Hello and welcome. This program is produced by Heralds of Hope, a small ministry whose vision is to use media to make disciples. Expository Bible teaching is one tool we use for disciple-making. We like this not because of what we say but because God’s Word is so powerful and necessary. Our lives have been impacted because others have explained the Word of God to us, and with God’s help, we desire to bless others in the same way. 

Today’s lesson continues the tension with the religious leaders. Here in Mark 12, they again try to trap Jesus by what He says. This time they ask him about taxes. His response leaves them amazed and speechless. Let’s give our attention to Bible teacher J Mark and look at these verses together.

My wife and I have had the privilege of traveling to various countries. One time, when we were in Southeast Asia, a fee had to be paid at the airport exit. So, when the attendant asked for the fee, I told him I had no local currency. Out of ignorance, I pulled a US $20 bill out of my wallet. When he saw it, he indicated it would be enough and took it. I later learned that I had paid much more than required. My ignorance had a cost.

Language is a currency, too, and much like money, we assign meaning to words as we assign value to physical coins and paper bills. Like money, we can inflate the meaning of some words by overusing or contextualizing them.

The setting of our text is the final week of Jesus’ life, and He is teaching daily in the Temple. Just before this, the religious leaders confronted Him for cleansing the Temple, asking by what authority He did that. He then told them the parable of the wicked vinedressers. Our text continues their confrontation.

We don’t usually think of the world’s nations as “kingdoms,” but the concept of a kingdom was well understood in biblical times. While Jesus didn’t use the word kingdom in our text, He implied it. We want to consider His teaching in Mark 12:13-17, “Kingdom Currency.” 

¹³ Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 

¹⁴ When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? 

¹⁵ Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring me a denarius that I may see it.” 

¹⁶ So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription are these?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.”

¹⁷ And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him.

In this text, Jesus uses a simple object lesson to teach several ASPECTS of kingdom currency.

The First ASPECT is,

Political Expedience

Unless you live in a country ruled by an absolute dictator, your government thrives on political expedience. Compromise and mutual favors grease the wheels of political parties and governments. A simple definition of expedience is “The end justifies the means.” We have a clear example of this in our text.

Our text begins, “Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians…” They were the Sanhedrin. They were Israel’s Supreme Court. In Jesus’ day, they were seated in a special part of the Temple compound, close to where Jesus was teaching.

If you’ve been with me throughout this study, you’ve seen this combination of characters before. The Herodians were a political party that wanted to restore Herod to the throne of Judea. The Herodians opposed the Pharisees because the Pharisees hated Herod and wished for a descendant of David on that same throne. So, they were enemies. Yet because of their hatred for Jesus, it became expedient for them to work together to destroy Jesus.

So, here they came to “catch” Him in something He said. Luke calls them spies, and Matthew vividly depicts this effort to trap Jesus in His speech, like trapping a bird or a wild beast.

But look how pious they act! “Teacher, we know that You are true and care about no one, for You do not regard the person of men but teach the way of God in truth.” What flattery! When they said that Jesus didn’t care about anyone, they didn’t mean He was hardhearted; they meant He didn’t show favoritism.

What they said about Jesus was true, but their motives were dishonest. Earlier, they had accused Him of blasphemy; now, they say, “You always speak the truth.” Which is it? Did they truly think that Jesus couldn’t see through their hypocrisy?

Do you think political expediency ended with the Pharisees? No, it’s still with us today. Those who use politics in the church to protect their positions are often so compromised that their commitment to Christ can be legitimately questioned. In appearance, they serve God, but in reality, they serve themselves.

These religious leaders had yoked themselves to a party of unbelievers. God had called His people, Israel, to be exclusively for Him, but these men saw that their alliance with the Herodians could help them carry out their plans. 

Do you and I enter into unholy alliances to accomplish what we want? Do we compromise our faith to protect our position or escape ridicule? Do we publicly say one thing to the Lord and privately pursue the opposite? Are we willing to enter unholy alliances to preserve the status quo? These questions demand serious reflection.     

Another ASPECT is,

Willful Disobedience

The Pharisees set the stage for the question: “We know You’re not going to answer according to public opinion. You’re going to speak the unveiled Word of God. So then, answer our question. “Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?”

