HOFC Sermon Archive: Gospel of Mark Part 70: The Two Greatest Commands

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SERMON TIMELINE

10. Jesus Cleanses the Leper

11. Jesus Heals the Paralytic

12. Jesus and the Tax Collector

13. Jesus Questioned About Fasting

14. Of Wine and Wineskins

15. Jesus, Lord of the Sabbath & Resurrection Sunday 2025

16. Hard Hearts and Hard Thoughts

17. Three Responses to Jesus

18. Jesus Appoints the Apostles

19. The Family of Jesus

20. The Unforgivable Sin

21. The True Family of Jesus

22. Parable of the Four Soils

23. How Well Do You Listen

24. Parable of the Growing Seed

25. Parable of the Mustard Seed

26. Benefits of Private Teaching

27. Jesus Calms the Storm

28. Who is Afraid of Jesus?

29. The Touch of Jesus

30. When Familiarity Breeds Contempt

31. Principles of Evangelism

32. Weakness in the Seat of Power

33. The Need for Rest

34. Feeding 5000

35. Jesus Walks on Water

36. Healings at Gennesaret

37. The Danger of Traditions

38. The Source of True Defilement

39. Gentile Blessed for Her Faith

40. He Has Done All Things Well

41. Jesus Feeds 4000

42. Jesus Sighs

43. Beware of Leaven

44. The Blind Man at Bethsaida

45. Who Do You Say That Jesus Is?

46. Mindful of the Things of God

47. The Cost of Discipleship

48. The Value of a Soul

49. Ashamed of Jesus and His Word

50. The Transfiguration

51. The Disciples ask Questions

52. The Unclean Spirit

53. The Way to Greatness

54. Principles of Discipleship

55. God Hates Divorce

56. Jesus Blesses Children

57. The Problem with Wealth

58. The Cost and Reward of Discipleship

59. A Couple Days Before Palm Sunday

60. The Cup and Baptism

61. Greatness in the Kingdom Comes from Serving

62. Blind Bartimaeus

63. Triumphal Entry

64. Cursing and Cleansing

65. Faith and Forgiveness

66. Is it from Heaven or from Men?

67. Parable of the Wicked Vine Grower

68. Our Duty to God and Country

69. The Resurrection of the Dead

70. The Two Greatest Commands

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 12:28-34

The Greatest Commands

“And when one of the scribes came and heard them arguing, he recognized that He had answered them well and asked Him,

“What commandment is the foremost of all?” ²⁹Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord; ³⁰and you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’ ³¹The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

³²And the scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; You have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him; ³³and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

³⁴And when Jesus saw that he had answered thoughtfully, He said to him, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” After that, no one would dare to ask Him any more questions.”

INTRODUCTION

Having silenced the Pharisees, the Herodians, and the Sadducees, Jesus was then approached by a scribe.

The scribe, noticing how well Jesus had answered everyone, asked Him what the greatest commandment was.

Jesus replies with two commandments, saying they are equally great. We see the scribe agreed with grace and wisdom.

Jesus then commented on the scribe's reply with, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.”

Though these two commandments are part of the Law of Moses in the Old Testament, they are very important to the kingdom of God, and both have their counterparts taught in the New Testament.

And as we are told in the New Testament in verses like John 8:31; John 14:15; Matthew 7:24; Matthew 12:50; Luke 11:28; and Matthew 28:19-20 in the Great Commission, as well as taught by the Apostles throughout scripture, we are to obey what Christ commands and teaches.

So, are you in the kingdom of God, not far from it, or nowhere near at all?

I. THE COMMAND TO LOVE GOD

a. Under the Old Covenant

i. The Israelites were expected to love God (Deuteronomy 6:5)

1. With all your heart

2. With all your soul

3. With all your strength

4. Emotionally, physically, intellectually, they were to love God with all their being.

ii. They were to love God with all they were, unlike some who

1. Serve God emotionally, raising hands and crying on Sunday, but intellectually, their mind and thoughts lead their actions elsewhere during the week.

2. Or those who love God intellectually, believing the word, serving Him in deeds and thoughts, but lack emotional empathy and love.

3. Or even those who will love God emotionally and intellectually, but with no actual obedience or discipline that requires the exercise of strength, self-control, or endurance.

4. Do you truly love God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength?

5. Oftentimes, so many say they do, but their actions prove otherwise.

b. How do we love God today?

i. Do you believe God expects less of us today than He did in the days of Jesus on earth?

ii. Of course not! We are called to love God

1. With all our hearts

1 Corinthians 16:22 “If anyone does not love the Lord, he is to cursed.”

i. The Greek word used for love here is Phileo, meaning to love dearly, cherish, be devoted to.

ii. Do you love Him dearly and cherish Him? Are you devoted to Him?

