In the sermon 'The Law and the Prophets Speak' by Pastor Grant Brown, Jesus is portrayed as engaging with a scribe who questions Him about the greatest commandment. Jesus responds by quoting the Shema from Deuteronomy, emphasizing the importance of loving God with all one's being and loving one's neighbor as oneself. The sermon highlights that this encapsulation of the law is central to Jesus’ teachings and underscores the failure of Jerusalem's religious leaders to adhere to these principles, particularly in their exclusion of Gentiles from worship. The sermon further argues that Jesus, by affirming the law, positions Himself as consistent with the law and prophets, thereby confirming His divine authority. The scribe’s acknowledgment of Jesus’ wisdom signifies a turning point, indicating that Jesus is right and the temple leaders are condemned. Ultimately, the sermon emphasizes the necessity of recognizing Jesus as both Savior and Lord since humanity's inability to fulfill the law perfectly necessitates a Savior who has fulfilled it on their behalf.

God now speaks. One of the scribes came and heard them arguing and recognizing that he, Jesus, had answered them well. The scribe asked him, what commandment is the foremost of all? Jesus answered, the foremost is, here, O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord, and 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. The second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself.

There is no other commandment greater than these. The scribe said to him, Right teacher, you have truly stated that he is one and there is no one else besides him. And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding, with all the strength and to love one's neighbor as himself is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, he said to him, you are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that, no one would venture to ask him any more questions.

May God bless the reading of His Word. Amen. Let's pray together. Father, what we do not know this morning, please by your grace teach us. What we are not yet, we pray that you would make us.

And Father, we thank you that in this your word and in Christ, we have all that we need for life and godliness. Help us now, make us teachable, keep me from error. For Jesus' sake we pray. Amen. You may be seated.

Well our passage this morning is the third and final installment of a series of three questions that the religious leaders of Israel, the temple leaders of Jerusalem, pose to Jesus. First, the first question that we saw in Mark 12, the Pharisees and the Herodians were sent to trap Jesus in a statement about taxes in verses 13 through 17 of chapter 12 and Jesus teaches them about the image of God. Second, the Sadducees come up to Jesus and they come running to Jesus with a gotcha question about marriage and the resurrection. We see that in verses 18 through 27. And what does Jesus do?

He teaches them of the Scriptures and the power of God. And now here in our passage in verses 28 through 34, a third and final question from a scribe. Pharisees and Herodians, Sadducees, and now a scribe. We have all the groups of Jerusalem leadership, all the groups of temple leadership represented now in this chapter. But most notably, the scribe comes last.

Let me ask you a question. What's a scribe? A scribe is a teacher of the law. He is a teacher of the law. He is a teacher of the law.

Friends, you are supposed to read this passage, this third and final question posed to Jesus, and you're supposed to ask the question, what does the law say? What does the law of God, from the beginning of the Bible, have to say about Jesus and what He's doing and saying in the temple? That's the whole context of this passage that you cannot forget Jesus and the temple Jesus and Jerusalem who gave you the authority to do these things Jesus we didn't give you the authority see the temple leaders does the law has God given you the authority who is right is Jesus and his condemnation of Jerusalem for stealing from the nations in the temple? Is Jesus right? Or is Jerusalem, are the temple leaders, the vine growers, the tenants, are they right in opposing Jesus?

What does the law of God have to say about that question? What do the law and the prophets have to say about Jesus and the temple? And in our passage this morning the law and the prophets speak clearly. They pronounce judgment clearly. The law and the prophets give a clear answer to who is confirmed and who is condemned.

Will it be Jesus or will it be the religious leaders of Israel, Jerusalem and the temple or Jesus? Which one? That's the question we will have answered this morning in our third and final question. Our text tells us this morning that the scribe in verse 28 recognized that Jesus had answered all the other groups of leaders well, the text says. Well.

And that's interesting because in every other instance in Mark's Gospel, scribes are always trying to plot against Jesus. They're not interested in being kind and coming up to Jesus with good motives. But here in this particular passage, with this particular scribe, he has seen Jesus answer well. And the text seems to indicate that there is a possibility here that this scribe is not as antagonistic against Jesus as all the others have been up to this point. In Matthew's gospel in Matthew chapter 22 most likely a parallel account of this very interaction we have in Mark 12, in Matthew 22, Matthew tells us that this scribe was seeking to test Jesus.

