Mat 22:15-22
Over next few weeks we’ll be studying Authority, We’ll see that God has established three fundamental spheres of authority within which he delegates authority to individuals. These spheres are civil government, the home, and the church. The believer is obliged to obey those holding authority in those realms. Citizens are to submit to the governing authorities (1 Pet 2:13-14). Children are to obey parents (Eph 6:1-2). Believers were to honour spiritual authorities.
Note the following:
A group of people ask Jesus:
V17. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?”
In other words:
· Do you acknowledge the Roman Government?
· Do you acknowledge Herod the cruel King of Judea?
· Do you acknowledge the laws that they were placing there?
I’ve heard people in my time saying that Jesus was the best revolutionist ever.
You can buy books that will tell you this!
These people’s theories were that He had a band of rebels with Him.
· Here we find the Pharisees trying to do the same
thing!
· I want to suggest to you that they were trying to show Jesus as a Revolutionist.
· A Revolutionist is someone who is not obeying the Authorities.
We still find this today. (Use plastic sword, wave it before people in air)
People who want to rule the governments with the sword,
They want to fight the governments, Watch out Hellen here I come!
Riding on my horse fighting for Christianity!
Joëls Army, riding through the Land!
Let’s identify this group that came to ask Jesus this Question!
See who they were.
Note V16 And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians,
The Herodians were followers of Herod
Herod was Appointed king of Judea B.C. 40 by the Roman Senate at the suggestion of Antony and with the consent of Octavian (Augustus).
He was extremely suspicious and cruel.
He destroyed the entire royal family of Hasmonaeans,
put to death many of the Jews that opposed his government,and proceeded to kill even his dearly beloved wife Mariamne and his two sons.
It was in his closing years that John the Baptist and Christ were born; It was Him who commanded all the male children under two years old in Bethlehem to be slain.
After his death his son took over.Herod surnamed "Antipas", was the son of Herod the Great His first wife was the daughter of Aretas, king of Arabia; but he subsequently repudiated her and took to himself Herodias, the wife of his brother Herod Philip;
He reported back to the ceasar.
It was with this background that the Pharisees sent the Herodians with their disciples.
They hoped that the Herodians will find that Jesus was opposing the government.
The second part of the group was the disciples of the Pharisees.,
Disciple is like a student, so that they can say He is teaching the people to rebel against authority!
But Jesus knew where authority comes from.
He answers them brilliantly, you’ll see in a moment.
Let’s first answer the question:
What is Authority?
· It is the power one has to make or change a decision and enforce it for others to live by.
It’s the:
· Power of choice,
· Power of influence and privilege,
· Power of Him whose will and commands must be submitted to by others and obeyed.
We get our word Authority from the Greek word Ejxousiva
(You will hear this word a lot… in the following weeks).
There is a few ways that this word is used:
1. Freedom to decide or a right to act without hindrance.
a. We see that all authority begins with God
Rom 13:1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.
i.God has the right to mold the clay as He wants
Rom 9:21 Does not the potter have power over the
clay, from the same lump to make one vessel for
honor and another for dishonor?
ii. God has the right to set times and dates
Act 1:7 And He said to them, “It is not for you
to know times or seasons which the Father has put
in His own authority.
iii. God gave Paul authority to preach
I Cor 9:18 What is my reward then? That when I
preach the gospel, I may present the gospel of
Christ without charge, that I may not abuse my
authority in the gospel.
iv.That’’ the same power that you and I’ve got to
become children of God
John 1:12 But as many as received Him, to them He
gave the right to become children of God, to
those who believe in His name
Jesus knew this now follows His answer!
V19 Show me the tax money!
He asks them:
V20 “Whose image and inscription is this?”
They said to Him
V21 “Caesar’s.”
He answered:
V21 “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
Now we read that
V22 When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.
Friends they marveled, and I marveled:
There is more to this answer than just those few words.
Lets look at it.
“Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”
“Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s
· Jesus was no revolutionist, He submitted to the
authorities but he also indicated that there are
limits to the power of government.
· Caesar has his image on certain things; therefore
they belong to him -- and rightfully so, Jesus is
saying. What Caesar put his image on belongs to
Caesar. By implication he extends this to the world
of things.
· Governments have authority over what we do with our
property and how we behave with one another.
· You can’t decide today that because you’re a
Christian that you’re not going to pay taxes.
You’ll be thrown in jail.
· Man couldn’t sleep, send $50. Letter. Feel bad
not paying tax, send this if still can’t sleep
will send rest.
But our Jesus clearly indicates they have no right to touch what God has put his image on, which is the spirit of man.
He says, and to God the things that are God’s.”
· In other words, Caesar has no right to command the
worship of man or forbid his obedience to the Word
of God.
· Rulers are under God; therefore they have no right
to command men to do what God says ought not to be
done, or to command men not to do what God says
should be done. These are the limits of governmental
powers. Governments are not to enslave men,
because men belong to God.
Jesus answered everybody. The disciples, the herodians, his disciples and us.
Go with me to John 17:13-18
Here you will note that Jesus say that we’re not of the world but in the world. This means that we still have to obey the authorities of this world. Next week more on that…
