THE LAST WEEK OF JESUS' PUBLIC MINISTRY AND HIS CRUCIFIXION

-Jesus is Questioned About Paying Tribute to Caesar

-Matthew 22:15-22; Mark 12:13-17; Luke 20:20-26

-Luke 20:19 tells us that “...the chief priests and the scribes the same hour sought to lay

 hands on him...” because they realized the previous parables had been spoken against them.

 However, they feared the people and had nothing to charge Jesus with.

            -“They have two major tasks: first, to get some charges against Jesus; second, to get the

             people on their side” (Boles, Luke, pg 381).

-Matthew’s account tells us that the Jewish leaders “...took counsel how they might entangle

 him in his talk” (vs 15).  Mark’s account informs us that they sent “...certain of the Pharisees

 and of the Herodians to catch him in his words” (vs 13).  However, Luke’s account indicates

 that these men were sent out as “...spies, who pretended to be righteous, in order that they might

 catch Him in some statement, so as to deliver Him up to the rule and the authority of the

 governor” (vs 20, NASB).

            -The Jewish leaders had been unsuccessful with their direct challenges of Jesus.  Therefore,

             they decided to be deceitful with the hope of entrapping our Lord. 

-When these spies approached Jesus, they first spoke deceitful words of flattery (see Matthew

 22:16, Mark 12:14, Luke 20:21). 

            -“The meaning of their preface is this:  ‘We see that neither fear nor respect for the Pharisees

             or the rulers prevents you from speaking the plain, disagreeable truth; and we are persuaded

             that your courage and love of truth will lead you to speak the same way in political matters,

             and that you will not be deterred therefrom by any fear or reverence for Caesar.’  Fearless

             loyalty to truth is indeed one of the noblest attributes of man.  But instead of honoring this

             most admirable quality in Jesus, these hardened reprobates were endeavoring to employ it as

             an instrument for his destruction” (McGarvey/Pendleton, pg 598). 

-They then asked Jesus whether or not it was lawful to pay tribute to Caesar.

            -Jesus, of course, saw right through their charades, “...perceived their wickedness, and said,

             Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites” (Matthew 22:18).

-If Jesus simply answered “yes” to their inquiry, the people - who despised the taxation - could

 be alienated from Him.  However, if He simply answered “no” then the Herodians could go to

 the Roman authorities as witnesses against Jesus.  The wisdom of our Lord would once again

 be needed and would prevail over the adversaries again.

            -The tribute to the Romans was paid with Roman coins.  Therefore, when Jesus asked for

             the tribute money, it was a Roman coin that He was given.  The fact that the Jewish people

             were using these Roman coins attested to the Roman jurisdiction under which they lived. 

       Therefore, they were bound to pay the tribute that had been imposed upon them - “Render

             therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s...” (Matthew 22:21).  This would have

             satisfied the Herodians.

            -Yet, when Jesus said, “...and unto God the things that are God’s” (Matthew 22:21), He was

             indicating that allegiance should remain with God, which of course satisfied the people.

-“Tertullian over 1,500 years ago commented on this incident as follows: ‘The image of Caesar,

 which is on the coin, we give to Caesar.  The image of God, which is in man, is to be given to

 God.  Therefore, thou must give the money, indeed, to Caesar, but thyself to God, for what will

 remain to God, if both man and money be given to Caesar?’” (Boles, Matthew, pgs 433-434).

-Those who inquired of Jesus marveled at His response and left with nothing to hold against Him.