THE LORD IS ONE

Passage: Mark 12:28-37

Key verse: 12:29

NIV

The Greatest Commandment(A)

28 One of the teachers of the law(B) came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?”

29 “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 30 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’[b](C) 31 The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’[c](D) There is no commandment greater than these.”

32 “Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him.(E) 33 To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”(F)

34 When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”(G) And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.(H)

Whose Son Is the Messiah?(I)(J)

35 While Jesus was teaching in the temple courts,(K) he asked, “Why do the teachers of the law say that the Messiah is the son of David?(L) 36 David himself, speaking by the Holy Spirit,(M) declared:

“‘The Lord said to my Lord:
    “Sit at my right hand
until I put your enemies
    under your feet.”’[d](N)

37 David himself calls him ‘Lord.’ How then can he be his son?”

The large crowd(O) listened to him with delight.

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 12:29 Or The Lord our God is one Lord
  2. Mark 12:30 Deut. 6:4,5
  3. Mark 12:31 Lev. 19:18
  4. Mark 12:36 Psalm 110:1
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Great Commandment

28 (A)And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, “Which commandment is the most important of all?” 29 Jesus answered, “The most important is, (B)‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, (C)the Lord is one. 30 And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ 31 (D)The second is this: (E)‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment (F)greater than these.” 32 And the scribe said to him, “You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that (G)he is one, and (H)there is no other besides him. 33 And to love him with all the heart and with all (I)the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, (J)is much more than all (K)whole burnt offerings and sacrifices.” 34 And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” (L)And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

Whose Son Is the Christ?

35 (M)And as (N)Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that (O)the Christ is the son of David? 36 David himself, (P)in the Holy Spirit, declared,

(Q)“‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at my right hand,
    until I put your enemies (R)under your feet.”’

37 David himself calls him Lord. So (S)how is he his son?” And the great throng (T)heard him gladly.

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The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God (28-34) A teacher of the law asked Jesus which commandment was the most important. Jesus gave this sincere teacher two answers. First, there is but one Lord, the Lord God, whom we should love with all our heart, soul, mind and strength. The second is to love our neighbor as ourselves. When the teacher of the law saw that Jesus was right, Jesus told him, 'You are not far from the kingdom of God.' When we love God wholeheartedly, God and His kingdom are very near. But God must be first in our hearts. There must be no other we love as much. We must also love our neighbor as we love our self. Second, whose son? (35-37) While teaching in the temple, Jesus asked how the Christ could be the son of David. Quoting David's Psalm 11

, Jesus asked how, if David called the Christ 'Lord', could he be David's son? Jesus taught that the religious leaders of the time did not understand God's truth about the Christ. He would come from the line of David, but he would come as Lord, the Son of God. David understood what the teachers of the law didn't.

Prayer: Lord, help me to love you with all my strength and love my neighbor as myself.

One Word: Love God with all my heart and soul