WEBVTT 00:00:00.479 --> 00:00:01.919 Good morning, Church. 00:00:03.040 --> 00:00:07.360 Hear now the word of the true and living God, Mark twelve. 00:00:07.759 --> 00:00:12.720 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians to trap him in his talk. 00:00:12.880 --> 00:00:22.640 And they came and said to him, Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion, for you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. 00:00:22.879 --> 00:00:26.000 Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 00:00:26.239 --> 00:00:28.399 Should we pay them or should we not? 00:00:28.719 --> 00:00:32.320 But knowing their hypocrisy he said to them, Why put me to the test? 00:00:32.479 --> 00:00:34.719 Bring me a denarius, and let me look at it. 00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:35.840 And they brought one. 00:00:36.000 --> 00:00:39.200 And he said to them, Whose likeness and inscription is this? 00:00:39.439 --> 00:00:41.039 They said to him, Caesar's. 00:00:41.200 --> 00:00:46.960 Jesus said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's. 00:00:47.119 --> 00:00:48.320 And they marveled at him. 00:00:48.479 --> 00:00:49.600 This is the word of the Lord. 00:00:49.679 --> 00:00:50.799 Please be seated. 00:00:59.439 --> 00:01:00.320 Good morning. 00:01:01.280 --> 00:01:02.880 It's good to see all of you here. 00:01:03.119 --> 00:01:05.200 Looks like we have some newcomers, so welcome. 00:01:05.280 --> 00:01:07.680 It's uh really great for you to join us this morning. 00:01:07.840 --> 00:01:13.920 Uh my name is Jacob, and I'm just a member here at Redemption Church. 00:01:14.079 --> 00:01:18.000 Uh my family and I have been coming here for about three years. 00:01:18.159 --> 00:01:20.799 Uh, so it's really good to see three or four. 00:01:21.359 --> 00:01:21.920 I don't know. 00:01:22.079 --> 00:01:23.040 A long time. 00:01:23.280 --> 00:01:26.000 Um, and so it's uh we we love it here. 00:01:26.159 --> 00:01:28.560 So um it's really great to see you. 00:01:28.719 --> 00:01:32.000 Uh I'm gonna say prayer and then we're gonna dive in. 00:01:32.400 --> 00:01:34.400 And just a heads up, buckle up. 00:01:34.480 --> 00:01:36.480 It's a dense one this morning, okay? 00:01:36.799 --> 00:01:39.439 Jesus covers a lot of ground in a single sentence. 00:01:39.599 --> 00:01:41.439 So we're gonna try and keep up with them. 00:01:41.599 --> 00:01:45.599 Uh, but let me go ahead and pray, and then uh we'll just go for it. 00:01:45.760 --> 00:01:52.799 Uh, Father, thank you so much that we can come here together and listen to your uh your word. 00:01:53.359 --> 00:01:56.239 That we get to listen to the words of Jesus. 00:01:58.560 --> 00:02:05.040 Father, I pray that as I preach this, I I am I'm so inadequate to preach this. 00:02:06.239 --> 00:02:13.280 As I stared at these words this week, it it was like looking into the a mind that is eternal. 00:02:14.159 --> 00:02:20.319 I'm I'm I'm barely going to scratch the surface of the words of Jesus today. 00:02:21.039 --> 00:02:23.680 But I pray, Father, that you bless my words. 00:02:23.840 --> 00:02:32.879 And I pray, Father, um, that you apply these words in the way you see fit to each of our hearts this morning. 00:02:33.360 --> 00:02:34.719 We ask this in your name. 00:02:34.960 --> 00:02:35.599 Amen. 00:02:36.960 --> 00:02:45.919 Uh last week James taught on the parable of the tenants, which Jesus spoke against the Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the scribes. 00:02:46.319 --> 00:02:54.719 And these three groups together comprise the Sanhedrin, or the ruling religious and political body of Israel. 00:02:56.319 --> 00:03:03.439 And this parable was spoken as a judgment against the Sanhedrin for wanting to take the nation of Israel for themselves. 00:03:03.680 --> 00:03:12.639 Jesus was foretelling that they would reject him, the son and the heir of the vineyard, or Israel, and plot to kill him so that they could take it for themselves. 00:03:13.360 --> 00:03:19.280 Mark tells us in verse 12 that they perceived this parable was about them. 00:03:20.000 --> 00:03:39.599 So the Sanhedrin got together and they agreed that they would send three groups in waves, each one with our uh particularly difficult question, all with the intent of trapping Jesus, so that they could arrest him or he would lose credibility with the crowd, depending on the answer that he gave. 00:03:40.080 --> 00:03:44.719 This first wave is the Pharisees and the Sadducees in verses 13 through 17. 00:03:44.960 --> 00:03:48.240 The second wave is the sorry, I messed that up. 00:03:48.479 --> 00:03:53.759 The first wave is the Pharisees and the Herodians in verses 13 through 17. 00:03:54.000 --> 00:04:02.000 The second wave is the Sadducees in verses 18 to 27, and the third wave is the scribes in verses 28 through 34. 00:04:02.800 --> 00:04:16.319 So today we will be looking solely at what the Pharisees and the Herodians asked Jesus, which is, is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar? 00:04:17.199 --> 00:04:18.399 So let's start. 