But Mark makes it plain here that this scribe, regardless of whether he was testing Jesus, this scribe is impressed by Jesus, and he seems to be asking a genuine question. Which is a neat thing. Jesus, you seem consistent with what God has revealed regarding the Imago Dei. You seem consistent with what God has revealed in His Word about marriage and the resurrection. But are you consistent with God's revealed law?

If you really are the owner of the vineyard son, from verses 1-11 of Mark chapter 12, If you really are the son who has come in the authority of the Father to these tenants to bring back produce to the Father that the evil vine growers have kept to themselves, if all of that's really true, if you really are that son sent from the Father, then you will not disagree with the Father and the Father's Law. You get that? So it appears here that we have a genuine question from this scribe. What's your view on the law of God, Jesus? The way I'll know whether you are legitimate or not will be based on how you either exalt the law of God from the Scriptures or belittle it.

That's the test. A genuine test it seems. And it's the third and final question from the religious establishment in Jerusalem. What say you about the law of God? The law of God.

I hope you're seeing this. He is really important. This whole sermon is about the law of God. It's so important. The law of God is so important that when Jesus is done with this answer, it's the last question he gets from these men.

It's the final question regarding Jesus. It's like the final word. How do you view the law of God? How do you view the law of God? I want to ask you a question.

How do you view the law of God? And I pray that it would be said of each of us, of each of you this morning at the conclusion of this sermon that you view the law of God the same as Jesus does. Because Jesus is the giver of the law Himself. Number one, we see here. Whoa, a lot of clicks all of a sudden.

Matthew, this thing? Number one, we see the law. What commandment is the greatest? The scribe asks Jesus, what commandment is the foremost of all? What commandment is the greatest?

And Jesus responds in what way? Well first, Jesus responds from Deuteronomy, chapter 6, verses 4 through 5. The greatest commandment, he says in our text, is to love God. Love God. I want you to look at verses 29 and 30 of our passage.

Jesus answered, the foremost is, hear O Israel, the Lord our God is one Lord. And 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. Now friends, that's a direct quotation from Deuteronomy chapter 6 verses 4 and 5. Deuteronomy 6, 4 and 5. That passage in Deuteronomy 6 is called the Shema.

The Shema. It's the fundamental expression of the Jewish faith. And Jesus quotes it. Is Jesus starting a new religion? Is Jesus, in all this talk of the temple being destroyed and judgment coming upon Israel in Jerusalem is Jesus starting something new Is Jesus wanting to get rid of the Old Testament and the Old Testament law?

And let's start something new with Jesus. Is that what Jesus has come to do? Abolish the old. Narephi is quoting the Shema. Jesus hasn't come to abolish anything.

Jesus has come to fulfill. If you're a Christian, you don't throw out the Old Testament. You don't throw out one book, one chapter, or one verse. You cling to the Old Testament as if it was the very Word of God Himself to you. Because it is!

Yes, you interpret all of the old in light of the new. Jesus said that that has been God's intention. Jesus says so on the road to Emmaus. But if you're a Christian, you follow Jesus. And Jesus is quoting from the Shema.

Jesus is quoting the law of God from the Old Testament. As a follower of Him, You should too. Here Israel, God is one. God is your Lord. God is God.

And you shall love Him with every bit and fiber of your being. That's what all your heart, soul, mind and strength means. With all of yourself. Love Him with everything in totality from head to heart to fingertips. The whole person.

That's the foremost commandment. Love God. And the second is like it, Jesus says, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. Love God, that's first.

And from that love for God comes the second love for neighbor. A Love for God results in love for others made in His image. Love for God vertically must result in love for others horizontally. If there's no love for neighbors this way, then there's no love for God. John says it this way in 1 John chapter 4, if someone says I love God, but I hate my brother, I hate my neighbor, then the first statement is a straight-up lie.

You don't really love God. True love for God, who you cannot see, comes out in your fingertips towards those that you can see. Love for God, love for neighbor. That is the law of God summarized. Love for God, love for neighbor.

The law of God summarized. I want you to just for a moment, I want you to consider the Ten Commandments with me. You know them? Got them memorized? See if you can do it.

Oftentimes the Ten Commandments are referred to as the moral law of God. The Ten Commandments are God's enduring moral law So let's see if you can remember all ten. We'll break them up into two sections here You can find the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20 and then restated in Deuteronomy 5 Commandment number one you can say with me thou shall have no other before me. Good! There is only one true God, Yahweh.

