Well, if you're new here, my name is Ricky. I'm one of the pastors here at the church. And, man, I am so grateful to be teaching God's Word again after a few weeks off because of some back issues. But, man, I was so excited to get back into explaining and teaching the Bible this week. And then I saw the passage that we were going to do, walked through it, and I thought, 'Oh, good. It's an easy one.' because if there's one thing all Americans agree on, it's when and how to obey the government, right? This is a hard passage to teach into a nation that began by rejecting government authority.
And when I bring up the topic of government authority, you probably— a bunch of different things come to your mind, right? There's lots of, of specific questions. Maybe You are one of those people that at the end of the year have to deliver a huge property tax check to people as they pry it out of your hands at the end of the year and say, 'Thank you very much.' And you're wondering, 'Do I really have to do this?' Our cultural moment in America is rife with controversy about the extent of government authority and how we're supposed to respond to that. It affects everything from protests through city downtowns that destroy property or people storming the Capitol or federal vaccine mandates or local mask mandates that the governor contradicts and the president contradicts him or immigration laws at the border, or maybe you find yourself in the military and a conscientious objection to certain military operations is something you're thinking about or have people around you thinking about.
And so probably what happens when you think about government authority is there's a certain spectrum, this horizontal spectrum from here to here, and you probably feel like, okay, I'm here. No, no, I'm here. And what happens when we bring up these topics is, maybe you're not this person, but most people, I bet, in this room are wondering at this point, what is he going to say? And what you're gonna do is as I'm talking, you're gonna try to figure out, okay, where on the spectrum is he? Okay, where is the church? But maybe even, where is the Bible? If you're not a Christian, you're here today, um, and, and you're going to be trying to slot in, okay, what— where is this on the spectrum?
And if that's what you're thinking and feeling, that's exactly what's going on in this passage. This passage is a charged cultural moment in the first century for Jesus. Essentially, what Jesus is being asked is, where are you on the political spectrum? And the people are not just kind of wondering, they're trying to do this: if they can get him to say, 'I'm here on the spectrum,' all of these people will turn away from him. Or if he's here on the spectrum, all of these people will turn away from him. And maybe the Roman government will come in and say, 'Uh-uh, we're gonna take you out.'
Now, remember when this is occurring, okay? Jesus— this week is the last week of Jesus' life, and the week began on Sunday when Jesus Rode into Jerusalem being proclaimed as the King of Israel, as the Son of David by everybody, by palm branches being placed before him as a symbol of, 'Yeah, we're going to submit to your authority.' People are wondering, 'Is this him? Is this the Messiah, the King? We hope so.' And then he furthers those expectations. The next day he wakes up and he takes a whip and he clears out the temple. From things he thinks should not be happening. And so people are thinking, 'All right, here we go. This is it. He's ascending. He's gonna take the throne. He's gonna kick the Romans out,' or whatever they are hoping for. But the religious leaders are not excited about it. They don't want Jesus to be the king of Israel because they have their own power and authority to preserve, right?
One side you have the Herodians, and if that sounds familiar, that's Herod, right? Herod's party, the puppet king that's placed by Roman rulers in Judea to rule, and really is known for his— for being— this is a left party, right? They're very loose with their morals, loose with their interpretation of the laws, and they are pro-Roman government because that's what gives them power. And then the other side of the spectrum you have the Pharisees who are very conservative, very pious, very opposed to Roman rule. And some of these people, actually, that conservative side break off and form another farther-right party, the Zealots, who will oppose all government authority at the point of a sword, at the point of revolution.
6 · Articulates the trap's mechanics
And so they're asking this question of Jesus because Jesus is bringing people together. Isn't this wonderful? Bringing people together to oppose him. 'Cause these two people on the ends of the spectrum can't agree on anything except that Jesus is a threat. So they come to Jesus, right? And the way that Jesus answers their question will determine what happens next. If Jesus says, 'Yes, you know, you should pay your taxes,' he's gonna be tagged as pro-Rome and all the common people will turn away from him. 'Oh, great, another guy who thinks we should follow Rome.' Not the king we were hoping for. Or if he says, 'No, you should oppose Rome,' the Herodians have the Roman garrison on speed dial, say, 'Yep, another insurrectionist. Come take him out. Come kill him.' They're meaning to destroy Jesus.
