BIBLE IN TEN

Saturday, 26 September 2026
 
Then Jesus spoke to the multitudes and to His disciples, Matthew 23:1
 
“Then, the ‘Jesus’, He spoke to the crowds and to ‘disciples, His’.” (CG)
 
The previous verse ended Chapter 22, saying that no one was able to answer Jesus and no one dared ask Him any more questions. Chapter 23 begins with, “Then, the ‘Jesus’, He spoke to the crowds and to ‘disciples, His’.”
 
Because the leaders are not mentioned in Matthew’s words, it is assumed by some that Jesus only spoke to the multitudes and the disciples, the leaders having gone away. That is an unnecessary conclusion. Jesus addresses the crowds and the disciples, regardless of the presence of the leaders.
 
During the coming talk, He will specifically say things like, “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites!” Whether they are actually there or not isn’t the point of Matthew’s words in verse 1. Jesus has warnings for the people specifically, including His disciples.
 
Some of the wording is similar to Luke 11. However, there, it says –
 
“And as He spoke, a certain Pharisee asked Him to dine with him. So He went in and sat down to eat.” Luke 11:37
 
There is no reason to suppose Jesus didn’t repeat the same general thoughts at other times. Being in one location with a group of Pharisees means He would speak to them about matters they were associated with. The same would be true in another area with another group of Pharisees. Therefore, Jesus repeating Himself is to be expected.
 
Chapter 23 is the last time it specifically refers to Him speaking to the crowds. As such, this is taken as a closing chapter to His public ministry. He will continue to speak to the disciples and utter parables. If any of those were in public, it is not specifically stated as such.
 
Life application: Jesus is going to really lay into the religious leaders of Israel in this chapter. He will make distinctions for the people to know what they should do in regard to their authority.  Nothing He says is subversive, but because His words are true, and the truth often is painful to hear, what He says will not be well received by them.
 
To this day, Israel’s religious leaders speak against Jesus and His teachings. He is the object of true hate on their part. The reason for this is that they continue to teach the same type of things He condemned two thousand years ago.
 
Rather than holding to the word of God and honoring Him appropriately, their lives, teachings, and actions demonstrate they have no love or heart for Him. Their words about Him are lip service, just as you will find in any liberal church today. In such churches, they speak words about God, the Lord, and Jesus as if they care about Him, but then they ignore the word He upheld as sacred.
 
But how are the people who sit in those churches going to know or care unless they are willing to believe the Bible is God’s word and check it out for themselves? This is a problem with our thinking. We go to church expecting to be taught the truth about God, but if it isn’t, we don’t know it isn’t.
 
The way to avoid this is to read the Bible. And more, pray to God about His word. If it truly is His word, ask Him to reveal it to you. You will get out of the word what you put into it. And He will reveal it to you as much as you are willing to petition Him to do so.
 
God gave us the Bible because He wants it read and understood. Otherwise, He wouldn’t have bothered. Seek the Lord through His word and through prayer. In this you will do well, and you will have an established line to His throne. You will also certainly be rewarded for your life of pursuing Him.
 
Lord God, we truly want to be pleasing to You. Help us to faithfully follow where You lead. And we know that Your word is a guide on that path. So help us to be diligent in reading it and allowing it to guide our steps all the days of our lives. Amen.
 

Exploring the Connection Between Matthew 22, Song of Songs, and Isaiah 22 For Bible in Ten – By DH – 25th September 2026
Matthew 22, Song of Songs, and Isaiah 22
Lets look at 8 connections between these chapters. 
The King and His Son
Song of Songs is the Bible's great book of love between a bridegroom and bride.
Matthew 22 begins with a king preparing a marriage for his son.
The feast is ready, but those invited refuse to come. The problem is not with the feast.
The problem is their attitude toward the Son.  Matthew 22 presents those who receive the King's invitation but do not desire His Son. That is the tragedy of Israel's rejection of Christ.
The Pattern of Twenty-Two
CG notes in his Bible Commentary on Song of Songs available at the SuperiorWord.org that Bullinger associates twenty-two with intensified disorganisation and disintegration. He then asks whether love, perfect in its source in God, becomes corrupted when handled by fallen man.
Matthew 22 repeatedly presents this problem.
God has given Israel His law,His Scriptures,His commandments, and His Messiah.  Yet the religious leaders mishandle each.  They know the Scriptures but oppose Christ.
They know Messiah is David's Son but fail to understand that He is also David's Lord.  They speak of God's law while seeking to destroy God's Son.
“His Banner Over Me Was Love”
Song of Songs 2:3-4 says:
 He brought me to the banquet room.
    His banner over me is love.   
Matthew 22 likewise begins with a royal banquet.
the Song's love connects with the love of God displayed in Christ.
Servants are sent.  They are rejected.  But God's purpose for His Son is not frustrated.
The wedding remains ready. The Son will still receive His honour.
The Wedding Garment and Isaiah 22
Matthew 22 also introduces the man without a wedding garment, symbolising the righteousness of Christ. Right standing rests upon God's provision, not man's own righteousness.
Isaiah 22 provides an interesting parallel.  When Eliakim is appointed, God says:
21 “ I will take your robe and put it on him. I will give him your belt. I will give him the important job you have. He will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and the family of Judah. 
The clothing and office are given to him.  He does not appoint or clothe himself.
Likewise in Matthew 22, the King determines the terms of inclusion to His feast.
The feast is His.  The Son is His.  The invitation is His.
And acceptable standing before Him must come according to His provision.
“You Have Not Looked Unto the Maker”
Isaiah 22 contains another striking statement concerning Jerusalem:
“You made a pool between the two walls.
    It was to save water from the old pool.
But you did not trust the God who made these things.
    You did not respect the One who planned them long ago.  ”  Isaiah 22:11, ICB
They prepare defences, strengthen walls and secure water, yet fail to look to God.
Matthew 22 presents the same spiritual blindness.
The leaders see Caesar.  They see taxation.  They see Moses.  They see marriage laws. They see commandments. They see David. But they fail to recognise the One standing before them.
Jesus therefore asks:
““What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” ”  Matt 22 43 ICB
That is the question toward which the whole chapter moves.
Death and Resurrection
Isaiah 22 also records the words:
“Let us eat and drink; for tomorrow we will die.”   verse 13  ICB
Matthew 22 gives the opposite perspective.
When the Sadducees challenge Jesus concerning resurrection, He answers:
“God is the God of living people, not dead people.” .”  matt 22 23  ICB
Isaiah 22 presents a feast overshadowed by death.
Matthew 22 presents the King's feast alongside the promise of resurrection.
Song of Songs says:
“Love is as strong as death.”   Song of Songs   8:6
The Bridegroom died and rose again.  In Christ, God's love conquers death.   
Love God
The great theme of Song of Songs is love.
Matthew 22 later reaches the greatest commandment:
“37 Jesus answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and mind.’[a] 38 This is the first and most important command. ”  ICB
Then:
“Love your neighbor as you love yourself. ”
So Matthew 22 begins with a wedding and proceeds to the great commandment of love.
 
