To Caesar and to God

Opening Comments:

Please meet me again in your copy of God’s Word this morning in Luke 20:20–26. You’ll find it on page ___ in our church-provided Bibles.

While your turning there, allow me to set the stage.

Jesus is in Jerusalem during Passover week. The city is swollen with pilgrims. The Roman presence is heightened because of it.

In the last several scenes Luke has shown us the temperature rising to a boiling level between Jesus and the religious/civic leaders of the Jews.

And there’s good reason for it.

Jesus entered the city openly and received praise as King and Messiah just a few days before.

He wept over Jerusalem and condemned them for their hardness.

He went to the temple and turned over the tables of the money changers and drove out the animals that were being sold. Effectively cleansing the area around the Temple complex known as the “Court of the Gentiles”

And then Luke tells us that Jesus remained there in the courts day after day teaching publicly.

The temple courts were were a public arena. This is the center of Jewish religious life, and in many ways, the center of national identity. To Teach there is a claim of authority and last week we saw the chief priests, scribes, and elders confront Jesus directly, demanding to know who gave him the authority to do all the things he had done.

Jesus exposed their hypocrisy, then told a parable about a vineyard and it’s tenants who mistreated the owners servants and killed his Son. It was an incredibly pointed condemnation against them. They were the tenants and were going to face destruction because of their actions.

Luke 20:19 ESV

19 The scribes and the chief priests sought to lay hands on him at that very hour, for they perceived that he had told this parable against them, but they feared the people.

So they change tactics.

If they can’t seize Him publicly, they will set Him up publicly. If they can’t crush Him by force, they will try to ruin Him with words.

And if they can’t make the crowd turn on Him, they will try to hand Him over to Rome.

That is the scene we pick up with this morning.

Let’s read God’s word together.

Luke 20:20–26 ESV

20 So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere, that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor. 21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God. 22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” 23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them, 24 “Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?” They said, “Caesar’s.” 25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

Introduction:

One of the most dangerous forms of opposition is hidden hostility. Open hostility shows its face. You can brace for it. You can respond to it.

Hidden hostility is harder.

Snares hidden behind smiles are difficult to see.

Compliments meant to manipulate are easy to mistake for kindness.

Sincere-sounding questions can be traps you don’t recognize until the net is already tight.

That is the kind of thing David prayed about.

Psalm 140:1–5 ESV

1 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men; preserve me from violent men, 2 who plan evil things in their heart and stir up wars continually. 3 They make their tongue sharp as a serpent’s, and under their lips is the venom of asps. Selah 4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked; preserve me from violent men, who have planned to trip up my feet. 5 The arrogant have hidden a trap for me, and with cords they have spread a net; beside the way they have set snares for me. Selah

That’s exactly what happens in this passage.

This group of spies hasn’t come looking for truth. They’ve come looking for leverage. They want to trap Jesus in a no-win situation, and they choose a question about taxes because it puts Him on a fault line. If He answers one way, the people may turn against Him and, if He answers the other, Rome will.

In their minds, there’s no safe answer and they think they’ve got Jesus cornered.

But Jesus refuses their framing. He doesn’t get pulled into their trap. He exposes what’s underneath it, and He makes something unmistakably clear.

Earthly authority has a legitimate place, but God alone has an unrivaled claim over those who bear His image.

Luke unfolds that truth step by step. So let’s walk through the text and watch how Jesus dismantles the trap and redirects the issue to what ultimately belongs to God.

1.) When religion wears a mask, it reveals a heart that fears losing control. (v. 20–21)

A.) Their Motive (v.20)

Luke begins by telling us exactly what’s happening before anyone ever speaks:

Luke 20:20 ESV

So they watched him and sent spies, who pretended to be sincere,…

Pretended- The verb Luke uses carries the idea of acting a part or putting on a mask.

They are not genuinely approaching Jesus as learners or disciples, they’re playacting sincerity in order to hide their true intentions.

Luke makes very clear what their motives for doing this were

Luke 20:20 ESV

…that they might catch him in something he said, so as to deliver him up to the authority and jurisdiction of the governor.

They had a purely political motive to their question. They can’t kill him on account of the people, but Rome could.

B.) Their Means (v.21)

They use flattery in order to set the trap.

Luke 20:21 ESV

21 So they asked him, “Teacher, we know that you speak and teach rightly, and show no partiality, but truly teach the way of God.

Everything they say is accurate. The problem is not their theology, but their intent. Truth is being used rather than confessed.

That is why Scripture consistently warns against flattery. It takes what is true and detaches it from honesty.

Psalm 5:9 ESV

9 For there is no truth in their mouth; their inmost self is destruction; their throat is an open grave; they flatter with their tongue.

Proverbs 29:5 ESV

5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.

“Gossip involves saying behind a person’s back what you would never say to his face. Flattery is saying to a person’s face what you would never say behind his back.”

R. Kent Hughes

Flattery is wrong because it says what needs to be said in order to get what you want. It allows someone to sound sincere while remaining guarded.

Application: That danger isn’t limited to these spies.

It is possible to speak truth about God while keeping your heart protected from God.

Words can be accurate.

Tone can be respectful.

And yet your posture can remain closed.

God isn’t persuaded by correct language that’s attached to a hypocritical heart. He’s not manipulated by religious speech. You can’t bait and manipulate God to give in to your sinful desires. It didn’t work here and it wont work for us now.

2.) Trying to trap Jesus exposes a desire for control. (v. 22–23)

A.) The Question (v.22)

Now comes the question:

Luke 20:22 ESV

22 Is it lawful for us to give tribute to Caesar, or not?”

Tribute- refers to the poll tax imposed by Rome on every adult male simply for living under Roman rule.It was a declaration that Caesar had the right to rule over God’s people. It was a financial burden and a symbolic humiliation.