7 · States the sermon's main thesis
So where are we going today with this? Well, where we're going is this: the world around Jesus is defining everyone according to where they fall on this horizontal political spectrum. And gee, they're asking Jesus, 'Where are you?' And Jesus is essentially not going to answer them the way that they want. What he's going to do is point to a vertical spectrum. He's going to say, 'Stop thinking this way. Start thinking this way.' And the main point is this, that our relationship to the kingdom— the kingdom around us horizontally is transformed by the God above us vertically.
8 · Signals the sermon's three-part structure: a different authority, a different assent, a different allegiance
So Jesus is not going to accept the way these people are thinking. He is going to transform it and do the same thing for us. We're going to see this transformation in 3 different areas. The first is a different authority, a different— Authority.
9 · Explains the denarius tax: not a heavy economic burden ($70-100 in modern terms), but a deeply symbolic annual assertion of Roman sovereignty
Now, this question about whether to pay the Roman tax or not is symbolic more than anything, right? This tax was instituted a few decades earlier, and it wasn't a particularly high tax. All the low-tax conservatives are like, good, that's a good— that's the kind of tax we like, a low tax. It was about a day's wages for the poorest of the poor, right? So in our money today, maybe you're thinking $70, $80, $90, $100, right? This is— this is not a tax that is impossible for most people to pay, but it was highly symbolic. In fact, the tax could only be paid with the denarius, with this specific Roman coin that had Caesar's face on it and was the symbol of Roman authority. So, so this tax was levied not when you bought something or sold something or did something, but it was levied just because you existed in the Roman Empire. Like, 'Oh, you exist? Great, that'll be $75.' That's what this tax was, and it was an annual reminder to everybody who found themselves under Roman rule, from Spain and Gaul all the way to Judea and Egypt, anybody in between, that you are subject to Caesar. That's really what the tax was about more than anything, and that's why it was so hated. In fact, one man did lead a revolt in Judea among the Jewish people over this issue and was killed. So they ask, is it lawful? Now, they don't mean is it lawful according to Roman law, but according to Jewish law. Remember, the, the Jewish people had their own nation, they were their own people. So they're saying, not does Rome want to do this, but is it lawful according to our Jewish laws for us to pay this tax?
10 · Narrates Jesus' rhetorical maneuver
And so Jesus is the master of the moment, right? He He engineers this dramatic moment where he— and there's a beautiful irony here because they're asking him, you know, 'Do you agree with Roman authority or not?' And Jesus goes, 'Well, I don't know. Listen, I'm a wandering homeless preacher. You guys asking me? Can I borrow a coin?' And even the very godly Pharisees who didn't like Rome were like, 'Oh, I have a coin if you need one.' Like, 'Oh, you do? Oh, well, thank you very much,' right? So he holds the coin up. And he says, okay, so whose image is on this? Now listen, just side note, whenever Jesus starts asking you questions, when you come to ask him questions, you're in trouble. And so even the Pharisees who don't like Rome are like, well, it's Caesar's. He said, what was that? It's Caesar's. You know, like, that's the kind of way they're answering. It's Caesar's. Okay. Oh, okay. So it's Caesar's image on the coin. Great. Well, then, render to Caesar what is Caesar's, render to God the things that are God's.
