Introduction
‘Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come. “Then he sent some more servants and said, ‘Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.’ “But they paid no attention and went off—one to his field, another to his business.’ Matthew 22:1-5
The Parable Of The Wedding Banquet
Before we get into the parable I need to mention Luke’s account. In Luke 14:16-24, we find a similar parable by Jesus to the one we have here in Matthew. And many people interpret them both as variations of one original story. However, when you read the backgrounds and the details of both parables you will find that they’re both very different.
The parable in Matthew’s account is in close succession with the parable of ‘The Tenants’ and sounds a warning note to the Jews who would reject their Messiah. The parable in Luke’s account, however, isn’t as severe in tone, yet it stands as a warning to all men that they shouldn’t take the kingdom for granted. And so the two parables are independent of each other but the obvious similarities are due to their common origin, Jesus Christ.
This parable is a response to the Pharisees who were looking for an excuse to kill Jesus, Matthew 21:45-46. Jesus says the kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son, Matthew 22:1. The king mentioned here is obviously represents God providing for the salvation of the world and the son represents Christ.
He says a king sent his servants out with invitations to a wedding feast, Matthew 22:2-3, this was an invitation for the Pharisees and Sadducees to submit to Jesus as King, Matthew 11:11 / Matthew 11:28-29 / Revelation 3:21. These servants were God’s messengers of old, Mark 1:1-4.
Trench, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This second summons I take to represent the invitation to the Jewish people, as it was renewed to them at the second epoch of the kingdom, that is, after the resurrection and ascension.’
1. God was willing to overlook the first blunt rejection of Christ, even his crucifixion, attributing it to ignorance, Acts 3:17.
2. Also, the Jews continued to have a priority in hearing the gospel for a long while after Pentecost, as indicated by Paul’s motto, ‘To the Jew first and also to the Greek,’ Romans 1:16.
Not only did the Jews reject the invite, Matthew 22:3, despite everything been prepared for the feast, Matthew 22:4, and pay no attention to it, Matthew 22:5, but they also belittled it and made light of it, they carried on with life as usual, Matthew 22:5.
‘The rest seized his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.’ Matthew 22:6-7
Although they rejected God, He had warned them and disciplined them but still, they refused to repent. The Jews had been invited but refused to come, John 1:11 / Matthew 21:38-39. God sent prophets to warn them of their punishment but the Israelites tortured and killed these messengers, Matthew 22:6. Through the armies of Babylon and Rome, God punished the Jewish nation, Matthew 22:7 / Matthew 24:1-34.
‘Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come. So go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.’ So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, the bad as well as the good, and the wedding hall was filled with guests. “But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.’ Matthew 22:8-11
The original guests were not worthy because they disregarded the king’s invitations, Matthew 22:8. They failed to respond to his invitation to come freely. The Jews judged themselves unworthy and so, it was needful that the message of the kingdom reign be preached to them in order that they have their chance to obey, despite not deserving the invite, Matthew 22:9 / Acts 13:46-48 / Acts 18:6.
The servants are commanded to go to the streets corners with an invitation, it didn’t matter if they were good or bad, all were invited, Matthew 22:9-10 / Matthew 13:3-9 / Matthew 13:36-43 / Matthew 13:47-48. When the king arrives, he spotted someone who wasn’t wearing wedding clothes, Matthew 22:11. In other words, they weren’t clothed with the righteousness that comes from God, but with their own righteousness, Ephesians 2:8-10.
Barnes, in his commentary, says the following.
‘The garments worn on festival occasions were chiefly long white robes, and it was the custom of the person who made the feast to prepare such robes to be worn by the guests. This renders the conduct of this man more inexcusable. He came in his common and ordinary dress, as he was taken from the highway: and though he had not a garment of his own suitable for the occasion, yet one had been provided for him if he had applied for it. His not doing it was expressive of the highest disrespect for the king.’
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This stands for the final inspection of all men in the judgment. To be sure, the King is constantly beholding the men of his kingdom and continually observing the conduct of all his servants; but this coming in of the king on a formal and stated occasion to view the guests indicates a far more auspicious examination. It is the judgment of the great day when the King shall suddenly appear and review the credentials of those who have accepted his invitation. Judgment shall indeed begin at the house of God, 1 Peter 4:17.’
‘He asked, ‘How did you get in here without wedding clothes, friend?’ The man was speechless. “Then the king told the attendants, ‘Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ “For many are invited, but few are chosen.” Matthew 22:12-14
The guest who wasn’t wearing wedding clothes was there, whether evil or good, Matthew 22:10, because he had accepted the king’s gracious invitation. However, he was subject to the king’s scrutiny. The king addressed his guest as a ‘friend’, Matthew 22:12, but asks how he got in without the proper wedding clothes. The man obviously represents the Pharisees, who had a righteousness of their own, Matthew 5:20. He wasn’t clothed with the righteousness that comes from God, but with his own righteousness, Luke 18:9-14 / Ephesians 2:8-10
Notice the man was speechless, Matthew 22:12, possibly due to embarrassment. He couldn’t defend himself or offer any kind of excuse. The king commands his attendant to tie the man up and throw him outside, Matthew 22:13 / Matthew 8:12 / Galatians 4:30, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth, Matthew 8:12 / Matthew 23:23-33 / Matthew 24:51 / Matthew 25:30.
Jesus is emphasizing His message of Matthew 21:43, which is the rebellious of His generation will be cast out because they wouldn’t choose to accept Him as their king.
Coffman, in his commentary, says the following.
‘This does not bestow inquisitorial rights on God’s ministers in this dispensation. The exposure and punishment of that offender occurred at the arraignment before the king, not before. The servants in this verse therefore cannot be the apostles or ministers of the word, but the angels of God, Matthew 13:47-52. The punishment refers to hell, Matthew 25:46.’
Jesus openly declares that many are invited but few are chosen, Matthew 22:14 / Matthew 20:16. Remember, even though the man was at the wedding feast, didn’t mean that the king favoured him being there. As Christians, we too must be careful that we may well be in the church, but that doesn’t necessarily mean we will receive eternal life, Revelation 3:18.