00:04:18.720 --> 00:04:28.240 Mark tells us in verse 13, and we're just going to go verse by verse, and they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians to trap him in his talk. 00:04:29.040 --> 00:04:34.720 It is now Wednesday of Holy Week, probably two days before Jesus is crucified. 00:04:34.879 --> 00:04:42.720 And Jesus is teaching in the temple, and as he is teaching and talking to people, he is approached by a group of Pharisees and Herodians. 00:04:43.600 --> 00:04:50.000 Now, this is an odd group because Pharisees and Herodians were not friends. 00:04:50.800 --> 00:04:55.920 They were actually on opposite ends of the political spectrum in Israel. 00:04:56.160 --> 00:04:58.639 They did not like each other. 00:04:59.519 --> 00:05:10.639 From a political standpoint, the Pharisees were political purists who detested Roman rule and sought for a reinstated nation of Israel. 00:05:10.959 --> 00:05:21.680 But the Herodians politically were supporters of King Herod Antipas, who was the ruler of Galilee, and he was actually put in power by Rome. 00:05:22.000 --> 00:05:27.680 So the Herodians generally sought political alignment with the Romans. 00:05:29.279 --> 00:05:34.879 But they viewed Jesus as a political enemy just as much as the Pharisees did. 00:05:36.160 --> 00:05:48.560 To put this in perspective, these two groups working together is just as outrageous as members of the far, far right and members of the far-far right in American politics coming together to trap Jesus. 00:05:48.800 --> 00:05:50.480 That's how crazy this is. 00:05:50.879 --> 00:05:55.279 Now I want you to think of the most conservative person you can think of. 00:05:56.240 --> 00:05:59.759 And then I want you to think of the most liberal person you can think of. 00:06:00.160 --> 00:06:01.759 Just think of them, don't look at them. 00:06:01.920 --> 00:06:02.639 Don't look at them. 00:06:06.480 --> 00:06:23.519 Those two people in your mind who you thought would argue over everything and agree on nothing, they are both coming into agreement that Jesus is such a threat to both of them and their ideals that they decide to work together for his demise. 00:06:24.639 --> 00:06:29.600 Now, why did the Pharisees need the Herodians and why did the Herodians need the Pharisees? 00:06:29.839 --> 00:06:32.879 One of those age-old questions you ask every week. 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.519 Why did they have to work together? 00:06:35.920 --> 00:06:36.959 It's simple. 00:06:37.199 --> 00:06:45.519 The Pharisees held the popularity amongst the devout Jewish population, and the Herodians had all the political connections with Rome. 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:55.279 The Pharisees were asking the tough questions to try and discredit Jesus with the Jewish people, maybe even get a little bit of mob justice done that day, too. 00:06:55.519 --> 00:07:06.959 And the Herodians were asking the tough questions so that if Jesus said anything remotely illegal, they could go straight to the Roman authorities and tell them that Jesus was an insurrectionist and get them killed. 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:16.560 Mark uses the word in verse 13, trap, that their intent was to trap him. 00:07:17.199 --> 00:07:21.040 The word trap in Greek means violent pursuit. 00:07:21.360 --> 00:07:25.519 This question is intended to kill Jesus. 00:07:25.920 --> 00:07:29.600 This question has murderous intent behind it. 00:07:29.839 --> 00:07:35.199 And if Jesus messes up with anything he says, they will use his words to kill him. 00:07:35.360 --> 00:07:36.319 That's their plan. 00:07:37.360 --> 00:07:39.600 This is not a gotcha question. 00:07:40.000 --> 00:07:41.040 We got you, Jesus. 00:07:41.120 --> 00:07:42.560 You said something wrong. 00:07:42.800 --> 00:07:46.399 I'm going to post about it now on social media and everyone's going to laugh at you. 00:07:46.639 --> 00:07:50.639 No, their intent was much more serious than that. 00:07:50.879 --> 00:07:52.560 It was to kill him. 00:07:53.199 --> 00:07:57.360 Again, either through mob justice or through the Roman government. 00:07:58.480 --> 00:08:02.560 So how do they ask the question that is intended to kill Jesus? 00:08:02.800 --> 00:08:12.399 Verse 14 says, And they came and said to him, Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. 00:08:12.720 --> 00:08:17.120 For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. 00:08:17.519 --> 00:08:21.759 Teacher, Rabbi, term of respect. 00:08:22.480 --> 00:08:25.600 I know we've had our differences in the past. 00:08:26.319 --> 00:08:28.800 We've opposed you at every opportunity. 00:08:29.040 --> 00:08:32.159 Let's let bygones be bygones, you know? 00:08:33.120 --> 00:08:36.480 We actually have a genuine question here to ask you. 00:08:36.639 --> 00:08:38.000 We are your students. 