11 · Unpacks Jesus' dual move: (1) He affirms Caesar's real but limited authority—Caesar minted the coin, so give him the coin
Now, Jesus does something simultaneously that's this rhetorical maneuver that's amazing. He simultaneously acknowledges and affirms the authority of Caesar and at the same time undercuts the authority of Caesar. And here's what he's doing, okay? First, he acknowledges and affirms the authority of Caesar. He says, 'Look, Caesar made this coin.' You didn't make this in your house, did you? Right? This is— it was actually made with Caesar's silver from his storehouse. He minted these coins and sent them all over the Roman Empire. Right? So it's symbolically he's saying, listen, the economic policy that you live under, right, the coins you use, they're symbols of Roman authority all over you. And therefore, there is a real authority that I'm affirming and acknowledging that we live in and around and under to some extent. But then Jesus also undercuts this Roman authority by saying, 'Listen, Caesar's image is on here, so you give him what he's owed.' But the implication is this: God's image is all here, meaning every single human being is made in God's image and therefore owes God and is under God's authority. So what he does is this amazing move. See, Caesar, the coin itself actually said, 'Tiberius,' in abbreviated Latin, 'Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus, chief priest, pontifex maximus,' right? It's this great, ah, this is the symbol. And Jesus says, 'Okay, yeah, he made the coins. Give him the coins.' But God made it all. So render to God what he is owed.
12 · Traces the biblical-theological background: the prophets taught Israel during exile that God raises up even pagan empires (Babylon, Assyria, Cyrus) as his instruments to accomplish his redemptive purposes
Now, there is a whole stream of biblical teaching that's actually being referenced here by Jesus. In the prophetic writings around the exile, as the people of God were wrestling with, 'How can we be under Babylon's rule?' or under, you know, being judged by Assyria, these are ungodly nations, and God essentially tells them, 'I can call people like Cyrus my servant because I am using these earthly powers. I have set them up to accomplish my purposes, which are for the redemption of my people, my glory, and the culmination and end of all things. And so Jesus is referencing that and saying, yes, this applies here. Cranfield, the commentator on this, says this: Here Jesus is not saying that there are two quite separate independent spheres, that of Caesar and that of God, but rather because Caesar and all that is his belongs to God.
13 · Applies the vertical framework via 1 Peter 2
So what he's saying is, it's not like, oh, is this a sphere of government and this is God's sphere? This is the state sphere, this is the religious sphere. What he's saying is this: all earthly powers are here, and there is a sphere over all of them which is God's sphere, meaning they're under the Lord. The Apostle Peter, who's standing here, and notably for him, silent for once in his life, takes this in and writes this later under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit. He says this, 'Be subject for the Lord's sake,' and this is 1 Peter 2:13, 'Be subject for the Lord's sake to every human institution, whether it be to the emperor as supreme or to governors as sent by him to punish those who do evil and to praise those who do good. For this is the will of God, that by doing good,' You should put to silence the ignorance of foolish people. 'Live as people who are free,' he says, and all the Americans say, 'Amen.' 'Live as people who are free, not using your freedom as a cover-up for evil, but living as servants of God.' Meaning, he's saying, 'Listen, some Christians must have been saying, like, 'Oh, we're free. We're free in Christ. We can do whatever we want. I'm going to take this.'' No, don't steal. Don't— you know, stop. Stop doing evil things and saying, 'Well, you're free to do it.' No, no, God's put you under these authorities. Live as servants of God. And he ends by saying this: 'Honor everyone. Love the brotherhood. Fear God. Honor the emperor.' You see the hierarchy he establishes there? Only God is to be feared. Only God rules over all. But if there is an authority that God's put in place, we give what is due them, we honor them.
14 · Restates the thesis with Luther's support: God's authority is independent of and above all earthly powers
So what's the point? The point is this: our relationship to the kingdoms around us horizontally is transformed by God above us vertically. Martin Luther— there's this great line in the hymn 'Mighty Fortress Is Our God' where he says, 'That word above all earthly powers, no thanks to them, abideth.' Meaning all the earthly powers of the world, there is a word, there is a rulership above them, and no thanks to the earthly powers, it exists. Independent of them, meaning this: ecclesiastical authority, church authority, Jesus' authority is not, like, tied up with the state. It is independent and above the state. That's radical because every single government in the ancient world basically said, 'We're in charge because we're gods and you have to listen to us.' Pharaoh would say that. Caesar would say that. They would all say that. And Jesus says, 'No, no, no, you may owe him a coin.' But only God is owed the image of God and all that we are.