In fact, about 30 years prior to this confrontation, when this tax was first imposed, a man named Judas the Galilean led a revolt against Rome on the grounds that paying the poll tax treated Caesar as Lord instead of God.

Rome crushed the rebellion, but the resentment never dissipated. It simmered under the surface, especially during Passover, when Israel celebrated deliverance from foreign oppression and slavery.

This question wasn’t sincere. It was a pressure point.

If Jesus endorses the tax, He risks losing the people.

If He rejects it, he can be arrested for inciting rebellion.

Either way, they think they win.

B.) Jesus Perception

Luke 20:23 ESV

23 But he perceived their craftiness, and said to them,

Jesus knows this isn’t an honest dilemma that they’re wrestling with. It’s meant to inflict maximum damage on Him by weaponizing His words against him.

Application: It’s easy to hear that and shake our heads. But the impulse underneath it is not unique.

How often do we ask real questions, while we’ve already decided which answers we’re willing to accept.

How often do we approach Jesus openly, while quietly reserving the right to turn away from Him if he pushes us too far out of our comfort zone.

These men are not open to being taught. They are positioning Jesus so that whatever He says can be used on their terms. They would rather trap Jesus than submit to Him.

Their question is all about control.

3.) Earthly authority is real but never ultimate (v. 24–25a)

Jesus does not answer their question directly. Instead, He asks for a coin.

Luke 20:24 ESV

“Show me a denarius. Whose likeness and inscription does it have?”…

A denarius was a Roman coin, roughly equal to a day’s wage.

When they hand it to Him, Jesus forces them to state the obvious.

Luke 20:24 ESV

…They said, “Caesar’s.”

Jesus then draws the conclusion.

Luke 20:25 ESV

25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

With that statement, Jesus teaches us an important principle:

Earthly authority is real.

Living under it carries obligations.

Responsibility is part of life in a fallen world.

The rest of the New Testament affirms this.

Paul teaches that governing authorities exist under God’s hand and that paying taxes is part of faithful life in this world (Romans 13).

Peter urges believers to submit to human institutions for the Lord’s sake, even when rulers are imperfect (1 Peter 2).

Application: Jesus isn’t elevating Caesar. He’s limiting his authority to its proper role. Caesar can only claim power over what bears his image, nothing more than that.

And with that boundary firmly drawn, Jesus prepares us for the far greater claim that follows.

4.) God’s claim reaches farther than any earthly power (vv. 25b–26)

After defining the proper scope of earthly authority, Jesus adds the line that carries the full weight of the passage, we already read the first part:

Luke 20:25 ESV

25 He said to them, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

A.) The logic of Jesus

If the coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image, then the implication follows naturally.

From the very beginning of the Bible, human beings are marked as bearing the image of God.

Genesis 1:26–27 ESV

26 Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27 So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.

Humanity bears the image of God, therefore we belong to Him.

Not just in church or during religious moments, but at all times.

God’s claim rests on the whole person. Everything that bears His image belongs to Him.

B.) They’re response

Luke 20:26 ESV

26 And they were not able in the presence of the people to catch him in what he said, but marveling at his answer they became silent.

They could not catch Him in what He said, and they fell silent.

Jesus escapes the trap by reframing the question and leaves them confronted with God’s rightful claim.

Conclusion:

If a coin belongs to Caesar because it bears his image, then human beings belong to God because they bear His. That claim leaves no part of life untouched.

From the beginning, God created humanity in His image. We were made to reflect Him, to live under His good rule, and to belong to Him. But something has gone wrong. The image remains, but it has been marred by sin. We still belong to God by creation, but we do not live in fellowship with Him.

That is why Jesus came.

Not just to remind people they belong to God but to redeem them back to God. He gave Himself up, bore judgment in our place, and rose again so that sinners could be restored to the God whose image they bear.

Invitation and Meditation:

So hear this clearly.

If you have never turned to Christ in repentance and faith, this is not a moment to admire the logic of Jesus, it’s a moment to respond to Him.

You don’t need to clean yourself up. You do not need to negotiate terms. You need mercy and Christ freely gives it.

Turn from self-rule. Trust in the finished work of Jesus. Come to Him and be reconciled to God.

And for those who belong to Christ, this passage speaks to us as well.

If we bear God’s image and have been redeemed by Christ, then our lives are not our own.

Everything belongs to Him. That allegiance shapes how we worship, how we live, and how we steward what God has entrusted to us.

That’s why supporting gospel work, here in our community through ministries like AbbaCare, and around the world through missions, and preparing responsibly for the work God has given us to do are not optional add-ons. They are responses of faith from people who know they belong to God.

Render to Caesar what belongs to Caesar. And render to God what belongs to God.

Since you bear His image, that means your whole life.

Let’s pray.

Prayer

Father, We come before You recognizing that we belong to You. We were created in Your image, and we confess that we have not lived as we were made to live.

Thank You for sending Your Son to reclaim what is Yours. Thank You that Jesus gave Himself for sinners, bore our judgment, and rose again so that we might be restored to You.

For those who are hearing this call for the first time, grant repentance and faith. Help them turn from self-rule and trust fully in Christ.

And for those who belong to You, shape our lives by this truth. Teach us to live as people who are Yours in every part; our worship, our obedience, our relationships, and our stewardship.

We offer ourselves to You again, not to earn Your favor, but in response to Your grace.

We pray this in Jesus’ name. Amen.