THE CHRISTIAN'S OBLIGATIONS (Mark 12:13-17)
INTRODUCTION:
We took a break from Mark last week as we celebrated the resurrection of our Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. This morning, we return to the book of Mark. Let me remind you of where we left off. Jesus Christ has come to Jerusalem and what is called Passion Week has begun. This week began with the Triumphal Entry on Monday, the most public declaration that Jesus made that He was the Messiah. After riding the donkey’s colt into Jerusalem and looking around the Temple complex, Jesus and His disciples retired to Bethany where they were staying. Tuesday morning Jesus cursed a fig tree for being in leaf but having no fruit. The tree represented Israel and the fact that she too was barren, had no spiritual fruit seen in the hypocrisy of the religious leaders and the unbelief and rejection of Jesus. After cursing the fig tree, Jesus and His disciples continued into Jerusalem and entered the Temple complex and Jesus cleansed the Temple court of the Gentiles, driving out the merchants and their animals, overturning the corrupt money-changers tables and upsetting the seats of those selling doves, reminding the people that God’s house was to be a house of prayer for all people, but the religious leaders had turned it into a robber’s den, filling their own pockets with the money of the people. Then they retired to Bethany again. Wednesday morning returning to Jerusalem they discovered the fig tree Jesus had cursed withered from the roots up, and illustration of the judgment that was to come on Israel because of their unbelief and rejection of Jesus as the Messiah. Jesus took the opportunity to teach His disciples the essentials of prayer. Then when they arrived in the Temple complex again Jesus began to teach the people. A delegation from the Sanhedrin approached Jesus to learn where His authority had come from in a hope to trap Him in His words so they could arrest Him. He turned their trap on them and left them silenced and humiliated. He then told them and the crowd the judgment parable of the wicked vine-growers and the delegation from the Sanhedrin slunk away knowing that the parable was spoken against them. This is where we left off two Sundays ago. It is still Wednesday of Passion Week and Jesus is still in the Temple complex teaching the people. Let’s pray and then get into our passage of Scripture.
--PRAY--
SCRIPTURE:
Turn in your Bibles to Mark 12:13-17, our passage for this morning. If you are able, please stand in honor of the reading of God’s Word and follow along as I read.
Mark 12:13-17,
“Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. They came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay?’ But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, ‘Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.’ They brought one. And He said to them, ‘Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ And they said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ And they were amazed at Him.” (Mark 12:13–17, NASB95)[1]
THE PHARISEES’ AND HERODIANS’ TRAP (Mark 12:13-15a)
There are two very different powers in the world that can bind people together. The first is love, and the second is hatred. Without a doubt, love is to be preferred. Love for one another is God’s gift to the church, in fact it is His command for the church. That being said, hatred, though ultimately destructive and fragmenting, can serve as a devilish cement among otherwise diverse people.
This is the case with the Pharisees and the Herodians that are key to this morning’s message. There could hardly be two groups with such opposing outlooks. The Pharisees were nationalistic, they were loyal to Israel, whereas the Herodians had sold themselves out to the Romans and served as their stooges. The Pharisees represented narrow, conservative Judaism, the Herodians were liberal, and political. The Pharisees represented resistance to Rome, the Herodians accommodation. But they could put all their differences aside because they were cemented together by their mutual hatred for Jesus. The Pharisees hated Jesus because He was disrupting their religious agenda, the Herodians hated Him because He threatened their political arrangement. They both wanted Him dead. We saw them come together one other time in Galilee for the same reason, to plot a way to get rid of Jesus.
As they came together again now in Jerusalem they recognized that Jesus was not an easy target, that He was a formidable opponent. They had just watched as He silenced the delegation who had come questioning His authority. But there had to be a way to trap Him in His words that would get the crowds to turn against Him. Finally, they came up with a question that, no matter how Jesus answered, it would put Him in mortal trouble with the Jews or the Romans. So, they selected several individuals from both the Pharisees and the Herodians who they thought could carry out their evil purpose and sent them to approach Jesus as He was teaching in one of the temple courts.
Our passage begins by saying, “Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement.” (Mark 12:13, NASB95)[2] The “they” most likely refers to the Sanhedrin, again the Sanhedrin was the ruling government of Israel, it was like the supreme court, and it was made up of 70 Sadducees, Pharisees, and elders of Israel, the seventy first member was the High Priest who presided over the council. It seems that they had sent the first delegation of chief priests, scribes, and elders but when they had failed to trap Jesus they began to look for another way and the plan hatched by the Pharisees and Herodians received the blessing of the Sanhedrin and they sent the delegation to trap Jesus in a statement that would allow them to arrest Him.