Paying The Imperial Tax To Caesar
This is yet another example of a group of people who are trying to trap Jesus to find any excuse to have Him put to death. What’s interesting is that we also find an example of others giving someone else a loaded gun to shoot, whilst the people who gave them the loaded gun remain in the background because they’re not brave enough to do it themselves.
‘Then the Pharisees went out and laid plans to trap him in his words.’ Matthew 22:15
It’s obvious that the parables, Matthew 22:33-45 / Luke 20:9-19 / Mark 12:1-12, which Jesus had just finished teaching hit a nerve with the Pharisees, and as a result of this, in order to save their own skin and find an excuse to put Him to death, they wanted to find a way to humiliate Jesus in front of everyone else, Matthew 22:15 / Luke 20:20 / Mark 12:13.
‘They sent their disciples to him along with the Herodians. ‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘we know that you are a man of integrity and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are.’ Matthew 22:16
The Herodians
The Herodians
The Pharisees send their disciples along with the Herodians, Matthew 22:16. The Herodians were a political group that supported the Roman leader, King Herod Antipas, who reigned from 4 B.C. to A.D. 39. They wanted everyone to submit to the rule of Herod and they did so purely because of the financial gain they may receive and so they would be left alone in peace.
The Pharisees and others wanted Israel to follow the teachings of the Law but not with any Roman input, whilst the Herodians were willing to work with the Romans. They were the absolute opposite of those who believed that God and God alone should lead Israel.
When we read out New Testament, we see that when two opposing groups have a common enemy, despite their beliefs they will come together and unite against the enemy. In this case, the common enemy was Jesus, Mark 3:6, but of course, Jesus knew their hearts too and warned against their teaching, Mark 8:15.
Flattery
The Pharisees and the Herodians come to Jesus and use flattery as a trap, Matthew 22:16 / Luke 20:21 / Mark 12:14. Remember that the Herodians themselves taught that taxes must be paid to Rome. The ironic thing is that they spoke the truth about Jesus, everything they described Jesus to be, was true, Matthew 22:16 / Luke 20:21 / Mark 12:14.
They knew Jesus was straight-talking, they knew that He didn’t worry if people were offended when He spoke the truth and because they knew Jesus spoke against them and their teachings, they knew they had to get rid of Him because He was exposing their own hypocrisy, Matthew 21:28. Obviously, they are trying to set the trap, they’re trying to set Jesus up for the question to come but as Anne Bradstreet once said, ‘Sweet words are like honey, a little may refresh, but too much gluts the stomach.’
The Question About Paying Tax To Caesar
‘Tell us then, what is your opinion? Is it right to pay the imperial tax to Caesar or not?’ Matthew 22:17
In simple terms, they were asking Jesus this question based on the law of Moses, Matthew 22:17 / Luke 21:22 / Mark 12:14-15. In other words, does the law of Moses teach that one should pay taxes to a foreign state? In their theology, if Jesus said they shouldn’t pay the taxes, He would be in violation of Roman law because Israel at the time was under the rule of Rome. But if Jesus said to pay the taxes, then they believed that He would be in violation of Old Testament law as stated in Deuteronomy 17:14-15, which was given to Israel as a self-governing nation.
Roman Tax
According to history, the Roman taxes were made up one per cent of a man’s income. Much like today, the more money you earn the more tax you pay. But we must also remember the Romans had other taxes, customs taxes, import and export taxes, toll bridges, crop taxes, sales taxes, property taxes, and special taxes when there was a war. They had building projects or campaigns to finance.
The Trap
If Jesus had said it was unlawful to give to Caesar, there’s no doubt they would have dragged Him away to face the courts, charged with treason which of course was punishable by death. If Jesus had said, it is right to pay tax to Caesar, this wouldn’t go down well with the people who were listening because they had longed to get out of the Roman bondage.
It’s almost amusing that they actually believed they have come up with a question that Jesus has no way out of, Matthew 22:17 / Luke 20:22 / Mark 12:15, but instead of them humiliating Jesus, Jesus will end up humiliating them.
‘But Jesus, knowing their evil intent, said, ‘You hypocrites, why are you trying to trap me? Show me the coin used for paying the tax.’ They brought him a denarius, and he asked them, ‘Whose image is this? And whose inscription?’ ‘Caesar’s,’ they replied. Then he said to them, ‘So give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s.’ When they heard this, they were amazed. So, they left him and went away.’ Matthew 22:18-22
Notice how Jesus knew what they were up to and knew what their intent really was, Matthew 22:18 / Luke 20:23 / Mark 12:15 / John 2:24-25. Interestingly, those who are in positions of leadership always seem to be hypocritical of other religious leaders who hold a different view. The very fact that they set out to trap Jesus in the first place, Matthew 22:18, tells us a lot about the condition of their hearts.
The coin in question, Matthew 22:19-21 / Luke 20:24 / Mark 12:15-16, was a silver denarius which was worth around a day’s wages and engraved on it was the image of Caesar who was, the Emperor of Rome. The second commandment of the ten commandments prohibited the Jews from making any graven image in order to symbolise the worship of gods in an idolatrous manner, Exodus 20:4.
Jesus’ Response
Jesus tells them to pay the taxes regardless of whose image is on the coin, Matthew 22:21 / Luke 20:25 / Mark 12:17. In other words, the money belongs to Caesar, therefore pay to him that which belongs to him, Romans 13:7. They needed to learn that just because they pay tax to Caesar, doesn’t mean that they are worshipping Caesar. On the other hand they needed to learn that everything ultimately belongs to God, Matthew 22:21 / Luke 20:25 / Mark 12:17, therefore, our lives are given to God who created all men in His image, Genesis 1:26-27.
Remember the Jews weren’t to pay respect to images like that on the Roman coin and when they realised this, they actually trapped themselves concerning paying taxes to a foreign government. Jesus says they must give their lives to God and give Caesar his taxes, Matthew 22:21.
Humiliated
Jesus answered the Pharisees and the Herodian’s questions but not in the way they were expecting. Their trap failed and Jesus ended up trapping them. They came to humiliate Him, but He humiliated them. They were amazed and left, Matthew 22:22 / Luke 20:26 / Mark 12:17 / John 8:1-11, because they knew they didn’t get one single thing from Jesus that they could use against Him.
