One of the scribes, who made copies of the Scriptures and also taught the people, asked Jesus this question: “Which is the first commandment of all?”
He meant, Which were most important of the words given by God for the people of Israel on Mt. Sinai? These were first carved on stone slabs and kept in the gold-covered chest, or “ark,” many hundreds of years. They were perfect instructions for the people who had asked for God to tell them what they should do (Deut. 5:27).
Two Key Categories
No doubt that scribe had copies of those words, called the Ten Commandments, and seemed to think some were not important. But notice, Jesus divided them into only two parts: one part telling what the people were to do for God, and the other part, what they were to do to others. He said, “The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord; and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength: this is the first commandment.
“And the second is ... Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other ... greater than these” (vss. 29-31).
The last commands were all included in “the second” by Jesus, for if each “loved his neighbor as himself,” as He said, no one would “kill” or “steal” or do any wrong to others. So the answer of Jesus showed all God’s words were important, although the scribe should have known they should first give themselves heart, soul, mind and strength to God, to whom they owed all (Deut. 6:45).
Jesus was the only person who fully kept those holy laws. He once said, “I am not come to destroy, but to fulfill” (Matt. 5:17).
The answers of Jesus made the men of the temple know that they were not keeping God’s words. Nonetheless, they did not welcome Jesus, the righteous One, and did not ask Him any more questions.
Jesus’ Question
But He asked this question: “How say the scribes that Christ is the son of David?”
The scribes read the writings of the prophets, which told of the Messiah, the anointed One from God, to be son, or heir, of King David (Psa. 132:10-11; Isa. 9:7). The title, the Christ, means the same, in the New Testament.
Yet Jesus said that David wrote of this great One to come as “his Lord” (Psa. 110:1). Jesus asked how that could be. The question is not answered here. He had before told them that He came from God, and the prophet John had told them Jesus was the One to come. As a man on earth, He was of the family of David, heir to the throne. But He was also the Lord from heaven, so David’s Lord.
Jesus will at last take that place as Ruler over men, but if we trust Him as Saviour, He is even now our Lord.
These verses teach us more about those commandments:
“The law has been our tutor [teacher] up to Christ” (Gal. 3:24 JND).
“Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth” (Rom. 10:4).
“Ye are not under the law, but under grace” (Rom. 6:14).
Further Meditation
1. What can we learn from the Ten Commandments in this day of grace?
2. To further consider Jesus’ question, you might find it helpful to read Revelation 22:16.
4. You might find it helpful to listen to Grace Reigning by R. Thonney.