Listen to their flattery as they approached Jesus, they wanted to appear as innocent inquirers. They hoped to disarm Jesus, throw Him off guard, so that He would unwittingly give a self-condemning answer. Mark writes, “They came and said to Him, ‘Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?’ ” (Mark 12:14, NASB95)[3] Those must have been hard words for those Pharisees to speak, because they did not believe them. Ironically, their words of flattery contained truth. Jesus was not and is not influenced by man and He truly did teach the way of God without wavering. And as these men approached and began to speak to Him, He was not intimidated by them. Jesus walked into their trap with His eyes wide open. As always, He would answer with truth.
Then they asked their loaded question: “Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” (Mark 12:14b–15a, NASB95)[4] Jesus’ enemies were confidant that they had Him this time! Silence, a refusal to answer, would be disastrous. Evasion would have been equally so. If Jesus answered that it was right to pay taxes to Caesar, the crowds would have branded Him a traitor and abandon Him in disgust. If He answered that no taxes should be paid to Caesar, the Romans would see Him as an insurrectionist. Rome at this time tolerated diversity in religion, but the Romans came down hard when it came to political problems. If He answered like that, Jesus would be a dead man.
His enemies waited anxiously for Him to answer—the Pharisees hoping for a “yes” that they could herald to the nation so the crowds would turn against Him, and the Herodians equally eager for a “no” that they could take to the Romans, bringing about Jesus’ death. There was no way Jesus could escape this one. They had Him!
Jesus was fully aware of the treachery and the hypocrisy of this delegation before Him. Jesus responded by saying, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” (Mark 12:15b, NASB95)[5] This was a Roman coin, and they produced one and gave it to Jesus. This was a small silver coin. One side bore the head of Caesar with an inscription that translated said, “Tiberias Caesar, son of the divine Augustus, Augustus.” On the other side was the inscription that translated means “Chief Priest.” This was the amount that was paid yearly into the Roman Treasury by all adult men and women just for the privilege of existing. It could only be paid with this coin. This coin was worth the amount of one day of work for a soldier or a common laborer.
Jesus examined the coin, then as He held up the coin, silence must have fallen across the court to hear what He was going to say. Jesus’ question broke the silence, “’Whose likeness and inscription is this?’ And they said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’ ” (Mark 12:16b, NASB95)[6] Then Jesus’ voice rang out, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17b, NASB95)[7] This was an astonishing answer.
Jesus’ enemies thought that they had caught Jesus in an inescapable dilemma, but they did not understand that they were up against the One “in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge.” (Colossians 2:3, NASB95)[8] His answer, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,” could not be denied or disputed. The reason was that ancient coins were actually understood to be the property of the person whose image or inscription were on them. Jesus’ use of the coin left them speechless. Who could object to giving Caesar the things that belong to him?
This statement by the Lord Jesus was not only astounding on the day that He uttered it, but it still is today as it reveals Jesus’ mind concerning human government. Paul took what Jesus said and expanded on it in Romans 13:1-7 which Jacob read for us this morning and it has given shape to the political world as we know it today. And it orders and puts into priority the believer’s obligations in this life.
THE CHRISTIAN’S EARTHLY/TEMPORAL OBLIGATION (Mark 12:17a)
Jesus Christ’s statement first set out the shape of the Christian’s earthly or temporal obligation: “Render to Caesar that things that are Caesar’s.” Essential and implicit in Christ’s teaching is that the state is a valid institution. Jesus assumes by His statement the validity of a secular state and its demands, even when controlled by a man who thinks he is god. A poorly run state is better than no state at all, that is just chaos.
Not only is the state valid but it also makes legitimate claims on our behavior. In Romans 13, Paul expands on Jesus’ words, by writing, “Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist are established by God.” (Romans 13:1, NASB95)[9] There are limits upon the authority of the state. There are at least three areas in which a Christian must resist authority.
First, when he or she is asked to violate a command of God. The perfect example of this is found in Acts chapters four and five, when the authorities arrested the disciples for preaching. They were summoned before the Sanhedrin, who ordered them not to teach in the name of Jesus. When released the disciples went right back to preaching in the name of Jesus and were arrested again. Acts 5:28-29 records first the words of the Sanhedrin, “’We gave you strict orders not to continue teaching in this name, and yet, you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and intend to bring this man’s blood upon us.’ But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’ ” (Acts 5:28–29, NASB95)[10] The disciples went out and took up preaching where they had left off. Christians must never violate a command of God, regardless of what the state says. But be very sure that it is a command of God.
Second, Christians must resist when asked to do an immoral act. The sexual application for this is obvious and easiest to understand. But it also extends to ethical areas in which many are constantly asked to compromise—whether in the context of government service, business, home, community, or even church. Christians must never think it is okay to commit immoral or unethical acts.