Conclusion
As Christians, we must obey our government and pay our taxes, whilst at the same time obeying our God in whom whose image we are made. There are genuine people out there who have genuine questions in their hearts which need answered honestly. However, there will also be those among us even today, who try to trap us with double-edged questions, may we be wise enough to recognise the trap and answer with wisdom, Proverbs 15:1-2 / Proverbs 26:4.
Marriage At The Resurrection
‘That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.’ Matthew 22:23
The Sadducees
The Sadducees were a religious sect in the time of Jesus, Matthew 22:23 / Luke 20:27 / Mark 12:18. Their origin is not known for sure. Some think they date back to Zadock, a high priest during the time of David and Solomon, 1 Kings 2:26-27. However, in all probability, they came into existence during the period between the Old and New Testaments.
We do know that they came from the leading families of the nation such as the priests, merchants, and the rich. They can well be described as aristocrats. The high priests, the most powerful members of the priesthood were mainly Sadducees, Acts 5:17.
One of the distinguishing marks of the Sadducees was their rejection of the ‘traditions of the elders’ advocated by the Pharisees. They claimed that God not only gave Moses a written law, but also an oral law which was passed down and given to the elders. They in turn passed these oral laws on down to their successors. The Pharisees claimed the oral law was needed to interpret the written Law of Moses. They regarded these traditions as important as the Law of Moses itself.
By contrast, the Sadducees insisted that only the laws written by Moses, the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Old Testament were the only binding laws. In short, the main difference between the two parties was confined, on the whole to this general rejection of Pharisaic traditions. With the Sadducees, little value was placed on the writings of the Prophets or the Psalms. They didn’t outright reject them but they didn’t feel they were on an equal par with the Pentateuch.
The most prominent doctrine of the Sadducees was the denial of the immortality of the soul and the resurrection of the body. They believed that the soul dies with the body, thus the extinction of life. The Sadducees said that Moses nowhere mentions anything about a soul or a resurrection, Acts 23:8. From this passage, we learn that they didn’t believe in either angels or spirits.
However, angels are mentioned several times in the writings of Moses. In view of this, it’s difficult to see how they could harmonise this with their denial of angels. They may have regarded angels as simply God appearing in some kind of visible form.
The Sadducees also believed in the free will of man, that is, man is responsible for his own prosperity or misfortune. They interpreted the law literally and tended to support strict justice as opposed to mercy toward the offender. Considering their concept of no life after death, it seems strange to us that they were so intent on punishing those who violated the law. Stranger yet, why would they want to be priests and religious leaders if there is no resurrection? The answer may lie in their belief that God prospered the righteous.
The Unrealistic Question
‘Teacher,’ they said, ‘Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. Finally, the woman died. Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?’ Matthew 22:24-28
Just like the Pharisees before them, the Sadducees’ question was all about trying to trap Jesus, Matthew 22:24-28 / Luke 20:28-33 / Mark 12:19-23. They says that Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him, Matthew 22:24 / Luke 20:28 / Mark 12:19, and then they give an example of a woman being widowed seven times, Matthew 22:25-27 / Luke 20:29-32 / Mark 12:20-22.
When you think about the actual question, the woman being widowed seven times, the possibility of this actually happening in real life is almost none, which tells us that this wasn’t a sincere question, it was a question asked to try and support their idea that there is no resurrection, Matthew 22:23 / Matthew 22:28 / Luke 20:27 / Mark 12:18 / Mark 12:24.
The law, which is referred to as the ‘levirate law’, was based on the principle that the family name of the dead brother is carried on throughout history, Genesis 38:8 / Ruth 3:5-6 / Deuteronomy 25:5-10. Moses said that if the older brother, who had a legal right to continue the family name and the birthright, died leaving his wife without children, his brother must raise up children by the dead brother’s wife.
They asked a question designed to show that the doctrine of the resurrection was absurd. It involved the invented case of a woman who was married to seven brothers in succession. They asked Jesus to tell them whose wife she would be in the resurrection since all of them had been married to her, Matthew 22:28 / Luke 20:33 / Mark 12:23.
Jesus’ Response
‘Jesus replied, ‘You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God.’ Matthew 22:29
Their question was meant to show a supposed contradiction in the teaching of Jesus, but they didn’t know the Old Testament Scriptures or the power of God, Matthew 22:29 / Mark 12:24-27.
‘At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you.’ Matthew 22:30-31
In Luke 20:34-37, notice how Jesus speaks of two ages, ‘this age’ and ‘the age to come’, Luke 20:35. If this doesn’t tell us that there’s definitely life after death, I don’t know what will. It’s interesting that Jesus just goes with their thought process. Despite the chances of this happening, the woman being widowed seven times previous, Christ, resolved the issue, not based on what Moses said but on what God said, Matthew 22:31. In other words, Christ tells them, it isn’t Moses they are quoting but God, Matthew 22:31-32 / Luke 20:37 / Mark 12:26.
The Old Testament Scriptures do teach about the resurrection, Matthew 22:31 / Luke 20:37 / Mark 12:26, whether the Jews understood this or not, they couldn’t deny what the Scriptures actually said concerning resurrection, Job 19:25-27 / Isaiah 26:19 / Daniel 12:2. It’s clear that the Sadducees didn’t understand that there is life after death and they certainly didn’t believe in the power of God, Matthew 22:29 / Mark 12:24. This was simply because of their ignorance of what the Scriptures actually teach.
Jesus confirms there will be a resurrection, Matthew 22:30 / Luke 20:36 / Mark 12:25, but He also tells them there will be no marriage at the resurrection, just like angels don’t marry, Matthew 22:30 / Luke 20:35-36 / Mark 12:25. There will be no marriage or procreation in heaven, for the purpose of procreation would have fulfilled its purpose. Procreation was for the purpose of populating the world. Heaven however, will be populated by those who were born again in this world, John 1:13-14.
We also know there will be no death in heaven, Luke 20:35-36 / 1 Corinthians 15:26 / Revelation 20:13-14. Our earthly relationships will be superseded by a state wherein we will be like angels who now exist, Luke 20:36 / Hebrews 1:14 / 1 John 3:2. Even though the Sadducees didn’t ask Him about angels, I believe Jesus mentioned the angels on purpose, we looked at earlier they didn’t believe in angels, Acts 23:8.