The Key of David
Perhaps the strongest connection between Matthew 22 and Isaiah 22 is here in Isaiah 22 verse 22:
“I will put the key to the house of David around his neck. If he opens a door, no one will be able to close it. If he closes a door, no one will be able to open it.”  
Matthew 22 ends with Jesus asking:
“What do you think about the Christ? whose son is he?”
They answer:
“The Son of David.”
Jesus then quotes Psalm 110, where David calls the Messiah Lord.
The Messiah is David's Son, but also David's Lord.
Revelation later takes the language of Isaiah 22 and applies it directly to Christ:
7 “Write this to the angel of the church in Philadelphia:
“The One who is holy and true says this to you. He holds the key of David. When he opens something, it cannot be closed. And when he closes something, it cannot be opened.   Revelation 3:7  ICB
Isaiah 22 gives the symbol — the key of David, representing authority over David’s house.
Matthew 22 identifies the person — the Christ is David’s Son, yet also David’s Lord.
Revelation 3 confirms the connection — Jesus is the One who actually holds the key of David. 
Life Application . “What do you think about the Christ? ”
 In Song of Songs — Book 22 describes The king, the beloved, love, the bride, and the banquet.
In Isaiah chapter 22, Jerusalem's failure to look to God, clothing, stewardship, the house of David and the key of David are introduced.
Matthew 22:   The King, His Son, the wedding, the garment, resurrection, love, allegiance, the Son of David and David's Lord.
Matthew 22 begins:
“A certain king… made a marriage for his son.”
It ends by revealing who that Son truly is.  He is the Son of David.  He is David's Lord.  He is the image of God.  He is the God of the living.  And He is the Son for whom the King has prepared the wedding.
The great question of the chapter therefore remains:
“What do you think about the Christ?”
 
Lord God,   Thank You for Your Word, which continually points us to Christ. 
Thank You that You have prepared the wedding feast for Your Son. 
May Jesus Christ receive all the honour that is due to Him, and may our hearts rejoice in His glory now and forever. Amen.

Friday, 25 September 2026
 
A summary of Matthew Chapter 22.
  
The individual chapters of Matthew have given a broad panorama of what is going on in redemptive history. In the recent chapters, we saw that Chapter 20 was filled with hints of the transition from the dispensation of the law to the dispensation of grace. It dealt with order and propriety concerning the redemptive process, ensuring that each step is completed as the plan progresses.
 
It also presented the truth that God has made faith in what He has done the necessary condition for man’s salvation. Nothing more can be added to it, and without meeting that one condition, there is no chance of obtaining access.
 
Chapter 21 continued that thought, dealing specifically with the object of that faith, Jesus Christ. Chapter 21 ended with the parable of the wicked vinedressers. It clearly revealed that the vineyard would be taken away from Israel and given to other vinedressers.
 
That continued as Chapter 22 began, as seen in the parable of the wedding feast. The symbolism was that the Father was preparing Jesus as a bridegroom. The invitation was made to Israel, but they rejected the offer.
 
Because of this, they were destroyed and their city, Jerusalem, was burned, exactly what later occurred. Therefore, the message went throughout the world, inviting anyone to come and share in the banquet. At the end of the parable, it was seen that only those who had the appropriate garments, signifying the righteousness of Christ, were welcome. All others would be cast into outer darkness.
 
The rest of the chapter shows Israel what their true responsibilities are and where their proper doctrine should lie. What is said is directed to Israel. As such, even though the parable of the wedding feast showed that their people and city would be destroyed, it does not mean that it is the end of the line for Israel the nation.
 
Rather, the interactions show that any future for them must include a right understanding of what is expected of them and how to appropriate their right to be God’s people once again.
 
The first note of this was the challenge of the Pharisees and Herodians concerning one’s obligation to society. They attempted to trap Jesus into taking one side or another, but He gave a rightly centered third option. We live in the world and must interact with the world around us.
 
Israel under the law still has obligations to fulfill apart from the law. Using an earthly example of Caesar, the exchange demonstrates that what belonged to Caesar was to be rendered to Caesar. What can be inferred from this is that Caesar is being used as a type of Christ. If God has determined a new path for Israel, apart from the law, they must meet that obligation.
 
This was seen in the use of the word eikón when Jesus asked, “Whose, the ‘likeness, this’? And whose inscription?” That word is used in 2 Corinthians 4:4 and Colossians 3:14 when referring to Christ. Jesus is the image of God. The inscription that this is the case is seen in Luke 23 –
 
“And an inscription [epigraphé] also was written over Him in letters of Greek, Latin, and Hebrew:
                         THIS IS THE KING OF THE JEWS.” Luke 23:38
 
Jesus is the image of God. The inscription at His crucifixion was a sign to Israel that He is their King. God gave the law to Israel, and they were obligated to it. But God also gave Jesus to Israel. Thus, they are obligated to Him. As Jesus fulfilled the law, Israel must come to Jesus (the fulfillment of the law), thus rendering to God what is God’s, both under the law and under the Headship of Christ.
 
After that, Jesus was challenged by the Sadducees concerning the resurrection. The resurrection is the ultimate sign of Jesus’ authority as the designated Messiah and representative of God. Therefore, if a resurrection was possible and to be expected based on the state of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, then it was to be expected that when Jesus resurrected, they should have understood that He was the fulfillment of the messianic promises.
 
After that, the Pharisees had a lawyer, a man who was a specialist in the law, test Jesus concerning the greatest commandment. Jesus’ response was a two-fold answer: total allegiance and devotion to God and love toward one’s neighbor that matched one’s love of himself. Jesus finished the exchange, saying, “In these, the two commandments, all the law and the prophets, they hang.”
 
As seen, the impossibility of meeting these two commandments was highlighted. It thus takes the reader’s mind back to the previous two encounters: First, that there is an obligation to God through the law and a fulfillment of it in Christ, to which the people are obligated. Second, that there was an absolute need for Christ because only He could adequately satisfy the demands of the law.
 
The chapter finished with the final piece of the “need for Jesus” puzzle. Jesus asked the Pharisees, who had gathered, a question concerning the Sonship of the Christ. Their answer was that the Christ was the son of David, something exactingly seen in their Scriptures. However, they missed the important point from those Scriptures that David considered the Christ his “Lord.”
 
