Jesus loved God by putting God first
We are learning what it means to live by the two Great Commandments–
Matthew 22:37-40 | Jesus replied, “‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself. The entire law and all the demands of the prophets are based on these two commandments.”
Last week, we focused on loving God, and we learned through Jesus’ example that we love God when we obey. Our full obedience is part of loving God with all our hearts, souls, and minds.
Jesus also showed us that loving God with ALL means putting God first, or living with Him as the most important thing in your life. Jesus put God first no matter what, even though it often made people hate Him, look down on Him, or even put His life in danger.
Early on in His ministry, we are told that Jesus was always in the temple or synagogue on the Sabbath (this is like saying Jesus never missed a Sunday at church!). This was where Jews would worship God, offer sacrifices, and learn from the Scriptures (Old Testament). This priority didn’t change when it threatened Jesus’ safety–
Luke 4:16 | When he came to the village of Nazareth, his boyhood home, he went as usual to the synagogue on the Sabbath and stood up to read the Scriptures.
Luke 4:28-30 | ...When they heard this, the people in the synagogue were furious. Jumping up, they mobbed him and forced him to the edge of the hill on which the town was built. They intended to push him over the cliff, but he passed right through the crowd and went on his way.
This continued throughout His ministry and was also the case when the time came throughout the year to worship God the Father as part of keeping the Old Testament festivals–
John 7:1-2 | After this, Jesus traveled around Galilee. He wanted to stay out of Judea, where the Jewish leaders were plotting his death. But soon it was time for the Jewish Festival of Shelters.
John 7:10-14 | But after his brothers left for the festival, Jesus also went, though secretly, staying out of public view. The Jewish leaders tried to find him at the festival and kept asking if anyone had seen him. There was a lot of grumbling about him among the crowds. Some argued, “He’s a good man,” but others said, “He’s nothing but a fraud who deceives the people.” But no one had the courage to speak favorably about him in public, for they were afraid of getting in trouble with the Jewish leaders. Then, midway through the festival, Jesus went up to the Temple and began to teach.
Even when doing so would endanger his life, Jesus loved God by putting Him first.
Jesus didn’t just put God first on Sundays or holidays. Each and every day Jesus made God the priority, rather than Earthly pursuits-
Matthew 8:21 | But Jesus replied, “Foxes have dens to live in, and birds have nests, but the Son of Man has no place even to lay his head.”
He taught that we should live the same way–
Matthew 6:25 | “That is why I tell you not to worry about everyday life—whether you have enough food and drink, or enough clothes to wear. Isn’t life more than food, and your body more than clothing?
Matthew 6:33 | Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
In other words, loving God is putting God first. Do this and let God take care of the rest!
Jesus taught that we should put God before our schedules (Luke 14:15-27), safety (Mark 8:31-37), relationships (Luke 14:25-26), and our worldly pursuits (Mark 10:17-22). Loving God is done by putting God first – seeking Him before everything else. Our Timeless Truth today is: We love God when we put Him first. Much like the first two of the ten commandments, we love God by not letting other things creep into His place as God as idols we worship with our time, talent, and treasures instead of Him.
Matthew 6:19-21, 33 | “Don’t store up treasures here on earth, where moths eat them and rust destroys them, and where thieves break in and steal. Store your treasures in heaven, where moths and rust cannot destroy, and thieves do not break in and steal. Wherever your treasure is, there the desires of your heart will also be. [33] Seek the Kingdom of God above all else, and live righteously, and he will give you everything you need.
Love God in your heart and your mind by putting Him first. We love God when we put Him first.
What is something that stood out to you about how Jesus put God first?
What are some things that putting God first cost Jesus or how did putting God first impact His life?
What does putting God first look like for His followers today?
Why is putting God first important? How does it show our love for God?