What do I know with Isaac Carroll
What do I know with Isaac Carroll
Breaking Down Mark 12: Parables, Taxes, and Unwavering Faith
The seemingly simple stories Jesus told often carried profound spiritual truths that still challenge us today. In this thoughtful exploration of Mark 12, we journey through several confrontations between Jesus and the religious authorities who sought to trap him with clever questions.
Jesus begins with the Parable of the Tenants, a story that pointedly condemns the religious leaders while affirming God's faithfulness to His covenants. When challenged about paying taxes to Caesar, Jesus offers the brilliant response that has guided Christians through political complexities for centuries: "Render unto Caesar what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's." This wasn't just clever wordplay—it was a profound reminder that while coins bear Caesar's image, we bear God's image and owe Him our very lives.
The Sadducees attempt to discredit the resurrection with a convoluted marriage scenario, but Jesus silences them by revealing their fundamental misunderstanding of both scripture and heaven's reality. He delivers the knockout argument from Exodus where God calls Himself "the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob," proving these patriarchs must still be alive in some form. The chapter concludes with the widow's offering—two copper coins given in complete faith—demonstrating that God values sacrifice over abundance. Her willingness to give everything challenges us to examine what true faith costs in our own lives. How might your perspective change if you approached giving, not from what you can afford to lose, but from total dependence on God's provision? Join us as we unpack these timeless teachings that continue to transform hearts two thousand years later.
May God bless you and lead you always.
Welcome to the podcast. I'm Isaac Carroll, and this is what Do I Know. Alright, in today's Bible study we are going to be in Mark, the 12th chapter. We're going to begin in verse 1. He leased it out to tenants and went to another country. When the season came, he sent a servant to the tenants to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. They took him and they beat him and they sent him away empty-handed. Again, he sent to them another servant. They struck him on the head and they treated him shamefully. He sent another and him they killed. And so it was many others. So they beat and some they killed. He had still one other, a beloved son. Finally, he sent him to them saying they will respect my son. But those tenants said to one another this is the heir, come, let us kill him and the inheritance will be ours. They took him and they killed him and they threw him out of the vineyard. What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others. Have you not read this scripture? The stone that the builder rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord's doing and it was marvelous in our eyes and they were seeking to arrest him, but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them. So they left him and they went away.
Speaker 1:All right, let's stop here at verse 12. Jesus is speaking a parable about the scribes and the Pharisees. He says this in Matthew 23, starting in verse 2. It says Now what Jesus is saying here is that the scribes and Pharisees are in sitting in the seat of authority, as Moses once sat in the seat of authority over Israel and judged Israel and gave Israel the law. These men now sit in that seat and he says that the children of Israel should do what they tell them to do, because these are the authority in Israel, but do not do what they do. They do not follow the laws that they give the people. So he tells the people do not do what they do because these men do not practice what they preach. Then it goes on to say that what will the owner of the vineyard do? Well, he will come and he will take those vine growers and he will put them to death and he will take the vineyard and give it to others.
Speaker 1:Now I've heard many times people use this as an interpretation of God forsaking his covenant with Israel and giving it to the church. Let me explain why this cannot possibly be true. God never forsakes his covenants. When God makes a promise, he keeps it. God never leaves. God never forsakes.
Speaker 1:He was speaking this parable against the Pharisees and the scribes, the authority over Israel. It actually says that in verse 12. It says and they were seeking to seize him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that he had told this parable against them, so they went away. Now we know God keeps his promises and God destroyed Israel. He destroyed Jerusalem, tore the temple down, one stone was not even upon another and the scribes and Pharisees were wiped out. They were no more and the people were scattered to the four corners of the earth. But God didn't leave them there. He didn't leave Israel forsaken. He brought them back. He gave the nation of Israel back their home, the land that he promised, because his word is forever. We can live on the guarantee of God's word. That's why I'm telling you this interpretation cannot be true, because God never forsakes his covenants. But I believe this can best be explained by John, the 10th chapter, starting in verse 15. It says just as the father knows me and I know the father and I lay down my life for the sheep. I have other sheep that are not of this fold. I must bring them as well and they will listen to my voice. Then there will be one flock and one shepherd.
Speaker 1:I know many will argue using this passage in Galatians 3, starting in verse 26. It says you, using this passage in Galatians 3, starting in verse 26. It says you are all sons of God through faith in Jesus Christ. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourself with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Greek slave, nor free male nor female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus and if you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham's seed and heirs, according to the promise.
Speaker 1:Now I want to explain. This is not God substituting Israel for the church, but actually this is God including everyone into the promise. You see, god swore by himself that, for there is no higher authority than himself, so his covenant is everlasting. When God gives his word, it's something we can count on forever. It's something that will never. It will never fail. God made promises to Israel and thank God, those promises will be kept, because we know God is faithful. Let's move on to verse 13.
Speaker 1:And they said to him, some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians to trap him in his talk. They came and said to him, some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians to trap him in his talk. They came and said to him teacher, we know that you are true and you do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearance, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes this season or not? Should we pay them or should we not? But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. They brought one and he said to them Whose likeness and inscription is this? And they said it's Caesar's. Jesus said to them Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. And they marveled at him. And the Sadducees came to him who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, saying Teacher Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but has no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.
Speaker 1:There were seven brothers and the first took a wife, and when he died he left no offspring. And the second took her and he died leaving no offspring. And the third likewise, and the seven left no offspring. Last of all, the woman also died. In the resurrection. When they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had had her as a wife.
Speaker 1:Jesus said to them Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God, for when they rise from the dead, they will neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him saying I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac? And the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him saying I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. He's not the God of the dead, but of the living. And you are quite wrong.
Speaker 1:And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another and he, seeing that he answered them well, he asked him which of the commandments is the most important of all Jesus answered, the most important is this hear, o Israel, the Lord, our God. The Lord is one and you shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, with all your strength. The second is this you shall love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said to him you are right, teacher, you have truly said that he is one and there is no other beside him. And to love him with all your heart, with all your understanding, with all your strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, it's much more than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices. And when Jesus saw that he had answered wisely, he said to him you are not far from the kingdom of God. And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions. All right, let's stop here at verse 34.
Speaker 1:It seems that the Pharisees and the scribes sent the best and the brightest to question Jesus, to put him to the test, to try to trap him in his words. I guess they really didn't understand who they were talking to. They decided to use Roman law and Israel's hatred of it to turn the people against Jesus. They asked him the question is it lawful or is it right to pay the taxes to Caesar? If Jesus says yes, the people would be angry at Jesus because they hated the Roman occupation. But if Jesus says no, then they could stir up the Romans against Jesus to have him arrested for teaching the people to disobey the laws of Rome. So they thought they had Jesus trapped.
Speaker 1:He says bring me a denarius. So they brought him a coin and he looks at it and he says whose image and likeness is on this coin? Well, it said it's Caesar's, it's his image, it's his likeness. He tells him render under Caesar what is Caesar's and render under God's what is God's. Give unto Caesar what is Caesar's and render unto gods what is God's. Give unto Caesar what is in the likeness of Caesar, but give unto God what is in the likeness of God, who's made in the likeness of God, who's made in God's image. We are. So give unto God what is God's. And they marveled at this because they were not expecting him to utterly destroy their argument so well.
Speaker 1:And then the Sadducees come and these men believe there's no resurrection, they don't believe in the spiritual realm, they don't believe in angels, and they bring this question to Jesus, thinking that they had the one question that could not be answered. The one question that could not be answered In Deuteronomy 25, moses gives the law that if a man has a wife and he dies without producing a son, producing an heir, his brother is to take his wife and the firstborn son is to be named after the father Son of that man, so that his name would live on in the land that his offspring would live on. In the land that his offspring would live on, it would take his name. Using that law, they bring this question to Jesus and they said well, okay, there's seven brothers and the first brother marries a wife and he doesn't have a son. And then all the brothers marry and none have a son. Well, whose wife will she be in heaven? And none have a son. Well, whose wife will she be in heaven? Because all that had her is a wife. I mean, how does God justify this? In their minds, they didn't understand.
Speaker 1:And then Jesus clarifies and he says because he said, isn't it? Because you do not know the scriptures? When we rise from the dead, we'll be as angels are. We will live forever. There will be no need for us to have children to carry on our name because we will live on forever, so there will be no need to be given in marriage. And then he hits him with this. He says haven't you read in the book of Moses that when Moses saw the burning bush, that God spoke to him out of the burning bush and he said who do I tell the people who you are? And he says tell them I am who I am. I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. Now, jacob and Isaac and Abraham have been dead, long dead by this time. And he says God is not the God of the dead but the living. So if God is the God of Abraham, isaac and Jacob, then they are still alive, even though their bodies have died. And this shut them up forever. Because how do you argue with that? You may not want to believe it, but you can't argue with it.
Speaker 1:Then a scribe comes who puts a question to Jesus. He hears the debate between the two and he hears that Jesus answers them. Well, and he asked Jesus what's the greatest of the commandments? He wanted to understand what kind of teacher this was. He says what is the greatest commandment? And Jesus says that's easy. Hero, israel. The Lord, your God, is one. Love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your mind, with all your spirit, with all your strength, with all your understanding, to love God with every ounce of who you are. And then he goes on to say the second one is like it To love your neighbor as yourself. And the scribe says you are correct, teacher. These are the greatest of the commandments and it's better than all the burnt offerings put together. And Jesus, hearing that he had answered well, said you are not far from the kingdom of heaven. What do you think was the one thing that this scribe was missing? Yes, his belief in Jesus Christ. For we have one mediator between us and God, and that is Jesus Christ, the one who paid the price for our sins.
Speaker 1:Let's continue at verse 35. And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said how can the scribe say that Christ is the son of David? David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared the Lord, said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet. David himself called him Lord. So how is he his son? And the great throng heard him gladly and in his teaching he said Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, they like greetings in the marketplace and have the best seats at the synagogues, the places of honor at feasts, and who devour widows' houses and, for pretense, make the long prayers, they will receive a greater condemnation.
Speaker 1:And he sat down opposite the treasury and he watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums and a poor widow came, verse 1. Offering box. For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she, out of her poverty, has put everything she had and all that she had to live on. Now we've come to the end of chapter 12.
Speaker 1:One last thing that I like to talk about, and it has to do with the widow. Jesus went over and he started watching the people put in the offerings and as he watched them, an old lady came, a widow, and she put in all that she had. She put in just two small copper coins that was basically worth a penny and it was all that she had to live on. And Jesus says this woman here has put in more than everyone else who's contributing to the offering, because they gave out of their abundance, but she gave all that she had.
Speaker 1:Now why is this significant. It's significant because she put her trust in the Lord. She didn't rely on the money, she didn't rely on the little that she had. She was willing to give it all up and rely on God. That's a faith that is astounding. I mean, can you imagine? I know there's people out there who are capable. I just hope that one day I am capable, that my faith will be strong enough to risk it all. I'm going to end this one here. I love you, guys. We'll be in chapter 13 in our next Bible study. Until then, guys, be blessed. I love you. Goodbye.