In citing the 110th Psalm, it is clear that this son of David, who is his Lord, would be given the full authority of God –
 
“He said, Lord, to the ‘Lord, Mine’,‘You sit from ‘rights, Me’,Until if I should put the ‘enemies, Yours’ – footstool, the ‘feet, Yours’.’” Matthew 22:44
 
As this is so, it is an implicit reference to the deity of Christ. This then solidifies the previous thought even further: the obligation to Israel under the law was to God, but because Jesus is the Lord incarnate, Israel has a full obligation to Him as well. Rendering unto Caesar what is Caesar’s can be seen in this dispensation as “rendering unto Christ what is Christ’s.”
 
The law is not a means to an end. It is also not the final obligation for Israel. It is a part of God’s redemptive plan that was fulfilled in Christ. To be obedient to the law, one must bow the knee to Christ, who is God incarnate.
 
Life application: The chapter continues the Bible’s theme of the law versus grace. There is no way around a relationship with Jesus in order to be pleasing to God. As Jesus fulfilled the law, Israel’s obligation is to accept Christ’s fulfillment of the law and come to God through Him. In doing so, they will be rendering their total allegiance to God, because Jesus is God incarnate.
 
Nothing else will do. And more, for those who teach that people today must observe the Law of Moses, in part or in whole, there will be no salvation for them. If they were saved before heading down that unholy path, there will be no rewards credited to them from that day forward.
 
God is not in the business of sharing His glory with others. We can either come to Him as He has determined, or not at all. The absolutes of the Christian faith are not negotiable because God, who cannot lie, has set them forth.
 
“He says to him, the ‘Jesus’, ‘I, I am the Road, and the Truth, and the Life. None, he comes to the Father if not through Me.’” John 14:6 (CG)
 
Lord God, today we lift up Israel, hoping they will get Jesus right so that many will be saved before the time of trouble comes. We also lift up those who are mired in law observance instead of resting in Christ Jesus. May they give up on their path and walk the road of Jesus alone. Amen.
Matthew 22
 
22 And answering, the ‘Jesus’, again, He said in parables to them, saying, 2“It resembled, the ‘kingdom the heavens,’ man, king, who he made nuptials – the ‘son, his’. 3And he sent, the ‘servants, his’ to call those having been called to the nuptials. And not they inclined to come. 4Again, he sent other servants, saying, ‘You say to those having been called, “You behold, the ‘brunch, mine’ I prepared, the ‘oxen, mine’, and the fatted have been sacrificed, and all – readied. You come to the nuptials!’” 5The ‘also having been uncaring’, they departed, the – indeed – to the ‘his field’, the also to the ‘emporium, his’. 6The ‘also rest’, having seized the ‘servants, his’, they mistreated, and they killed. 7Having heard, also, the king, he angered, and having sent the ‘troops, his’ he destroyed the ‘murderers, those’, and the ‘city, theirs’ he burned. 8Then, he says to ‘servants, his’, ‘The, indeed, nuptial, ready, it is. Those, also, having been invited, not they were worthy. 9You go, therefore, upon the ‘through-departures, the roads’, and as many, if you should find, you call to the nuptials.’ 10And having departed, the ‘servants, those’ into the roads, they gathered all, as many as they found, evil, both, and good. And it filled, the nuptial – reclinings.
 
11Having entered, also, the king, to view those reclining, he beheld there – man, not ‘having been donned, apparel, nuptial’. 12And he says to him, ‘Shammer! How – you entered here, not having ‘apparel, nuptial’?’ The ‘also’, he muzzled. 13Then, the king, he said to the servants, ‘Having bound his feet and hands, you take him, and you cast into the ‘darkness, the outer’. There, it will be the weeping and the ‘gnash, the teeth’.’
 
14Many, also, they are invitees, and few, elect.”
 
15Then, having gone, the Pharisees, counsel, they took: how, Him, they might ensnare in word. 16And they send to Him, the ‘disciples, theirs’ with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we have known that true, You are, and the ‘road, the God’ in truth You teach, and not it concerns You about anyone. Not, also, You look to ‘appearance, men’. 17You tell, therefore, us what to You, it seems? It permits to give census to Caesar or not?”
18Having known, also, the ‘Jesus’, the ‘depravity, theirs’, He said, “Why, Me, you test, hypocrites? 19You display to me the ‘coin, the census’.”
 
They also offered to Him – denarius.
 
20And He says to them, “Whose, the ‘likeness, this’? And whose inscription?”
 
21They say to Him, “Caesar’s.”
 
Then He says to them, “You render, therefore, those Caesar’s to Caesar, and those the ‘God’s’ to God.” 22And having heard, they wondered, and having left Him, they departed.
 
23In that, the ‘day’, they approached Him, Sadducees (saying not is ‘resurrection’), and they queried Him, 24saying, “Teacher, Moses, he said if anyone, he should die not having children, he will affinitize the ‘brother, his, the wife, his’, and he will raise seed – the ‘brother, his’. 25They were, also, among us seven brothers, and the first, having married, he died, and not having seed, he left the ‘wife, his’ to the ‘brother, his’. 26Similarly, also, the second, and the third, until the seventh. 27Afterward, also of all, she died, even the woman. 28In the resurrection, therefore, which of the seven, she will be – wife? All, for, they had her.”
 
29Answering, also, the ‘Jesus’, He said to them, “You roam, not having known the Scriptures nor the ‘power, the God’. 30 In, indeed, the resurrection, neither they marry, nor they are espoused, but like ‘messengers, the God, in heaven’, they are. 31Concerning, also, the ‘resurrection, the dead’, not you read the ‘having been uttered to you by the God’, saying, 32‘I, I am the ‘God, Abraham’, and the ‘God, Isaac’, and the ‘God, Jacob’?’ Not, He is, the God – ‘God, dead’, but living.” 33And having heard, the crowds, they were outstruck upon the ‘teaching, His’.
 
34The ‘also Pharisees’, having heard that He muzzled the Sadducees, they gathered upon the same. 35And he queried, one from them – ‘jurisprudent, testing Him’, and saying, 36“Teacher, which-such commandment – greatest in the law?” 37The ‘also Jesus’, He said to him, “You will love – ‘Lord, the God, yours’ in all the ‘heart, yours’, and in all the ‘soul, yours’, and in all the ‘cognition, yours’. 38This, it is – first and great commandment. 39Second, also, like it: You will love the ‘neighbor, yours’ as yourself. 40In these, the two commandments, all the law and the prophets, they hang.”
 
41Having been gathered, also, the Pharisees, He queried them, the ‘Jesus’, 42saying, “What – you, you think about the Christ? Whose Son, He is?”
 
They say to Him, “The ‘of David’.”
 
43He says to them, “How then, David – in Spirit, ‘Lord,’ Him, he calls, saying:
 
44‘He said, Lord, to the ‘Lord, Mine’,
“You sit from ‘rights, Me’,
Until if I should put the ‘enemies, Yours’ – footstool, the ‘feet, Yours’.”’
 