Third, Christians must never go against their Chistian conscience to obey government. This may involve such diverse things as participation in licentious entertainment, to working in institutions that perform wholesale abortions. Here it is imperative that Christians immerse themselves in God’s Word so that their ethics are radically Biblical.
The point that Jesus is making in our passage in Mark, is that, noting the exceptions I just mentioned, Christians are called to a profound obedience to their government. Christians are to be clearly and decidedly law-abiding citizens, even down to the traffic laws and the speed limits.
Believers too must never cheat on taxes. We must also show respect, even when the conduct of many officials defies our respect, but even then we must always respect their position. Last we are to pray for those who rule over us. Paul told Timothy, “First of all, then, I urge that entreaties and prayers, petitions and thanksgivings, be made on behalf of all men, for kings and all who are in authority, so that we may lead a tranquil and quiet life in all godliness and dignity.” (1 Timothy 2:1–2, NASB95)[11] Jesus said that we must give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. Are we doing so? Even more importantly, are we giving to God the things that are God’s?
THE CHRISTIAN’S HEAVENLY/ETERNAL OBLIGATION (Mark 12:17b)
Let’s take a few minutes to consider the second half of Jesus’ answer, and in doing so we will see the amazing wisdom of God. By saying we are to give or render “to God the things that are God’s,” (Mark 12:17b, NASB95)[12] Jesus clearly stated that there is only one God, thus removing Caesar’s claim to divinity. Besides this, because Jesus named God in the second half of the statement, the demands of the ultimate, eternal King showed His glory to be incomparable to the petty reign of Caesar. Jesus put Caesar in his place, and again there was nothing His opponents could do about it.
Next, Jesus’ call to render “to God the things that are God’s” (Mark 12:17b, NASB95)[13]subtly stated God’s claim to total ownership of us all. Here is why: the coin was Caesar’s because it bore his image; we are God’s because we bear His image! Moses wrote in Genesis 1:27, “God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.” (Genesis 1:27, NASB95)[14] The Jews that were listening to Jesus, with their oriental listening habits, automatically made this connection. We are from God’s mint and totally His!
How do we bear God’s image? In many ways, one of which is our awareness of being. God has said of Himself, “I AM WHO I AM” (Exodus 3:14, NASB95)[15] This was a statement of eternal existence. We are the only creatures in the universe who can say, “I am,” and that is because God has created us and made us to be. Also, no other thing that is created has a moral sense of right and wrong. We are moral beings due to the fact that we carry God’s image, no matter how much we try to wipe it out. These are just two of the awesome resemblances, and they denote an equally awesome ownership of us! We are God’s coin. We bear His image.
CONCLUSION:
This truth should be for us a great comfort and encouragement. Because we are made in God’s image, wonderful things can happen to us. When we recognize and admit our sin and put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, God through His grace restores our moral sense. He revitalizes our sense of eternity. He re-sculpts His character in our hearts.
The Holy Spirit is the One who does this work in us, which begins with His sealing us to redemption. The Word of God describes this in phrases like the one found in Ephesians 1:13, “you also…were sealed in Him with the Holy Spirit of promise.” (Ephesians 1:13, NASB95)[16] Or like in Ephesians 4:30, “Do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.” (Ephesians 4:30, NASB95)[17] And in 2nd Corinthians 1:21-22, “Now He who establishes us with you in Christ and anointed us is God, who also sealed us and gave us the Spirit in our hearts as a pledge.” (2 Corinthians 1:21–22, NASB95)[18] Just as when an ancient wax seal was placed on a container or letter, and the owner took his ring and pressed it into the hot wax, so does the Holy Spirit do with us as He warms us, makes us malleable, and then presses His image, His character into us. As we grow in the Spirit, the mark of His divine impress burns deeper and deeper into us as we conform more and more to His image. What a wonderful truth is ours as we submit to the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives.
Finally, this is a call for profound commitment and surrender to God. To us who bear the image of God by virtue of our humanity, and then have had the character of God further pressed upon our souls by the sealing and progressive work of the Holy Spirit through the salvation and sanctification process that begins by repentance and faith in Jesus Christ and His perfect work on the cross and His resurrection, Jesus’ words echo in our ears, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” (Mark 12:17, NASB95)[19]
Have you given to God what is His? He says, “I AM WHO I AM.” Have you said, “I am Yours”?
[1]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[2]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[3]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[4]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[5]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[6]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[7]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[8]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[9]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[10]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[11]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[12]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[13]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[14]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[15]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[16]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[17]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[18]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.
[19]New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update. 1995. La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation.