The Two Ultimate Questions, Part 1

On several occasions in the book of Matthew, the writer recounts dramatic clashes between the religious leaders in Jesus's unsavory standoffs of wave exposing the ill intent of the Pharisees and Sadducees while at the same time demonstrating the conviction and compassion of Jesus today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching for Matthew chapter 22. In this passage, the Pharisees posed to very complicated scenarios attempting to catch Jesus off guard.

Well, Jesus responded with a few questions of his own.

Chuck titled today's message to ultimate question God's inspired word chapter 22, which is a record of Matthew's account of the life of Jesus, as all of you know there were four who wrote of Jesus life, commonly referred to in theological works as the evangelists. Mark was the first to write any rights of Jesus as a servant and then no more. Matthew's debatable who wrote next Luke writes to Jesus as a man. Matthew as the king and John writes of him as God's deity, so we look into the kingly gospel when we look at Matthew and were finishing this 22nd chapter beginning at verse 33, Matthew 22 verse 33 be reading from the new living translation for the crowds heard him they were astounded at his teaching, but when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply. They met together to question him again. One of them, an expert in religious law tried to trap him with this question.

Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses, Jesus replied, you must know the Lord your God with all your heart, you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and all your mind. This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself.

The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments then surrounded by the Pharisees. Jesus asked them a question.

What you think about the Messiah, whose son is he. They replied he's the son of David. Jesus responded, then why does David streaking under the inspiration of the spirit called the Messiah, my Lord, for David said the Lord said to my Lord, sit in the place of honor at my right hand until I humbled your enemies beneath your feet. Since David called the Messiah, my Lord, how can the Messiah will be his son. No one could answering and after that no one dared to ask him any more questions in that great. I want to go yes we get to the Internet.

Yes, great moment. But Jesus doesn't he let's it landed hard on their hearts. Insight for living to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/studies and now the message from Chuck titled the two ultimate questions the best questions in life are not asked to be answered. There asked to make us think to make us think deeply great questions for sister probe deep within our own so and rather than rushing around for an answer. We searched the meaning of the question. I realize that it is examining us, which is the best part about a great question. Socrates was said to have been wise not because he had all the right answers, but because he knew how to ask the right question. I think back over my years when I was privileged to have mentors that I've now pretty much outlived and except for one who recently celebrated his 90th birthday and as I think back over the best teachers in my life, most of whom have gone on. I realize they were great mentors and great teachers never because they gave me the list on how they live their lives, and therefore I should live like they lived, but they knew how to ask me the probing questions those questions that force me to think, to wonder to confess to acknowledge. I remember sitting in the registrar's office at Dallas seminary on a hot summer day in 1959. It was I had gotten out of the Marine Corps in April and so I was just months out. Sue had a flat top. Didn't everybody in the back and 59 and I will men think he was sitting beside me in beautiful white suit and I was facing a man who had the authority as to whether I would be admitted or not. As a student and I came to that meeting.

Having completed the written exams that were part of that process, but I had not had this I would call it in more of an oral exam where we probe some things in my life and and Dr. Don Campbell was the registrar at the time. I remember looking at me over the top of his glasses and saying to me making a question out of the statement. Chuck, would you be happy and fulfilled doing anything other than ministry for the rest of your life that is a question 1959 I'm I was 25 years of my life in front of me.

I had a good job in Houston could return to it would experience promotions and go on living a rather simple and secure life fairly predictable. Or I could enter a whole new realm.

What we call now another career, and in a world of of the information that I was not that familiar with that I must work hard to learn and give myself to. But anyway, my answer after thinking on it. I must've stared at him, blinking 15 to 20 seconds and I said to him know I wouldn't be fulfilled or happy doing anything else. He frowned and said we will be in touch with you okay I thought that's it really II had no way of knowing what the decision was an acceptably on probation.

Praise the I was accepted and I quickly became the lone man and that's what made little money. Love is a student and I poured myself into the studies of theology and in Greek and church history and Bible exposition in and on and on until finally, by the end of that first year he call me back into his office and said were going to keep you as a student and I believe I walked out with tears, grateful he said by the way if you answered any other way back when I ask you the question we would never have accepted you. I was really glad that I answered no, I wouldn't be happy and fulfilled.

What a question asking a 25-year-old young man sitting beside his wife, no children.

