Taxes & Resurrection (1) Jesus’ teaching in Jerusalem (Mk 12:13-12:44). Lets talk about this question.
So I will punish the world for its evil, And the wicked for their wrongdoing;
I will also put an end to the audacity of the proud, And humiliate the arrogance of the tyrants.
Isaiah 13:11
Introduction
After a long journey, Jesus arrived in Jerusalem, where they’ll execute Him within the week. The religious leaders will crucify Him on false charges. But first, they’ll challenge Jesus’ God-given authority with devious questions.
The religious leaders approached Jesus, and the Pharisees, Sadducees, Herodians, and members of the Sanhedrin will all question Him. Even groups that oppose each other will unite to meet their common foe.
The first questions the leaders ask are about taxes and resurrection. Will their clever traps work against Jesus?
Jesus: Paying Taxes to Rome (Mk 12:13-17)
The Jewish leaders, the Pharisees and the Herodians (Jewish religious parties), probed for a weakness, proposing, “Let’s use the crowd and the Roman soldiers who mill about against Him.”
The Roman Tax
Rome required the Jews to pay a census tax and, to the delight of the moneychangers, payment with a Roman denarius. They received payment to change the Jewish money into the proper Roman coin (see note at the bottom of the article). To the Jews, paying this tax was blasphemy since the currency had Augustus’ image on one side and Chief Priest written on the other.
The Pharisees opposed this tax, while the Herodians, who didn’t resist the Roman rule, didn’t. However, they agreed to force Jesus to reveal His position.
The Dilemma
What party would he side with while alienating the other? If He decided against Rome, they’d get the soldiers to notice His sedition. If He sided with Rome, the crowd would rebel, and the soldiers would get involved to put down their rebellion. They’ll flatter Him to strengthen the trap and bind Him to impartiality and honesty.
Give to Caesar, Give to God
However, Jesus saw through their hypocrisy. He made them admit that Caesar’s face and inscription were on the coin. Therefore, He told them to give Caesar what is his and God what belongs to Him. The Romans provided government services to Israel, like protection and roads, so it was fair to charge the Jews a tax for those services.
Amazement!
These leaders thought there was no way out of their trap, but Jesus created one! His answer went to the heart of the issue without taking sides. The people looking on responded to Jesus’ answer as they did to His miracles: amazement! “Amazement” in Mark is an unconscious response to something people know is supernatural. Jesus’ teaching was unexpected and unusual. A reasonable responder would investigate what happened and see if Jesus is who He claimed. But most people didn’t follow up on their reactions.
This is a call to us to respond.
Note: The Roman denarius was worth an average day’s wages. Website: One Denarius Tiberius Please | Draughting Theology (wordpress.com)
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Jesus: Teaching on the Resurrection (Mk 12:18-27)
God, furthermore, said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel,
‘The LORD, the God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you.’
This is My name forever, and this is My memorial name to all generations.
Exodus 3:15
The Resurrection
The Sadducees (another Jewish religious group) watched the Pharisees and Herodians and how Jesus answered their question on taxes. But the Sadducees thought they could challenge Him. They had a question that none of the Pharisees could answer. And they knew their education was superior to the Pharisees’, so they were confident their trap would work.
Sadducees don’t believe in a resurrection. Logic told them it’s problematic, and (in their opinion) it’s not taught in Moses’ books, which alone are authoritative. After all, they don’t believe in “superstition.”
The Dilemma
Debunking resurrection would reveal Jesus as a fraud. So, they strode up to Him with their riddle. “If she was married to several brothers, whose wife would she be in the resurrection?”
The God of the Living
But Jesus said they didn’t believe in the resurrection because they didn’t understand the Scriptures or the power of God. The books of Moses say that God remains the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, whom all died about 2,000 years before Jesus. Therefore, God is the God of the living, not the dead.
After we die, we’re still alive, and God is still our God.
