Authority of Jesus, Part 2

We need to remember that the entire reason that this question is being purposed to Jesus is because the religious rulers want evidence to deliver Him to the Romans.

Lawful to Pay Taxes?

Why were they bringing up the question of resisting.

Caesar was an unjust ruler and it was a totalitarian government.

The things that Caesar did with the taxes, it wasn’t always biblical. Sometimes it was wrong.

The people were being governed by a foreign ruler.

Deuteronomy 17:15

Deuteronomy 17:15 ESV

15 you may indeed set a king over you whom the Lord your God will choose. One from among your brothers you shall set as king over you. You may not put a foreigner over you, who is not your brother.

This forbids the people of Israel to serve a ruler other than a Jew.

But the people were under Roman rule now…and that was something that God had allowed.

Who’s Inscription?

The coins that all the people carried, this being demonstrated that they had one on hand.

The image on the coin was Caesar.

This on their money was to show the people that they were subjected unto Caesar. That he had authority over them.

Jesus doesn’t say in all that you do honor Caesar, he doesn’t say Caesar doesn’t deserve honor for he is a dictator who doesn’t honor God.

Render to Caesar

This is to say, give Caesar the things that he deserves.

Questions to ask:

What does Caesar deserve?

Why does he deserve it?

What does Caesar deserve

Romans 13:1

Romans 13:1 ESV

1 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.

To have loyal subjects.

This means that our duty is to obey the rules of the land when they are not breaking the commandments of God.

Romans 13:6-7

Romans 13:6–7 ESV

6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for the authorities are ministers of God, attending to this very thing. 7 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.

Taxes

I know we don’t like them, but they keep everything moving and functioning.

I know sometimes they are used unjustly. They were used unjustly in the time of Jesus and Paul also yet they still commanded us to do it.

Revenue

Telos, the end or complete.

This means the total sum. Not just partial and trying to get out the rest of it.

Respect

Phobos=fear

Reverence, awe, honor

Honor

time= Esteem, value

Placing value on our leaders.

1 Timothy 2:1-3

1 Timothy 2:1–3 ESV

1 First of all, then, I urge that supplications, prayers, intercessions, and thanksgivings be made for all people, 2 for kings and all who are in high positions, that we may lead a peaceful and quiet life, godly and dignified in every way. 3 This is good, and it is pleasing in the sight of God our Savior,

Another thing our leaders deserve is our prayers.

We are to be lifting up the needs of our leaders…and also giving thanks for our leaders.

You want to have a heart change about leadership. Try to find something to be thankful about.

Do we only criticize those in authority, or do we honor them?

Why does he deserve it?

First I want to call our attention to us, why are we deserving of anything especially salvation?

Grace, God’s unmerited favor. Not by works that we have done, but by God’s special favor that he places on us.

I say this becasue those in authority don’t always deserve honor or respect. But we extend grace to them becasue of God. Which brings us to our next point.

Romans 13:1-2

Romans 13:1–2 ESV

1 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. 2 Therefore whoever resists the authorities resists what God has appointed, and those who resist will incur judgment.

No authority, except from God

If they have authority, God is the one that gave it to them.

Without God, they have nothing.

This means that an act of worship to God is for us to submit to those whom He has placed in power.

Here’s the big idea, God is sovereign. That means he is all powerful. He is over all.

The only authority that exist is from God.

Jeremiah 27:5-8

Jeremiah 27:5–8 ESV

5 “It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me. 6 Now I have given all these lands into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, my servant, and I have given him also the beasts of the field to serve him. 7 All the nations shall serve him and his son and his grandson, until the time of his own land comes. Then many nations and great kings shall make him their slave. 8 “ ‘ “But if any nation or kingdom will not serve this Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and put its neck under the yoke of the king of Babylon, I will punish that nation with the sword, with famine, and with pestilence, declares the Lord, until I have consumed it by his hand.

God is the one who placed an ungodly king in power, to accomplish His purpose. That is what we mean by Sovereign and that the other authorities are under the rule of God almighty.

King Neb was no more than a puppet in the hand of the almighty, so is Caesar…So is Biden.

This is why Jesus says render unto Caesar what is Caesars.

Taxes and rules that are within the bounds and authority of the government, and do not disobey the commands of God must be obeyed.

When do we disobey or stand against civil authorities, that is tonight’s message.

v.2

Resist Authority, resist God

Because God has placed every power in place, when you fight against them, when you disobey the rules of the land. God sees this as direct disobedience to Him.

You are bringing judgement and condemnation on yourself when you step outside what the government is calling you to do without a biblical reason.

Not a good reason, but a biblical reason.

Render to God

Just as the coin bearing the image of Caesar showed his authority in that sphere. So man bears the image of God and thus all mankind is called to render unto God what He deserves as well.

Worship

Jesus would never say that the people were to do all that Caesar demanded. For what he demanded was worship.

Jesus wouldn’t call us to worship Caesar or else He would have been calling us to disobey God.

Romans 1:24-25

God is the only one deserving of worship and He is angry when we show honor to created things rather than the creator itself.

Are you rendering God the worship that He deserves?

What does your prayer life look like?

Evangelism

How much are we witnessing to the world around us?

Do you realize that they are broken people, going to hell, and you possess the knowledge of a loving God that can save them?

Are we so in love with God that we cannot help but tell others around us of our wonderful mighty God.

Repentance unto righteous living

God loves us to much to leave us as we are.

When you have come to know Jesus, you have died to yourself. You no longer get to do what your flesh wants you to do. You have died to that.

You have now been raised to new life.

A life that is marked by holiness.

This is accomplished by repentance and living now unto God, not for yourself.

In Closing, we are called to obey the government, whether we agree or not unless it is contrary to the law of God.

For God is sovereign, and is the highest authority, putting those in power who are in power and removing them when their purpose is accomplished.

Related Media

Related Sermons