Whose Image Is This?

If you have your Bible and I hope that you do, please turn with me to Mark 12. Our discussion today is probably going to be the most politically charged message that you will hear me preach and that’s because Jesus deals with politics.

John Wycliffe is one of my heroes in Christianity. He was a Protestant and Reformer before Luther. He was a Catholic priest that lived in Britain during the 1300s and was determined to produce a Bible that any Englishman could read. It was a huge undertaking and he had numerous threats on his life and body from the Pope and government. However, he endured in his task and against all his enemies that condemned him and his beliefs like salvation by faith alone, the preaching of the Gospel, and a rejection of many Catholic heresies. Inside the Bible that he produced on its flyleaf it said this “This Bible is translated and shall make possible a government of the people, by the people, and for the people.”

I don’t think Wycliffe realized that this same thought would be used by Abraham Lincoln after the Battle of Gettysburg where he said in his famous address, “We here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain, that this nation under God shall have a new birth of freedom, and that government of the people, by the people, for the people shall not perish from the earth.”

Government and the church have always had an interesting relationship. While I do believe that government and the Church are separate, there is a sharing of powers because of how God has designed it. I don’t mean that we should have a theocracy, but I do believe that Christian laws with a Christian people is the ideal. I also believe that the government’s primary job is to promote good and restrain evil. Of course, the issues begin to blur when the government has no moral compass and begins to punish good and endorse or reward evil. This is where the shared powers come in because it is not man that determines what is right or wrong but God. This is why we punish murderers. It’s why a Christian can be pro-life and pro-death penalty, because God’s Word prescribes those beliefs. It’s why we punish those that commit perjury is because God’s Word condemns it. It’s why we used to have good laws pertaining to marriage and the family.

So today, in a direct continuation from last week, we are looking at the wicked tenants who are trying to trap the beloved Son so that they would destroy Him. They behave hypocritically and put Him in an impossible situation. Today, we’re examining three points and we are going to conclude by asking “Whose Image Is This?” Please stand with me in honor of God’s Word as we read Mark 12:13-17

Mark 12:13–17 ESV

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. 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. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, 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.” And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “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.

Our passage begins with an action of people being sent by a “they”. Who is this “they”? It’s the chief priests, scribes, and elders Mark 11:27 that composed the Sanhedrin. Remember that the Sanhedrin was the ruling council of Jews in Christ’s time. It was a group of 71 men as you can see from this graphic. The Sanhedrin was made up of three major groups: the Pharisees, Sadducees, and scribes. This is a coordinated attack from these groups that have sought to destroy Jesus from Mark 3:6

Mark 3:6 ESV

The Pharisees went out and immediately held counsel with the Herodians against him, how to destroy him.

The same people that were wondering “By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?” These men sent Pharisees to Jesus. After the Babylonian Exile there were two influential groups that sprouted up. One was called Zadikim which means the righteous, and they followed only what was written in the Law of Moses. These are separatists and called themselves Haberim which means associate.

They didn’t consider themselves a part of the common people, but they associated with them. They thought themselves “holier” than others and even wore special clothes to set themselves apart. They were zealous for tradition, and were the political far-right of the day.

But the Sanhedrin also sent some Herodians as well. The Herodians were a political party that associated with the Herods of Palestine who were a puppet government that supported Roman rule. They submitted willingly and completely to Rome and they have been united in their efforts to destroy Jesus Christ. These are the ones Christ warned about in Mark 8:15

Mark 8:15 ESV

And he cautioned them, saying, “Watch out; beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and the leaven of Herod.”

The Herodians are the liberal left. They do not hold to strong theological convictions, they are syncretistic in their beliefs and typically they were at each other’s throats. However, the old saying “The enemy of my enemy is my friend” and they are strongly united in their opposition to Christ. Why? Jesus threatened the political stability of the Herodians and the religious influence of the Pharisees.

And they came to trap Jesus in His talk. That phrase is best translated as “in order that He would be caught unaware in His words.” That word trapped or caught carries with it the idea of hunting and animal and catching it in a net or a pit to destroy it like a pit dug out and lined with spikes. Their method to lure Christ in was through flattery which leads us to point one—

1. Jesus Knows the Heart of Man

He has proved this point. Mark 2:6-8

Mark 2:6–8 ESV

Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts?

It’s ironic that they come to Christ with this hypocrisy because they’re the ones that are doing the evil and accusing Jesus of being evil while they also give flattery but wind up speaking true words about Jesus!

The word hypocrite is tied to evil deception. God hates hypocrisy because it goes against His character. Jesus makes it a point to regularly condemn hypocrisy and puts it on the same level as lying and we will get to that issue in a few weeks. But hypocrisy flows from an insincere heart. Hypocrisy replaces the personal relationship with God and the practical outflowing of that with ceremony and formality. Hypocrisy looks for an audience of man, not of what pleases God.

We’ve all been in Sunday School Classes, Bible Studies, or Community Groups where someone comes in obviously has a lot of knowledge, yet their life doesn’t look much different than the world’s. That’s a direct example of hypocrisy in the church and the way Christ dealt with it is very directly. In fact, in dealing with the hypocrites of His time, Jesus said John 8:44

John 8:44 ESV

You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.

I don’t recommend saying this to someone unless you really really really know them. Which Christ obviously did. But a hypocrite is concerned about outward performance, but not what is retained and prioritized in the heart. When our eyes are on the Lord it means that we have one heavenly view which fill our lives with light and life. But hypocrisy turns the light into darkness and seeks to serve two masters but ultimately exalts self.

The flattery that is true is the say, “We know you are true.” It is a right confession but doesn’t come from their heart. They also say that Jesus, “does not care about anyone’s opinion”, which is true and right. Jesus was concerned with pleasing the Father alone. It’s interesting because many times these Pharisees refused to act because of the crowds and popular opinion. “You are not swayed by appearances,” which is also true. Jesus treated people with love and respect regardless of position. Even His condemnation of the religious hypocrites was designed to display His love and move them toward repentance. And they say that Jesus “truly teaches the way of God.” It’s true! Everything is true that they said and this shows that you can make a right profession but completely miss Christ. It’s about whether or not you’ve been born again! Whether or not you’ve met Christ.

Is that true of you? We are a confessional people and we should hold fast to our confession but we are saved by Christ. We are saved by His regenerative work in our lives and that is proven in whether or not you are growing in your love for Christ, His Word, His people, His mission.

Let’s look at what the controversy is… verse 14 “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” Let’s talk about this tax because this tax was instituted in 6 AD and it directly caused Judas the Galilean to lead a revolt against the Romans. Was it simply a tax? Not really. The revolt happened because of the kind of coin that had to be used. The denarius had an image of the emperor with his official title, which at this time under Tiberius would include the words meaning, ‘Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus’ who was believed to be the son of the goddess Livia. On the back of the coin it says, “Pontifex Maximus” which means the Supreme High Priest. This is deeply rooted in the imperial cult and was a clear declaration of divinity.

For a strict Jew this was not only politically but also religiously offensive, it had both a ‘graven image’ violating God’s Law but also had words which should not be applied to any human being, certainly not to a pagan Roman. But for everyday commerce the Jews were able to avoid ‘idolatry’ by using copper coins, locally minted, which bore no image. Judas the Galilean said “they were cowards if they would endure to pay a tax to the Romans, and would, after God, submit to mortal men as their lords.” This was the beginning of the zealot movement that Simon, one of Christ’s disciples, Simon, was a part of.

Now we know why the Pharisees and Herodians are there. If Jesus says yes we should pay the taxes then it will anger the Pharisees and anger the crowds that believe that the Roman oppressors are to be vilified. That’s the majority position and would lead to Christ being persecuted and maybe put to death by an angry mob. The other option is to reject paying taxes which would make the Pharisees happy but would anger the Herodians and the Romans. It would place Jesus in opposition to Rome and would cause the Romans to arrest and execute Him as a political enemy.

The theological and the political. People still get upset about the same thing today, don’t they? “But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, ‘Why put me to the test?’” Remember that they have heard His teachings, they have witnessed His miracles, they had seen dozens of signs and wonders and they still do not believe. They are testing Him in order to trap Him.

So Jesus asks them to bring a denarius to Him. Important thing to note: Jesus didn’t have one, but they did. They weren’t in a position to criticize Jesus for lack of patriotism or for religious opinions. They were the ones carrying the idolatrous, oppressors money!

So Jesus holds up the coin for all to see… ““Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar’s.” They gave the answer. It’s Caesar’s inscription and image. So then Jesus gives this point

2. Give Caesar What Is Caesar’s

Verse 17 “Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s,”. In the beginning God allowed for government. Of course no government in the world will ever be perfect because humans are imperfect. This is why totalitarian regimes and communism exist and why they always crumble. In Genesis 1:28

Genesis 1:28 ESV

And God blessed them. And God said to them, “Be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth and subdue it, and have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over every living thing that moves on the earth.”

