Death and Taxes

Welcome

Intro

We are finishing up Chapter 17 today……

This is the final year of Jesus’ life and what we have been studying is how Jesus is preparing His Talmid to caring on The Way of the Kingdom when Jesus is Gone. Only the Disciples still have not caught on that in the next year Jesus will be gone and they will be left to caring teaching others how to be followers of Jesus.

MAtthew leads now into the two certainties of life. Death and Taxes.

We all die and unfortunately we all must pay taxes. So let’s dive into today’s Scripture.

Body

Matthew 17:22–23 CSB

22 As they were gathering together in Galilee, Jesus told them, “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men. 23 They will kill him, and on the third day he will be raised up.” And they were deeply distressed.

I want you to look closely at how Jesus words this phrase….

Matthew 17:22 CSB

22 “The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.

He did not say the Hands of the Jews…….He did not say the Hands of the Romans…………He Said the Hands of Men.

What we need to understand is that Jesus was accused by the Jews, then handed over to the Romans and executed on a roman execution Cross.

I believe that both Jew and Gentile killed Jesus and this is the gap that allows Him to be Savior to all.

Rabbi Barney Kasdan Puts it this way.

Matthew Presents Yeshua, King Messiah (A Messianic Commentary) The Revelation of Messiah’s Power 17:14–27

In a strange way, it is prophetic that Messiah would be rejected by his own and turned over to the Gentiles for ultimate execution. All peoples are represented in his rejection so that he may turn it around and be the redeemer of all.B

Before we move on I want to take a look at this story from Lukes perspective………

Luke 9:44–45 CSB

44 “Let these words sink in: The Son of Man is about to be betrayed into the hands of men.” 45 But they did not understand this statement; it was concealed from them so that they could not grasp it, and they were afraid to ask him about it.

We have a tendency to look at the disciples from time to time negatively because the don’t get it. Luke tells us that they didn’t understand because it was concealed from them.

Yet they were afraid to ask him what he meant.

How often are we guilty of the same thing and are too afraid to ask?

Now let’s talk about Taxes………….

Matthew 17:24–27 CSB

24 When they came to Capernaum, those who collected the temple tax approached Peter and said, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?” 25 “Yes,” he said. When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes? From their sons or from strangers?” 26 “From strangers,” he said. “Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him. 27 “But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to them for me and you.”

Oh Peter……….

He has a tendency of speaking out of place…..

Jesus either overhears the conversation or the Holy Spirit gave him insight so He hits Peter up as he enters the house……

Matthew 17:25 CSB

25 When he went into the house, Jesus spoke to him first, “What do you think, Simon? From whom do earthly kings collect tariffs or taxes? From their sons or from strangers?”

Matthew 17:26 CSB

26 “From strangers,” he said. “Then the sons are free,” Jesus told him.

The Temple Tax ………

Exodus 30:13–14 CSB

13 Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel (twenty gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the Lord. 14 Each man who is registered, twenty years old or more, must give this contribution to the Lord.

The Problem with Peters thinking………… Well He isn’t a Priest so he must have to pay the tax too.

In this time period and in the one that is to come the Nations were ruled by a Monarchy.

That means one Ruler and Rule maker……….

If Jesus is God, the Maker and Ruler of the Universe, and also the Son of God that means He is the maker of the Law

Which exempt from the Laws that He made……..

After all If a ruler doesn’t like the laws he just makes a new one.

This makes the whole picking grain on the Sabbath incident….. I made Sabbath for you not for me………

The truth is the disciples get that He is the son of God but they do not full grasp what that means….

Neither do we……..

Cross…..Right Hand of the Father…..Returning King……….

So how does Jesus responds..

Matthew 17:27 CSB

27 “But, so we won’t offend them, go to the sea, cast in a fishhook, and take the first fish that you catch. When you open its mouth you’ll find a coin. Take it and give it to them for me and you.”

Hey Just to make peace Go Fishing………

but there is an issue

Exodus 30:15 CSB

15 The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for your lives.

No matter what your financial status in life the cost of atonement is the same………There is no paying your way into Heaven…………..

A Shekel is worth 4 Denarius which is basically 4 days wages…..So inorder to pay the temple tax the fish would have to have 2 denarius in it in order to pay the 1/2 shekel tax

So A fish with a Whole Shekel would be too much and Jesus would be breaking His own rules but here is what I found really cool.

One Shekel is enough to pay 2 men’s Tax……

Listen to what Jesus Says.

Matthew 17:27 CSB

27 Take it and give it to them for me and you.”

What does the Temple Tax cover…..

Exodus 30:13–16 CSB

13 Everyone who is registered must pay half a shekel according to the sanctuary shekel (twenty gerahs to the shekel). This half shekel is a contribution to the Lord. 14 Each man who is registered, twenty years old or more, must give this contribution to the Lord. 15 The wealthy may not give more and the poor may not give less than half a shekel when giving the contribution to the Lord to atone for your lives. 16 Take the atonement price from the Israelites and use it for the service of the tent of meeting. It will serve as a reminder for the Israelites before the Lord to atone for your lives.”

The Tax is a reminder of the need for atonement…..It Pays the Atonement Price….

Now here we have Jesus who needs no atonement providing for not only His atonement tax but Peter’s also.

Jesus is teaching Peter an important lesson on the fact that God will always provide….

He is the provider of the Tax, The Sacrifice, and the Atonement…..

And he uses Peter’s former occupation………To prove to him how much more he will provide in the next mission.

Jesus is teaching Peter to trust in God’s ability to provide…….

I have to work this out in my own heart quite often…………The Church finances……..God has always provided and we keep going trusting he will provide more…..

How about you are you trusting God in the area of His ability to provide for you…

The 10% Tithe……… It is the same whether rich or poor……..Do you trust in God’s ability to provide……..Are you giving Him opportunity to Bless your Finances?

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