And so we could say, they came asking one question, but Jesus actually answers two questions and He tells them they’re thinking, and doctrine is wrong on both counts. There is a resurrection, and angels do exist. The phrases ‘God’s children’ and ‘children of the resurrection’, Luke 20:24, are used to mean the same thing. It’s God’s pledge for His children, Romans 8:21 / Romans 8:23, and as we know the resurrection is absolutely fundamental to the Christian faith, Hebrews 6:1-2.
It’s important to point out that Jesus uses the Greek present progressive tense here, and in doing so, He’s pointing out the fact that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still living at the time God made this statement and at the time Jesus referred to it, Genesis 17:2 / Genesis 26:24 / Genesis 28:21 / Exodus 3:6 / Exodus 3:15.
The God of the Living
‘‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” Matthew 22:32
It’s important to point out that Jesus uses the Greek present progressive tense here, and in doing so, He’s pointing out the fact that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were still living at the time God made this statement and at the time Jesus referred to it, Genesis 17:2 / Genesis 26:24 / Genesis 28:21 / Exodus 3:6 / Exodus 3:15.
Jesus is saying that when a person dies, God doesn’t stop being their God and because He doesn’t stop being their God, this tells us that the righteous don’t cease to exist when they die, Matthew 22:32 / Luke 20:38 / Mark 12:27. In other words, the souls of righteous people are kept by God in heaven until the resurrection, after which we all will receive our new resurrected bodies which are made for eternal purposes in heaven, John 5:28-29 / 1 Corinthians 15:35-55 / 1 Thessalonians 4:13-17.
‘When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.’ Matthew 22:33
Notice it was ‘the teachers of the law’ who responded to Jesus’ teaching, Luke 20:39-40. You can hear them say, ‘bravo, bravo, teacher’ and sniggering amongst themselves as Jesus seems to side with their theology about the resurrection and angels. It’s also interesting that Matthew doesn’t tell us that the Sadducees were astonished at Jesus’ teaching, but he says ‘the crowds’ were astonished, Matthew 22:33.
It appears the crowds had heard the Sadducees’ theology for years, but no one really seemed to question their beliefs. The Sadducees, like the Pharisees before them, seem to disappear off the scene, no doubt feeling embarrassed and ashamed and no one else dared to ask Jesus any more questions, Luke 20:40.
As with the Pharisees, their whole religion was one of pretence. In other words, they pretended to know the Scriptures when in fact they didn’t know the Scriptures. And so, when Jesus comes along and shows how far off their understanding of the Scriptures actually was, the crowd were astonished, Matthew 22:13. We can almost hear the relief in the crowd, ‘at last’, they cry, ‘Someone who knows what they’re talking about, Someone who actually knows and understands the Scriptures correctly’.
Conclusion
If we learn anything from Jesus’ dealing with the Sadducees, it’s simply this, we must know the Scriptures. You’ll be amazed at how many Christians misquote Scripture, maybe in ignorance, as I’ve done in the past, but there are others who deliberately misquote Scripture to defend their personal beliefs. If you listen carefully, you will hear it from the pulpit, you will hear it on the TV and everyone says the ‘amen’ without realising that they have just been lied to, 2 Timothy 4:3-4.
I was reading a ‘Christian’ survey just the other week and found it shocking that many Christians don’t even possess a Bible. I was even more shocked that those who do own one, don’t read it, and some only read it on a Sunday morning. No wonder people are being led astray and come to believe all kinds of erroneous teachings! It’s a sad fact that many churches don’t have any Bible study time and those who do, don’t have many members in attendance.
I’m not saying that others don’t study at home or by themselves but one of the best ways to know the Scriptures is by sitting in a Bible class, where you are encouraged to read the Bible for yourself. A Bible class where you are encouraged to ask questions and share your opinion, whilst learning from others, Acts 2:42 / 2 Timothy 2:15.
The Greatest Commandment
‘Hearing that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees, the Pharisees got together. One of them, an expert in the law, tested him with this question: “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.” Matthew 22:34-40
The religious leaders are around trying to trap Him, Matthew 22:34-35. The Herodians come to Jesus and tried to catch Him out. As soon as they are silenced, the Sadducees come along, and they too try to trick Jesus. And finally, we have the Pharisees, the teachers of the nation.
It seems as though one young man, an expert in the law, Matthew 22:35 / Mark 12:28 / Luke 7:30 / Luke 10:25, pushed his way forward to ask Jesus another trick question to try and trap Him, Matthew 22:36 / Mark 12:28. And Jesus looks at this young man and I wonder if there wasn’t a look of sympathy on His face! This man had been so wrongly informed about Jesus; I don’t think he would believe anything that Jesus would tell him anyway.
But we can imagine that man standing back and waiting for the answer from Jesus. And Jesus deliberately quotes from the Old Testament, Matthew 22:37 / Mark 12:29-31. A passage of scripture that every faithful Jew would recite twice every day. It’s known as ‘The Schema’, from Deuteronomy 6:4-6. Jesus says we are to love God with all our heart, our soul and our mind, Matthew 6:33 / 1 John 14:15, and we are to love our neighbours as yourself, Matthew 19:19 / Leviticus 19:18 / Galatians 5:14 / Galatians 5:22-23. Love is the motivation by which law is put into action in our lives, Romans 3:31.
Poole, in his commentary, says the following about the law and the prophets, Matthew 22:40.
‘Moses summed up all in the ten commandments, to which, truly interpreted, all the precepts of Scripture are reducible. Christ here brings the ten to two.’
Loving God With All Of Our Heart
We all know how much God loves us because the Bible clearly tells us, John 3:16 / 1 John 3:16. And so, there is no questioning God’s love for us, but how do we love God?
C. S. Lewis once said, ‘on the whole, God’s love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him.’
God never commands us to do something without first telling how to do it. And so, after telling Israel that the LORD God is one, Moses goes on to explain us how we are to love God. The Hebrew word for love is the word ‘ahab’ and it carries with it the idea of having the ultimate love that we can express or feel. In other words, when we say we love the Lord, we’re saying we have loved, and we do love and will continue to love the Lord our God with all my heart, soul and strength.
Do you love God with all of your heart? If we’re honest with ourselves, we will admit that we all love God to a certain extent, but the truth is, sometimes He’s not always the One we love most. Sometimes we love our spouses more or our families more. Sometime we love our jobs or hobbies more. We have many other things in this world that are pulling for our affection.
So how can we obey the Lord’s command to love Him with all our heart? We have to acknowledge that we can’t really love Him or anyone else without His help. In other words, He doesn’t ask us to do anything which didn’t first originate from Him, 1 John 4:19. God is the actual source of our love for Him. He loved us first, and He infused us with His love. To infuse means to fill, to soak, we’re being soaked with the love of God. The love of God in us, is the love with which we can love Him in return.
When most people think about love, they think of the warm fluffy feeling they get when they meet someone. But love isn’t merely a feeling, it’s attribute, hence why God is love, 1 John 4:8 / 1 John 4:16. We can’t claim to love anyone, if we don’t know God because God is love. The reason we know and rely on the love God is simply because God is love.
So what is the heart? You would be forgiven for thinking it is an organ in your body which keeps you alive. That’s just a pump that keeps the blood flowing through your body. We have to remember in the Old Testament the word ‘heart’ didn’t carry the same deep meaning in Hebrew as it does in Greek New Testament.
This is one reason why the New Testament gives a deeper meaning to the word ‘mind’. In other words, the Hebrew concept of ‘heart’ included both feelings and thoughts, Genesis 6:5. Thinking is an activity of the mind, but Jesus asked the scribes why they were thinking those thoughts in their hearts, Matthew 9:4. This shows that our mind is part of our heart.
In Acts 11:23, we read that when we exercise our will, our will is part of our heart. Rejoicing is related to our emotions, but in John 16:22, we see that our heart rejoices. This shows us that our emotions are also part of our heart. Having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience, Hebrews 10:22, indicates that our conscience is also part of our heart. Our heart does much more than we might have thought.
In addition to sensing the wide range of human emotions, our heart thinks, decides, and perceives right from wrong. If we didn’t have a heart, we couldn’t sense love or love in return, Mark 12:30. God created us with a heart so we could have a loving relationship with Him. So in a very real sense, our heart is at the centre of our relationship with God. We were created by God in such a marvellous way. We have a spirit to contact, receive, and contain Him as life, and a heart to love Him.
He wants to be our life and He wants us to love Him with our whole heart. And if we’re truthful with ourselves, it easy to love God when things are going well, when we enjoy one blessing after another. But what about those difficult times? What about when challenges come our way? Israel had to learn the lesson which we still have to learn today. Loving God with ALL of our heart means loving God at ALL times, even when God seems quiet. Even when He says wait, even when He says no.
And, yes, even when bad things happen and challenges come our way. Loving God at all times is a day to day learning process. We learn more and more how to do it and keep on doing it a little each day. And we do that until we can say what the Apostle Paul said in Philippians 4:11-13.
Notice that word ‘courage’, in Philippians 4:11-13, the root word for courage is ‘cor’ which is Latin for ‘heart’. Living with courage in our heart, is a good way to remind ourselves to love God. Living with courage in our heart, is a good way to remind ourselves not to trust on our own feelings or understanding, Proverbs 3:5.
Martin Luther once said in a poem.
‘For feelings come and feelings go, And feelings are deceiving. My warrant is the Word of God: Naught else is worth believing. Though all my heart should feel condemned For want of some sweet token, There is One greater than my heart Whose Word cannot be broken. I’ll trust in God’s unchanging Word Till soul and body sever: For, though all things shall pass away, His Word shall stand forever.’
When we depend on our own feelings and understanding, we end up confused. God doesn’t love me anymore! God has abandoned me in my time of need! Loving God with our mind means renewing our mind daily so that we think more of His thoughts instead of our own, Romans 12:2.
God’s will and thoughts are good, pleasing, and perfect and we need as much of them as possible to fill and renew our mind. Renewing our mind in God’s Word is an important way of loving God. God is a loving God, and He created us with a heart so that we would love Him wholly and absolutely. But like I mentioned earlier, we know our heart loves many other things besides God.
So what do we do to make sure we continue to love God with all of our heart? Simply trying not to love those things doesn’t work. When our heart is turned away from the Lord and set on things such as sins, selfish preoccupations, and worldly pleasures, it has a veil on it, 2 Corinthians 3:15-16.
In other words, they stop us from seeing the Lord. But when we turn our heart to Him, the veil is removed, and we can see the Lord again. We see His beauty, His virtues, and how wonderful He is. Then He infuses more of what He is, including love, into us and it’s in this way, our love for Him grows. We can turn our hearts to the Lord Jesus at any time by praying to Him, calling on His name, confessing our sins to Him, and spending time in His Word.
These simple practices can remove the veil from our heart, restore our fellowship with the Lord, and rekindle our love for Him. When Sir Walter Raleigh was led to the block, his executioner asked him if his head lay right. Raleigh answered, ‘It matters little, my friend, how the head lies, provided the heart is right.’
Let me finish by asking you, what does your heart speak? How does your heart lie? Are you loving God with all your heart?
Loving God With All Our Soul
Before we look at what it means to love God with all of our soul, I think we first need to ask the question, what is the soul? All human beings are triune beings. The Godhead is made up of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. And Paul says human beings are also triune beings because we have a body, soul and spirit, 1 Thessalonians 5:23.
Our Body Is Earth Conscious
The body is of the earth and for the earth. We might describe the body as ‘Earth-conscious’, since it is the physical tool or instrument, by means of which a person’s ‘soul’ or ‘self’ by its very nature is invisible is able to function in a physical world. Although the Son existed ‘in the beginning with God’, John 1:1-2, it was necessary that ‘the Word’ should ‘become flesh’ and ‘dwell’ or ‘tabernacle’ among us, John 1:14.
The Lord needed a physical body. Paul says in Philippians 2:6-8, without the human form that Jesus took on Himself, it would have been impossible for Him to fulfil the unique purpose for which He came. And so, The Word must become flesh. This was the divine plan, that’s why we find the writer of the letter to the Hebrews, placing the words of the Psalmist from Psalm 40:6-8, into the Lord’s mouth.
Notice that the ‘body’ was prepared for ‘me,’ Hebrews 10:5. In other words, man is more than just a bunch of chemicals. Man, is housed in a physical body and since his body is designed for earthly life, at death, the body returns to the earth, Genesis 3:19.
Our Spirit Is God Conscious
If we consider the body to be ‘Earth-conscious’, we may think of the spirit as being ‘God-conscious’, Job 32:8. In other words, it’s that part of man’s nature which enables him to reach out to, and communicate with God. It’s the spiritual dimension in man’s character, and here again, we see the difference between man and other creatures.
It’s only man says who can say, ‘My soul thirsts for God, for the living God’, Psalm 42:2. Its only man who is encouraged to ‘Seek after Him, in the hope that they might feel after Him and find Him.’ Acts 17:27. Its only man who is given the assurance that ‘He is not far from each one of us, for in Him we live and move and have our being,’ Acts 17:27. And as Solomon reminds us at death, ‘The spirit returns to God Who gave it,’ Ecclesiastes 12:7,
Our Soul Is Self-Conscious
The ‘soul’ is man’s unique self. It is the part of his being which, because it is rational and moral, determines the actions performed by his body, and which, therefore, renders him personally accountable for what he does. And so, it is man’s ‘soul’ which will ultimately be either saved or lost, depending on a person’s response to the offer of the salvation which was made first possible by the coming of the Christ into the world.
The Greeks thought of the soul as the thing that integrates our whole inside. In other words, if something is messed up in our soul, our whole life is messed up. If we have bitterness or unforgiveness in our soul, it saturates everything in our life. To the Greeks, the soul is the thing that tied heart, mind and strength together. Loving God with all our soul means to love Him with our entire inner being.
To love God with all my soul means loving God with all I am, Psalm 62:5 / Psalm 103:1. My will, my attitudes, my intentions, my emotions, my thoughts and feelings, and my body. To love God with all your soul is to love God with your entire inner life.
Have you ever asked yourself, why you are here? Why does my life feel empty at times? We all have a God shaped space within in us which can only be satisfied by Him. People turn to all kinds of things to fill in that space, drugs, alcohol, affairs, work, etc. But that space can only be filled by God because He is the One who fits perfectly into it.
C. S. Lewis once said, ‘The mould in which a key is made would be a strange thing, if you had never seen a key, and the key itself a strange thing if you had never seen a lock. Your soul has a curious shape because it is a hollow made to fit a particular swelling in the infinite contours of the divine substance, or a key to unlock one of the doors in the house with many mansions. Your place in heaven will seem to be made for you and you alone, because you were made for it, made for it stitch by stitch as a glove is made for a hand.’
When we allow ourself to go beyond just believing that God exists, our souls takes us much farther than our heart can. Your soul takes you to a solid relationship with the living Lord and as a bonus, heaven. Loving God with all your soul means evaluating yourself and working to be everything God calls you to be.
Let me ask you some tough questions, 2 Corinthians 3:18. Do you look more like Jesus than you did last week? What characteristics, gifts, and talents set you apart? How is God leading you to use your uniqueness to serve Him and to draw others closer to Him? Are you using your resources like time, money, talent, and energy wisely and for His good purposes? Do you represent Christ with your life? Understanding ourselves and our own special qualities, through the help of others and the Holy Spirit, teaches us how to fulfil God’s purpose in our lives.
How valuable is your soul? Are you prepared for eternity? What’s more important to you, your life or your soul? Matthew 16:24-26. Your family, your job, your wealth or your soul? In spite of whatever circumstances you face or will face in this life, is it not your deep desire to be able to find your way to the place where you can truly say that no matter what, ‘it is well with my soul’, that no matter what, I love God with all of my soul.
Loving God With All Of Our Strength
The Hebrew word for strength, is the word, ‘Me’od’ but it doesn’t mean strength in terms of muscle power. The word literally means ‘muchness’, in other words, the Israelites were to love God with all their ‘muchness’. They are to love God with all their substance, all their possessions, everything which God has given them. They are to love him with all of their might, all their being, all of their energy, Ecclesiastes 9:10.
And as Christians we too, are to love God with all of our might, all of our actions, all of our energy. We’re to love Him not just with a portion of our life but all of our life. There shouldn’t be any part of our lives which is kept back from loving God. When we turn our heart to the Lord, when we turn to soul to the Lord, our strength will naturally follow. The outward actions that our bodies perform will naturally follow. Loving God will all of our strength will be seen in the way we spend our time. Loving God with all of our strength will be seen in the way we use our energy.
In other words, there’s a change which takes place, and that change is demonstrated in the way we use our physical strength to pursue the Lord. It’s the idea of loving God more and more and wanting to please Him more and more with every aspect of our lives. Remember when God commands anything of us, He doesn’t force us to do anything against our will. The Israelites had a choice whether to love God with all their heart, soul and strength or not.
Let me ask you, does anyone force you to love your husband or wife? Of course not, you love them because you choose to love them. Does anyone force you to love your children or grandchildren? Of course not, you love them because you choose to love them. Love goes way beyond our feelings. God doesn’t force us to love Him, loving God is a choice. And if we choose to love Him with all of our heart, soul and strength, He will help us to do just that.
Isaiah says that God will give us the strength to do whatever He asks of us, Isaiah 40:29-31. We all have times when we don’t feel strong, we all have times when we feel weary and weak. We all go through times when we feel hurt, broken-hearted, physically or emotionally tired, and sometimes even spiritually exhausted.
But it’s during those times of weakness we should be asking God, to give us that supernatural strength to keep us going. And when He does, you too will be able to soar like the eagle. You too, will be able to run and walk without feeling exhausted. In other words, God will give you the strength which you need to keep moving forward.
How do we love God with all of our strength? We need to be strong in the Lord and in His might power, if we’re going to keep moving forward, Ephesians 6:10. When we get tired and weak and feel like we can’t move forward any more, then ask God, to give you strength. Pray that He will give you the power to fly hundreds of miles on the wings of Christ.
Loving God will all of our strength means asking God to remind us that our present troubles are only temporary, 2 Corinthians 4:16-18. Loving God will all of our strength is going help us to fix on our eyes on what is eternal and not on our physical weakness. Loving God will all of our strength means we remember that He will deliver us in our times of trouble, Psalm 34:17-18. Loving God will all of our strength is going help us to remember that God is with us, when we feel like we can’t go on.
Loving God will all of our strength means we remember not to give up when we’re weary, Galatians 6:9. Loving God will all of our strength is going help us to keep on sharing the Good News with others, even when it looks like nothing is happening.
The point I’m making is simply this, if we want to love God with all of our strength, then we really need to get out of our comfort zones. In other words, we need to get to the point when we’ve used up all of our own strength and we start to rely on His strength. It’s easy to talk about our love for God with likeminded people. It’s easy to talk about our love for God in a religious setting. But what about outside our church circle?
Loving God with all my strength means stepping out in faith. Loving God with all my strength means going out of our way, even when we’re tired and exhausted to share the Good News with others outside of our circle. We’re called to go and share that Good News with others and we’re called to serve and care for needs of others. But all that this requires a degree of physical strength. The point I’m getting at is that loving God with all my strength is simple to say but it’s not always easy to do.
It takes a degree of strength to visit someone who is sick in hospital. It takes degree of strength to sit down and listen to someone’s problems. It takes degree of strength to help someone who has a physical or financial need. And if we want to love God with all of our strength, then we must acknowledge that we can’t do anything without His strength working in us.
Don’t tell me you don’t have the strength to share the Good News with a stranger. Don’t tell me you don’t have the strength to visit someone who is sick in hospital. Don’t tell me you don’t have the strength to sit down and listen to someone’s problems. Don’t tell me you don’t have the strength to help someone who has a physical or financial need.
Tell me you won’t, because Paul says that you can do all things through Christ who strengthens you, Philippians 4:13. And so, we have to remember that we can’t do anything of these things by ourselves. Paul tells us we have a strength working within us that enables us to keep on going forward, Ephesians 3:20. All the strength we have comes from God and He gives us the strength to serve Him and serve others.
If your life is anything like mine you have a hundred things to juggle like being a involved in church work, work, school, a social life, hobbies, being a husband or wife. At the end of day, you may be left feeling drained, weak and insufficient because you can’t seem to keep up with it all.
In 2 Corinthians 12:7-10, we can hear Paul crying out for his challenging situation to be taken away. He felt like we sometimes feel but God has a better plan for him. Instead of removing difficult circumstances from Paul’s life, God provides a way to overcome them through strengthening him.
God always has a perfect solution and He makes that clear when He says, ‘my power is made perfect in weakness,’ 2 Corinthians 12:7-10. Because of God’s grace we can find our strength and contentment in our shortcomings. Grace meets our needs and Paul’s needs because it expresses God’s acceptance and pleasure in us.
Let me encourage you to ask God to give you the strength to do everything He requires of you, Psalm 68:35. Let me encourage you to then go and do it with the strength He gives you. Let me encourage you to love the Lord with all your strength, all your muchness, all your substance, all your possessions, everything which God has given you. Let me finish this part with the words of John Wesley, ‘Do all the good you can, by all the means you can, in all the ways you can, in all the places you can, at all the times you can, to all the people you can, as long as ever you can.’
Loving God With All Of Our Mind
Remember although the word ‘mind’, isn’t used in the Shema, Deuteronomy 6:4-5, but it is implied in the word, ‘heart’. It’s not until we get to the New Testament where we get a deeper meaning to the word ‘mind’. And as we know in today’s society there is an even greater understanding of the mind. Hence why mental health issues have risen over the years and there’s a big focus on mental wellbeing.
1. The state of our mind.
The human mind is one of the most incredible aspects of creation. It’s more powerful than the largest supercomputer and can solve great problems and make great discoveries. However, if a person begins their thinking by refusing to acknowledge what they know to be true. That is, if they refuse to acknowledge there is a God, then the further away from God their reasoning will lead them.
When God created Adam and Eve, He created them with a mind to be able to choose wisely. However, as soon as Satan entered the scene, he corrupted their minds by placing doubts in their minds concerning God’s will for them, Genesis 3:1-5. And mankind has struggled in their minds ever since concerning God’s will.
In the New Testament we find various words, which describe the state of our minds. Because of sin, people’s minds have become futile, depraved, deluded and darkened, Romans 1:21 / Romans 1:28 / Colossians 2:4 / Ephesians 4:18. Paul tells us that the effects of sin in our mind has consequences for how people view God and the world around them, Romans 8:5-7.
2. The cure for our mind.
If people’s minds have become futile, depraved, deluded and darkened, there’s only one option and that’s to renew our minds. That word ‘transformed’ in Romans 12:2, is the word, ‘metamorphoo’ and it simply means to change, to morph. And if we want to renew our minds we must fill our minds with the things of God. If we want to renew our minds we must set our hearts and mind on things above, Colossians 3:1-2.
In the Christian’s spiritual battle, the key element that is being fought over is the mind, 2 Corinthians 10:3-5. Just as Satan appealed to Eve’s mind to get her to disobey God, he wants to deceive Christian minds, 2 Corinthians 11:3. And so, our minds need to be renewed daily by God’s Word so that we aren’t conformed to the world and don’t adopt the world’s thinking patterns.
3. To have the mind of Christ.
Paul told the Corinthian church, which loved the wisdom of the world, that Christians are to ‘have the mind of Christ’, 1 Corinthians 2:16. Although it may be a very easy thing to say, it will be a daily challenge for us all to have the mind of Christ in our lives. Loving God with all of our mind means focusing our thoughts on Him. We think about His holiness, His goodness, His awesome works and creation. Whatever is going on in your heart will be reflected in your life, Proverbs 23:7. We are to love God with our thinking and reasoning, not just our emotions.
4. Train your mind.
Paul says we need to think about good things, not evil things, Romans 8:6. We’re to focus our entire mind on the things that please God. To love God with our minds is to hold Him in high esteem, to think about Him with reverence and with adoration. The more we love God with our minds, the more we’ll be driven to worship Him for who He is.