The whole future stretched out in front of him. Would you be happy the rest of your life doing this I thought of the question many many times the answer still the same I'm reading right now. Three days in January. Dwight Eisenhower's final mission, and I found these words, every president is peppered with questions, problems and decisions to be made, but the one question I always ask was is it good for America. That's a presidents question is this plan I have for immigration good for America is my plan for defense good for America is the economy that we have underway and the arrangement of things good for America is the substructure we are going to rebuild good for America is going to deal with debt good for America on and on and on asking the question that must be answered. I will always love the title of the book is an old book now, but it's a great title if Jesus is the answer the question. The title is designed to make you think to come up with quick answers. What are the questions why viewed as the Sadducees in the days of Jesus. They would've had one set one set of questions and they certainly have them and he put them in their place.

Interestingly, in the section were in the day I find it intriguing that it that it really begins with with the answers that they could not question and with question he asked that they could not answer in both places. They are silenced, which is the best kind of ultimate dialogue because now everyone is thinking we read in verse 33, when the crowds heard him they were astounded at his teaching. Matthew 2233. They were astounded. But look at what it says about the said you see when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the side you see silenced keyword for model PHI MO the word means to muscle to muscle.

It literally has in mind the idea forcefully restricting the opening of the mouth its use in first Corinthians 994. Muscling the mouth of the ox and in Mark 125 it is used by Jesus when he says to the to the demon.

The client and come out of him muscle the demon muzzle the ox in this case, Jesus words muscled the Sadducees. That was a rather amazing thing is like muzzling a group of politicians any nothing more to say they were the ones you remember who came up with this ludicrous series of our question never had a series of of what incident this woman marries this man, he dies, she buries his brother and that he dies and she marries the next brother, and then he dies and he bears a next brother.

Well, whose wife is she going to be in the in the heaven. Even though they didn't believe in heaven.

It wasn't a question.

They wanted answered. It was a question they want to do something with which they couldn't do another silent mother muscled the Pharisees move in with great delight. They never enjoyed the Sadducees that much. As a matter fact they only had one thing in common. Both of them despise Jesus so another verse another, the Sadducees or or or are out of the picture. The Pharisees move in with another question and they think they bring their leading lawyer up to the front, we read of him as the expert in religious law, verse, verse 35 and they tried to trap him you see the reading in verse 35 the it was purposely designed to trip him up and asked him what's the greatest commandment.

Thinking and hoping that he will name one of his commands from his own system of teaching knowing that there is no greater command than the one Moses left therein for real surprise. They say to him what is the what is the most important commandment in the law of Moses without hesitation and with no copy of the Scripture in hand. Jesus responds from memory with the words found in Deuteronomy 6. Four through 9 Which You Hold Your Pl. here and go back to Deuteronomy turned back to that book of the Old Testament and let's read what Jesus quoted chapter 6 verses four through nine hear, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone. Let me interrupt here for just about wanted say this is known as the Shema SH EMA.

It's the bird translated here or listen here this Shema is the word and the when the Jews referred to it by the way, every pious Jew could quote this and would quoted twice a day.

This would be like the essential creed of Judaism, look at what Moses left, listen, O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord alone. By the way that I need to keep interrupting me to see things that are helpful. The Lord is one.

Your Bible probably reads it's the Hebrew word after X hot you know you said it right when something lands on the neck of the person in front of you is called a guttural, enemies one as in a cluster is used for a cluster of grapes but in this case it's one as in a Trinity, father, son and Spirit. You don't see that all you see is a loaner one when you read in the English hear, O Israel, the Lord our God is God and you must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul 023 and you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commandments that I'm giving you today.

Repeat them again and again to your children.

I love this part talk about them when you're at home when you're on the road when you're going to bed and when you're getting up, tie them to your hands and wear them on your forward as reminders write them on the doorpost of your house and on your gates and by the way, in the homes of pious Jews. To this day, you will see those words that have been rolled up in a handwritten scroll and placed in the little piece at the doorway. These words from this essential creed of Judaism is the most familiar and the most quoted of all the commands and Jesus answers it immediately off the top of his head. No doubt he quoted twice a day and I love the fact that he had it memorized. This is the first and greatest commandment but doesn't stop there. He doesn't stop there even quotes Leviticus 1918, so go from Deuteronomy back to Leviticus chapter 19 some of your staring at me go back to Leviticus chapter 19 and locate verse 18. Love your neighbor as yourself.

