2. Mark 12:13-17 Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement. They came and said to Him,

3. “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?

4. “Shall we pay or shall we not pay
“Shall we pay or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.”

5. They brought one. And He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

6. And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him.

7. The Main Point
Trap Jesus
Publicly discredit
Permanently destroy

8. Social/Political Trap
Pharisees
Conservatives
Resented Roman Occupation
Herodians
Progressives
Collaborated with Rome

9. Social/Political Trap
Socially discredit – division
Politically discredit – rebellion
The Bait…Paying taxes
The issue…Was it “lawful?”

10. Social/Political Trap
Key…likeness and inscription
Caesar
Tiberius
Homosexual Pedophile
Evil and treacherous

11. Social/Political Trap
The Coin Inscription
Son of Divine Augustus
High Priest
Jesus acknowledged Roman rights and authority

12. “The possession of the Roman coin…indicated…they accepted the economic system that the Roman Empire provided…those who use Caesar’s money are obliged to pay…” (Stein, pg. 546)

13. The Spiritual Truth Render to God what is God’s
By way of likeness (Genesis 1:26-27)
By way of inscription
Matthew 23:5
Jeremiah 31:33
2nd Corinthians 3:2-3

14. Rebellion, both political and spiritual, will be squashed.
The Spiritual Truth
Payment is required (cf. 12:1-12)
Rebellion, both political and spiritual, will be squashed.

15. Don’t Miss the MARK Can’t separate faith and citizenship
Good citizenship is not based on political worthiness
God is our ruler by virtue of image and inscription

16. Don’t Miss the MARK
What is due God is the totality of our lives