Since Judea became a Roman province in A.D. 6, the Romans required the Jews to pay a yearly poll (head) tax into the emperor’s treasury. It was a denarius, the chief silver coin of the Romans at this time. It was the equivalent of one day’s wages for a laborer or a Roman soldier. The Jewish Zealots later refused to pay it, claiming it acknowledged Rome’s right to rule over them. The Pharisees paid it under protest. The Herodians paid it willingly since they supported Roman rule.

So, this strange mixture of religious and political leaders was setting a trap for Him. The Pharisees put the question before Jesus, and no matter how He answered, they would have a reason to accuse Him.

If He said it was okay to pay taxes to Caesar, then the people would rise against Jesus. If He said they should not pay taxes to Caesar, the Pharisees would go to the Roman government and say, “This man is out there propagating rebellion and advising people not to pay their taxes.” Either response would be disobeying a “king,” Jehovah or Caesar.

However, Jesus saw through their trickery. He said to them, “Why do you test me? Bring a denarius to me so I can see it.” So, they brought a coin to Him.

At this time in Jewish history, the Caesar whose image appeared on the denarius was Tiberius Caesar, who reigned from AD 14 until AD 37. His image was pressed upon the coin’s surface, and his name was inscribed. The Latin inscription on the Roman denarius of this period is translated as “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, son of the divine Augustus.” So, you can see the potential consequences of Jesus’ answer to their question.

After looking at the coin, Jesus asked His adversaries, “Whose likeness and inscription are stamped on the coin?” Without hesitating, they said, “Caesar’s.” Since Caesar’s image and name were on it, this indicated his possession under Roman law. Caesar owned the coin. 

That leads us to the final aspect of kingdom currency.

The Final ASPECT is,

Divided Allegiance

Typically, divided allegiance is not viewed in a positive light. But Jesus makes a clear statement regarding this division. After viewing the Roman coin bearing the likeness of Caesar and the inscription lauding his office, He said to His questioners, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” With this statement, Jesus separates the Kingdom of God and the kingdoms of men.

Roughly 500 years ago, during the Protestant Reformation, men like Luther, Calvin, and Zwingli advocated for a return to the Word of God, salvation by grace through faith, and other changes. However, they failed to address the crucial issue of the separation of church and state.

The tiny Anabaptist Movement saw the need for a clear separation between the kingdom of the world and the Kingdom of God. It embraced the New Testament teaching that the church was composed of adult Believers who had voluntarily chosen to be members.

Recognizing the practice of infant baptism into a state-authorized church as unbiblical, they chose to be rebaptized upon their confession of faith in Christ. As a result, many were tortured and killed at the hands of the Roman Catholic, Lutheran, and Reformed Church authorities in cooperation with state governments. The blood of these martyrs eventually led to the doctrine of the separation of church and state becoming a part of mainstream Christianity.

When Jesus said, “Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God,” His questioners were speechless. They had no suitable retort. 

His reply meant they should pay the annual poll tax because God established human governments to control evil and fulfill His purposes. Paul’s writings in Romans 13 and elsewhere clearly indicate Believers’ responsibility to their governments. Neither Jesus nor Paul taught that the Church should involve itself in the affairs of civil government. This doesn’t mean we have no interest in or interaction with human governments. It means our primary commitment to the Kingdom of God governs all our actions.

Which of these two kingdoms has priority in your life? Jesus clarified that to be His followers, our primary allegiance must be to Him. Yes, we are citizens of a country that affords certain rights and privileges. But if, and when, the requirements in those two kingdoms collide, the kingdom of Christ takes precedence. What kingdom currency are you using?

Thanks, J Mark, for this teaching. The Pharisees questioned Jesus about taxes, what a timeless question. A question many of us have wrestled with. Jesus’ response is also timeless. Thanks, J Mark, for emphasizing the Kingdom of Jesus, the kingdom that crosses all cultures and boundaries. It does not matter which country or town you call home, as servants of Jesus, our real home is with Him. He is our King! We obey Him and look forward to the day when His Kingdom is ushered in. 

Are you participating in His kingdom? What do you do when your country’s teaching and His Kingdom are at odds? How can we be as wise as Jesus was? To contact us, please email us. Our email address is [email protected], and our website is heraldsofhope.org. There you will find “contact us” under the partner tab, which is on the top right. Click on that to message us directly. We look forward to hearing from you.   

Thank you for listening to Hope for Today. The Kingdom of Jesus is unlike any other Kingdom; the more I learn and understand about this kingdom, the more amazing it is to me. In Matthew 6, Jesus said, “Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you.” May God help us prioritize His kingdom and keep Him first.