“Law or Gospel?” 3-27-22

Overview

Law or Gospel?

Martin Luther taught that anyone who can rightly distinguish between law and gospel deserves to be called a doctor of theology. Our Lutheran confessions echo this conviction, because rightly dividing law and gospel is what enables us to understand and faithfully proclaim the Scriptures. A common but mistaken shortcut is to equate the Old Testament with law and the New Testament with gospel. Both run through both Testaments. Paul declares law in Romans 6:23 — "the wages of sin is death" — while Isaiah preaches pure gospel in Isaiah 53:6: "the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all."

In Mark 12:28-34, the Sanhedrin set traps for Jesus, hoping to discredit him and bring about his death. After questions about taxes and the resurrection, a scribe asked which commandment is greatest. Jesus answered from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 — to love the Lord with all heart, soul, mind, and strength — and from Leviticus 19:18 — to love your neighbor as yourself. The two tables of the commandments are bound together: love for God and love for neighbor cannot be separated, as 1 John 4:20 makes plain. The scribe agreed wholeheartedly, and Jesus replied, "You are not far from the kingdom of God."

That last line is law, not gospel. "Not far" still means not in. The scribe knew the Scriptures and grasped the unity of the commandments, but he had not yet confessed Jesus as the Messiah. A simple way to keep the distinction clear is the acronym SOS: the Law Shows Our Sin, and the Gospel Shows Our Savior. The law functions as a mirror, exposing how we fall short of God's perfect demand Matthew 5:48 in thought, word, and deed, by what we have done and left undone. Left to ourselves, all we would have is the law's accusation and threat.

But God does not leave us to ourselves. The Son took our sin upon himself, bore the wrath we deserved, and from the cross declared the debt paid in full. The empty tomb confirms that the sacrifice was accepted; redemption — being bought back by his blood — is ours. The law says "do this"; the gospel announces "this is what God has done in Christ." The law threatens; the gospel assures. The law brings sorrow over our failure; the gospel brings joy over Christ's perfect obedience credited to us. So learn to distinguish these two in Scripture — and in your own life. Will you live under guilt for what you have done and left undone, or in the light of the cross and empty tomb? Will you try to earn God's favor, or rest in the truth that you are his beloved child, claimed in baptism, and that every blessing is sheer grace?

Transcript

Would you open up your Scriptures, please, to this portion of God's holy word, Mark the 12th 3s

chapter, if you're using a Pew edition of Holy Scripture, you're going to find that on page 42, 9s

Mark the 12th chapter for our study today. 16s

Martin Luther said that it is important to be able to distinguish between these two things. 22s

In fact, he said that if you can distinguish between these two things, you would be able 32s

to be called a doctor of theology. 39s

The two things, law and gospel. 45s

Luther said, you can distinguish between those two. 52s

You should be able to be called a doctor of theology. 56s

Our Lutheran confessional writings echoes the importance of that because it is the ability 62s

to distinguish between law and gospel that enables us to rightly understand and also 68s

to rightly explain the Scriptures. 78s

In fact, if you misinterpret law and gospel, if you mix them up or they become muddy, it 83s

affects the witness, it affects the understanding that we communicate. 91s

To be able to distinguish law and gospel, you can be called Luther said, a doctor of theology. 99s

Some people will do it rather simply but incorrectly. 113s

They'll say that the Old Testament is the law and the New Testament is the gospel. 119s

That's wrong. 128s

Because you see there's law and gospel in both of the testaments, for example. 131s

When poll writes in Romans 6, for the wages of sin is death, that's law isn't it? 137s

That's law. 145s

Or in the Old Testament, when the prophet Isaiah writes, the Lord has laid on him the 147s

iniquity of us all, the prophecy of the Messiah to come, that's gospel. 155s

So to say, Old Testament's law and New Testament's gospel, no, it's much more complicated 164s

than that. 173s

You can distinguish between law and gospel. 175s

You could be called Luther said, a doctor of theology. 182s

So, Jesus' words in the text today, are they law or are they 190s

gospel? 204s

Are they law or are they gospel? 208s

Let's get a little background. 215s

The Jewish Supreme Court was called the Sanhedrin. 217s

The Sanhedrin wanted Jesus dead. 220s

Jesus was a perceived threat to them. 224s

They didn't like Jesus at all. 228s

They didn't like the interactions that were going on with the people and they were threatened. 231s