In the Book of Philippians there are 16 references to a person’s mind or their thoughts. I believe that most Christians are much too indiscriminate about what they allow in their minds, Philippians 4:8. In other words, what we think about is our choice and we need to choose wisely what we’re going to focus on. What ought to dominate the thoughts of people who are on their way to heaven? The Bible says, if you reap negative thoughts and gossip and criticism, if that’s what you sow in your mind, you’re going to reap a negative and bitter spirit, Proverbs 4:23.
Have you ever watched Satan attack a church through negative and critical thinkers? That’s one of his favourite strategies and we don’t even think its Satan, we don’t even know he’s doing it. Satan loves to plant negative, critical thinkers in church and they suck the joy right out of that place. We could all think about something ugly about everybody else, but that’s not what you’re going to do if you’re going to love the Lord will all of your mind, Philippians 4:8.
If we’re going to love God with all of our mind, then we need to think about those things which are good and fine about other people and think about all you can praise God for and be glad about it. Can I give you some advice about how you can battle against Satan on this one? Don’t let your mind be a vacuum, don’t let Satan decide what you’re going to think about.
Remember that worldly thinking is something you used to do before you became a Christian, Ephesians 4:22-24. Start your day in the Word and put the Scripture in your heart. Start your day praying to God asking for His Spirit to control your thoughts, Psalm 143:5. And when you find yourself tempted and listening to some gossip or to think something ugly about somebody, say a prayer for that person at that specific moment and God will start to work on your heart too, Isaiah 26:3 / Colossians 4:2.
God wants us to love Him completely and if we claim to love Him completely, then we must obey Him completely. We must love Him with everything we’ve got, Jeremiah 17:10. Let ask you, what will history write about us concerning our love for Him? I hope and pray that history will write something similar to what it wrote about King Josiah. Josiah gave it his all, in line with God’s law, 2 Kings 23:25, let me encourage you do to the same.
I want you to notice something in Mark’s account because it looks like the scribe was surprised at the answer, Mark 12:32-33. Also notice when Jesus SAW, that he answered wisely, Jesus didn’t just hear that young man speaking to Him, He SAW on his face an honest expression when Jesus SAW that he answered wisely. Jesus said, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God’, Mark 12:34.
I believe that Jesus saw in that man’s face, faith and honesty. Here is a man who many might call a rationalist, or a ritualist. But there, standing before Jesus was a man who seems to have more understanding than those who had been trying to trap Jesus. And Jesus can bless a person like this abundantly. And notice that after this no one dared to ask Him any more questions, Mark 12:34. They stopped their schemes to trap Jesus in some argument since they had failed to win any of their arguments. The schemes of entrapment thus stopped, and they moved to scheme how they might physically take Him.
Whose Son Is The Messiah?
‘While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, “What do you think about the Messiah? Whose son is he?” “The son of David,” they replied. He said to them, “How is it then that David, speaking by the Spirit, calls him ‘Lord’? For he says, “‘The Lord said to my Lord: “Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.”’ If then David calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one could say a word in reply, and from that day on no one dared to ask him any more questions.’ Matthew 22:41-46
After weathering their barrage of questions, Jesus asked His opponents a question, how could the Christ be both David’s son and David’s Lord? Matthew 22:41-46 / Luke 20:41-44 / Mark 12:35-37. This question was crucial because the scribes’ objection to Jesus was that He, a mere man they thought claimed divine authority. Jesus showed by His question that the Old Testament had predicted that the Messiah would be both David’s son, human and David’s Lord, divine, Psalm 132:11 / Matthew 1:1 / Matthew 21:9.
The dilemma is how could David, call one of his descendants Lord, Psalm 110:1, when according to Jewish practice the descendant king should refer to his father or ancestor king as lord. What Jesus argued is that Psalm 110:1, is a prophecy by David of the Christ. David didn’t make the statement concerning himself, Acts 2:34 / Hebrews 1:13.
David in the psalm begins by telling us what the LORD, that is, Yahweh, said to the lord, that is, Adonia, that is, Jesus, David’s lord. Please note the word, ‘lord,’ used in the NIV, should have a capital ‘L’. Jesus quotes these words in Matthew 22:43-45 / Luke 20:42, and Mark 12:36-37, to show how David called the Messiah lord, which means that the Messiah was greater than David.
Peter quoted these words from Psalm 110:1, in Acts 2:34-35, to show how David prophesied the deity and accession of Jesus. Paul quotes these words in 1 Corinthians 15:25, to demonstrate the rule and dominion of Jesus. The writer of Hebrews quotes these words, Hebrews 1:13, to explain how Jesus is superior to any angel. Later, in Hebrews 10:13, the writer quotes these words again to explain the rule and dominion of Jesus.
The LORD, that is, God the Father, spoke to the Messiah, that is, Jesus the Son, and told Him He would sit at His right hand until His enemies are made a footstool for His feet, Matthew 22:44 / Luke 20:42-43 / Mark 12:36 / Ephesians 1:20 / Hebrews 8:1. In other words, Jesus would remain there until the Father provided the victory, 1 Corinthians 15:20-28 / Hebrews 2:8.
An important point in Mark in the context of these events is that the common people received Jesus, Mark 12:37. They weren’t part of the religious hierarchy of the religious establishment. They weren’t puffed up by their religious training or the positions they held.
They weren’t part of the religious politics that constantly intimidated the religious leaders into conformity with the accepted traditions and practices of Judaism. They didn’t stumble over their pride but accepted Jesus for who He was. They were the true Israel by faith who accepted Jesus as the Messiah.
Jesus used religious leaders to take Himself to the cross since the leaders had fallen from God. Though the Jews could not actually carry out the death sentence, they were the ones who called on the Romans to crucify Jesus. Peter later identified them as the ones who had to carry the blame for crucifying the Son of God, Acts 2:36 / Acts 4:5-12. Leaders would do well to continually check their motives by the word of God.
God’s leaders must continually caution themselves with God’s word in order to guard themselves from working against Him. The Pharisees were left speechless, and from that day on, no one dared to ask Jesus any more questions, Matthew 22:46 / Mark 12:34 / Luke 14:6 / Luke 20:40.