Commandment number two, No graven images. Depending on the translation, I know we could be different. Number three, do not take the Lord's name in vain. Number four, remember the Sabbath day. Keep it holy.

You did really good. What are the first four commandments all about there? What kind of commands are the first four? You'll notice that they're all God-ward. They're all concerning man's duty and obligation to Almighty God.

Man's obligations to the thrice holy God. That's commandments one through four. You see that? So what has Jesus just told you then in our passage here in Mark? He has just told you that the first four commandments are summed up in the command to love God with all that you are.

We call that the first table of the law. The first table of the law is Commandments 1 through 4. And it is summed up with one phrase by Jesus, love for God. You got that? But what about Commandments 5 through 10?

See if you can notice the shift. One through four were easy, all God-ward. See if you can notice the shift in Commandments 5 through 10. Numbers 1 through 4, first table of the law. Now we're going to talk about the second table of the law, Commandments 5 through 10.

See if you can deal with me. Number 5, honor your father and mother. Number 6, do not murder. And number 7, do not commit adultery. Number 8, do not steal.

Number 9, do not bear false witness. Don't lie. Number ten, do not covet. You see the shift? What's the focus of Commandments 5 through 10?

The focus of Commandments 5 through 10 is on our obligations towards one another in light of our obligations to God in 1 through 4. You see that? We're to love God in Commandments 1 through 4. That's the first table of the law and that love for God results in love towards those made in His image as we work out the second table of the law, Commandments 5 through 10 with our neighbors. Love for God, love for neighbor.

Again I want to ask the question, what has Jesus just done? He has taken you to the moral law of God, to the ten commandments, and he has said to you Christian, that law still applies today. The foremost commandment is the first table of the law, love for God, and the second is the second table of the law, love neighbor. Jesus is telling you friends, listen to me please, if you are to follow me, Christian, you are to keep important what I keep important. And Jesus very much here is saying, the law of God is vitally important.

I need to say that again. The law of God is vitally important. Friends, do you know what you get when you give up the law of God? You get men walking into your daughter's restrooms. That's what you get when you give up the law of God.

You know what you get when you give up the law of God? You get over 63 million children massacred in wounds, crossed your country in a holocaust that makes what the evil Nazis did to the Jews look tame. That's what you get when you give up the law of God. That's what you get when you adopt your own standard, rather than God's standard. Don't ever give up the law of God.

Love for God. Love for your neighbors. Vodi Bakum, he sums up this section of verses similar to the way that I just did, and I'm going to quote him. This is what he says, The scribe asks Jesus, what's the greatest commandment? And Jesus replies, I'm going to have to say one through four, followed closely by five through 10.

Love for God and love for your neighbors. And Jesus says in another gospel in Matthew 22, verse 40, He says on these two commandments, love for God and love for neighbor, on these two commandments, depend the whole law and the prophets. The law of God is summarized by love for God and love for neighbor and the prophets. All the judgments towards Israel, all the pronouncements of woe and doom, they stem from a failure to love God and subsequently to love their neighbors. So I want you to put all the pieces together now.

Love for God, love for neighbor, The law is summarized by these two commands. And the judgments of the prophets are summarized by these same two commands. The law is summarized by the two commands, love God, love neighbor, and the judgments of the prophets are summarized by failures to love God and love neighbor. When did God judge His people? God judged his people when they failed to love him and love their neighbors.

Now look again at verse 31. In all caps, which means that Jesus is quoting verse 31 from the Old Testament, we see Jesus quoting Leviticus 19 verse 18. Love your neighbor. It's very tempting to just read that verse and say, cool, Jesus knew his Old Testament. Go on to verse 32.

You can't do that, guys. Every time you see a bold, you know, the New American's helpful here, it tells you often when an Old Testament passage is being quoted, you should go to that Old Testament passage and get the sense of what's happening in the Old Testament. Why does Jesus quote from Leviticus 19? Jesus quotes from Leviticus 19 to show you, to show the scribe, to show anyone listening, that what the temple leaders were doing, what Jerusalem was doing in the temple worship, was in direct contradiction to the law of God. And therefore, the judgment of God upon the temple in Jerusalem was just.

You got that? I'm going to help you see it, I hope, in just a little bit. Jesus quotes from Leviticus 19 to show you that what Jerusalem was doing is in direct contradiction to the law of God and therefore the judgment of God upon the temple in Jerusalem was just. I'm going to show you. Leviticus 19 verse 18 says, love your neighbor.

That's what the Old Testament says. That's what Jesus restates. But the question is always, who is your neighbor? Who is my neighbor? You know that's an age-old question.

Who's my brother? Am I my brother's keeper? Where does that come from? Who's your neighbor? Who is the one you are supposed to love according to Leviticus 19 verse 18?

It just says love your neighbor and you're supposed to ask the question, Okay, who's my neighbor? Who is it? Has God given me direction? Let me ask you a question. Who are the ones that these men in Jerusalem love as themselves?

These temple leaders, who do they clearly love? They love their fellow Jews. They love their fellow Jews. And so what have they done? They've kept the temple to themselves.

But who have they not loved? They have not loved the Gentiles. In fact, they've thrown the Gentiles out of their place of worship, out of the court of the Gentiles. That is the epitome of not love for nations, but hatred. That they would rob Gentiles of their place of prayer.

So I want to ask the question again. What did God say in Leviticus 19 about who Israel's neighbors were? It would be understandable if God had not explained who the neighbor was. Do you think he did in Leviticus 19? I guess he did.

Who were these Jews supposed to love? Not who did these Jews want to love. No, who did God command them to love? Who was their neighbor? And if you go to Leviticus chapter 19, verse 34, just verses right down after love your neighbor, God then explains who the neighbor is.

And in verse 34 of Leviticus 19, you realize that God very much told Israel who their neighbors were. In Leviticus 19 verse 34, God included the strangers, the aliens, the Gentiles who lived among the people of Israel. They were to be neighbors too. I just gave you the Bible verses. That's Leviticus 19.

Love your neighbor, even the Gentile stranger in your midst Israel. Why? God even gives a reason why. Because you know, you were strangers in Egypt too, you know. Love them as I have loved you.

Love them as yourselves. Are you getting the pieces? God had told Israel to love their neighbors. He's told them who their neighbor was. That includes the Gentiles.

And what has Jerusalem done? They have disregarded the law of God. They have given up the law of God and that they've not truly loved their neighbors. How? Do you see how they haven't loved their neighbors as God has instructed them to in Leviticus 19 34?

I really hope that you're seeing it. They've robbed the Gentiles of their place of worship in the temple. They've not treated the stranger. They've not loved the stranger as they love themselves. And if there is no love for neighbor, what does that tell you?

If there's no second table of the law, what does that mean about the first table of the law? If there's no true love for neighbor, in the hearts of these men there is indeed then no true love for God. The law, condemns Jerusalem and her leaders. And the great prophet, the greatest prophet, Jesus the Christ, has pronounced judgment upon her in chapter 11. Why?

Why the judgment being pronounced? Because in her thievery towards the nations, Jerusalem has failed to love God and failed to love neighbor. You see the pieces? Do my best. I hope you see why Mark has included this exchange here.

He wants you to see that the coming judgment upon Jerusalem is just. That when Jesus says the temple will be like this fig tree, that that is just. That that is from God. Because it's a departure from Yahweh and true religion. No longer is the temple a place of worship, it's a place of rebellion.

Why? Because they've rejected the law of God. They've rejected the foremost commandment to love God and the second like it to love their neighbor and God is not pleased. So God will bring judgment. And that's exactly what the scribe tells us in the next two verses.

The scribe repeats Jesus. The scribe simply repeats Jesus. You'll see that in verses 32 and 33. The scribe simply repeats what Jesus has said. Verse 32, the scribe said to Jesus, right teacher, You've truly stated that He is one.

There's no one else beside Him. And to love Him with all the heart, with all the understanding, with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as himself is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Notice two things. First, that the scribe confirms Jesus. The scribe confirms Jesus.

The scribe says one word that is all you need to hear. The first word that he says. Right. Right, teacher. Right, Jesus.

You are right. The teacher of The law has declared Jesus is right. The law and the prophets bear witness. Jesus is right. Jesus passes the test.

Far from giving up the law of God, Jesus upholds it, Jesus exalts it, and ultimately Jesus will fulfill it. Jesus is right. The teacher of the law says to us, the testimony of Jesus is consistent with the testimony of God's unchanging moral law and character. Jesus is right. He's confirmed by the law.

Jesus is trustworthy. And then notice the end of verse 33. This is huge. The scribe repeats Jesus and then he says at the end, right, so love for God, love for neighbor, it's exactly right. That's the summary of the whole law.

And at the end of verse 33, read there with me, And that love is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Obedience to God in the first and second table of the law, love for God and love for neighbor, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. Tell me Friends, where do the burnt offerings and the sacrifices that the scribe is talking about take place? The temple. The scribe condemns Jerusalem.

Condemns Jerusalem. Obedience to the foremost commandment and the second like it is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices. I just want to keep making sure, I just want to be clear. This man, this scribe who carries with him the authority of the law, he is saying if you don't love God, and you don't love your neighbor, burnt offerings and sacrifices means zilch in comparison. And what's this scribe doing?

Is he coming up with his own phrase? You're right, Jesus, and let me just add a little bit of my own flavor. No, this scribe is quoting from the law and the prophets. This teacher of the law is merely quoting from the law and the prophets. This teacher of the law is merely quoting from the law and the prophets.

Hosea 6.6, God delights in loyalty and obedience rather than sacrifice. God delights in obedience rather than burnt offerings. Proverbs 15, verse 8, the sacrifice of the wicked, the sacrifice of the disobedient, is an abomination to the Lord, but the prayer of the upright is His delight. If you don't obey the law of God, if You don't love God and love your neighbor, but then you turn around after disregarding God's law, then you turn around and you offer with a smile on your face in some kind of posture of worship, burnt offerings and sacrifices. You know What God calls you?

A hypocrite. Doing hypocritical things. You're fake. Doesn't mean anything. You don't love God and don't love your neighbor.

This scribe is saying the same thing that the prophet Samuel said to King Saul when Saul disobeyed the direct command from God in 1 Samuel 15. Perhaps you remember that passage when Saul didn't devote to destruction animals that God had said to destroy. Right? You're going upon this people, devote them to destruction, don't leave anything alive. And Saul doesn't obey the direct, clear command of God.

And So Saul is confronted with this. Samuel comes up to Saul and says, why didn't you obey the voice of God? And instead of obeying him, you kept the beasts alive. Why'd you do that? And Saul seems, he doesn't say this in the text, but he seems to...

You can picture it kind of stammering, uh-uh, uh-uh, and then, well, it's because I wanted to keep them as an offering to God. I know that God said to destroy them, but I think It would be better if I keep them, and then I could offer them to God as a sacrifice. God will be pleased by my disobedience because I will use what he said to destroy as a sacrifice. God likes sacrifice, doesn't he? I mean, God likes burnt offerings, doesn't he?

That's what Saul says. And Samuel says to Saul, Saul, sacrifices devoid of obedience are a stench in God's nostrils. Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice. That's what the scribe's saying.

That's what God says about sacrifice and burnt offerings that lack obedience to what God commands in His law. If you're putting the pieces together, what are you seeing going on in Jerusalem right now in this text context? Since chapter 11 of Mark, You are seeing temple leaders who are offering burnt sacrifices and burnt offerings, but they are doing it in disobedience to God. They have disregarded God's plan for the nations in the temple. Is God pleased with those sacrifices and burnt offerings?

That's the question. Is God pleased? Does God delight in these men? And this scribe says emphatically, No. Obedience to God is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.

Though ten thousands of offerings be made to God in the temple, hundreds of thousands, the offering of obedience to God and his command that his temple be made a place of prayer for the nations that Offering of obedience has been rejected by these leaders and so God will not accept the hypocritical burnt offerings and sacrifices of this hypocritic temple. It's like putting lipstick on a pig. And pigs are unclean. And as a result, judgment will come. The scribe confirms the words of Jesus, and the same scribe condemns Jerusalem and her leaders.

Testimony after testimony, beloved, what Jesus has said is right, and The condemnation of Israel is just. The law and the prophets have spoken. Jesus is right. And the destruction of Jerusalem is right. But this exchange is not done.

Oh, love the end of this exchange. Look at verse 34. When Jesus saw that the scribe had answered intelligently, he said to him, you are not far from the kingdom of God. After that, no one would venture to ask him any more questions. Kind of a mic drop moment.

The scribe had recognized that In the beginning of our passage, the scribe had recognized that Jesus had answered the Pharisees and the Herodians and the Sadducees well. And now Jesus, at the end of our passage, recognizes the same about this man. Notice what Jesus says to this man, this particular scribe, you are not far from the Kingdom of God. Now, I'm going to talk more about verse 34 next time we are in Mark. Because there's more to be said.

Do you know why it's significant that Jesus would say that line, you are not far from the kingdom? Why is that significant, that Jesus would tell this man about his position in the kingdom? The answer is, because who gets to decide who is in the kingdom and who is out of the kingdom? Who is the only person who gets to decide who is in the kingdom and who is out of the kingdom and who is close to the kingdom? God does.

Only God gets to determine the position that you are in regarding the kingdom. What is Jesus doing right now? It's not obvious. He's declaring that He's God. When you talk like that, that is Jesus saying, I am God.

And no one will ask Him any more questions. That's our final point. Jesus is God. Jesus is the arbiter of the kingdom of God. Jesus is the one saying that this man is close to the kingdom because only God can say that therefore Jesus is God.

I mean I guess again I know I've said this a lot, but I have so many friends, especially Muslim friends, that have told me time and time again, Jesus never ever ever ever ever declares himself to be God. They are not reading the Bible. The law, It confirms that Jesus is right. Why? Well, ultimately because Jesus is the giver of the law in the first place.

Because Jesus is God. Jesus is God. And we've talked all sermon, all sermon about the law, the law, the law. Has any of it scared you? Has any of it convicted you, bothered you, love for God, love for neighbor?

Do you love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind? Do you, out of an abundance for that love for God, do you Love your neighbor then as yourself? Have you done that? Have you done that well? No you haven't.

You fall short. Significantly short. As do I. And the law of God, one of its many uses, one of its many lawful uses, the law of God is to lead you to that conclusion that you have not obeyed God. That you deserve eternal condemnation.

That you see that the curse put upon the temple should be put upon you. You should be the fig tree that gets withered up and is destroyed, but in hell that should be you. That's one of the uses of the law. But that's not all that the law is to do. The law does not merely show you how you're to live and show you that you are a sinner, it's also to be a tutor that leads you to Christ.

Jesus Christ did and does love the Father with all of his heart, soul, mind, and strength. Jesus Christ, the true temple, offered up his body as a sacrifice, as an offering to God, And His offering did not lack any obedience. It was in perfect obedience, total obedience. What was the problem with the temple's sacrifices? It lacked obedience.

But here is Christ, the final sacrifice, and His obedience is perfect. Jesus has done what Israel and the temple would not do and could not do for the world. Jesus has been faithful when Israel and the temple were not faithful. Jesus has obeyed when you have not obeyed. And He invites you this morning to trust Him, to flee from your sin, and to trust Him and His finished work, His finished sacrifice on the cross.

Because in His perfect life, and in His death, and resurrection, you know what Jesus did? He fulfilled the law. And His righteousness, His perfect law keeping, may be imputed to your account if you but know your need of Him and run to Him in faith. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and God the Father will not reject you. He will not reject you as He rejected the disobedient offerings and sacrifices of the temple.

He rejected those offerings, those sacrifices. But He will not reject you. No, because the sacrifice of Jesus was in complete obedience to both tables of the law. And therefore in Jesus Christ, far from being rejected by God, you were declared righteous, you were forgiven, and you were made a child of Almighty God. And so as James Montgomery Boyce says, and really I conclude with him, Everyone should know that true religion consists of a perfect love for God and of other human beings.

But none of us can love perfectly. That is why we need a savior. We need Jesus. You need Jesus. You need to commit yourself to Him as the only possible savior in your rightful Lord.

And you may do that today, friends. Dear children in this room, you may do that right now. Dear elderly in this room, you may do that right now. Jesus is Savior and Lord. Bow the knee of your heart this very day under His Lordship and saving and you will not be close to the Kingdom.

You'll be in it forever. Let's pray. Our Father in heaven, thank you for the promise that in Jesus Christ, our righteousness is found. That in Jesus Christ, our sin has been taken. The wrath that we deserve propitiated, removed, and poured out upon the Son.

And in exchange, You made Him, Christ, who knew no sin, to be sin for us. So that in Him the Fulfiller of the Law we as your children might become righteous in Your sight. We thank You. We thank You for such a sweet exchange. We praise and thank You for the work of Your Son.

We thank You that He lives. We celebrate that today. We celebrate that every day. We praise and thank you, Father. In Jesus' name, amen.