SPRING QUARTER SUNDAY SCHOOL 2014

THEME: JESUS CHRIST, THE PROMISED KING IN DAVID’S LINE

Unit III – “Jesus’ Use of Scripture”

“JESUS SILENCES HIS CRITICS BY DEFINING SCRIPTUAL LOVE”

Sunday School Lesson No. XIII – May 25, 2014

Lesson Presented by Rev. Frank A. Davis, III Pastor-Teacher

Lesson Texts: Mark 12:28-34 (Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:4-7)

Required Reading: Leviticus 19:18; Deuteronomy 6:1-9; Mark 12:28-34

Lesson Motto Text: Mark 12:30-31 (NLT), “And you must love the LORD your God with all your heart, all your soul, all your mind, and all your strength. The second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ No other commandment is greater than these.”

Reliable Resources: Union Gospel Press Expositor and Illuminator; Standard Lesson Commentary; Willmington’s

Guide to the Bible; Precepts for Living (UMI); Word Search 9 and 10 Electronic Library; The

Maxwell Leadership Bible by Dr. John Maxwell

LESSON INTRODUCTION

In our present society the word “love” is very loosely used to describe a number of emotions and relationships. We say that we love everything… “I love my dog” “I love my house”, “I love my mother”. But in the Greek culture they had different words to differentiate the meaning of love…Agape, Phileo, Storgé, and Eros. All mean love but in different ways.

In this lesson from Mark 12, Jesus is confronted by a number of religious and political rulers. It is the last time He would visit Jerusalem before His crucifixion. He answers the questions of His adversaries, but He also asks questions of them and teaches valuable lessons before going to the cross. It seems that he is giving Israel one more chance to get it right but the course is set for the cross. (Read Mark 11:27 – 12:34).

Now one of the scribes asks an interesting question and Jesus’ answer will silence the interrogators! Like many lawyers of Jesus’ day they questioned the order of priority of the Laws of Moses. Which is most important, or has the greatest priority? According to Dr. Warren Weirsbe: “The scribes had determined that the Jews were obligated to obey 613 precepts in the Law, 365 negative precepts and 248 positive. One of their favorite exercises was discussing which of these divine commandments was the greatest.” Bible Exposition Commentary (BE Series)-New Testament - The Bible Exposition Commentary-New Testament, Volume 1.

Let us focus here on the lesson for this week as, “Jesus Silences His Critics By Defining Scriptural Love.” Anticipated Power Points:

· The Scribe’s Interrogation. Mark12:28

· The Saviour’s Information. Mark 12:29-31

· The Scribe’s Impression. Mark 12:32-33

· The Saviour’s Invitation. Mark 12:34

LESSON OUTLINE

I. The Scribe’s Interrogation. Mark 12:28

Jesus had been questioned by several officials concerning many matters while He visited the Temple during His last week before His death. In 11:27 – 12:12, He was questioned concerning His authority as being one sent from God! In 12:13-17 the Pharisees and Herodians questioned Him about the paying of taxes. In 12:18-27 Jesus is interrogated by the Sadducees concerning eternity with their own parable. And now in 12:28, the Lord is confronted by a Pharisaic Scribe to bait Him into the controversy of which is the greatest of the Commandments.

II. The Saviour’s Information. Mark 12:29-31

According to Dr. Warren Wiersbe, the Savior’s response caught the Scribe off guard. “The Lord quoted Deuteronomy 6:4-5, the great confession of faith that even today pious Jews recite each morning and evening. It is called ‘The Shema’ from the first word of the confession which means ‘hear.’ Then He quoted Leviticus 19:18 which emphasizes love for one's neighbor. Jesus made love the most important thing in life, because ‘love is the fulfilling of the Law.’”

“The Shema declares the monotheistic doctrine of Judaism.” “The Lord is One” or simply “Unity”. Israel worshipped only one God, not like their heathen neighbors who they encountered. For the orthodox Jew to “Hear” was also to “Obey”. Jesus extended His defining of the greatest commandment by adding the Leviticus passage that loving God is paramount, but it could only be defined in the context of loving one’s neighbor which is why He added Leviticus 19:18 as a paramount illustration of one’s love.

The Ten Commandments are so structured if we examine them, that the first four point to our relationship to God, and the last six to our relationship with man. (Note a vertical relationship and a horizontal relationship which form the cross which is God’s ultimate illustration of Love!). “Jesus made love the most important thing in life, because ‘love is the fulfilling of the Law’ (Rom. 13:8-10). If we love God, we will experience His love within and will express that love to others. We do not live by rules but by relationships, a loving relationship to God that enables us to have a loving relationship with others.” (Wiersbe).

III. The Scribe’s Impression. Mark 12:32-33

The scribe was so impressed because Jesus’ presentation of the truth lined up perfectly to the scripture; it left no stone unturned to the seeker of truth. “When he started this conversation, the scribe was only the tool of the Pharisees who were trying to get evidence against Jesus (note Matt. 22:35). But after he heard our Lord's answer, the scribe stood and dared to commend the Lord for His reply. The Word had spoken to the man's heart and he was beginning to get a deeper spiritual understanding of the faith he thought he understood. Even the Old Testament Scriptures taught that there was more to the Jewish religion than offering sacrifices and keeping laws (see 1 Sam. 15:22; Psalm 51:16-17; 141:1-2; Jeremiah 7:22-23; Hosea 6:6; Micah 6:6-8).

IV. The Saviour’s Invitation. Mark 12:34

The invitation Jesus offers this man is to turn away from those who have great influence in his life that was false and turn to the revealed truth of God that would give him salvation!

Closing:

Beloved how close are you to the Kingdom? You are not close enough until you are totally committed to our Lord Jesus Christ! In II Corinthians 5:17 we find this profound truth, “Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.”

Bibleway Missionary Baptist Church, New Orleans, LA and Little Bethel Baptist Church, Amite, LA

Mailing Address: Post Office Box 19768, New Orleans, LA 70179 - Phone: (504) 486-7876

Website: www.thestudyhour.com (See and hear lesson taught via Video)

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TV Broadcasts: WHNO TV-Channel 20, Sunday, 6:30 a.m.

Looking Ahead: June 1, 2014 Haggai 1:1-11

You are invited to attend Noon Bible Study every Wednesday as Pastor Davis teaches the lesson at Bibleway.