Mark 12:28-34 NIV

“One of the teachers of the law came and heard them debating. Noticing that Jesus had given them a good answer, he asked him, “Of all the commandments, which is the most important?” “The most important one,” answered Jesus, “is this: ‘Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.’ The second is this: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no commandment greater than these.” 

“Well said, teacher,” the man replied. “You are right in saying that God is one and there is no other but him. To love him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with all your strength, and to love your neighbor as yourself is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.” When Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” And from then on no one dared ask him any more questions.”

Once again, Jesus was on the witness stand! The judge and jury, His perpetual opponents, the religious leaders, were on His case from morning until night, trying to catch Him unawares.  They were waiting for Him, in an unguarded moment, to incriminate Himself by His words. One word out of place would be enough to destroy Him. 

So, they schemed, they plotted, they questioned Him on every subject that could get Him into trouble. Taxes to Caesar was a hot potato! What about marriage in heaven?…Then, the greatest commandment.  If He was parading the idea that He was the Son of God, what, to Him, was the greatest commandment? Where did He fit in?

Jesus unerringly quoted the Shama, Israel’s declaration of faith. To be sure, without actually saying so, He is an integral part of “the Lord is one”, since He is of the one God in three persons. 

The command to love God wholly and completely is, however, part of the Mosaic Covenant that Israel found impossible to obey. Only one, Jesus Himself, ever and fully obeyed this commandment as He did every other commandment that constituted perfect righteousness according to the law. He alone was the only human ever qualified to stand in the presence of the Father as fully righteous by His obedience to the law. 

So, what Jesus accurately quoted as the greatest commandment,  and its companion, “You shall love your neighbour as yourself,” was the summary of all 613 commandments of the Old Covenant. What we, as participants in the New Covenant need to understand that this commandment, as all-encompassing as it was, became obsolete with all the other laws of the Mosaic Covenant. 

“For if there had been nothing wrong with that first covenant, no place would have been sought for another. But God found fault with the people and said: “The days are coming, declares the Lord, when I will make a new covenant with the people of Israel and with the people of Judah.” 

…By calling this covenant “new,” he has made the first one obsolete; and what is obsolete and outdated will soon disappear.”

‭‭Hebrews‬ ‭8‬:‭7‬-‭8‬, ‭13‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Before you argue with me about the eternal nature of this commandment, let me assure you that Jesus introduced His “new commandment” replacement for this law. 

“A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. By this everyone will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another.””

‭‭John‬ ‭13‬:‭34‬-‭35‬ ‭NIV‬‬

And…in summary, the greatest commandment of the New Covenant…

“And this is his command: to believe in the name of his Son, Jesus Christ, and to love one another as he commanded us.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭23‬ ‭NIV‬‬

The Apostle Paul confirms John’s words…

“Let no debt remain outstanding, except the continuing debt to love one another, for whoever loves others has fulfilled the law. The commandments, “You shall not commit adultery,” “You shall not murder,” “You shall not steal,” “You shall not covet,” and whatever other command there may be, are summed up in this one command: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Love does no harm to a neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law.”

‭‭Romans‬ ‭13‬:‭8‬-‭10‬ ‭NIV‬‬

Our love to Jesus is only real if and when we obey His commandments…

“Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me. The one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

‭‭John‬ ‭14‬:‭21‬ ‭NIV‬‬

…and, again…

“This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers and sisters…Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.”

‭‭1 John‬ ‭3‬:‭16‬, ‭18‬ ‭NIV‬‬

God’s Word is simple and clear. The greatest commandment in the New Covenant is to love one another in deed and truth. Only in this way can we truly show our love for Jesus because all who believe in Him are “in Him” as members of His body. It is, therefore, impossible to love Him without loving His body. 

To the teacher of the law who asked Jesus the question, “ What is the greatest commandment?” Jesus’ reply was given in context…not the all-encompassing requirement of the Old Covenant. It was part of that which would be replaced by His new commandment to love one another, which the Jewish religious leaders failed to do. 

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