The Two Great Commandments in Their Old Testament Context

The two great commandments of Jesus in Matt 22:34–40 (with parallels in Mark 12:29–31 and Luke 10:25–37) are of central importance in the “law of Christ”, which is the way he mediates the law to the church as his kingdom today. A study of them in their Old Testament context lends depth to our understanding of why they were known and so important to Jesus and all faithful Jews. The first great commandment follows immediately upon the Great Shema in Deut 6:4 (Mark 12:29 includes the shema as part of the first great commandment), and begins to unpack the full significance of the fact that Israel had only one God and his name was Yahweh. Therefore, the addressees are required to focus all their love on him, no other god. The following verses apply this to all aspects of life. Jesus depended on this section of Deuteronomy for his three responses to the temptations of the devil (Matt 4:1–11). The second great command in its context tells us that personal holiness is all about loving others as one would want them to love her or him (Lev 19:18 with 19:2b; see the “good Samaritan” in Luke 10:30–37). Jesus was asked for one greatest commandment, but he refused to give just one because these two belong together. They supply the frame for the whole law, all of it and every part of it.