2. We are to love God with all our soul (mind)

Romans 12:1-2 “Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. ²And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and complete.”

Philippians 4:8 “Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is dignified, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence and if anything worthy of praise, consider these things.”

a. Are you renewing your mind with God’s word? It is the only way for you to be transformed.

b. What are you filling your head and thoughts with?

i. Is it true, dignified, pure, is it worthy of praise?

ii. Or are you consumed with worldly things? Feeding your flesh the sin it desires? Are your thoughts consumed with things of this world?

3. We are to love God with all of our strength!

Hebrews 10:36 “For you have need of endurance, so that when you have done the will of God, you may receive the promise.”

a. If you wish to receive the promise, you need to have endurance.

b. Obeying the Lord takes self-control, which the Holy Spirit will supply if we ask.

c. Obeying the Lord takes strength, which the Lord tells us all things are possible through Him who strengthens us.

d. Discipline in godly things, reading the bible daily, praying, coming to church, being consistent, reliable, trustworthy, truthful, all the things we are called to be as Christians, takes strength and self-control, which are provided by the Lord Himself if we will rely on Him.

i. Doing this consistently is endurance.

James 1:24 “Consider it all joy, my brothers, when you encounter various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces endurance. And let endurance have its complete work, so that you may be complete, lacking in nothing."

4. Jesus says that the evidence we love Him is the fact that we keep His commands. (John 14:15)

a. We demonstrate our Love for God through keeping His commands 1 John 5:3

c. How can we grow in our love for God?

i. 1 john 4:9-10; Romans 5:8 tell us we can grow in our love of God by letting God’s love for us move us

ii. 2 Thessalonians 3:5 says we can grow in our love of God by asking God to help us love

iii. We can also grow in our love for God by praying and seeing prayers answered (Psalm 116:1-2) and by keeping God’s word (1 John 2:5)

Do we love God less than what was expected of the Israelites?

Especially when we have all the more reason to love Him more since the gift of His Son Jesus!

II. THE COMMAND TO LOVE OUR NEIGHBOR

a. Romans 13:8 says we owe it to love our neighbor

i. Read to verse 10, and we see that doing this fulfills what the law required

ii. In fact, five of the ten commandments speak of working no ill toward our fellow man

1. Honor towards parents

2. You shall not murder

3. You shall not commit adultery

4. You shall not steal

5. You shall not bear false witness

6. And, if you want to add the sixth, you are to exercise inner restraint and not covet another person’s house, wife, or anything that belongs to them. Though this one is more about you than others.

iii. If one truly loves their neighbor, they will obey these towards them.

b. Enhanced by a new command

i. In John 13:34-35, Jesus taught us to love one another.

ii. This consolidates and moves all these Old Testament commands to a higher level.

iii. No longer do we just love one another as we love ourselves; instead, we MUST love one another as Christ loves us!

1. John 15:13; 2 Corinthians 8:9

c. We demonstrate true love of one another by keeping the commands of the Lord

i. 2 John 1:5-6 tells us this isn’t anything new. It was taught from the beginning.

1 john 5:2 “By this we know that we love the children of God, when we love God and do His commandments.”

1. Not just by claiming to love others, but by living the proper example, and encouraging each other by the example we set.

d. We are taught by the example of God

i. 1 Thessalonians 4:9-10 tells us we develop love for one another because we are being taught about love by God

ii. Jesus, by His own example, demonstrates what true love is

1 John 3:16-18 “By this we have known love, that He laid down His life for us; and we ought to lay down our lives for the brothers. ¹⁷But whoever has the world’s goods, and sees his brother in need and closes his heart against him, how does the love of God abide in him? ¹⁸Little children, let us not love with word or with tongue, but in deed and truth.”

CONCLUSION

How great are these two commandments, to love God and love others. Mark 12:31 says there is no greater commandment than these!

Mark 22:40 says On these two commandments hang ALL the Law and prophets!

Romans 13:9 “Love is fulfilling of the law”

FINAL THOUGHT

When one truly loves God and loves others as Christ loves them, they are on the path that leads to the kingdom of God! (Mark 12:34) They are on the road that leads to eternal life (Luke 10:28) Are you?

If you wish to become a citizen of the kingdom of God and receive eternal life, then demonstrate your love for God by obeying His commands.

(Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:16)

And live a life of faith in Jesus that is focused on loving God and others in the way Christ loves you!

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Thursday, July 9, 2026

Gospel of Mark Part 70: The Two Greatest Commands

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