00:08:38.559 --> 00:08:39.919 We need your wisdom. 00:08:40.080 --> 00:08:41.600 We need your guidance. 00:08:41.919 --> 00:08:46.000 Let's everyone just take a breath, put our guard down. 00:08:46.159 --> 00:08:47.919 We're just here to talk. 00:08:48.639 --> 00:08:50.480 We know you're true as well. 00:08:50.960 --> 00:08:53.600 Say, Jesus, you you love the truth. 00:08:53.919 --> 00:09:04.399 We were talking over there, which might have looked like we were plotting your murder, which we totally weren't, but we were talking, and we realized that we don't think you've ever lied. 00:09:05.600 --> 00:09:09.919 Or shied away from the truth or even told a half-truth, Jesus. 00:09:10.639 --> 00:09:14.320 And Jesus, you don't care what people think about you. 00:09:14.639 --> 00:09:17.039 You're completely unbiased. 00:09:17.440 --> 00:09:22.960 Whether you're talking to the poor or the rich and the powerful, you just shoot straight. 00:09:23.360 --> 00:09:27.840 Which is so hard to do in this modern era of cancel culture. 00:09:28.080 --> 00:09:34.000 Everybody now is concerned with being politically correct and attracting big crowds, but not you, Jesus. 00:09:34.639 --> 00:09:37.279 You aren't worried what anyone thinks about you. 00:09:37.919 --> 00:09:41.840 And everything you say about God's word, oh wow. 00:09:42.240 --> 00:09:44.159 So biblically accurate. 00:09:44.399 --> 00:09:54.080 Your knowledge of the Bible is truly impressive, and your ability to apply it and speak about God's law is just so authoritative, we've never heard anything like it. 00:09:55.440 --> 00:10:02.799 Now the Pharisees and the Herodians are obviously using flattery in attempts to bring Jesus' guard down. 00:10:02.960 --> 00:10:09.440 They're hoping that all of these words would swell Jesus' pride, so he starts thinking, Yeah, yeah, I have those things. 00:10:09.600 --> 00:10:10.960 I am an amazing teacher. 00:10:11.120 --> 00:10:12.639 I don't care what anyone thinks about me. 00:10:12.720 --> 00:10:13.519 You're right. 00:10:15.440 --> 00:10:21.519 The irony of their flattery, though, is that everything they said is actually true. 00:10:22.480 --> 00:10:26.080 Jesus spoke the truth because he was the truth incarnate. 00:10:26.320 --> 00:10:29.759 Jesus wasn't swayed by the opinions of men. 00:10:30.000 --> 00:10:33.679 He was concerned solely with the will of his heavenly father. 00:10:34.080 --> 00:10:39.200 And Jesus truly taught the way of God because he was God's word incarnate. 00:10:39.919 --> 00:10:44.320 Their miscalculation here is that Jesus has no pride. 00:10:45.360 --> 00:10:53.279 Any normal and sinful person would have had their ego massaged here, which could have gotten them into big trouble. 00:10:53.600 --> 00:10:57.440 But they still don't understand who Jesus is or what his intent was. 00:10:58.159 --> 00:11:06.399 Mark 10, 45, just a couple chapters before this, which is arguably the verse to summarize the book of Mark. 00:11:07.600 --> 00:11:15.759 Jesus says, For even the Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. 00:11:16.159 --> 00:11:25.759 Jesus came as a servant to save his people, not as an egomaniac to receive approval of the Pharisees or the crowds or the Romans. 00:11:31.440 --> 00:11:36.080 Now that they have failed in flattering Jesus, but they don't know that. 00:11:36.320 --> 00:11:42.720 Now that they think they've massaged his egos, they are ready to set the trap that they believe will lead to his demise. 00:11:43.039 --> 00:11:44.320 Verse 14. 00:11:45.279 --> 00:11:48.720 Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? 00:11:48.960 --> 00:11:51.679 Should we pay them or should we not? 00:11:53.279 --> 00:12:02.159 To us, this may not seem like a good question, because in our culture we we surely have debates about how much taxes you should pay. 00:12:02.480 --> 00:12:08.720 But it's not controversial, I don't think, to believe that we should pay some taxes. 00:12:11.519 --> 00:12:13.200 Somebody's like, yeah, it is. 00:12:16.159 --> 00:12:18.000 All right, all right, that's cool. 00:12:18.320 --> 00:12:21.679 Generally speaking, it's not too controversial in our culture. 00:12:23.360 --> 00:12:28.320 But this was a particularly divisive tax amongst Jews for two reasons. 00:12:28.879 --> 00:12:31.840 For both political and religious. 00:12:32.559 --> 00:12:39.360 It was political because the word for tax here is a transliteration of the Latin word census. 00:12:39.440 --> 00:12:42.799 So this tax is called the census tax or a head tax. 00:12:44.799 --> 00:12:59.200 It was a specific tax, which is a single denarius, which was a denarius was a Roman silver coin, and the value of a denarius was equal to a single day's wages for a laborer in Israel. 00:12:59.679 --> 00:13:03.200 Every male in Israel had to pay this tensus tax once a year. 00:13:03.360 --> 00:13:08.559 So once a year, every male had to pay a single denarius to Caesar. 