And so they wanted to kill him. 238s

Well, they would want to get ownership to be able to kill him. 243s

So the first thing would be to discredit him in the eyes of the people. 247s

After all, if they could somehow discredit Jesus in the eyes of the people, then it would 253s

be easier to move into the killing. 259s

It's what they really wanted. 263s

But they also realized they didn't have under Roman rule the authority to execute anybody. 265s

So they would have to convince the Roman higher ups that somehow Jesus was a threat to Caesar. 273s

So there's two goals here from the Sanhedrin that underlies our text. 284s

One discredit Jesus and two bring about his death, discredit and death. 289s

When you come to chapter 12, you see example after example, after example, in fact it's three examples 298s

of trying to discredit Jesus. 308s

Trying to try to trap him with the questions. 312s

Trying to get him to answer in a way that they could use his answer against him. 317s

Let's look at the first trap, please. 325s

Chapter 12, verse 14. 327s

The last part of verse 14. 331s

Here comes the first question. 335s

Is it lawful to pay taxes to the emperor or not? 338s

Should we pay them or should we not? 342s

That's a trap question. 346s

It's a trap question. 349s

And they wanted to see if they could get some words from Jesus that they could then discredit him. 351s

Or how about this question, verse 19 of chapter 12? 360s

Teacher. 367s

Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the man shall marry the widow 369s

and raise up children for his brothers. 377s

There were seven brothers. 381s

The first married and when he died left no children and the second married the widow and died, 383s

leaving no children and the third likewise. 388s

None of the seven left children. 391s

Last of all the woman herself died in the resurrection whose wife will she be for the seven had 393s

married her. 400s

Really? 401s

Really? 403s

But there's the question. 405s

Why? 407s

Because they wanted to trap him. 407s

You want to trap him. 410s

Here's question number three in our text. 412s

Verse 28. 415s

One of the scribes came near and heard them disputing with one another and seeing that he had answered 419s

them well, he asked him which commandment is the first of all. 425s

The scribes were the scholars. 436s

They were the scholars in the law. 437s

They knew their old testament and they knew the interpretation of the old testament and they 439s

knew all of the rabbinical regulations that had been added. 445s

They were the legal scholars. 450s

And the question here, the motive here, underneath it is, can we get Jesus to put himself above 454s

the law? 469s

Because if we can get him to put himself above the law, ah, then we can discredit him. 471s

Then we can discredit him. 483s

How does Jesus answer? 488s

Verse 29. 490s

Jesus answered the first is here. 493s

Oh, Israel. 495s

The Lord are God. 496s

The Lord is one. 498s

That's right, out of Deuteronomy chapter six. 500s

That is the answer that every Jew would have given. 503s

He then goes on. 508s

Still remaining in Deuteronomy six. 511s

Verse 30, you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind 514s

and with all your strength. 521s

The heart there. 525s

That biblical understanding of that which controls our thoughts, our words, our actions, our 526s

soul. 534s

That's associated with emotions. 535s

Remember when Jesus said, my soul is grieved. 538s

He was referring to his emotions. 542s

The mind, that's the, that's will intellect, purpose, strength. 545s

That's physical, energy. 550s

With one's heart, soul, mind and strength. 553s

All encompassing love for God. 559s

And describe. 566s

Nothing to disagree with here, right? 569s

He goes on. 574s

Verse 31. 576s

Then the scribe, or the second is this, you shall love your neighbor as yourself. 579s

There is no other commandment greater than these. 586s

Now Jesus is in Leviticus 19. 591s

So he first goes to Deuteronomy six. 594s

Then he goes to Leviticus 19. 596s

And all he's referring to now is the two tables of the ten commandments. 599s

The first table, commandments one to three, 604s

have to do with our relationship with God. 606s

Then the next seven have to do with our relationship with one another. 608s

Jesus goes to Deuteronomy six. 614s

He then goes to Leviticus 19. 616s

All he's communicating is the two tablets are linked together. 618s

Our love for God and our love for one another. 625s

It's the same thing that is recorded in first John the fourth chapter. 628s

Those who say, I love God and hate their brothers or sisters are liars. 633s

Good for him. 641s

He's six. 641s

The bigus 19 ties the commandments together. 642s

And what's the response from the scribe? 648s

Verse 32. 651s

Then the scribe said to him, 655s

you are right teacher. 658s

You have truly said that he is one and besides him there is no other. 660s

And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding, 667s

with all the strength and to love one's neighbor is one's self. 670s

This is much more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. 674s

The question didn't work, did it? 683s

Didn't work. 685s

The question didn't entrap Jesus. 687s

No. 692s

The scribe's looking at Jesus and agreeing with Jesus. 694s

They're looking at each other and there is absolutely no disagreement. 700s

whatsoever. 705s

The question didn't entrap and the scribe isn't saying here 706s

that the sacrifices of the day is somehow unimportant. 713s

No, he's saying that mercy is better than sacrifice. 718s

Same exact thing that Jesus said recorded in Matthew the ninth chapter. 723s

Go and learn what this means. 728s

I desire mercy not sacrifice. 730s

So there's the scribe. 733s

There's the legal scholar there to try and entrap him to discredit him. 734s

And now they're just looking at each other and the scribe is in agreeing. 739s

He's agreeing with Jesus. 743s

Then Jesus says it. 750s

Look at verse 34. 754s

When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, 758s

he said to him, 763s

you were not far from the kingdom of God. 766s

You are not far from the kingdom of God. 774s

Is that law or is it gospel? 787s

Is it law or is it gospel? 796s

That dot dot dash dash dot dot dot. 812s

Now do you know what I just verbally did? 821s

I can see some of you smile. 824s

That's more scode verbal edition, right? 827s

It's more scode for SOS. 832s

Sometimes it's been thought that SOS means save our ship or save our souls, 839s

but in actuality SOS means nothing. 845s

Means nothing. 850s

But attached to it has been the understanding of a distress signal. 852s

It's really quite smart, isn't it? 860s

To use that which couldn't be interpreted as some type of word, 863s

SOS, it just means means nothing. 868s

But attached to it is a distress signal. 872s

So even though with more scode SOS means nothing, 876s

theologically SOS means a lot. 882s

In fact, it's a simple way to distinguish between law and gospel. 887s

You can use SOS. 895s

The law SOS shows our sin. 899s

It shows our sin. 904s

That's a function of the law of God to reveal what sin is. 907s

It's also a function of the law to be the mirror that is held up to us, 913s

the mirror of scripture that contains the law of God 919s

that mirror that shows our sinfulness. 924s

And so SOS shows our sin. 928s

That's really important, isn't it? 932s

It's a really important function of why God gives the law, 934s

because if we don't understand that we are sinners, 937s

then we don't understand that we need to be saved. 943s

We need to be saved because we are sinners. 949s

Because of our sin left to ourselves, 954s

God's judgment then. 959s

Of eternal existence and hell itself is appropriate 963s

for how can the Holy live in eternity with the unholy. 967s

SOS shows our sin. 973s

SOS with the gospel shows our Savior. 981s

It shows our Savior. 989s

SOS law shows our sin. 996s

SOS gospel shows our Savior. 998s

When Jesus turns and says, 1005s

you are not far from the kingdom of God, 1007s

He's close. 1015s

But He's not in. 1020s

Is he? 1025s

Close. 1027s

Why? 1028s

Because He understands the Old Testament. 1029s

He understands Deuteronomy 6, 1032s

and Leviticus 19. 1034s

He understands the relationship between the two tables. 1035s

But He's not in the kingdom of God. 1040s

So what does that mean? 1045s

He had yet to confess Jesus Christ as the Messiah. 1046s

And one can be close. 1056s

But He wasn't in. 1063s

