What Belongs to God
Mark 12:13-17
Message #45
I love that we primarily teach verse-by-verse through God’s Word because we apply God’s Word in the order it was written (and God makes it fit), and today’s text certainly fits what believers in this nation are dealing with today.
It’s February 2021, and I think the anti-God, cancel culture, Marxist ideology that’s trying to take over our country is easily apparent to anyone who is watching, so I really don’t need to paint that picture. Let’s just say we’ve come a long way from a government that once protected the freedom of religion. So, today’s text is really, really applicable.
Remember in our last message, "Do We Owe God?", we started the no-holds-barred, spiritual cage fight to the death between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. Round One was about “authority” and was an easy win for Jesus. Round Two was the Parable we titled, “Do We Owe God?” That was a huge win for Jesus. Today is Round Three, “Give What Belongs to God” and Jesus really wins round three today.
If you think there’s some crazy stuff happening in the ruling powers in our country today, believe me, it’s nothing new. Last week, we saw the three ruling parties that made up the Sanhedrin – which was the group that would ultimately orchestrate the death of Jesus.
Today we meet another ruling party, and this one is even more like the “rulers” we face today. This week we meet the Herodians. The Herodians were a powerful, Jewish, “semi-religious” political group who worked secretly with the Romans primarily for their own political benefit.
We might compare them to B.L.M. or ANTIFA today. They had their own agenda but they “played along with Rome.” They saddled up to Rome instead of standing against Rome as the Pharisees did, and these two ruling groups absolutely hated each other. But they both hated the “trouble” Jesus was causing in their worlds.
And so, that old saying becomes true in our text today, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Although these groups were enemies, they both wanted Jesus gone, and so, today they join forces to try to take Jesus out. It’s like Rocky Balboa having to fight two of his hardest opponents at the same time.
Mark 12:13 (NLT)
13 Later the leaders (the Sanhedrin, that Jesus rocked last week) sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod (Herodians) to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.
How applicable is this to us today? The real leaders (the ones pulling the strings), sent hand-picked antagonists from two conflicting political groups to the person they wanted to cancel, in order to trap that person into saying something that they could cancel them for. But not just cancel them – hopefully, politically execute them as well.
Guys, verse 13 (with a couple of name changes) could be a headline from one of the (very few) real news channels today. So, the stage is set for Round Three of this cage fight to the death, and from a “political attack” perspective, it is almost identical to what we see every day today.
Verse 13 is the “backroom setup” where the string-pullers devised the plan to take down Jesus, and in verse 14 they roll out the plan.
Mark 12:14 (NLT)
14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully . . .
That’s a healthy dose of manure, isn’t it? No one believed any of that, especially Jesus. (On a side note, be careful when people that you know have an agenda begin a conversation with flattery like that because they always have another shoe to drop.) And for these guys, the other shoe drops at the end of verse 14 and into verse 15.
Mark 12:14(b)-15(a) (NLT)
14 . . . Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” . . .
Right now, couldn’t you see this “squad of politicians” nodding and winking at each other? They thought they had Jesus on the ropes and they were just waiting to start celebrating.
Here’s what they were hoping. The Pharisees were hoping for Jesus to say, “Yes, you should pay taxes” so they could turn the Jewish people against Jesus as a traitor to Rome. And the Herodians were hoping for Jesus to say, “No, you should not pay taxes” so they could turn Jesus over to Rome and have him removed as an enemy of Rome.
But both groups were ignorant about one critical detail. They were dealing with the Son of God. Boys, I think you just brought a pea-shooter to a battle with the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Continuing in Mark 12:15.
Mark 12:15(b) (NLT)
15 . . . Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.”
The words, “Why are you trying to trap me?” are really important because the primary context here is Jesus dealing with this attempted entrapment.
And so, the primary purpose of Jesus’s response is to deal with this attempted entrapment. This is not a full dissertation on all aspects and nuances of dealing with the government and God.
This is a one-sentence knockout punch that gives us an incredible one sentence principle to live by. Jesus gives us here an overall principle, an all-encompassing principle to live by.
Here it comes, and it’s just one sentence, so don’t miss it.
Mark 12:16–17 (NLT)
16 When they handed it (the coin) to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” . . .
The coin was a Denarius. On one side it had an imprint of the image of the head of Caesar Tiberius with the inscription, “Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus” (son of a god). On the reverse side was, PONTIFEX MAXIMVS, which means Chief Priest, referring to the fact that the Roman Emperor was Chief Priest over all pagan worship. By the way, this same title, PONTIFEX MAXIMVS is still used today by the Catholic church for the Pope.
And so, the Lord held up the coin, and the antagonists thought this was their moment. And Jesus said, “Whose picture and title are stamped on [the coin]? . . . “Caesars’s,” they replied.
