Matthew 22

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Matthew 22:36

“Teacher, which is the great commandment in the Law?”

The Law refers to the law of Moses. See entry for The Law.

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Matthew 22:37

And He said to him, “ ‘YOU SHALL LOVE THE LORD YOUR GOD WITH ALL YOUR HEART, AND WITH ALL YOUR SOUL, AND WITH ALL YOUR MIND.’

(a) Love the Lord. Under the old law-keeping covenant, you were commanded to love the Lord your God with all your heart (Deut. 6:5, 10:12). The flow was from you to the Lord. But in the new covenant of grace, we love because he first loved us (1 John 4:19). It is because we know the love of Christ (Eph. 3:19) that we are able to walk in his love (Eph. 5:2), keep ourselves in his love (Jude 1:21), and remain in his love (John 15:9, 10, 1 John 4:12, 16).

(b) The Lord your God. Most of the time when Jesus spoke about God, he called him Father (see entry for Luke 2:49). But when speaking to those under the law, he sometimes called him Lord and God.

(c) With all your soul. The original word for soul is psuche, from which we get the word psychology. This word is sometimes used in scripture to describe the soul-life we inherited from Adam, as opposed to the zoe- or spirit-life we receive from Jesus. See entry for New Life.

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Matthew 22:38

“This is the great and foremost commandment.

It is the first and greatest of the Ten Commandments, but it is not the law of Christ. (see entry for John 13:34).

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Matthew 22:39

“The second is like it, ‘YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.’

(a) Love your neighbor. This law, which comes from the law of Moses (Lev. 19:18), was quoted by Jesus more than once (Matt. 19:19, Mark 12:31, Luke 10:27). James called it the royal law (see entry for Jas. 2:8).

(b) As yourself. “Loving others as yourself” can be contrasted with “Loving others as I have loved you” (see entry for John 13:34).

Under the old covenant, you provided the love and whatever else was needed to fulfil the law. But in the new covenant, we are able to love others because of the love we have from God (1 John 4:19). Under the old, you were the supply, but in the new, God supplies all our needs according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Php. 4:19).

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Matthew 22:40

“On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.”

The Law refers to the Law of Moses, the commandments, ordinances, punishments, and ceremonial observances given to the nation of Israel through Moses (Jos. 8:31). This law is sometimes referred to as the law of commandments (Eph. 2:15) or the law of the Jews (Acts 25:8). See entry for The Law.

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Matthew 22:42

“What do you think about the Christ, whose son is He?” They said to Him, “The son of David.”

(a) Whose son is He? The religious leaders expected the Messiah to be born in the line of David.

(b) The son of David was another name for the Messiah. See entry for Matt. 1:1.

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Matthew 22:43

He said to them, “Then how does David in the Spirit call Him ‘Lord,’ saying,

Lord. Fathers don’t call their sons Lord, yet David referred to the Messiah as Lord in the psalms (see next verse).

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Matthew 22:44

‘THE LORD SAID TO MY LORD, “SIT AT MY RIGHT HAND, UNTIL I PUT YOUR ENEMIES BENEATH YOUR FEET”’?

(a) The Lord. Jesus quoted Psalm 110:1 to show that David referred to the Messiah as Lord.

(b) Sit at my right hand. When Jesus ascended to heaven, he was exalted and given a Name above all names and now he sits at the right hand of God (Php. 2:9). This right hand seat is not merely a place of high honor, or the second seat. It is the place of power (Mark 26:64) and intimacy (Acts 2:25). “I am the Father are one” (John 10:30). The Son has been invited to share his Father’s throne.

The vindicating image of the One who was rejected by men being exalted to the right hand of God is repeated all through the New Testament (Matt. 26:64, Mark 12:36, 14:62, 16:19, Luke, 20:42, 22:69, Acts 2:25, 33, 34, 5:31, 7:55, 56, Rom. 8:34, Eph. 1:20, Col. 3:1, Heb. 1:3, 13, 8:1, 10:12, 12:2, 1 Pet. 3:22).

(c) Enemies. God the Father says to God the Son, “You have been rejected and despised by men, but you are the conquering King. Now sit with me and watch as I subdue your enemies.”

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Matthew 22:45

“If David then calls Him ‘Lord,’ how is He his son?”

See entry for Matt. 22:43.

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Matthew 22:46

No one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone dare from that day on to ask Him another question.

The Messiah is more than David’s descendent, he is David’s Lord. He is more than the Son of David, he is the Son of God.

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