45If therefore, David, he calls Him ‘Lord,’ how ‘Son, His’ He is?” 46And none, He could Him answer – word, nor he ventured, any, from that, the day, to question Him longer.

Thursday, 24 September 2026
 
And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore. Matthew 22:46
  
“And none, He could Him answer – word, nor he ventured, any, from that, the day, to question Him longer.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus questioned how the Messiah could be David’s Son if He is his Lord. The response is precious, “And none, He could Him answer – word.”
 
The question certainly formed a problem in their mind. The Scriptures were written, the psalm was considered to refer to the Messiah, and the truth Jesus presented could not be explained away.
 
The Messiah was to be more than a mere man. Whether they realized this would mean the Messiah was also deity may be in question, but Jesus’ words made it evident that there was more to the picture than they were seeing. 
 
However, the citation of the psalm indicated that the Messiah would have the full authority of Yehovah. To consider Him anything less than deity would make no sense. Because of this, Matthew continues, “nor he ventured, any, from that, the day, to question Him longer.”
 
A new word is seen, tolmaó, to venture. It includes the sense of being bold, daring, taking a chance or a try at something, etc. They saw that Jesus’ knowledge of the Scriptures was not only extensive, but well thought out. This has been the pattern throughout the chapter.
 
Jesus has been questioned by Herodians, Pharisees, Sadducees, and even a lawyer. They either were put in their proverbial place, or they were astonished at His teachings and the depth of the knowledge He possessed and that He was able to explain from their sacred oracles.
 
Life application: Except for the Herodians, the people in this chapter were debating matters from the same source, meaning Scripture. The argument that included the Herodians, however, still touched on matters related to a relationship with God.
 
The attempt was to put Jesus into an impossible position between allegiance to God and those to be rendered to the state. The other questions and challenges were more Scripture-related. In the last instance, it was Jesus who initiated the question. But in all instances, Jesus’ knowledge concerning the word was considered exceptional.
 
That brings in an obvious reference point for our own challenges in life. If there is a matter about God, or that may jeopardize our relationship with God, how are we going to be able to defend ourselves and our actions before God if we do not respond according to His will?
 
And how can we do that if we don’t know what His will is? In this chapter, each challenge has come back to rightly knowing the word of God and then rightly applying that knowledge.
 
There was no true dilemma between paying taxes to Caesar or not. Because of Jesus’ understanding of the word, He was able to easily destroy their false dilemma, prevailing over their illogical presentation.
 
By knowing God’s word, we can know God’s will. Without this knowledge, we may do things as He would want or we may not. The problem is that there is no way to know. Thus, our walk before Him will be a risky one. Why live that way?
 
Wouldn’t it be better to know His word, walk in paths that are pleasing to Him, and stand before Him at our judgment knowing we had lived according to His will? Let us endeavor to make reading the Bible a daily commitment all our days.
 
Lord God, help our walk in this life to be one that is pleasing to You, honoring of Your will in our lives. May we carefully live out our days in accord with Your word, which tells us of these things. To Your glory, we pray. Amen.
 

Wednesday, 23 September 2026
 
If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his Son?” Matthew 22:45
 
“If therefore, David, he calls Him ‘Lord,’ how ‘Son, His’ He is?” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus cited Psalm 110:1. He used that as the basis for asking how it was that David, while under the inspiration of the Spirit, called the Christ Lord. He now specifically asks for them to consider David’s words, saying, “If therefore, David, he calls Him ‘Lord,’ how ‘Son, His’ He is?”
 
The meaning is that by calling the Christ Lord, the Christ must be David’s superior. But this would be contrary to the normal understanding of family relationships. The former is always superior to those who come later. For example, Abraham is superior to Isaac. Isaac is superior to Jacob, and so on.
 
Respect, including honorific titles, belongs to the one who comes first. However, One would issue from David, whom David calls Lord. In calling Him Lord, David acknowledges Christ’s preexistence in relation to himself.
 
The answer lies in Christ’s dual nature, He being the God/Man. This state in relation to David is found in Revelation 22 –
 
“I, Jesus, have sent My angel to testify to you these things in the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, the Bright and Morning Star.” Revelation 22:16
 
David calls the Christ Lord because David stems from the work of Christ when He breathed the breath of life into Adam –
 
“And the Lord God formed man of the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being.” Genesis 2:7
 
The deity of Christ is clearly evidenced in Jesus’ analysis of the psalm.
 
Life application: An attack on Jesus’ nature forms the basis for almost every heresy found within Christianity. Other heresies, such as the sinless nature of Mary, indirectly attack Jesus’ work on behalf of humanity. In the end, anything that diminishes Jesus’ deity, His humanity, or His all-sufficient work must be rejected.
 
Jesus is the Lord God come in human form. What He has done is fully sufficient to reconcile man with God. This is why inserting ourselves into the salvation equation is such an offense to the gospel message.
 
Jesus began the process, performed the necessary work, and then offers the results of His work to us as grace. When we claim that someone was sinless, like the Roman Catholic Church does with Mary, it negates the need for a Redeemer. If God exempted her, He could do so for each one of us, even if He chose not to do so.
 
The magnificence of the cross is obliterated through such a heresy. Likewise, when we hold to our works as somehow initiating or maintaining the grace of the cross in our lives, it means that the cross is not of grace at all. God is robbed of the honor of blessing His creatures in this manner. It is thus an attack against the very nature of God to set aside the grace of the cross.
 
Let us hold fast to the truth that God has done everything necessary for our salvation. We are granted God’s forgiveness and the righteousness of Christ through merely believing that God has done it. Trust the gospel! Don’t let anyone tell you that there is more to do to be on God’s good side. He has done it all!
 
Lord God, how grateful we are to You for what You have done. Jesus! He has come and brought us back to You through His all-sufficient work. We will sing the praises of our God forever and ever. Hallelujah for the exalted name of our Lord – Jesus! Amen.

Tuesday, 22 September 2026
 
‘The Lord said to my Lord,
“Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool”’? Matthew 22:44
 
“He said, Lord, to the ‘Lord, Mine’,‘You sit from ‘rights, Me’,Until if I should put the ‘enemies, Yours’ – footstool, the ‘feet, Yours’.’” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus questioned how David, under the influence of the Spirit, called the Christ “Lord.” In other words, if the Christ is his descendant, how could he subordinate himself in such a manner? Understanding this, Jesus cites the Scripture where this is proven so. He goes to Psalm 110:1, beginning with, “He said, Lord, to the ‘Lord, Mine’.”
 
In the Greek, the same word, kurios, is used in both instances. The meaning of the word must be determined from the context. However, regardless of the context, Jesus calls this person “Lord.” He thus subordinates himself to this coming Person.
 
As for the context, it is found in the Hebrew –
 
“‘Oracle, Yehovah’ to my Lord.You must sit to my rightUntil I will make your hatings – footstool to your feet.” Psalm 110:1 (CG) 
 
David identifies that Yehovah, the covenant God of Israel, spoke an oracle to his Lord. The word is adoni, my Lord. It thus indicates a person to whom he has subordinated himself. The question Jesus asks is how David could designate a person descending from him in this manner. And more, the psalm continues, saying, “‘You sit from ‘rights, Me’.’”
 
The right, meaning the position of the right hand, is the position of all power and authority. Yehovah has spoken through David that this Person, the Christ, would sit at the position of all power and authority of Yehovah. If this were a mere person, it would be unthinkable that he would be given all of God’s power. And yet, that is what is being stated. The words citing the psalm continue, saying, “Until if I should put the ‘enemies, Yours’ – footstool, the ‘feet, Yours’.”
 
The meaning is that the enemies of the Christ will be placed as a footstool for His feet. But if this Person is at the right hand of Yehovah, it means that He is the agent by which this is accomplished.
 
To understand this, one can go to the account of Joseph in Egypt, who was given the full authority of Pharaoh in order to effect the purposes of Pharaoh. This is true of Mordecai’s authority in Esther as well.
 
The Lord God, Yehovah Elohim, has stated that all authority in heaven and on earth would be granted to a descendant of David, of whom David acknowledges him as his Lord. This is what Jesus has presented to the Pharisees as a question that must be bconsidered in the light of the logical process discussed in the previous verse’s life application section.
 
Life application: Using the same logic as discussed in the previous verse, whether we believe in Jesus or not, and whether we accept the premise of Jesus’ full authority, we would have to conclude that the Bible clearly presents Jesus as having the full power and authority of Yehovah Elohim, the Lord God.
 
Scripture is given by God through man. If the New Testament is Scripture, which it is claimed to be so even within itself, then this is the obvious conclusion. Scripture says the Holy Spirit overshadowed Mary. Thus, Jesus would be the Son of the Most High, meaning the Son of God.
 
Despite being a Man, He is also God. Jesus fulfilled the law, as clearly portrayed in the gospels and as explained in the epistles. Jesus died in fulfillment of the law, not for His own sin, but for the sin of others. Jesus came out of the grave, prevailing over sin for us. But it says in Romans that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. The meaning is “all men,” because all have sinned (Romans 5:12).
 
If this is true, and if the wages of sin is death (Romans 6:23), then Jesus cannot merely be a human. If He were, He would have been born with Adam’s sin. The logical conclusion is that because His Father is God, and because God overshadowed Mary, the offspring – though being a human – is also God. Thus, He is exempted from the “all have sinned” as stated in Romans.
 
After Jesus’ resurrection, He said that all authority had been given to Him, just as promised by the words of David to the Christ. In Mark 16, it says that Jesus sat down at the right hand of God, just as promised in the words of David to Christ. This is confirmed in Acts and Hebrews. Paul speaks of it in his epistles.
 
In other words, even if you don’t believe that the Bible is the word of God, nor do you believe in Jesus or that He is God, if you fairly and properly evaluate the Bible, it is clear that this is what the Bible presents. This is where faith comes in. One must not only mentally acknowledge that this is what Scripture teaches, but he must have faith that it is so.
 
Lord God, we believe the Bible is Your word. We believe that Jesus is proclaimed to be the Messiah and God incarnate. We believe that faith in Him is sufficient to restore us to You. Thank You for the hope we possess. We will live in Your presence forever and ever because of what You have done in sending Jesus. Hallelujah and Amen.
 

Monday, 21 September 2026
 
He said to them, “How then does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying: Matthew 22:43
 
“He says to them, ‘How then, David – in Spirit, ‘Lord,’ Him, he calls, saying...’” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus asked the Pharisees what they thought concerning whose Son the Christ is. Their answer to him was “David.” Their answer, despite being correct, was incomplete. To get them thinking on the right lines concerning the nature of the Christ, “He says to them, ‘How then, David – in Spirit.’”
 
The Pharisees have said that the Christ is the Son of David. If this is so, and Scripture testifies to it as a fact, that information doesn’t tell the entire story. David himself testifies to it.
 
As Scripture is given by God, and as David’s words are recorded as Scripture (in Spirit), then what David said concerning the Christ must be considered. Jesus continues with what David penned while in the Spirit, saying, “‘Lord,’ Him, he calls, saying...”
 
At this point, what the word “Lord” signifies, or where it is recorded, isn’t stated. That will be seen in the next verse. However, it would be highly unusual for David to call one of his descendants “Lord.” In Scripture, everything traces back to its source.
 
Each preceding generation of humanity is considered greater due to the respect shown to the parent. Thus, the Christ, being a descendant of David, something already established as being the case as testified to elsewhere in Scripture, would be expected to call David Lord, not the other way around.
 
Regardless of the term from which the English word “Lord” is derived, it is an honorific being stated from a lesser to a greater. As the people were still waiting for the Christ at Jesus’ time, what David wrote about this “Son” of his asks the reader to question how it can be proper that he would be called Lord by David?
 
Life application: Thinking Jesus’ logic through, as recorded in this verse, is a way of determining what is going on. It will then help us come to right conclusions about what Scripture is saying.
 
Jesus refers to Scripture. We have not yet read which one, but that is already an understood premise of His. The assumption is that when Scripture is assigned to David as the author, it is reliably so. Jesus then says that David is in the Spirit as he pens, something also considered axiomatic among the people of Israel.
 
Scripture is from God. If a human penned it, the understood meaning is that the human was being led by the Spirit to write out what God intended. As this is so, there can be no error in what is written. These things are to be taken at face value from a proper interpretation of Scripture.
 
People can indeed deny this process actually occurs, but such people must at least admit this is what is considered biblically correct. To not agree with how the process is presented would show a bias against what is clearly understood from the Bible itself. Therefore, even a denier of the Bible being the word of God, if intellectually honest, will at least agree that this is how Scripture presents things.
 
Jesus confirms that truth here. He testifies to the facts as laid out. David authored what is credited to David. The Spirit led him as he wrote. The Christ is clearly identified as a Son of David in Scripture. And yet, David calls one of his own progeny, who will be the Christ, Lord. This is what Jesus is presenting to the Pharisees.
 
The process is undeniable. Therefore, the conclusion, if Jesus properly follows this process, will be correct. From there, what the meaning of the conclusion is must be evaluated, and a decision is to be rendered.
 
Following this process, as set forth by Scripture itself, and as confirmed by how Jesus has used it, will help you as you consider what is said in Scripture. When you come to a passage that presents information, ask yourself what is being conveyed. Follow the logic that you have seen in Jesus’ example. From there, you can form a conclusion about what is said.
 
Even an atheist can do this. If he accepts that this is how the Bible presents matters, and if he is honest about following the process to form a conclusion, his deductions will be correct, even if he doesn’t believe what the Bible says.
 
An example to understand this might be a person who believes in a flat earth. He has it in his head that the earth must be flat. However, he knows there is a process that round-earth proponents use to make their conclusions. If he follows that process, even if he doesn’t believe it is correct, the information he comes up with will confirm a round earth.
 
It is up to him to accept or deny the results, but if he is honest, he will have to admit that the process resulted in a round earth conclusion. As this process goes back to at least the time of Aristotle, he will have to admit that the standard thinking all along has been that of a round earth.
 
His job is to either accept a round earth, or he will have to find fault in the process. If he cannot find fault in the process, the burden of proof for a flat earth rests upon him in contradistinction to the method used to determine the earth is round.
 
In other words, whether evaluating the Bible or something like the round vs. flat earth debate, one must be intellectually honest in following the accepted process. Not to do so will inevitably lead to a faulty conclusion that is unsupportable by the process.
 
Lord God, help us to think clearly and objectively when we consider Your word. If we evaluate it fairly and properly by a set process as You have revealed in it, whatever conclusions we make should be properly in line with what You intend for us. So, Lord, help us to rightly consider Your word at all times. Amen.

Sunday, 20 September 2026
 
saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?”
They said to Him, “The Son of David.” Matthew 22:42
 
“saying, ‘What – you, you think about the Christ? Whose Son, He is?’They say to Him, ‘The ‘of David’.’” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, it was noted that when the Pharisees had gathered together, Jesus asked them a question. That question is now forthcoming. He was “saying, ‘What – you, you think about the Christ?’”
 
The question is specific, and it refers to a particular person who was expected to come among the people of Israel. Many translations unwisely leave off the article, “What think ye of Christ?” (KJV, et al.). This leaves the question general and open to the meaning of the word, not a particular person.
 
In other words, Saul was noted as the anointed (messiah/Christ) of the Lord. Cyrus, King of Persia, is called anointed (messiah/Christ) in Isaiah 45:1. Leaving off the article leaves the question open to the position, reason for the anointing, etc. This is not at all the intent. Jesus asks specifically about “the Christ”, meaning the anticipated Messiah of Israel.
 
One particular person was to come, as prophesied in their Scriptures. His question is directed to them concerning this individual. Continuing, He asks, “Whose Son, He is?”
 
It was a question seemingly anyone could answer. The Scriptures recorded the promises, they defined the parameters, they gave locations and timeframes, etc. But they also gave information that had not been thoroughly considered.
 
It was there, recorded carefully by scribes of the past as uttered through prophets, but it is information not evaluated from the perspective God intended. Therefore, Jesus will present those writings in their proper light. First, however, He awaits their answer, which is, “They say to Him, ‘The ‘of David’.’”
 
Their answer is first and foremost based on the words of 2 Samuel 7 –
 
“When they will be fulfilled, your days, and you will lie with your fathers, and I will cause to rise your Seed after you who He will come out from your innards, and I will cause to erect His kingdom. 13He, He will build – house to My name, and I will erect ‘throne, His kingdom’ unto vanishment. 14I, I will be to Him to Father, and He, He will be to Me to Son. When in His ‘causing to crook’, and I will cause to remedy Him in ‘scepter, mortals’, and in ‘touchings, sons, human’. 15And My kindness, not it will veer from Him, according to which I caused to veer from with Saul, whom I caused to veer from ‘to your faces’. 16And it will be established, your house and your kingdom, unto vanishment to your faces. Your throne, it will be ‘being established’ unto vanishment.” 2 Samuel 7:12-16 (CG)
 
From there, the idea of a coming ruler from the line of David continued to be presented in Scripture. This was so commonly understood that the term “Son of David” has been called out several times in Matthew already concerning Jesus by those anticipating the Messiah and believing it could be Him.
 
Life application: The most important question any person can ever answer is “Who is Jesus to you?” Responding to the gospel, for example, must be in relation to the proper Jesus. If one calls on “another Jesus” (see 2 Corinthians 11:4), they are responding incorrectly. The gospel, when applied to the wrong Jesus, is not the gospel. John Gill gave his thoughts on who Jesus is. His words are worth considering –
 
“If this question was put to some persons, it would appear, that they have no thoughts of Christ at all. The atheist has none; as God is not in all his thoughts, nor in any of them, for all his thoughts are, that there is no God; so neither is Christ the Son of God. The deist thinks thing of him, for he does not believe the revelation concerning him. The epicure, or voluptuous man, he thinks only of his carnal lusts and pleasures: and the worldling, or covetous man, thinks nothing but of his worldly substance, and of the much good things he has laid up for many years: to say nothing of the Heathens, who have never heard of him; others, and such as bear the Christian name, have very wrong thoughts of Christ, mean, and undervaluing.
 
The Arrian thinks he is a created God, of a like, but not of the same nature with the Father. The Socinian thinks he is a God by office, and did not exist until he was born of the Virgin Mary; and has no notion of his sacrifice, and satisfaction for the sins of men. The Arminian thinks meanly of his righteousness, and denies the imputation of it to them that believe. And indeed, all such think wrongly of Christ, who divide their salvation between their works and him, and make them their Christ, or their frames their Christ, or their graces, and particularly their believing in him; that is, that ascribe that to them, which properly belongs to him.
 
And as for those who do not bear the name Christians, it is no wonder that they entertain wrong and low thoughts of Christ. The Jews thought him to be a mere man, and the carpenter's son. The Pharisees thought that he was an Antinomian, a libertine, a loose, and licentious person, that had no regard to the law, and good works: hence those words of his, ‘think not that I am come to destroy the law’, Matthew 5:17. Yea, they thought him to be a Samaritan, and to have a devil, and to cast out devils by Beelzebub, the prince of devils.
 
The Mahometans, though they allow him to be a prophet, yet think that he is inferior to Mahomet their prophet. There are others that think well of Christ, admire the loveliness of his person, and the fulness of his grace, but are afraid Christ does not think well of them: they think well of the suitableness there is in Christ, of his righteousness to justify, of his blood to cleanse and pardon, and of the fulness of his grace to supply all wants, but think these are not for them: they often revolve in their minds his ability to save, and firmly believe it, but question his willingness to save them: they often think of Christ, what he is to others, but cannot think of him for themselves; only believers in Christ have a good thought of him, to their own joy and comfort: faith is a good thought of Christ; to them that believe, he is precious; and such, through believing in him, are filled with joy unspeakable, and full of glory; such think often, and well, of the dignity of Christ's person, of the excellency and usefulness of his offices, of the virtue of his blood, righteousness, and sacrifice, and of the sufficiency of his grace for them: they think well of what he did for them in eternity, as their surety, in the council and covenant of peace; and of what he has done for them in time, by suffering and dying for them in their room and stead; and of what he is now doing for them in heaven, as their advocate and intercessor.”
 