00:13:08.879 --> 00:13:19.039 Now this tax was implemented in 6 AD, which is only a few years after the birth of Jesus, and you know, like 25 years from this scene here. 00:13:20.799 --> 00:13:25.120 And when it was implemented, it was incredibly controversial. 00:13:25.519 --> 00:13:55.840 Josephus, who was a Roman Jewish historian, writes that after the tax was implemented, and I quote, there was one Judas, a Golanite of a city whose name was Gamala, who, taking with him Sedduk, a Pharisee, became zealous to draw them into a revolt, who both said that this taxation was no better than an introduction to slavery, and exhorted the nation to assert their liberty. 00:13:56.480 --> 00:14:04.960 They also said that God would not otherwise be assisting to them than upon their joining with one another in such councils as might be successful. 00:14:05.279 --> 00:14:10.639 So men received what they said with pleasure, and this bold attempt proceeded to a great height. 00:14:10.960 --> 00:14:18.399 All sorts of misfortunes also sprang up from these men, and the nation was infected with this doctrine to an incredible degree. 00:14:18.799 --> 00:14:31.679 So Josephus says, after this tax, this census tax was implemented, Judas the Gallonite, along with Sadduch the Pharisee, began saying that the tax was the same as being enslaved to Rome. 00:14:31.840 --> 00:14:34.879 They're saying, with this tax we are no better than slaves. 00:14:35.279 --> 00:14:40.480 And they said God would abandon the nation if they did not rise up in revolt. 00:14:40.960 --> 00:14:48.720 And the crowds loved what they said so much so that Josephus says their teaching infected the whole nation. 00:14:49.519 --> 00:15:02.559 And Josephus proceeds to say that this question was so embedded in Jewish Zeitgeist that when the Jews revolted in Rome, against Rome, excuse me, in AD 66, he says this tax was one of the main causes. 00:15:04.639 --> 00:15:16.879 This was one of those political questions that is so predisposed towards rage in the first century Jerusalem that no matter how Jesus is going to answer, he's going to lose. 00:15:17.440 --> 00:15:28.559 Now, I know we don't have any divisive topics in American politics where nobody agrees on anything, so you'll just have to use your imagination to know what this was like. 00:15:31.840 --> 00:15:40.799 Now, not only was this a politically loaded question, but it had religious implications for them as well. 00:15:41.200 --> 00:15:48.240 In a few verses, when Jesus asked for a denarius, he's going to ask whose inscription is on it. 00:15:49.120 --> 00:15:59.120 This denarius that Jesus holds up most likely has the inscription of Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus, who was the emperor of Rome at this time. 00:15:59.440 --> 00:16:07.120 And on this coin it would say, Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus. 00:16:07.279 --> 00:16:16.240 And on the reverse side of the coin, it would have an image of Livian, Tiberius' mother, with the inscription reading, High Priest. 00:16:17.759 --> 00:16:22.320 Any devout Jew would be thinking, uh, is this an idol? 00:16:23.200 --> 00:16:32.879 I have this gold coin with a graven image of a man claiming to be God, and on the back there's his mom, and it says she's the high priest. 00:16:33.600 --> 00:16:40.720 Any devout Jew in fear of violating the Second Commandment probably wouldn't be carrying it. 00:16:42.159 --> 00:16:45.279 So Jesus is put in an impossible position. 00:16:45.519 --> 00:17:02.799 If Jesus answers yes, pay the taxes, he's going to lose the devout Jews, because most of them despised Roman rule from a political standpoint, and from a religious standpoint, they believed that possessing the coin was a form of idolatry. 00:17:03.039 --> 00:17:11.039 And if Jesus says, don't pay the tax, he's going to pit himself against the Roman authorities, and the Herodians will put him to death. 00:17:12.640 --> 00:17:14.799 So how does Jesus answer? 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:18.960 Verses 15 to 17. 00:17:19.759 --> 00:17:25.200 But knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, Why put me to the test? 00:17:25.920 --> 00:17:28.480 Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. 00:17:28.720 --> 00:17:30.160 And they brought him one. 00:17:30.480 --> 00:17:33.359 And he said to them, Whose likeness and inscription is this? 00:17:33.519 --> 00:17:35.359 They said to him, Caesar's. 00:17:35.599 --> 00:17:40.559 Jesus said to them, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God's. 00:17:40.720 --> 00:17:42.400 And they marveled at him. 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:49.599 Mark begins by saying, Jesus, who knows the hearts of all men, knew their hypocrisy. 00:17:49.920 --> 00:17:57.359 Jesus knew that although their mouths just told him how wonderful he was, their hearts were filled with murderous intent. 00:17:57.839 --> 00:17:59.759 They were not there to learn. 