is rightfully yours in favor of someone whose need is greater.
3. Loving someone out of obligation is not compassion.
4. Good deeds out of a sense of duty is not an act of love.

"And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching." (Matthew 22:33)

Jesus had just stunned and blown away the crowd by His teaching on two important matters: who can enter the kingdom of heaven and on resurrection.

"But when the Pharisees heard that He had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together." (Matthew 22:34)

Not only was the crowd stunned and blown away by the teaching of Jesus, but the Pharisees had come to gloat. Because Jesus had completely destroyed the Sadducees, the Pharisees' arch rivals.

"Then one of them, a lawyer, asked Him a question, testing Him, and saying, 'Teacher, which is the great commandment in the law?'" (Matthew 22:35-36)

The Pharisees had a conference. During the consultation, they selected a learned gentleman to test Jesus. It wasn't a friendly test but an unfriendly test to catch Jesus in some error.

Thanks be to God and praise His Holy name! Jesus was tempted, tried, and tested in all points, just as we are, yet Jesus was without sin,without flaws, without faults, and without failing in Him.

"Jesus said to him, 'You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the first and great commandment.'" (Matthew 22:37-38)

Jesus gave an answer from Deuteronomy 6:4-9, which would have been familiar to all devout Jews.

This is the first and great commandment. This commandment was binding before creation, binding for the Angels, and binding for Adam and Eve. There is no creature worthy of more love than the creator.

The greatest commandment was to respond to a loving God. God loves us and the greatest thing we can do is to respond to His love by loving Him.

"And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 22:39)

Jesus added a second commandment to the first one of loving God with all of our heart, soul, and mind. His answer was greater than the lawyer's question.

The divine revelation of God and its purpose are summarized on "these two commandments:" loving God and loving our neighbor as we love ourselves.

Let us read the Ten Commandments from the books of Deuteronomy and Exodus. The first two words are "I AM" and the last two words are "YOUR NEIGHBOR'S."

I Am... Your Neighbor's

The divine revelation of God revealed the divine purpose of our lives: Love God and love our neighbor as ourselves. When God gave the Ten Commandments, loving God was the primary purpose of our existence. Loving our neighbor is proportional to our love for God.

How Do We Love God And Love Our Neighbors?

1. Walk with the Holy Spirit. You can walk with the Holy Spirit when you make Jesus your Lord and Savior.
2. The Power of the Holy Spirit will enable us to love God and love our neighbor.
3. When We Walk With The Holy Spirit, He Produces The Spiritual Fruit In Us.

Daily Life Applications

1. There is a path to help you find the purpose of your life: Love God first.
2. The greatest thing you can do to find meaning in your life is to love God.
3. The greatest thing you can do to find purpose in your life is to love your neighbor.