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The Pharisees, Sadducees, and Lawyers all knew the Torah. They knew the Law. They had read the Pentateuch (the First Five Books of Moses) and knew that the Ten Commandments could be boiled down into two large tomb stones of death: Love the Lord Thy God with all thy heart, soul and mind; and love thy neighbor as thyself. Matthew records for us the diabolical maneuverings of the enemies of truth. The Lawyer was hoping that the Rabbi from Nazareth might say something that his fellow conspirators might use against Him.

You also sinfully test Jesus although you are not officially members of the Pharisee or Sadducee political parties. You are rather buffeted with an "old Adam sinful nature" that daily struggles against your New Creation. You test the Lord by trying to weight the relative weight of the Law; are there some Commandments which aren't quite as bad as others; what about if I have some greater good in mind; what if I keep them all but don't do such a good job at just one of them; surely my efforts count for something, and on the rationalization goes. Or even worse, you become like a Pharisee and actually think you keep all Ten Laws because on the surface you do think you keep them. Thank goodness Dr. Luther helps all of us to understand (with his explanations to the Commandments in part one of the Small Catechism) that Jesus meant what He said when He stated "he who lusts after a woman in his heart HAS committed adultery with her" and "he who hates his brother IS a murderer." The Law cannot be kept by man; not by Pharisee, Hebraic "Lawyer," or any of you. The Law is not your friend; it is your killer.

The adversaries of Messiah, back then, and now as well, always ask the wrong questions as they are always focused on the wrong object. When you focus on yourself you will invariably sin for out of your heart proceeds all manner of lusts and evil desires. When you fixate on the Law, like the Muslims, Hindus, and countless other false "religions" and sects (including "Works Righteous Phariseeism") you are simply putting white-wash on a casket covered with rotten bones. A bit of perfume doesn't make dung smell sweet nor will a "bit" of compliance to God's perfect will do a "damn" thing except damn.

Thus the Lord Himself directs your attention to the only answer, the only solution, the only good news there is: Himself! He once did the same thing to Peter and other eleven when He asked: "But what about you, who do you say the Christ is?" Yes Jesus is teaching Scriptural doctrine on the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, but in such catechesis (even to unwilling students) He is recording the Gospel for all of you. The Gospel isn't that "God" forgives you, or that the "Sovereign" cosmic "demi-urge" or "universal consciousness" smiles benignly upon you and all humans who "do their best" and who co-exist peacefully with nature while following the rules. No. The pagan answers like the Pharisees: "Jesus is the Son of David." Do not suppose that this answer, because it is better than those who deny that Jesus ever existed, is at least a start; it is not. To only admit that Jesus is the "Son of David," that is, a man, is to be on the wrong path, the wrong way, the broad road and gateway which leads to perdition. To view Jesus as only an example, guide, exemplar, coach, motivator, teacher, guru, mystic, rebel, and friend, is to ultimately turn ones gaze back to oneself, i.e. "how am I doing in following His rules and regulations?" … You are not doing so good; you have failed.

Now here the Christ of God with His Good News: "The Lord said to my Lord, sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies Your footstool." Here Jesus was quoting King David from the Psalter. Jesus' point was that David, Jesus' own biological ancestor, was given by the Holy Ghost the inspired prophecy to say, inerrant, "The Father, the First Person of the Trinity, said to my Lord, my God, Christ Jesus, the Second Person of the Trinity, sit at My right hand, till I make your enemies utterly crushed and defeated."

This is creedal Christianity no less than the Apostle's or Nicene Confessions. This is akin with your own recent testimony that you believe (only by the power of God the Holy Ghost, the Third Person of the Trinity) that Jesus indeed sits at the "right hand of the Father." You confess not some nebulous, amorphous, Unitarian, invisible, "GOD," but you confess Jesus: Jesus. It is this man, born of the Virgin, Who is also GOD of GOD. It is this Nazarene, Who is a Nazarene (and Bethlehemite too) according to the flesh, but Who is also co-eternal with the Father and the Spirit who is your "god," your Savior and Redeemer. It is this Man/God Who now sits at the right hand of power and majesty; not for His benefit, but for yours!

This reality is no dry, past historical footnote, but rather a living, breathing, present Man/God Who now sits at your right hand to comfort your and strengthen you. And what of The Law and its uncompromising demands? Christ has satisfied them. Here again the Gospel: "On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets." The word root used in the word "hang" is also that which is associated with pounding something into wood with a nail or spike so as to affix sturdily. And elsewhere, you remember, the Lord said all the prophets and Law testify of Him; i.e. the entire Old Testament is about Jesus. The Law that you can't keep, that you trespass every day, was hung upon God/Jesus' precious Body as it was driven through His wrists and ankles. The punishment you should have received for attempting to murder God by worshipping self, Satan and society was paid for by Jesus when He was hanged up high on the Tree of Death which is now your only Tree of Life. It was at Calvary where He truly was at the Right Hand of the Father doing the Trinity's most holy work; crushing and defeating your enemies and making the altar of His Presence His footstool for you. Come now to the footstool and see His precious punctured feet. How beautiful are His feet which preach and distribute the Good News of your redemption and adoption.

In the Name of The Father and of + The Son and of The Holy Ghost