And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Mark 12:18-27

And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.” Mark 12:26-27

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:18-27:, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God is Truth and there is no fallibility in Him or the Word.  The gospels include text about the resurrection of Lazarus, Jairus' daughter and others - so the Sadducees, while they did not believe in resurrection (or referred to in v27 as "the dead being raised"), we know this is not true.  Believers who came after Jesus have His resurrection also.  Jesus also refers to Himself as God of the living - and in the context of this text I see Jesus as describing Himself as eternal or always present.
• What do we learn from the passage about people?:  The Sadducees sought to trap Jesus with their questioning and they were doing so to undermine Jesus whom they saw as a threat.  Jealousy, fear and envy drive much wickedness so we should be on guard for those who demonstrate such sins.     
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We must avoid jealousy, fear and envy.  We should claim Christ's resurrection as a core component of our own salvation - Jesus paid the final price taking our place to redeem us and our sin.  His death on the cross - and subsequent resurrection - is the basis of John 3:16, where believers are promised eternal life. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves and who saves!  Thank You Jesus for dying the death I should have died, and for rising again to give me assurance of eternal life in Heaven where You are saving a place for me.  I am not deserving of such a blessing.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Mark 12:13-17

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's fourth (of four) division (vv15-17):

• The title of the fourth division per the commentary is "The Answer: Give to Each What They Rightly Deserve." 
• In response to the Pharisees and Herodians' question of whether taxes should be paid to Rome, Jesus first shares how He should not be tested as this is a sin (see also Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7, Mark 1:13, Luke 4:12). "There is demonic intent in their motivation to destroy Jesus, like the efforts of the Devil to get Him off track from His mission. And as Satan failed in the wilderness, the Pharisees and Herodians will fail in the temple."     
• On one side of the coin Jesus asked for - a denarius - "was a bust of Tiberius Caesar with the inscription, “Tiberius Caesar Augustus, Son of the Divine Augustus.” The other side had an image of Tiberius’s mother Livia with the words, “Pontifex Maximus,” meaning “High Priest.” The Jews found this to be idolatrous: a man claiming to be a god and a woman a priest—blasphemy!"  
• His next reply - v17 - "acknowledges the legitimacy of human government. He is no anarchist. God has ordained the family, the church, and human government. It has the right to levy taxes, and we have the responsibility to pay. It has the right to make laws, and we have the responsibility to obey."  
• "Other writers in the New Testament, especially Paul and Peter, reaffirm and expand on this statement of Jesus, even though they lived when the lunatic Nero (AD 54–68) was emperor." See also Romans 13:1-7, 1 Timothy 2:1-2, 1 Peter 2:13-17.   
• "Christians have legitimate responsibilities to the government, and as long as those obligations do not interfere with our ability to honor and worship God, we are to fulfill them. It is our Christian duty."  
• "[We] all bear the image of God (Genesis 1:26-27). You must give to God what is rightfully His—your entire life. We have a duty to the government, but we have an even greater duty to God, who has created us and redeemed us. As 1 Corinthians 10:31 says, “Therefore, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do everything for God’s glory.” In Acts 4:19-20 Peter and John say, “Whether it’s right in the sight of God for us to listen to you rather than to God, you decide; for we are unable to stop speaking about what we have seen and heard.” And again in Acts 5:29, “But Peter and the apostles answered, ‘We must obey God rather than men.’" 
• On the question whether believers should disobey laws that conflict with God's Word or seek worship of anyone or anything other than God alone, the commentary shares: "(1) The law being resisted must be unjust and immoral, clearly contrary to the will of God, and not just inconvenient or burdensome. (2) Legal means of changing the unjust situation must have been exhausted. Civil disobedience is a method not of first resort, but of last resort. (3) The act of disobedience must be public rather than secretive or hidden. (4) There should be some hope of success, as my intent is to produce changes in laws and institutions. (5) As I consider civil disobedience, I must be willing to accept the penalty for breaking the law."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are the One True God who reigns and has providence over all matters in the universe including earthly authorities.  You also - and most importantly - save!  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of the blessing of my salvation and for the privilege of living in the USA where I can freely worship unlike many places elsewhere.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me turn from and overcome such sin and turn towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your messages for me today and every day.  

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?

Mark 12:13-17

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? Mark 12:14

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of four) division (also based on v14):

• The title of the third division per the commentary is "The Question: Watch Out for Either/or Scenarios." 
• "The Jews despised [the imperial Roman tax] because it was a constant reminder of their subjection to pagan Rome. So, if Jesus said to pay it, the people would turn on Him as a traitor, and He would be finished. On the other hand, if He said not to pay it, He could be arrested and tried by the Romans for sedition and insurrection. Silence was not an option. His enemies have trapped Him on the “horns of a dilemma,” or so they thought."