That word subdue carries with it the connotation of overruling. God allows hierarchy and government as a way to bless the earth. Paul elaborates on how this looks in a Roman world in Romans 13:1-7

Romans 13:1–7 ESV

Let every person be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those that exist have been instituted by God. Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment. For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval, for he is God’s servant for your good. But if you do wrong, be afraid, for he does not bear the sword in vain. For he is the servant of God, an avenger who carries out God’s wrath on the wrongdoer. Therefore one must be in subjection, not only to avoid God’s wrath but also for the sake of conscience. For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. Pay to all what is owed to them: taxes to whom taxes are owed, revenue to whom revenue is owed, respect to whom respect is owed, honor to whom honor is owed.

All authority comes from God. Good and evil authorities. Red and blue. The authorities that exist have been instituted by God. Remember that Paul wrote Romans early in the reign of Nero who was infamous for his persecution of Christians. But, God’s Word is not in error. Government, even wicked ones serve God. As Americans this means that we are called to be model citizens. We should obey laws, pray for leaders, be honest in our taxes, and vote. It also means that we should exercise our rights as Americans to be critical of ungodly laws, oppose evil, and use legal means let our voices be heard. Christians can, and should, remind the government that it functions as a servant of God and should have beneficial, equitable laws that balance justice and mercy.

Proverbs 14:34 ESV

Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a reproach to any people.

This is a foundational principle for our nation. Our nation has been blessed in many ways over the years. Perhaps it is because there were laws observing the Sabbath. Perhaps it was because doing right and walking according to the commandments was a general rule. But a righteous administration will lead people to honor the Lord God and give glory to Him as its servant. But the state and the church have separate responsibilities. The Church is charged by God with proclaiming the Word and administering the sacraments. The power of the sword and keeping peace is given to the state. Government is legitimate and anarchy is opposed to God.

Remember that Rome was pagan! It was corrupt and godless! Render to Caesar the things that are caesar’s. This doesn’t mean that we can’t speak out against unjust taxes, corrupt leaders, or bad legislation. But Paul places all government authority under God. It is granted its power by Him alone. It is allowed by God to tax its citizens. Determine when to go to war. To reward good and exercise judgment against evil.

Government in America used to recognize that its authority came from God in many ways. Most obviously on our own coins which state, “In God We Trust”. It first appeared on coins during the Civil War pointing to the truth that it is only by faith in God that our nation would survive.

Its frustrating because many people think that a separation from church and state means a separation between state and God. The truth is that political leaders are not answerable to themselves. They will give an account to God for how they’ve lived their lives.

So a couple things to note here before we move on.

Be a good citizen even if you think the government is bad. If our president is good and wise, then be a good citizen! Do your duties and pray. If our president is evil and foolish, then be a good citizen! Do your duties and pray.

Human government has legitimate authority even when they do it poorly. Bad government is better than no government at all. Rome is an example of bad government for the Christian and yet God still grew His church and displayed the Gospel through the oppression that was experienced by our brothers and sisters.

Allegiance to God and allegiance to your country are not inherently incompatible. Paul exercised his rights as a Roman citizen. You can exercise your patriotism as well. These things are not mutually exclusive.

It is acceptable that there be some separation between Church and State. What I mean by this is that Christians have every right to speak biblical truth to the government and press them to make God glorifying laws. I do believe that you can legislate morality. It’s literally why we don’t allow murder. We don’t say “Well you can’t legislate morality” when talking about kidnapping, right? That’s a weird and incoherent argument. It’s why we have laws in the first place and if a dumb law exists then seek to change it or get rid of it through legal means. The nation gets in trouble when the government begins to determine what is right or wrong. The area of morality has been given to us in the Word and as members of the body of Christ, the Church (with a capital C) can clearly tell what is right or wrong.

The State is not God. This is where the government sometimes gets confused. It is not the ultimate authority. It exists under the dominion of the Lord.

There are also 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 4 and 5, when the authorities arrested the disciples for preaching, summoned them before the Sanhedrin, and ordered them not to teach in the name of Jesus (4:17–20). Of course, the disciples went right back to it and were arrested again. “‘We gave you strict orders not to teach in this name,’ he [the high priest] said. ‘Yet you have filled Jerusalem with your teaching and are determined to make us guilty of this man’s blood.’ Peter and the other apostles replied: ‘We must obey God rather than men!’” (5:28, 29). The opposition of tyrants is good and biblical. The disciples went out and took up preaching where they left off. Christians must never violate a command of God, regardless of what the state says.

This is why Christians cannot support gay marriage, transgender laws, or things like that. The government doesn’t decide what is moral or not, it’s God’s Word. This is why Christians should be okay with the 10 commandments being posted in schools. It’s why we should celebrate when Christians open in prayer for our legislators.

Second, Christians must resist when asked to do an immoral act. We could extend this into numerous areas, but I want you to think about the 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. The government rewards cohabitation and not being married. It’s easier and makes lots of financial sense for a woman to remain single and reap the government benefits. I see it with young and old alike in our world, but I must encourage you to consider what God wants you to do!

