Ten Into Two Will Go! Mark 12:28-34

Text: “Think not that I am come to destroy the Law, or the Prophets; I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.” 

(Matthew 5:17)

Good morning, Christian mathematician!  If asked to divide four by two you would no doubt repeat, “Two into four goes twice.”  On the other hand, if asked to divide two by ten, no doubt you would repeat, “Ten into the two will not go.”  My humble message tonight from God’s Word is that ten into two WILL go - very nicely indeed.            (Luke 1:37)

THE TEN: The ten I have in mind, of course, is the Decalogue, the Ten Commandments given to Moses by God on Mount Sinai.  (Exodus 20:1-17)

Without the heart’s desire to keep/obey these commandments of the Lord God - we are not His people, and can hope for nothing of His blessings, in this world or in Eternity to come.  This desire to keep/obey God’s Commandments is produced by faith, and of course, faith is the gift of God to His born-again people.  (Ephesians 2:1) (Ephesians 2:8-10)

Note also that I say the DESIRE to keep/obey God’s Ten Commandments, for there has only ever been one Person who ever could, and did, obey perfectly these Commandments - and that, of course, is the Lord Jesus Himself.  (Deuteronomy 6:17-25)

Christ’s perfect keeping of the Father’s righteous Commandments assures sinners like us of God’s Eternal Salvation blessings - through Christ’s righteous Sacrifice for us on the Cross.                     (2 Corinthians 5:17-21)

We believe, and therefore Christ’s own righteousness is imputed unto us by God given faith.  Praise God for such grace!  (Romans 4:3-8) (See the Doctrine of Imputation on our site.)

THE TWO:  The two I have in mind, into which that great ten is divided, is the two commandments contained in our Bible reading for today.  (Vs. 30-31)

Christ, as our text informs us, came not to destroy the Law, but to fulfil it for us.    (Psalm 40:7-10)

Moreover, He summarizes the Ten Commandments God gave to Moses into a more precise Two - four exercised God-ward, and six exercised man-ward.  Check it out for yourself!  (Exodus 20:3-11) (Exodus 20:12-17) 

Therefore, in this sense, Ten into Two WILL go!  Hallelujah!  What a Saviour!  (Matthew 22:33-40)

The original Ten Commandments of the Lord God contain four Commandments exclusively to be exercised God-ward.  The original Ten Commandments contain six directed towards the treatment of our neighbours, family; and other people.

Christ came not to destroy these great commandments, but to fulfil them, and this He did by living a sinless life in perfect obedience to them; dying on a cruel Cross as a perfect Sacrifice for sinners like we who cannot keep them; and, in this gracious manner, summarizing the Ten into Two for our better understanding of them.

The schemes of cunning unbelievers may come seeking to confuse and confound Christians with banal questions like ‘Where did Cain get his wife?’ and, ‘How did they get dinosaurs into Noah’s ark?’ – but the Word of the Lord, Jesus Christ Himself, confuses and confounds them all.  Christ will always have the last word on Eternal questions.

J.C. Ryle Comments:

“Let us observe in the beginning of this passage, how men of different religious opinions can unite in opposing Christ. We read of “Pharisees and Herodians” coming together to “catch our Lord in His words,” and perplex Him with a hard question. The Pharisee was a superstitious formal­ist, who cared for nothing but the outward ceremonies of religion. The Herodian was a mere man of the world, who despised all religion, and cared more for pleasing men than God. Yet when there came among them a mighty teacher who assailed the ruling passions of both alike, and spared neither formalist nor worldling, we see them making common cause, and uniting in a common effort to stop His mouth.

“It has always been so from the beginning of the world. We may see the same thing going on at the present day. Worldly men and formalists have little real sympathy with one another. They dislike one another’s principles, and despise one another’s ways. But there is one thing which they both dislike even more, and that is the pure Gospel of Jesus Christ. And hence, whenever there is a chance of opposing the Gospel, we shall always see the worldly man and the formalist combine and act together. We must expect no mercy from them: they will show none. We must never reckon on their divisions: they will always patch up an alliance to resist Christ.

“Let us observe, for another thing, in this passage, the exceeding subtlety of the question propounded to our Lord. His enemies asked him, “Is it lawful to give tribute to Cesar, the Roman emperor, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give?” Here was a question, which it seemed at first sight impossible to answer without peril. If our Lord had replied “give,” the Pharisees would have accused him before the priests, as one who regarded the Jewish nation as under subjection to Rome. If our Lord had replied, “Do not give,” the Herodians would have accused him before Pilate, as a seditious person who taught rebellion against the Roman government. The trap was indeed well planned. Surely, we may see in it the cunning hand of one greater than man. That old serpent the devil was there. (J.C. Ryle’s Exposition of Mark’s Gospel)

Thought:  For the Christian mathematician, these God-given Ten Commandments into these Christ-summarized and fulfilled Two, will surely go.  The Ten Commandments of the Lord stand FOREVER! Praise His Holy Name! Amen!