And then comes the incredible reply from Jesus (in verse 17). “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
Everyone knew that coin belonged to Caesar Tiberius. Ultimately, he was in charge of that coin. It was HIS money. Just like, if you pull a dollar out of your wallet right now, you could see all over the dollar who actually owns that dollar. It says, Federal Reserve Note right across the top. The United States of America, Department of Treasury. If you look at a dollar bill, all over it represents what is in the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, and it’s owned by the Federal Government. This is just a representation of it.
So, it’s no different. And so, Jesus says, “Yeah, his image is imprinted on it, give it to him.” He deserves it, it’s his.
And then he says, “… give to God what has the image of God imprinted on it.” “… Give to God what belongs to God.”
And with this one knockout punch, this round (Round Three) also go to Jesus. And the end of Mark 12:17,
Mark 12:17 (NLT)
17 . . . His reply completely amazed them.
Maybe a paraphrase could be, “His reply knocked the wind out of them.” And they stumbled back into their corner (again) to lick their wounds and prepare for the next round. You’ve got to understand, Jesus is going toe to toe with the religious establishment during Passion Week because he’s got forty-eight hours. And so, Jesus keeps “punching them in the nose” so to speak. But every time he does, he teaches us life-transforming lessons.
So, what do we learn from this one sentence principle that we can live our lives by?
First, and foremost, we must learn ownership is marked by an imprint. It was clearly understood in that day, that the imprint on that coin marked its ownership. It was understood that coin was actually the property of the one whose imprint was on it. That is why every emperor had their image imprinted on the coins of their time. Jesus was just stating what everyone already knew. The emperor that coin because it had his image imprinted on it.
And so, the obvious question is, whose image is imprinted on you? Whose image is imprinted on our life?
If Caesar’s image is imprinted on our life then our life belongs to Caesar. But, if God’s image is imprinted on our life, then our life belongs to God.
Please hear God speak to you in Genesis 1:27.
Genesis 1:27 (NLT)
27 So God created [YOU] in his own image. In the image of God he created [YOU] . . .
When God created you, he imprinted his image on you.
There is no other creation that has the image of God imprinted in it. He only gave us his image, imprinted his image, and then he told us to care for the rest of creation. None of the remaining creation has his image imprinted on them. Only us. We are made in the very image of God.
Your life has the very image of God imprinted on it, and the imprint of God’s image on your life is proof of his rightful ownership.
And if you have believed and received Jesus Christ as your Savior today, then,
Ephesians 1:13–14 (NKJV)
13 [When you believed in Jesus Christ] you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance . . .
Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV)
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2 Corinthians 1:22 (NKJV)
22 [God] also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
The word “sealed us” is speaking historically of an imprint seal that conveyed ownership.
So, the first question is: whose image is imprinted on your life?
The second question is: are you giving him what belongs to him?
It would be so much easier right now to have a conversation about what do we owe to our currently crazy government (wouldn’t it)? It would be so much easier to talk about what happens if this anti-God, Marxist ideology really does take over this country. It would be so much easier to talk about should we bow to the near communist attempt to control the people by and out of control government. It would be so much easier to talk about should we pay taxes and should we obey the laws of the land. And those things do have their place to talk about and there certainly are places in the Bible where these things are more clearly taught.
But, is all that really what Jesus is talking about here? Or – is this one sentence principle for life (like Jesus drops like a back-breaker wrestling move) about something bigger than all that?
Jesus is talking about an over-riding, all-encompassing principle of life. Ownership is based on the imprint of the Creator.
And so, the real question is, have we read past the first half of this double-edged life principle and asked ourselves whose imprint of ownership is on me and how am I responding to the imprint of ownership that God has put on my life?
“Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
Can I tell you this, please? If you get the second half of this principle right, then, getting the second half right will take care of you getting the first half right.
So, again, like last week, I want to ask you to just spend a minute with God here. Don’t be “hearers only” of the Word. But take a minute to do something in your heart with God about what you’ve heard today.
The question is: Are you giving to God what belongs to God in your life?
And I just want you to ask God, “What does that mean specifically, in my life? What does that mean for me, personally, God, to give you what belongs to you in my life? Today?”
And here is a verse to get you started on the answer.
Romans 6:13 (NIV)
13 . . . offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Let’s pray. Can you just ask God to reveal to you right now, by his Holy Spirit, what is it, in your life, that you may be “holding back” from giving to God? Then, talk to him about that, and make a commitment to him about that.
It’s February 2021, and I think the anti-God, cancel culture, Marxist ideology that’s trying to take over our country is easily apparent to anyone who is watching, so I really don’t need to paint that picture. Let’s just say we’ve come a long way from a government that once protected the freedom of religion. So, today’s text is really, really applicable.
