The Coin’s Image

Trapping Jesus

The leadership in Jerusalem is getting desperate to kill Jesus

they have tried to trick Him into answering a question so that they can trap Him

Jesus then tells a parable about a vineyard

and being an enemy of the owner of this vineyard

V 19

The scribes and chief priests at that very minute wanted desperately tried to kill Him

V 20

so they sent in spies pretending to be righteous

they wanted to have the Romans kill Him

that would be the best way because the Israelites could not lawfully put someone to death

V 21

They are flattering Jesus not that they want to believe in Him. Jesus knows their heart. knows what they believe

There a lot of people in church who pretend to be righteous, bring their big bible, maybe even a teacher, or pastor

they are wolves in sheep’s clothing

the last time they tried to trick Jesus with a question it backfired on them

so this time it’s a yes or no question with both answers a trap

V 22

this tax is a hated tax in Israel and if He says no then the people will be angry

but also

this tax has been fought over many times by insurrectionist and the Roman government does not look with favorability on them

V 23

He saw through their veneer of honestly asking a question

wouldn’t you like this kind of wisdom?

James 1:5 LSB

But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him.

are you asking for wisdom?

wisdom to deal with other people

wisdom to have insight

wisdom to know a scam

at this point they think they have Him

V 24

show me a Roman coin

Who’s face is on this coin?

Then you need to

Render To Caesar

V 25

we are strangers and pilgrims of this world

John 15:19 LSB

“If you were of the world, the world would love its own; but because you are not of the world, but I chose you out of the world, because of this the world hates you.

and we are not to be conformed to this world

Romans 12:2 LSB

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may approve what the will of God is, that which is good and pleasing and perfect.

soooo

how do we behave in this world?

we are to be good citizens

Romans 13:1 LSB

Every person is to be in subjection to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and those which exist have been appointed by God.

we need to render our taxes

and obedience to the law

Nero found that the Christians were the best behaved citizens so he found it easy to persecute them because they did not retaliate

Romans 13:2 LSB

Therefore whoever resists that authority has opposed the ordinance of God; and they who have opposed will receive condemnation upon themselves.

lets look at the instructions that God gave to the people of Israel going into captivity

Jeremiah 29:4–7 LSB

“Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, to all the exiles whom I have sent into exile from Jerusalem to Babylon, ‘Build houses and live in them; and plant gardens and eat their fruit. ‘Take wives and become the fathers of sons and daughters, and take wives for your sons and give your daughters to husbands, that they may bear sons and daughters; and multiply there and do not decrease. ‘Seek the peace of the city where I have sent you into exile, and pray to Yahweh on its behalf; for in its peace you will have peace.’

but when their is a conflict between what God says and the government

Acts 4:19–20 LSB

But Peter and John answered and said to them, “Whether it is right in the sight of God to hear you rather than God, you be the judge; for we cannot stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.”

Acts 5:29 LSB

But Peter and the apostles answered and said, “We must obey God rather than men.

V 25

we are to

Render Unto God

so it begs the question what is God’s?

the first thing we think of is our offerings

but even more importantly we as people belong to God

Genesis 1:26–27 LSB

Then God said, “Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness, so that they will have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the sky and over the cattle and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” And God created man in His own image, in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.

all people bear the image of God

the coin beared the image of Caesar

but we bear the image of God

we are to give ourselves to God

Romans 12:1 LSB

Therefore I exhort you, brothers, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies as a sacrifice—living, holy, and pleasing to God, which is your spiritual service of worship.

God deserves our worship, our offerings our prayer our love

we need to present ourselves to Him

1 Corinthians 6:19–20 LSB

Or do you not know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God, and that you are not your own? For you were bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body.

we have been bought by the precious blood of Jesus

1 Peter 2:9–10 LSB

But you are a chosen family, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God’s own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy.

we have a great responsibility before the Almighty

to proclaim the wondrous good news to the world

to proclaim Jesus to a lost and dying world

the early christians were supposed to make a pledge that Caesar is lord

caesar was overstepping his bounds with the separation between God and Caesar

At age eighty-six, Polycarp, the second-century bishop of Smyrna and disciple of the apostle John, was brought to the Roman authorities and ordered to confess that Caesar is lord. Though doing so would have saved his life, Polycarp refused and was murdered, inspiring others to remain faithful. Polycarp knew that in this context kurios signified divinity when used of the Caesar. And faithful follower of Christ that he was, Polycarp refused to call Caesar lord and violate the most basic tenet of the faith that “You shall have no other gods before Me." (Ex. 20:3).He refused to render to Caesar the thing that belonged solely to God, Lordship! And the result? He soon thereafter saw the God he worshiped, for in the instant he was martyred, he was absent from his body, and present forever at home with his Lord (2 Cor 5:8) And one day Caesar will bow his knee and declare that "Jesus is Lord!"

we might come to a day that this happens to us but until that day comes we need to be the best taxpaying citizens

and giving our whole selves to our Lord