Yesterday's post encouraged us to be on guard for how flattery can trap us. Today we are warned about how others can trap believers via "either/or scenarios" that seek to expose us as sinful regardless of our choice.  For example, believers might be "trapped" by those who suggest that being anti-abortion is anti-women's rights or how disagreeing with gay marriage is not loving.  Stand on Truth!  God please protect me from those who seek to manipulate and condemn me for my faith.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, saves and protects.  Thank You Jesus!  I am not deserving of such blessings.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others. Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.   

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?

Mark 12:13-17

And they came and said to him, “Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone’s opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not? Mark 12:14

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's second (of four) division (v14):

• The title of the second division per the commentary is "The Setup: Beware of Flattering Words." 
• We are warned about those who try and trap us by flattery - see also Psalms 5:9, Proverbs 26:28, 29:5. 
• From the text, "[e]ven though [the] flattery [of the Pharisees and Herodians] is insincere, what they say is actually true! And since it is true, He will not be snared by their words. His ego will not inflate; pride will not cause Him to lower His guard. No, Jesus, the “wisdom of God” (1 Corinthians 1:30), will not be tripped up by the foolishness of men." 

Flattery can be used in good ways and in bad and here in the text the Pharisees and Herodians sought to us it for evil and we should be on guard for how this can occur for us.  Flattery does make us feel good and we may be tempted to be influenced into sin by those who flatter us.  As a general rule, as I posted yesterday, we must be alert to how Satan is real and "on the prowl."  We must be steadfast in our faith not be influenced into sin by flattery.  For example, we can rest on our identity in Christ - see also John 1:12, 2 Corinthians 5:17 and we should not be conformed to the world - Romans 12:2. 

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God that sent Your Son who was tempted in all ways but never succumbed to sin but even after living a perfect sinless live died on the cross so that I could have life now to the full and for eternity.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such a gift - the greatest gift of all time.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

Mark 12:13-17

And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. Mark 12:13

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:13-17.  Excerpts from the commentary's introduction and the first (of four) division (v13):

• The title of this chapter of the commentary covering this text is "Should Christians Obey the Government?" and the main idea for the entirety of the text (vv13-17) is "[f]ollowers of Jesus should obey the government and the Lord according to what each is due." 
• "This text appears in the midst of a series of controversies between Jesus and the religious leaders in Jerusalem. Mark 11:20–12:37 is one long day. There are five confrontations altogether: (1) The question of His authority by the Sanhedrin (11:27-33); (2) The question of paying taxes by the Pharisees and Herodians (12:13-17); (3) The question of the resurrection by the Sadducees (12:18-27); (4) The question of the greatest command by the scribes (12:28-34); (5) The question of whose Son is the Christ by Jesus Himself (12:35-37)."
• "Within the context of this dispute with those who will be the authors of His death, Jesus provides the answer. He also provides some practical and basic wisdom when we are confronted by those devoted to our destruction."  
• The title of the first division per the commentary is "The Trap: Be Careful When Approached 
   by Strange Bedfellows." 
• "The Pharisees were the conservatives, the right-wingers of that day. The Herodians were the liberals, the left-wingers, advocates of big government. The Pharisees hated Jesus because He was messing with their religious agenda. The Herodians opposed Him because He was threatening their political advantage. Amazingly, Jesus brought them together! They both wanted to destroy Him." 

Broadly, we are encouraged to be alert and to guard against those who seek to destroy us.  1 Peter 5:8 is instructive here as we must understand that Satan is real and until he is ultimately destroyed at the end of the age (Revelation), we will continue this daily battle.  In the context of the text today, we must be on guard against those who seek to persecute us based on who we are and what we proclaim as believers.  While in the USA it is less likely we will be persecuted than in other places (see Voice of the Martyrs) where believers often face life-threatening circumstances for their faith, here in the USA we will face scorn and perhaps less threatening persecution.  We should abide in Him and remain steadfast in our faith and pray that we can be bold in the face of such persecution - reacting as Peter did as he and John faced down a dangerous confrontation with the Jewish elders.  Peter shared in Acts 4:20 "we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard."