Remember in our last message, "Do We Owe God?", we started the no-holds-barred, spiritual cage fight to the death between Jesus and the religious leaders of his day. Round One was about “authority” and was an easy win for Jesus. Round Two was the Parable we titled, “Do We Owe God?” That was a huge win for Jesus. Today is Round Three, “Give What Belongs to God” and Jesus really wins round three today.
If you think there’s some crazy stuff happening in the ruling powers in our country today, believe me, it’s nothing new. Last week, we saw the three ruling parties that made up the Sanhedrin – which was the group that would ultimately orchestrate the death of Jesus.
Today we meet another ruling party, and this one is even more like the “rulers” we face today. This week we meet the Herodians. The Herodians were a powerful, Jewish, “semi-religious” political group who worked secretly with the Romans primarily for their own political benefit.
We might compare them to B.L.M. or ANTIFA today. They had their own agenda but they “played along with Rome.” They saddled up to Rome instead of standing against Rome as the Pharisees did, and these two ruling groups absolutely hated each other. But they both hated the “trouble” Jesus was causing in their worlds.
And so, that old saying becomes true in our text today, “The enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Although these groups were enemies, they both wanted Jesus gone, and so, today they join forces to try to take Jesus out. It’s like Rocky Balboa having to fight two of his hardest opponents at the same time.
Mark 12:13 (NLT)
13 Later the leaders (the Sanhedrin, that Jesus rocked last week) sent some Pharisees and supporters of Herod (Herodians) to trap Jesus into saying something for which he could be arrested.
How applicable is this to us today? The real leaders (the ones pulling the strings), sent hand-picked antagonists from two conflicting political groups to the person they wanted to cancel, in order to trap that person into saying something that they could cancel them for. But not just cancel them – hopefully, politically execute them as well.
Guys, verse 13 (with a couple of name changes) could be a headline from one of the (very few) real news channels today. So, the stage is set for Round Three of this cage fight to the death, and from a “political attack” perspective, it is almost identical to what we see every day today.
Verse 13 is the “backroom setup” where the string-pullers devised the plan to take down Jesus, and in verse 14 they roll out the plan.
Mark 12:14 (NLT)
14 “Teacher,” they said, “we know how honest you are. You are impartial and don’t play favorites. You teach the way of God truthfully . . .
That’s a healthy dose of manure, isn’t it? No one believed any of that, especially Jesus. (On a side note, be careful when people that you know have an agenda begin a conversation with flattery like that because they always have another shoe to drop.) And for these guys, the other shoe drops at the end of verse 14 and into verse 15.
Mark 12:14(b)-15(a) (NLT)
14 . . . Now tell us—is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?
15 Should we pay them, or shouldn’t we?” . . .
Right now, couldn’t you see this “squad of politicians” nodding and winking at each other? They thought they had Jesus on the ropes and they were just waiting to start celebrating.
Here’s what they were hoping. The Pharisees were hoping for Jesus to say, “Yes, you should pay taxes” so they could turn the Jewish people against Jesus as a traitor to Rome. And the Herodians were hoping for Jesus to say, “No, you should not pay taxes” so they could turn Jesus over to Rome and have him removed as an enemy of Rome.
But both groups were ignorant about one critical detail. They were dealing with the Son of God. Boys, I think you just brought a pea-shooter to a battle with the Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Continuing in Mark 12:15.
Mark 12:15(b) (NLT)
15 . . . Jesus saw through their hypocrisy and said, “Why are you trying to trap me? Show me a Roman coin, and I’ll tell you.”
The words, “Why are you trying to trap me?” are really important because the primary context here is Jesus dealing with this attempted entrapment.
And so, the primary purpose of Jesus’s response is to deal with this attempted entrapment. This is not a full dissertation on all aspects and nuances of dealing with the government and God.
This is a one-sentence knockout punch that gives us an incredible one sentence principle to live by. Jesus gives us here an overall principle, an all-encompassing principle to live by.
Here it comes, and it’s just one sentence, so don’t miss it.
Mark 12:16–17 (NLT)
16 When they handed it (the coin) to him, he asked, “Whose picture and title are stamped on it?” “Caesar’s,” they replied.
17 “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.” . . .
The coin was a Denarius. On one side it had an imprint of the image of the head of Caesar Tiberius with the inscription, “Tiberius Caesar, son of the Divine Augustus” (son of a god). On the reverse side was, PONTIFEX MAXIMVS, which means Chief Priest, referring to the fact that the Roman Emperor was Chief Priest over all pagan worship. By the way, this same title, PONTIFEX MAXIMVS is still used today by the Catholic church for the Pope.
And so, the Lord held up the coin, and the antagonists thought this was their moment. And Jesus said, “Whose picture and title are stamped on [the coin]? . . . “Caesars’s,” they replied.
And then comes the incredible reply from Jesus (in verse 17). “Well, then,” Jesus said, “give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
Everyone knew that coin belonged to Caesar Tiberius. Ultimately, he was in charge of that coin. It was HIS money. Just like, if you pull a dollar out of your wallet right now, you could see all over the dollar who actually owns that dollar. It says, Federal Reserve Note right across the top. The United States of America, Department of Treasury. If you look at a dollar bill, all over it represents what is in the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, and it’s owned by the Federal Government. This is just a representation of it.
So, it’s no different. And so, Jesus says, “Yeah, his image is imprinted on it, give it to him.” He deserves it, it’s his.
And then he says, “… give to God what has the image of God imprinted on it.” “… Give to God what belongs to God.”
And with this one knockout punch, this round (Round Three) also go to Jesus. And the end of Mark 12:17,
Mark 12:17 (NLT)
17 . . . His reply completely amazed them.
Maybe a paraphrase could be, “His reply knocked the wind out of them.” And they stumbled back into their corner (again) to lick their wounds and prepare for the next round. You’ve got to understand, Jesus is going toe to toe with the religious establishment during Passion Week because he’s got forty-eight hours. And so, Jesus keeps “punching them in the nose” so to speak. But every time he does, he teaches us life-transforming lessons.
So, what do we learn from this one sentence principle that we can live our lives by?
First, and foremost, we must learn ownership is marked by an imprint. It was clearly understood in that day, that the imprint on that coin marked its ownership. It was understood that coin was actually the property of the one whose imprint was on it. That is why every emperor had their image imprinted on the coins of their time. Jesus was just stating what everyone already knew. The emperor that coin because it had his image imprinted on it.
And so, the obvious question is, whose image is imprinted on you? Whose image is imprinted on our life?
If Caesar’s image is imprinted on our life then our life belongs to Caesar. But, if God’s image is imprinted on our life, then our life belongs to God.
Please hear God speak to you in Genesis 1:27.
Genesis 1:27 (NLT)
27 So God created [YOU] in his own image. In the image of God he created [YOU] . . .
When God created you, he imprinted his image on you.
There is no other creation that has the image of God imprinted in it. He only gave us his image, imprinted his image, and then he told us to care for the rest of creation. None of the remaining creation has his image imprinted on them. Only us. We are made in the very image of God.
Your life has the very image of God imprinted on it, and the imprint of God’s image on your life is proof of his rightful ownership.
And if you have believed and received Jesus Christ as your Savior today, then,
Ephesians 1:13–14 (NKJV)
13 [When you believed in Jesus Christ] you were sealed with the Holy Spirit of promise, who is the guarantee of our inheritance . . .
Ephesians 4:30 (NKJV)
30 And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, by whom you were sealed for the day of redemption.
2 Corinthians 1:22 (NKJV)
22 [God] also has sealed us and given us the Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee.
The word “sealed us” is speaking historically of an imprint seal that conveyed ownership.
So, the first question is: whose image is imprinted on your life?
The second question is: are you giving him what belongs to him?
It would be so much easier right now to have a conversation about what do we owe to our currently crazy government (wouldn’t it)? It would be so much easier to talk about what happens if this anti-God, Marxist ideology really does take over this country. It would be so much easier to talk about should we bow to the near communist attempt to control the people by and out of control government. It would be so much easier to talk about should we pay taxes and should we obey the laws of the land. And those things do have their place to talk about and there certainly are places in the Bible where these things are more clearly taught.
But, is all that really what Jesus is talking about here? Or – is this one sentence principle for life (like Jesus drops like a back-breaker wrestling move) about something bigger than all that?
Jesus is talking about an over-riding, all-encompassing principle of life. Ownership is based on the imprint of the Creator.
And so, the real question is, have we read past the first half of this double-edged life principle and asked ourselves whose imprint of ownership is on me and how am I responding to the imprint of ownership that God has put on my life?
“Give to Caesar what belongs to Caesar, and give to God what belongs to God.”
Can I tell you this, please? If you get the second half of this principle right, then, getting the second half right will take care of you getting the first half right.
So, again, like last week, I want to ask you to just spend a minute with God here. Don’t be “hearers only” of the Word. But take a minute to do something in your heart with God about what you’ve heard today.
The question is: Are you giving to God what belongs to God in your life?
And I just want you to ask God, “What does that mean specifically, in my life? What does that mean for me, personally, God, to give you what belongs to you in my life? Today?”
And here is a verse to get you started on the answer.
Romans 6:13 (NIV)
13 . . . offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness.
Let’s pray. Can you just ask God to reveal to you right now, by his Holy Spirit, what is it, in your life, that you may be “holding back” from giving to God? Then, talk to him about that, and make a commitment to him about that.