Lord God, help us to think rightly about Jesus. May we not get pulled aside or led astray by false teachings concerning the Savior of the world, Your Son. May we consider Him as He is presented in Scripture by You, hailing Him as the incarnate Word, come to bring us back to You. May we rightly hail the glorious name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Saturday, 19 September 2026
 
While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, Matthew 22:41
 
“Having been gathered, also, the Pharisees, He queried them, the ‘Jesus’.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus summed up the thought being discussed about the greatest commandment, saying that all the law and the prophets, they hang upon the premise that one is to love the Lord above all else and his neighbor as himself. It next says, “Having been gathered.”
 
It is a perfect participle, signifying that they were gathered and their gathering continued at the present time. Those who were gathered were “also, the Pharisees.”
 
This, then, may be the same gathering just mentioned concerning the Pharisees in verse 34. If so, it is a chronological development that logically fits the ongoing narrative. It also may be a categorical presentation of another time the Pharisees had gathered together. Either way, Matthew presents it after the question about the discussion of the greatest commands. As for this gathering, it says, “He queried them, the ‘Jesus’.”
 
Rather than them questioning Jesus, as was frequently the case, He questions them. Whether or not the words here are still on the same day as the questioning of Jesus’ authority in Matthew 21:23-27, they fit well together. They asked Him about His authority. In turn, He asked them about where John’s authority came from.
 
The implication was that if John’s authority was from heaven, and because John pointed to Jesus, Jesus’ authority was from heaven as well. What Jesus will ask them about next will fit into a similar thought concerning who the Christ is and where His authority is derived from.
 
Life application: Having just been asked about the greatest command, Matthew now presents a question about the Christ that is raised by Jesus to those who have not accepted Him as their Messiah. These thoughts may seem disconnected, but are they?
 
If the concept of a coming Messiah was rightly understood from a proper reading of their Scriptures, having a proper understanding of who He would be and what He would do was essential to having right doctrine.
 
In turn, having right doctrine is essential to accurately understanding who God is, what He is doing, and how it affects the relationship between Himself and His creatures. Ultimately, one cannot be loving towards his Creator if his doctrine is wrong.
 
The intent of pleasing God may be there, but the ability to rightly please Him is not. As such, Jesus presenting information that will lead these men to think through who the Christ is, and thus who He is, is vital for them to have a rightly loving relationship with God. Jesus says this explicitly in John –
 
“Jesus answered and said to him, ‘If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word; and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our home with him. 24 He who does not love Me does not keep My words; and the word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.’” John 14:23, 24
 
What may seem like a debate among people based on their one-sided evaluation of Scripture is actually deeper and more important than who gets the most points in the debate. Getting wrong who the Son is can lead to an eternity-changing mistake. Therefore, Jesus’ words about the nature of the Christ are intended to help these men have that all-loving relationship with their God as demanded in the greatest commandment.
 
As was seen in the discussion about loving God with all one’s heart, soul, mind, and strength, it is actually impossible for fallen man to do. Therefore, we need God’s Christ. It is He who has accomplished that for us. That is why getting right who Jesus is becomes the most important thing we can ever do. To get Jesus wrong is to be forever separated from God.
 
Jesus’ actions towards His neighbors reveal that He is loving them as Himself. He wanted the best for these men, whether they chose to accept it or not.
 
Lord God, the Bible is filled with wonder and delight. It leads us to think through our state before You and to conclude that we need Jesus. What a precious word. It tells us of how much You love us, having sent Him so that the bridge back to You could be made. Thank You for the giving of Your Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus! Amen.

Friday, 18 September 2026
 
On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” Matthew 22:40
 
“In these, the two commandments, all the law and the prophets, they hang.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus mentioned the second great commandment, loving one’s neighbor as oneself. Having said that, He next says words bearing emphasis, “In these, the two commandments.”
 
There are the two commandments, and there is everything else which is positionally fixed within the scope of these first two. That fixed position is that by which “all the law and the prophets, they hang.”
 
Some manuscripts do a changeup switcheroo and say, “In these, the two commandments, all the law, it hangs – and the prophets.” The intent is the same, but the prophets are somewhat of an afterthought, as evidenced by the singular “it hangs.”
 
Either way, the point is that the entire body of Scripture, summed up in the words “law” and “prophets,” hangs from the fixed idea of loving God with every fiber of one’s being and loving one’s neighbor as oneself.
 
One might exclaim that this can’t be. There is exile and punishment recorded in Scripture. Lamentations deals with death and destruction. How can those things hang on such a notion? The answer is that Israel failed to do these things. The lessons of Israel are the basis for understanding our relationship with God, including the consequences of disobedience.
 
As it is certain that nobody is capable of loving God as commanded or of loving one’s neighbor as the law demands, we need something more than Israel’s futile relationship with God, which is based on this law. This is the point of them having been given the law. Paul says –
 
“Is the law then against the promises of God? Certainly not! For if there had been a law given which could have given life, truly righteousness would have been by the law. 22 But the Scripture has confined all under sin, that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe. 23 But before faith came, we were kept under guard by the law, kept for the faith which would afterward be revealed. 24 Therefore the law was our tutor to bring us to Christ, that we might be justified by faith. 25 But after faith has come, we are no longer under a tutor.” Galatians 3:21-25
 
What the law could not do because of our failing limitations, Christ was able to accomplish. With His work complete, we place our faith in what He has done, thus nullifying the law in our lives. There can be no middle ground. People who think Christ is their Savior while they attempt to merit God’s favor through law observance set aside the only avenue they have to perfectly meet God’s standard.
 
Life application: There is no reward for “doing one’s best” when it comes to law observance. If the law and the prophets hang on these two great commandments, then God’s standard must be met in meeting every single prescription in the law and the prophets. To fail to do so demonstrates that we have failed in these two commandments.
 
The law requires tassels with a blue thread in them to be on the corners of one’s garments (Numbers 15:37-40). To not do so is a violation of the law. The person has failed to love the Lord with all his heart, soul, mind, and strength because that precept hangs on the idea presented in the command. The reason for it is explained in verse 40, “that you may remember and do all My commandments, and be holy for your God.”
 
This is true with every precept of the law. When a violation of the law occurs, a sacrifice must be made to atone for the infraction. One cannot say, “Jesus is my sacrifice for such things” if he is observing the law. Jesus is not the prescribed sacrifice for infractions of the law.
 
Rather, Jesus is the fulfillment of the law and the Initiator of the New Covenant. This is the error in thinking of law observers. Violations of the law must be dealt with under the law. Removal of the law is necessary for Christ to have authority over a person. When in Christ, Paul says, “For sin shall not have dominion over you, for you are not under law but under grace” (Romans 6:14).
 