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an amazing God that has already defeated sin and death and You saved me, saving a place in Heaven for me, and You continue to do a work in me.  Thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of my salvation, nor any of the blessings You pour out daily for me.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

Mark 12:13-17 

Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” Mark 12:17

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, I focus on an unassisted review of Mark 12:13-17:, which is the text for the next chapter of the commentary. Observations of the text based on the Sword Bible Study Method: 

• What do we learn from the passage about God?: God is the ultimate authority of the universe.  At the same time, He places people of authority over us in our churches, workplaces, and in the government.  There is no conflict - God created these roles for the orderly function of our lives as He holds all things together (Colossians 1:15-20).  We are to follow these earthly authorities and God at the same time - but not when there is conflict and we are asked to follow an earthly command that conflicts with what God calls us to - there are many examples of believers who stood on scripture to follow God instead of man.  
• What do we learn from the passage about people?: Once again, we have more of the Jewish elders (and Herodians who presumably benefited from their alliance with the Pharisees and Caesar) who seek to trap Jesus into sharing His allegiance to either His Father (even though they questioned whether He was truly the Son of God) or Caesar - which is not a zero sum game as it is more nuanced as yes we serve God first and foremost (above all else) but we also serve earthly authorities.  This is another example of twisting our faith and God for our own benefit - which is what the Pharisees were doing, serving (and preserving) their own status and position.  We also see how people recognize Truth.  They sought to trap Him but failed and instead were amazed by Him (v17)...of course we know they ultimately reject Him despite being amazed by Him.  
• Is there anything from the passage God wants us to obey (SPEC: Sins to avoid,Promises to claim, Examples to follow, Commands to obey?): We are called not to question or put "God to the test" - see also Deuteronomy 6:16, Matthew 4:7.  See this post for a good explanation of the sin we are to avoid here. We are to render to God what is God's (v17)....for example, we are to pay taxes to our government while at the same time we are to tithe to our church.

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God, You are an awesome God who loves, provides, and saves...thank You Jesus! I am not deserving of such mercy and grace.  My sin is great and it continues...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day. 

He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others.

Mark 12:1-12

He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others. Mark 12:9b

I continue my study of Mark, leaning on the Christ-Centered Exposition commentary series volume for Mark.  Today, my focus is a commentary-assisted review of Mark 12:1-12.  Excerpts from the commentary's third (of three) division (vv9-12):

• The title of the third division per the commentary is "God’s Judgment Will Certainly Come."
• "Jesus provides the answer to His parable, one the religious leaders would be forced to concede. In the process they condemned themselves, and they condemn us as well. The owner will destroy those who refuse his son! Historically, God judged Israel for their rejection of His Son. In AD 70 Jerusalem was destroyed, and the nation was brought to ruins." 
• "Today that same judgment falls on all who have “trampled on the Son of God, regarded as profane the blood of the covenant by which he was sanctified, and insulted the Spirit of grace” (Hebrews 10:29). It is indeed “a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God” (Hebrews 10:31)." 
• In vv10-11, "Jesus quotes from Psalm 118:22-23, changing the metaphor to a building. It is the same psalm shouted by the people at His triumphal entry. It is clearly messianic. He knows who He is and why He has come!" 
• "The stone rejected would become a symbol for the Messiah and an explanation for how the Jewish people rejected Jesus (Luke 20:17; Acts 4:11; Romans 9:33; 1 Peter 2:6-8). 
• "Mark 12:12 is a disappointing summation of their response: “Because they knew He had said this parable against them, they were looking for a way to arrest Him, but they were afraid of the crowd. So they left Him and went away.” As Paul would later explain, all of this is foolishness and a stumbling block to them; for us, however, it is the power of God unto salvation (1 Corinthians 1:18-25)."

Many non-believers can't see how a loving God can judge and condemn people to Hell.  Yet within this judgement lies amazing grace of which not a single person in all of redemptive history is deserving.  We all sin and the wages of sin is death (Romans 3:23, 6:23; 1 John 1:8).  All of humanity is deserving of death on the cross yet Jesus took our place and He will return a 2nd time to judge.  He offers a free gift to all - believe and be saved!  Indeed the greatest gift of all time!  

Comment and discuss this post.

My Prayer: Father God You are an awesome God who loves and who is full of amazing grace for those who believe - thank You Jesus for the greatest gift of all time.  I am not deserving of such a gift.  My sin is great and it continue...daily.  Please forgive me Jesus and help me overcome and turn from my sin towards You.  Help me love You with all of my heart, soul, and mind and love others as You love me.  Help me grow in my faith.  Give Lisa and myself wisdom and strength.  Please continue to heal Lisa of her cancer and from the side effects of chemo.  Help us lead Zach and Dustin to You Jesus and for them to choose You as their Lord and Savior.  Please provide Godly friends and spouses to Zach and Dustin.  Help me serve You, my family, my church, and others.  Help me understand, be obedient to, and apply Your message for me today and every day.