00:18:00.000 --> 00:18:03.440 They were not there to truly seek an answer on this question. 00:18:03.680 --> 00:18:08.400 They were putting Jesus on trial, and they were there to indict him. 00:18:08.559 --> 00:18:10.000 And he knew this. 00:18:10.799 --> 00:18:16.400 And knowing their hypocrisy, Jesus finally speaks and says, Why put me to the test? 00:18:18.880 --> 00:18:22.000 Test in Greek literally means to tempt. 00:18:22.720 --> 00:18:27.039 Mark uses the word test here four times in his gospel. 00:18:27.359 --> 00:18:28.240 Once here. 00:18:28.960 --> 00:18:33.200 Two other times refer to the Pharisees testing Jesus. 00:18:33.440 --> 00:18:38.880 And the only other time it is used is when Satan tests Jesus in the wilderness. 00:18:39.279 --> 00:18:48.160 And in every single instance in the book of Mark, when Jesus is tested by the Pharisees or Satan, it is them testing his authority. 00:18:49.359 --> 00:18:56.160 It's really interesting that Jesus brings his authority to the forefront of this question. 00:18:56.640 --> 00:19:09.279 Because I would expect when the Pharisees and Herodians asked him this question, Jesus would respond by saying, Hey, I know you're trying to trick me into saying something stupid so the crowd of the Romans gets me killed. 00:19:09.440 --> 00:19:12.319 I mean, that's the whole point of the question, right? 00:19:12.640 --> 00:19:15.359 To discredit Jesus and get him killed. 00:19:16.000 --> 00:19:20.079 But Jesus isn't playing the same game as the Pharisees here. 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:25.039 Jesus isn't concerned about what the crowd will do to him. 00:19:25.200 --> 00:19:27.920 He isn't concerned that the Herodians are there to kill him. 00:19:28.160 --> 00:19:33.759 Instead, he looks at the Pharisees and the Herodians and says, You still don't believe in me, do you? 00:19:34.640 --> 00:19:36.079 That's why you're here. 00:19:36.400 --> 00:19:38.079 You still don't believe in me. 00:19:39.519 --> 00:19:51.519 Jesus, unconcerned with the consequences of what he will say, drives to the true heart of this issue, and that is disbelief in the Pharisees and the Herodians. 00:19:52.480 --> 00:19:54.960 He says, Pharisees, you still don't have faith in me. 00:19:55.599 --> 00:19:57.200 You're still challenging me. 00:19:58.799 --> 00:20:02.160 You think I care what the crowd of the Romans will do to me? 00:20:02.480 --> 00:20:05.680 He knows what the crowd and the Romans are going to do to him in two days. 00:20:07.200 --> 00:20:08.640 You think I care about my life? 00:20:10.240 --> 00:20:13.680 I actually care about your unbelief any more than that. 00:20:13.920 --> 00:20:14.880 That's what he's saying. 00:20:15.200 --> 00:20:17.359 Drives straight to the heart of the issue here. 00:20:20.400 --> 00:20:23.920 So he says, Bring me a denarius and let me look at it. 00:20:24.160 --> 00:20:25.519 And they brought one. 00:20:26.000 --> 00:20:27.279 Which is awkward. 00:20:27.519 --> 00:20:29.839 And it's hilarious at the same time. 00:20:30.079 --> 00:20:33.440 Because they're asking, should we pay taxes to Caesar? 00:20:33.599 --> 00:20:35.279 You know, we think this is a mini item. 00:20:35.359 --> 00:20:38.000 And Jesus says, Hey, can someone give me a denarius? 00:20:38.079 --> 00:20:39.119 They're like, Yep, got one. 00:20:39.279 --> 00:20:40.000 Right here. 00:20:41.039 --> 00:20:41.759 I got a lot. 00:20:41.839 --> 00:20:42.559 You just want one? 00:20:42.720 --> 00:20:44.480 Okay, yeah, here you go, just one. 00:20:45.039 --> 00:20:54.559 For a group that's questioning whether it's right to pay taxes to Caesar or not, they don't seem to have a problem carrying his money around. 00:20:55.519 --> 00:21:00.559 At that point, they're probably all looking at the guy who gave the denaris to Jesus, like, dude, come on. 00:21:00.640 --> 00:21:01.839 What are you doing? 00:21:02.640 --> 00:21:04.319 Making us look bad. 00:21:07.519 --> 00:21:11.279 And he said to them, Whose likeness and inscription is this? 00:21:11.359 --> 00:21:13.119 And they said to him, Caesar's. 00:21:13.359 --> 00:21:17.519 So Jesus takes the coin, holds it up, and says, Who's on the coin? 00:21:17.680 --> 00:21:18.799 And they say, Caesar. 00:21:19.359 --> 00:21:25.200 So Jesus says, Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's and to God the things that are God. 00:21:27.119 --> 00:21:29.519 Jesus walks right into their trap. 00:21:31.119 --> 00:21:36.000 And at the risk of losing the crowd's approval, he says, Give Caesar his money. 00:21:36.799 --> 00:21:37.759 Pay his tax. 00:21:39.039 --> 00:21:50.480 It's interesting to note here that Jesus uses the word render to describe paying taxes to Caesar and rendering things to God which are his. 00:21:50.720 --> 00:21:52.000 Render means to give. 00:21:52.240 --> 00:21:52.799 Give. 00:21:53.920 --> 00:21:59.839 Jesus is saying, I want you to willingly give that denarius to Caesar. 00:22:01.599 --> 00:22:03.680 Give it to him as a gift. 00:22:04.319 --> 00:22:06.079 Not begrudgingly. 00:22:06.559 --> 00:22:09.519 It's his coin, after all, has his face on it. 00:22:10.160 --> 00:22:14.640 Put a bow on it, send the coin, put it in a thank you card, give it to him. 00:22:16.720 --> 00:22:22.640 Now, for us, this is probably the most difficult application of this passage. 00:22:22.960 --> 00:22:27.359 That we don't have to pay taxes, we get to give our taxes. 00:22:28.640 --> 00:22:30.640 Remember this in April. 00:22:31.519 --> 00:22:43.519 When tax season rolls around and you see all the money that was taken out of your paychecks, your attitude is to be that of a person giving a gift to the government. 00:22:45.359 --> 00:22:48.960 Purposely not making eye contact with anyone after I said that. 00:22:50.160 --> 00:22:54.640 Because unlike Jesus, I do care what people think about me, unfortunately. 00:22:57.759 --> 00:23:04.240 Now, this single statement has even more profound implications than that, even though that's an important one. 00:23:06.880 --> 00:23:14.319 We could dwell on this for weeks, but in a nutshell, I'm going to say Jesus is clarifying three things. 00:23:14.480 --> 00:23:15.039 Three things. 00:23:15.119 --> 00:23:16.400 There's definitely more. 00:23:16.640 --> 00:23:18.079 But we don't have time. 00:23:18.880 --> 00:23:23.440 The first is that he is legitimizing Roman rule over Israel. 00:23:24.079 --> 00:23:29.839 He's basically saying, yeah, pay the tax to Caesar because they're your government. 00:23:30.720 --> 00:23:35.119 Jesus isn't saying, yeah, rebel against those foreign invaders. 00:23:35.279 --> 00:23:36.400 They should never be here. 00:23:37.119 --> 00:23:39.519 This was contrary to God's plan. 00:23:39.920 --> 00:23:43.519 No, he says, I want you to submit to them and pay the taxes. 00:23:45.119 --> 00:23:58.000 Jesus is saying, you walk on Roman roads, you drink Roman water from their aqueducts, you enjoy Roman security, and by the looks of it, you really like carrying Roman coins. 00:23:59.119 --> 00:24:04.160 So give Caesar his money for all these things he provides you. 00:24:06.160 --> 00:24:14.400 The second thing is Jesus is saying that if the Romans have legitimate authority over Israel, then all governments are thereby instituted by God. 00:24:14.559 --> 00:24:17.680 It's a natural progression of what he's saying here. 00:24:18.240 --> 00:24:27.279 Now, this idea isn't fully developed in this passage, but other New Testament writers like Peter and Paul pick this idea up and run with it. 00:24:27.519 --> 00:24:34.319 Paul says in Romans 13, let every person be subject to the governing authorities, for there is no authority except from God. 00:24:35.519 --> 00:24:38.480 And those that exist have been instituted by him. 00:24:39.839 --> 00:24:46.720 So this means all Christians all over the world should pay their taxes to their governments because they have been instituted by God. 00:24:48.559 --> 00:24:58.880 The third thing that Jesus is doing here is he is renouncing the Sanhedrin's claim that they should be the religious rulers over Israel. 00:25:00.000 --> 00:25:07.519 Jesus is refusing to legitimize their claim that paying a denarius with the divine image of Caesar is idolatry. 00:25:08.480 --> 00:25:09.599 He's not saying that. 00:25:09.759 --> 00:25:10.960 He's saying, you're wrong. 00:25:11.119 --> 00:25:13.200 You're wrong in believing that. 00:25:15.039 --> 00:25:25.759 Remember last week with the parable of the tenants, when the owner of the vineyard sent his son to get his share of the fruit of the vineyard, and the crooked tenants said, This is the heir. 00:25:26.000 --> 00:25:29.200 Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours. 00:25:29.839 --> 00:25:39.519 The Pharisees, the Sadducees, and the Herodians want to kill Jesus because they want to be the religious rulers of Israel. 00:25:40.319 --> 00:25:47.119 And Jesus says here, your understanding of God's law is wrong, and you have been misleading the people of Israel. 00:25:47.279 --> 00:25:49.119 Israel is not yours to have. 00:25:50.240 --> 00:25:54.559 You can kill me, you can kill the sun, you can reject me. 00:25:54.880 --> 00:25:59.920 But I'm the cornerstone, the very foundation of all true spiritual worship. 00:26:00.400 --> 00:26:03.759 And I'm the one that determines how the law of God is applied. 00:26:04.079 --> 00:26:06.160 Israel will never belong to them. 00:26:06.480 --> 00:26:09.440 It has been and always will be the Son's inheritance. 00:26:09.759 --> 00:26:12.559 He is refuting their spiritual authority. 00:26:12.880 --> 00:26:17.039 He's stripping them of their ambitions and renouncing their claim over Israel. 00:26:22.480 --> 00:26:30.960 So Jesus has legitimized Roman rule, rebuked the religious authority of the Sanhedrin, and basically walked into their trap. 00:26:31.119 --> 00:26:32.160 He sprung it. 00:26:32.480 --> 00:26:36.559 Right now, the Pharisees are like hanging on to his every word, right? 00:26:36.799 --> 00:26:44.480 If there was that slow-mo camera, they'd be like, ooh, as he's saying these things are getting more and more excited, like this guy's gonna get himself killed. 00:26:44.640 --> 00:26:45.680 This was so easy. 00:26:45.759 --> 00:26:48.000 Why didn't we ask this question before? 00:26:49.839 --> 00:26:59.839 But as the excitement builds, Jesus' second half of his comment, in all of its simplicity, completely turns the table on the Pharisees and the Herodians. 00:27:00.799 --> 00:27:02.400 They came to trap him. 00:27:02.640 --> 00:27:12.319 But when Jesus says, and to God the things that are God's, he reframes the argument to show how hollow it was. 00:27:13.599 --> 00:27:19.279 Jesus is using a play on words here with the word image. 00:27:20.000 --> 00:27:29.680 Just as the coin had Caesar's image on it, so it should be given to Caesar, so the things that with God's image on them should be given to God. 00:27:30.559 --> 00:27:32.960 And what has God's image on it? 00:27:33.680 --> 00:27:34.319 People. 00:27:36.079 --> 00:27:38.960 People are created in God's image. 00:27:39.279 --> 00:27:42.880 He's pulling from Genesis chapter 1, 26 and 27. 00:27:43.200 --> 00:27:48.160 When God created male and female, it says, so God created man in his own image. 00:27:48.480 --> 00:27:52.240 In the image of God, he created a male and female, he created them. 00:27:52.480 --> 00:27:59.039 Jesus is saying, give Caesar his money, but you give yourself to God. 00:28:02.000 --> 00:28:03.759 Jesus is saying, Caesar wants his money? 00:28:03.920 --> 00:28:04.799 Give it to him. 00:28:05.599 --> 00:28:08.480 He's not, Caesar wasn't asking him to worship him. 00:28:08.880 --> 00:28:10.400 Give him the money. 00:28:11.839 --> 00:28:15.200 He's not asking for your hearts, minds, souls, and affections. 00:28:15.440 --> 00:28:18.400 He's saying, no, those things belong to God. 00:28:19.279 --> 00:28:21.920 And you are to give yourself completely to him. 00:28:23.759 --> 00:28:43.359 You are to give your dreams, your desires, your thoughts, your emotions, your ambitions, your actions, your work, your hobbies, your political alignment, what you watch on TV, what you look at on the internet, how you talk to your spouse, how you treat your children, how you live your singleness, what you read, what you study, everything. 00:28:43.759 --> 00:28:49.599 All those things belong to him, because you belong to him. 00:28:51.279 --> 00:28:54.400 Nothing is off limits here, is what Jesus is saying. 00:28:54.720 --> 00:29:02.079 You are to give yourself completely to God as an act of worship and sacrifice for his glory and for your joy. 00:29:03.039 --> 00:29:06.240 Because you are created in his image. 00:29:17.119 --> 00:29:20.640 Because this giving of yourself to God has no limits. 00:29:21.279 --> 00:29:23.279 I want to make it extreme. 00:29:24.240 --> 00:29:29.039 It's never a question of how much do I offer myself to God? 00:29:29.279 --> 00:29:33.599 It's a question of how do I ensure I'm giving him everything? 00:29:33.920 --> 00:29:35.359 There's no limits. 00:29:36.240 --> 00:29:40.880 How do I ensure that everything in my life is under his dominion? 00:29:42.240 --> 00:29:46.640 How do I ensure that I am following him every day with every decision? 00:29:46.960 --> 00:29:51.519 How do I ensure that I'm in constant communion with him through prayer? 00:29:54.960 --> 00:30:01.039 I mean, Jesus calls us to deny ourselves and to take up our cross and follow him. 00:30:01.359 --> 00:30:05.839 Paul in Romans 12 says, to present our bodies to God as a living sacrifice. 00:30:06.000 --> 00:30:14.160 The giving of yourself to God is so complete and so extreme that the only way they describe it is with death. 00:30:15.839 --> 00:30:19.599 When you give yourself to God, you're dying. 00:30:19.839 --> 00:30:22.640 You're dying to yourself and you're offering it to Him. 00:30:22.799 --> 00:30:24.640 That's how complete this is. 00:30:43.839 --> 00:30:51.359 You need to realize, you know, the crowd marveled at this because nobody had ever heard this argument before. 00:30:52.160 --> 00:30:56.640 This argument over taxes had been burning in Israel for 25 years at this point. 00:30:56.960 --> 00:31:00.880 And Jesus, in half a sentence, blows the entire thing to pieces. 00:31:02.000 --> 00:31:05.039 And he does it by focusing on what's important. 00:31:06.400 --> 00:31:10.880 And that's whether you have given yourself completely to God or not. 00:31:24.559 --> 00:31:26.480 In conclusion, I want to talk. 00:31:26.640 --> 00:31:30.400 There's a lot of different people in this room, and there's a lot of different ways to apply this. 00:31:30.559 --> 00:31:49.279 I want to I want to talk to the Christian that uh came here this morning, and you're really tired, and you're exhausted, and then you show up, and this guy up front's like, it's not enough, give more, give more, and you're like, ah, I'm so tired. 00:31:52.400 --> 00:31:58.000 I want to remind you of what Jesus says in the book of Revelation to the church in Ephesus in chapter two. 00:31:58.880 --> 00:32:02.400 He says, These things, these things says he holds up. 00:32:02.480 --> 00:32:04.240 Um, actually, let's just skip that part. 00:32:04.319 --> 00:32:04.799 We'll go right here. 00:32:04.880 --> 00:32:06.480 He says, I know your works. 00:32:06.880 --> 00:32:16.640 I know your labor, your patience, and you cannot bear with those who are evil, and you have tested those who say they are apostles or not, and found them liars. 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:22.079 And you have persevered and have patience and have labored for my name's sake and have not become weary. 00:32:22.319 --> 00:32:26.240 Jesus says to them, I know how hard you work. 00:32:26.960 --> 00:32:30.319 I know how hard you are laboring in the gospel. 00:32:31.920 --> 00:32:38.400 You have patience with those who are weak, and you oppose those with false teaching. 00:32:38.880 --> 00:32:42.960 You have pushed so hard for so long for my name's sake. 00:32:43.279 --> 00:32:48.400 And I know you give yourself to God every day with your actions, as you should. 00:32:48.880 --> 00:32:52.640 Nevertheless, I have this against you. 00:32:53.599 --> 00:32:55.519 You've left your first love. 00:32:57.759 --> 00:33:06.640 And all of your busyness and giving yourself to God, you have lost the first love you had with for uh for me at the beginning. 00:33:07.440 --> 00:33:09.440 Your faith is like a marriage. 00:33:09.759 --> 00:33:14.960 You first got married to Jesus, you gave your life to him, you're like, this is the most amazing thing ever. 00:33:15.279 --> 00:33:19.839 Grace is awesome, you're just learning all this stuff, and it's amazing. 00:33:20.079 --> 00:33:24.240 And then things get colder and colder and colder. 00:33:24.559 --> 00:33:30.960 And in 10, 15, 20 years, you become that person's like, I just I work so hard for him. 00:33:32.160 --> 00:33:33.920 I've already given him everything. 00:33:35.599 --> 00:33:36.799 I'm tired. 00:33:37.920 --> 00:33:45.039 Jesus says, You forgot that first love that you had for me at the beginning. 00:33:46.880 --> 00:33:48.079 And what does he say? 00:33:48.480 --> 00:33:49.839 He says, Repent. 00:33:50.880 --> 00:33:51.519 Repent. 00:33:51.680 --> 00:33:52.720 Come back to me. 00:33:54.000 --> 00:33:57.039 Stop giving me your works like I need them. 00:33:58.480 --> 00:34:02.079 Remember your first love for me that you had. 00:34:02.559 --> 00:34:04.799 Remember the grace and the joy. 00:34:05.920 --> 00:34:07.839 Repent and go back to that. 00:34:08.960 --> 00:34:15.679 So when we hear Jesus saying, give everything, this isn't to crush you. 00:34:15.920 --> 00:34:17.840 In fact, it's to free you. 00:34:18.400 --> 00:34:21.360 Because we give ourselves to everything every day. 00:34:21.920 --> 00:34:24.000 We give ourselves to work. 00:34:24.559 --> 00:34:30.480 We have political parties that demand not just your vote, but your allegiance to everything they say. 00:34:30.880 --> 00:34:32.079 They want you. 00:34:33.199 --> 00:34:35.760 Everything wants you completely. 00:34:37.280 --> 00:34:41.519 So stop giving yourself to them and give yourself to Christ. 00:34:45.599 --> 00:34:47.280 To the non-Christian. 00:34:50.480 --> 00:34:55.519 If you're not a Christian, this this language that I use today, it sounds insane, right? 00:34:56.000 --> 00:34:56.960 It's crazy. 00:34:57.199 --> 00:34:58.400 What I just said. 00:34:59.440 --> 00:35:04.320 You want me to give myself to God so completely that it's like I die? 00:35:05.519 --> 00:35:06.159 Yeah. 00:35:07.199 --> 00:35:08.960 Yeah, it is like you die. 00:35:09.840 --> 00:35:11.599 But he died for you first. 00:35:13.360 --> 00:35:17.360 You see, Jesus loves you so much that He He gave His life for you on the cross. 00:35:17.440 --> 00:35:20.079 And through His death and resurrection, He gives you a new life. 00:35:20.320 --> 00:35:21.840 He wants to give you a new heart. 00:35:22.079 --> 00:35:25.039 He renews your mind, He cleanses you, He makes you new. 00:35:25.360 --> 00:35:29.760 You give him you, but He gave Himself to you first. 00:35:31.599 --> 00:35:33.360 And it's a it's a tough call. 00:35:33.599 --> 00:35:34.639 Give Him everything. 00:35:34.719 --> 00:35:42.480 I remember when we were in Africa, my wife and I, we were going around this village and we were talking to people about Jesus. 00:35:42.800 --> 00:35:46.719 And there was this woman who we were sharing the gospel with. 00:35:47.199 --> 00:35:49.599 And it was it was it was so easy. 00:35:49.760 --> 00:35:50.880 Like, I'll explain it. 00:35:50.960 --> 00:35:53.039 Like we show up and we're like, hey, have you ever heard of Jesus? 00:35:53.119 --> 00:35:54.800 She's like, yeah, and then we're like, what are you? 00:35:54.880 --> 00:35:57.519