Only Christ can remove sin from our presence by removing the law from our state of existence. Think about what is said in these two verses –
 
“For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.” John 1:17
 
“You have become estranged from Christ, you who attempt to be justified by law; you have fallen from grace.” Galatians 5:4
 
Law or grace. One must decide. There can be no intermingling of the two.
 
Lord God Almighty, help us to think clearly about what it means to be in Christ. May we never offend what You have offered through Him by attempting to somehow merit it through the observance of the law He fulfilled. Help us to get this right and to trust solely and wholeheartedly in Jesus Christ’s perfect righteousness. Amen.

Thursday, 17 September 2026
 
And the second is like it: ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ Matthew 22:39
 
“Second, also, like it: You will love the ‘neighbor, yours’ as yourself.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus, referring to His citation of Deuteronomy 6:5, said that it is the first and great commandment. This answered the jurisprudent’s question, but Jesus has more to say before finishing, saying, “Second, also, like it.”
 
The addition of these words is not superfluous, even if unasked for. Rather, when He finishes, He will sum up the reason for providing the second great commandment. For now, the word “like” is translated from the Greek word homoios. It signifies like in appearance or character. The nature of the second commandment is the same as that of the first.
 
In order to reveal the second great commandment, Jesus refers to the book of Leviticus. In Chapter 19, there is a long list of moral and ceremonial laws covering a whole host of topics. Jesus says, “You will love the ‘neighbor, yours’ as yourself.”
 
The first and great commandment is to love God, as Jesus described it. The next deals with human relationships, but with the same theme: love. His words specifically come from Leviticus 19:18, where it says –
 
“Not you will avenge, and not you will maintain ‘sons, your people’. And you will cherish to your associate according to you. I – Yehovah.” (CG)
 
In Leviticus, the word translated as maintain is nuanced. It has to be understood as maintaining a grudge, as if it were a garden and someone continues to tend to it, allowing the grudge to fester. Despite being in a long list of ceremonial laws, and affixed to the end of one of them, Jesus pulls this short thought out as the second great commandment.
 
A key point, thus, is to know that Jesus was fully aware of its presence and the context in which it was placed. His use of it then is not arbitrary. He looked to the thought, determined the essential nature of the words, and held them up as an ideal that goes beyond the individual laws which surround it.
 
Loving one’s associate is not elevated above loving oneself. Rather, the law, as well as Jesus’ citation of it, holds them in the same position. One who does not properly tend to himself in a cherishing manner cannot properly tend to others in an appropriate way.
 
Life application: This is another law that condemns us. Although people have claimed they have never borne any ill will toward others, it is hard to accept such words. Human interactions inevitably lead to disagreements where ill feelings result. We may hide such thoughts away as if they don’t exist, but they do.
 
As this is so, the very nature of the law continues to condemn us. But notice how the two commandments, which are held up by Jesus as the two greatest, reflect His nature. He is the incarnate Word, the God/Man. Thus, He is capable of both types of love. He can fully love God, and He can fully love His neighbor as He loves Himself (who is both God and Man).
 
His fulfillment of these commands is then credited to us when we believe the gospel. Our imperfect love is covered by Christ so that God only sees Christ’s perfection in love – for His Father, for His associates, and for Himself (being both God and Man).
 
All things are reconciled for us through Christ. Forever and ever we can, and we will, thank God for what He has done through Jesus.
 
O God, we are filled with shortcomings, faults, and errors in our conduct toward You and toward others. And yet, You have covered over our failings and imperfections with the precious blood of Christ our Lord. Thank You for what You have done. We praise You with hearts full of joy and thanks. All praise, glory, and honor to You. Amen.

Wednesday, 16 September 2026
 
This is the first and great commandment. Matthew 22:38
 
“This, it is – first and great commandment.” (CG)
 
In the previous verse, Jesus responded to the question of the jurisprudent, saying, “You will love – ‘Lord, the God, yours’ in all the ‘heart, yours’, and in all the ‘soul, yours’, and in all the ‘cognition, yours’.” Having said that, He continues, saying, “This, it is – first and great commandment.”
 
Some manuscripts change the words around and add in the definite article, saying, “This, it is, the great and first commandment.” Either way, the intent is a total and complete focus on the Lord as preeminent in observing the commandments.
 
As noted, the commandment that Jesus says is the first and great of the commandments actually encompasses all of the commandments because the commandments stem from God. They are what He expected of His people, being the standard by which they would be judged.
 
As a violation of one of the commandments, any one of them, reveals imperfection in His standard, the first commandment is impossible for man to fulfill. To covet means a person has not loved the Lord with all of his heart, soul, and cognition. This is just an example which extends to every commandment found in the law.
 
Therefore, this first and great commandment is a mark of condemnation for all who live under the law. Any person who says they have perfectly fulfilled this commandment only separates himself further from God because he has lied to himself and God, and maybe others also, that he has perfectly fulfilled it.
 
This is why Jesus came. God knows our inability to love Him as the law requires. There is too much involved in what the command demands. But in sending Jesus, we can love God more perfectly than the law would ever make possible.
 
Because Jesus fulfilled the law, He embodies the perfect love of God demanded in this first and great commandment. Therefore, in loving Jesus, believing that He embodies this law, and focusing on His grace that extends from His fulfillment of it, we can – through Him – meet the demand of the commandment.
 
Life application: The Geneva Bible’s comment on Matt 22:34 says, “The gospel does not abolish the precepts of the law, but rather it confirms them.” Depending on their meaning of “confirm”, what they said is true, or it is the most ridiculous commentary possible on the matter.
 
Their words are similar to what Paul says in Romans 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? Certainly not! On the contrary, we establish the law.”
 
Some read these words and take it that the precepts of the law are still binding. That is not at all what Paul means. The law of faith is a means of validating or strengthening the law. We have failed at fulfilling it, but Jesus fulfilled it on our behalf. Think of Jesus' words in Matthew 5:17 – 
 
“Do not think that I came to destroy the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to destroy but to fulfill.”
 
Fulfill it He did! Now, by faith in His work we are free from the very law which He fulfilled on our behalf. His merits are credited to us when we place our faith in what He did. Thus, the law is established in us, it is upheld in us, and thus it is obsolete to us.
 
When something is fulfilled, it is no longer necessary. As He fulfilled it in our stead, we are free from its constraints. This is the amazing work of Jesus on our behalf. Our love of God is magnified through our faith in Christ. He is how we can truly love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength.
 
Lord God, thank You for Jesus who makes our imperfect love and devotion to You complete. Through Him, we are set free from trying to earn Your favor. Rather, Jesus has done it all. Our faith in Him fulfills every limitation that once stood against us. We praise You with all of who we are for what You have done. Thank You for Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.