Third, believers must never go against their Christian conscience to obey government. This ranges from to participating or not participating in war, to how funding goes to certain research, to whether or not to remain silent on certain issues. This is where Christians must immerse themselves in God’s Word so that their beliefs are radically Biblical.

The overall point here in Mark, however, is that, noting the exceptions just stated, Christians are called to a profound obedience to their government. Christians are to be markedly law-abiding.

The Third Point is

3. Give God What Is God’s

This is a very straightforward answer and yet there’s a lot of ambiguity as well. For the Herodians it would be heard as affirming the rule of Caesar and Rome. For the Pharisees and other groups who chafed under Roman rule, it could be heard as a rejection of Caesar’s rule. “The things that are Caesar’s, give back to Caesar” raises the fundamental question of what belongs to Caesar. After all,

Psalm 24:1 ESV

The earth is the Lord’s and the fullness thereof, the world and those who dwell therein,

If everything belongs to God, then nothing is left for Caesar. Rather, Jesus is teaching and Paul delves deeper into this in Romans 13, which we’ve covered already, but its interesting that instead of setting loyalty to God and to Caesar in opposition to each other, God’s word is clear that both may be maintained at the same time. You can be a patriot and love your nation while also being a God honoring Christian. So through this belief, Jesus also confronts the ‘Zealot’ assumption which the Pharisees’ and Herodians’ question with a more positive assessment of the political responsibility of the people of God, even under foreign domination. A theocracy is not the only valid form of government. To be loyal to God does not necessarily demand civil disobedience.

By possessing and using a denarius with the image of Caesar on it, the Pharisees are already acknowledging Caesar’s authority over a certain realm of their lives. Submission to human authorities is part of God’s will for his people.

Now, as your pastor that loves you and wants us to be a God glorifying church I can’t help but bring up our history of patriotic services. I am oftentimes asked why don’t we sing the national anthem or things like that on Memorial Day, Veteran’s Day, Independence Day. Why we don’t do special patriotic services? I want to graciously and humbly point you to this biblical principle that Jesus teaches here. Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s and to God the things that are God’s. God has claimed authority over this church which we willfully and joyfully give to Him. It’s why we don’t do special services for those things because to do so it to give to Caesar the thing that is God’s. And part of that is our morning worship service.

Jesus told the Pharisees and Herodians to “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” The denarius belonged to Caesar Tiberius because it had his image stamped on it.

Let me ask you a question: Whose image do you bear? The Bible says that every one of us has been stamped with an image by the supreme authority in heaven and earth. God Himself has placed His image on us. Caesar owned that denarius, but he did not own the people of his time. Likewise, the state does not own us. God owns us; He has the supreme right to claim our lives as His own. So, then, we are to render to God the things that are God’s, including our lives, our liberty, our possessions, and our affections. If it is a sin to withhold taxes from the US Treasury, then how much more so is it a sin to withhold anything from the God who made you?!

The truth is that all government will one day cease. You won’t be a citizen of an earthly nation forever. The Bible says that all humans are separated from God because of sin. But God, in His love and mercy sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to earth to die on a cross, bearing your sins, in order to redeem you and I. He rose again on the third day and if you believe that and turn away from your sins, you will become citizens of His Heavenly Kingdom by faith! We believe, Philippians 3:20-21

Philippians 3:20–21 ESV

But our citizenship is in heaven, and from it we await a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, who will transform our lowly body to be like his glorious body, by the power that enables him even to subject all things to himself.

My hope is that you would be a citizen of God’s heavenly Kingdom today.

Head: God wants you to know that God has all authority and reigns over all governments.

Earthly governments are under the sovereignty of God, whether they acknowledge Him or not. As Christians, we are called to understand that governments are established by God to promote justice, restrain evil, and maintain order, even in a fallen world. This means that our ultimate allegiance is to God, not to human institutions.

Heart: God wants you to trust in the wisdom of Christ and His Kingdom.

Jesus’ response in this passage reveals His unmatched wisdom and authority. Instead of being trapped by the schemes of man, He points to a greater reality: we belong to God. Believe that your primary identity is as a citizen of God’s eternal Kingdom, and let that shape your heart’s trust and allegiance, especially in a chaotic political world.

Hand: God wants you to live as a responsible and faithful Christian citizen.

 Pay your taxes, obey just laws, pray for leaders, and engage in civic duties like voting. At the same time, stand firm for righteousness by opposing evil laws, advocating for justice, and living out the Gospel in your community. Always reflect God’s character in how you interact with others, even in politically charged situations.