I am the Lord the end of the verse reads love your neighbor as yourself out of the blue asked the question Jesus answers what God with all of your heart, all of your soul. All of your mind. This is the first and great commandment in the second is equally important. Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all of the demands of the prophets are based on these two Clement while. How's that for an answer and is asked spontaneously know of what when I study the Bible.

I'll put myself in the sandals of people who lived in that agent day and I asked myself that I've been able, but I been able to think of that quickly or that incisively probably would not have been able to do that often when you're in front of opponent. You don't think clearly and and you so you get your your head gets a little mushy. But Jesus is not at all intimidated by the critics, he answers immediately. You love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and mind and love your neighbor as yourself.

Perfect brilliant. Now we don't read in Matthew's gospel what the lawyer says in return, but in Mark's gospel we do take time to have you look, but he tells us in Mark 12.

In verse 12, hosted on Skelly Carlos good did not Skelly teacher good teacher not telling you that's amazing. Here is the critic who is the sharp, the sharpest among the group probing Jesus for question thinking of going to trip and and when Jesus answers the question. The man has to say that's outstanding. We would say today right on superb answer teacher exactly right. You've accomplished something when you not only given an answer to a critic. But you so impressed the critic with the answer that he says to you, what a great answer perfect mother way before you get lost in the loving others as you love yourself because today is a day of all about loving self living.

Let me warn you against that the whole idea is we take care of ourselves. We, we certainly care about our our our well-being.

That's a sign of a whole cement and healthy life. But this is not about loving self. This is about loving the Lord and loving others great time for me to pause and probe you with the question you love God like this division does your life review that kind of God love. How about others. Others or if the truth were known back. Here is a blacklist, a group of folks that Jesus really Woodbine if you never saw him again. Jesus says loving God and loving others. I think of the cross. The vertical loving God in the horizontal loving loving others, we pause in moments like this, having read what Jesus answer is, and we do little soul search for us. My question is a is a rhetorical question, meaning known answer out loud. Search your heart for the true answer's a good time for me to warn you about our culture it's disintegrating you notice that your children don't know that so they'll get caught up in it. Unless you as an adult help them know that is veering in the wrong direction.

We live in confusing times when the narrative seems to revolve around issues that divide us rather than principles that draw us together. Cultural conflict ran rampant in Jesus day, and we certainly feel the same tension today. You're listening to Insight for living Chuck Swindoll's teaching for Matthew 22 and he titled today's message. The two ultimate questions is a subject that will address again on the next program and learn more about Chuck and the resources we have available for today's topic, please visit us online@insightworld.org in recent days, Chuck came across a book that resonated with him and is recommended reading for anyone is trying to engage in conversations with your friends and family about current social issues.

I'm referring to a brand-new book from pastor Bodie Baucom called faultlines like a fault line the social justice movement we see today threatens to divide us. Whether you're a layperson who wants to learn more about the biblical perspective were pastor who wants to address these important cultural issues with the compassion of Jesus you want to read faultlines. You can purchase a copy right now by going to Insight.org/offer McCullough's if you're listening in the United States, call 800-772-8888 if you're looking to receive daily encouragement from Chuck. Did you realize that Insight for living produces a daily devotional but sent by email. There is no cost and chucks inspirational writings cover a variety of common issues. The devotional is thoughtfully designed to help you navigate challenging issues in your life and receive this free devotional email from Chuck. Just follow the simple instructions Insight.org/devotional as you since God prompting you to support Insight for living ministries we'd like to give whatever amount since everything large or small, is every gift we channel directly into providing text Bible teaching on insight from. Here's the number to call if you listing in the United States dial 800-772-8888 or give a donation online@insight.travelers who want to take a tour to Israel have lots of choices, but if you measure up to the thoughtful journey prepared by Insight for living ministries with the proper mix of historical information and biblical context.

We provide ample opportunities to pause and let the wonder in our goal is to create special moment when you deepen your love for the Bible and draw closer to your Lord experience an unforgettable 12 day tour to Israel Chuck Swindoll Insight for living ministries March 6-17, 2022.

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I'm Wayne Sheppard, Chuck Swindoll continues to describe two ultimate questions tomorrow on insight for living. The preceding message that two ultimate questions was copyrighted in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R.

Swindoll.

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