And the SOS shows the sin of the man 1067s

in His lack of confession of Christ. 1075s

To rightly distinguish verse 34, verse 34, 1082s

is law. 1092s

It's law. 1095s

Let's do our selves. 1101s

All we would have would be the law. 1104s

That's all we'd have. 1109s

God leaves us to ourselves. 1112s

All we have is the law. 1114s

All we have is the law. 1118s

With all of it do this and don't do that. 1119s

All we would have would be the law that shows us 1126s

that we are unable to keep the law. 1131s

We can't keep the law in all of its demands. 1136s

Because remember what a Scripture says, 1139s

we should be perfect as our Heavenly Father is perfect. 1141s

We must be Scripture says. 1147s

And so all of us continually transgress the law 1150s

of God. 1155s

If not an actual deed, 1156s

also in thought, in Word, by what we do, 1160s

by what we leave undone. 1164s

You hear a new, the all-encompassing nature of that, 1166s

which we confess. 1170s

All of us are sinners. 1171s

We all transgress the law. 1175s

The law and the mirror comes to us. 1178s

God with His do this and don't do that. 1180s

And we realize. 1183s

That we don't live up to the demands. 1186s

And we can be filled then with sorrow, 1193s

sorrow for how we fall short. 1197s

And the law comes to us and it threatens Roman six 1202s

for the wages of sin is death. 1212s

Left to ourselves. 1226s

All we would have is the law. 1229s

But God does not leave us to ourselves. 1237s

The Lord Jesus comes, the second member of the Trinity. 1248s

And upon the Lord Jesus, all of our sin, 1251s

all of the thoughts, and all of the words, 1256s

and all of the deeds, and all the things we've done, 1258s

and all the things we've left undone. 1261s

All of it is taken upon the Lord Jesus Christ. 1262s

And the just wrath of God for sin falls upon Jesus instead of us. 1268s

On the cross Jesus says, paid in full, the sin debt paid, 1276s

and reconciliation is affected. 1281s

Redemption is affected. 1285s

The buyback, that's what that word means to redeem, 1287s

to buy someone back, and it's purchased through the blood 1290s

of the Lord Jesus Christ. 1295s

The empty tomb, the sacrifice has been accepted. 1297s

Left to ourselves were lost. 1305s

All we'd have is the law. 1310s

But God does not leave us to ourselves. 1314s

The law says, do this. 1324s

The gospel says, this is what God has done in Jesus Christ. 1328s

The law comes at us with all of its demands, 1337s

and the gospel comes to us in the sweetness, 1343s

that the demands of the law have been filled perfectly 1346s

in the Lord Jesus Christ, and his perfect life 1350s

has been credited to us. 1353s

The law comes and we are filled with sorrow, 1358s

because we fall short, the gospel comes, 1362s

and we are filled with joy over what God has done 1366s

for us in Christ Jesus. 1371s

The law comes and it threatens us, 1374s

and the gospel comes and it assures us. 1377s

Left to ourselves. 1387s

All we'd have. 1390s

Is the condemnation of the law. 1393s

But God does not leave us to ourselves. 1398s

Luther said, 1413s

you distinguish between these two things. 1417s

Call yourself a doctor. 1422s

Because that's how you understand the scriptures. 1426s

That's how you communicate it. 1429s

To rightly distinguish the law and the gospel in scripture 1433s

and beloved to rightly distinguish law and gospel 1439s

in our own lives. 1447s

We'll we live in the guilt of what we did or what we said, 1451s

or what we should have said, but we didn't say, 1460s

are we going to live in the guilt of what we've done 1466s

or what we've left undone or will we live in light 1470s

of the victory of the cross and the empty tomb, 1476s

will we live in light of the forgiveness that is ours 1480s

in Jesus Christ? 1484s

Will we live as a people that say, 1490s

there's no way that God could ever love me? 1493s

People may not know, but God knows what's in my heart 1499s

and how could God ever love a person like me? 1504s

Will we live under that or will we live in light of who we are 1508s

as his beloved children purchased and claimed 1513s

in the waters of baptism? 1517s

Will we live as a people that say, you know, you got to earn God's love? 1523s

You got to earn his blessings. 1531s

You got to earn his favor or will we live in the joy 1534s

that all of the blessings, it's all grace. 1542s

It's all grace as God continues to show us each and every day, 1549s

his mercy. 1559s

The distinguished between law and gospel, 1568s

your adopter of theology. 1575s

And so, doctors continue to distinguish 1579s

in the scriptures and in our lives. 1589s