15 · Pivots to application
Now, a couple things this does for us. First, I'm just going to give you one example of how this works out in our lives. First, it means that we don't idolize or demonize governing authorities.
16 · Critiques idolizing government: the belief that if we could just pass the right bill, elect the right person, return to the right past, or progress to the right future, we'd have utopia
We don't want to idolize them. Some people, their impulse today is, 'We need the government to do this and this and this, and if we do that, then we'll have...' peace and prosperity and hope and joy and love restored in the world. If we could just pass this bill, if we could just pass this thing, if we just get this guy elected, then, ah, then heaven will open and then we'll live in a utopia, right? And some people look to the past and they're like, if we could just get back to there, then everything would be fine. Or some people look to the future and say, I hate our past and I just wanna go forward, and if we can get there, everything would be fine. And you see what this does? It says, no, no, no, no, that's not the, you can't look to government to be your God. There's a God over government, and only he can give you what you really truly want and what you truly need.
17 · Critiques demonizing government: the zeitgeist of anti-authority in America, from Gen Z TikTok trends (devious licks) to downtown riots to the Capitol breach
But similarly, governing authority, there's sort of the zeitgeist of anti-governing authority right now in America, ranging from high schoolers. I see this stupid idiotic trend that— and I mean that, high schoolers— of people doing this thing called devious licks where they just are stealing random stuff from high schools or fast food restaurants or whatever. Like stealing stuff from Whataburger and McDonald's. I saw somebody had hang-stoled like a stall, like a bathroom stall. You just think like, what in the world? These people, if we could channel their energy, but— and as a geriatric millennial, I look at the next generation, I think these people are hopeless. We're doomed, right? Once Gen Z takes over, we're dead. But think about the cultural moment, right? What is Gen Z seeing on the news? They're seeing people march down into downtowns, supposedly protesting, but setting stuff on fire and just causing anarchy. Right? Or they're seeing, you know, people storming the Capitol, law enforcement saying, 'No, stay back.' They're saying, 'Uh-uh, we're coming in.' And so they're like, 'Okay, great, I guess no authority matters. We're just going to do whatever we want.' Right? That's the zeitgeist we're sort of in. And we as Christians are to say, 'No, no, no, no, no, no. Government's not the totally evil thing that if we could get up would usher in a utopia. Government's not God that if we could fix things, it'll bring about a utopia. God is God, and he may give government for purposes, but it's not God itself.
18 · Acknowledges the congregation's pressing practical question: 'Does this mean I have to obey X command from the government?' Announces the second major section: a different assent (how we relate to government authority once we've established the vertical framework)
Okay, second point we're gonna move to is a different ascent, 'cause I know some of you are like, 'But what? Wait, I have a question. Does that mean we have to do blank?' Okay, this is your section. A different ascent.
19 · Restates the first-century spectrum of responses to government: Herodians (comply uncritically), Pharisees (grudging minimal compliance), Zealots (violent revolution)
If Rome has authority, even if it's a delegated authority, a derived authority, a given authority, how do we relate to Rome. Now, Herodians here would say, 'Listen, if government's asking for something, just give it to them. That's what we do.' Like, 'Could you not believe in this anymore?' 'Oh, sure, yeah, that's fine.' You know, that's the Herodians. The Pharisees would say, 'No, no, no, we're going to give as little as possible. We're going to give as grudgingly as possible, as late as possible.' And the Zealots over here are like, 'Burn it down!' Right? This is the spectrum that Jesus is talking to. And Jesus says to all of them, No. No.
20 · Exposes Jesus' linguistic shift
In fact, he changes, in his answer, he changes the framework of the question. They ask him, using the word for gift, 'Should we give to the Roman government or not?' Right? Like it's your friend's birthday party. Should we give him a gift? You can, you can't, you know? Once you're an adult, like, the rules are a little iffy, right? When you're like 12 years old, you have to bring a gift. Once you're like 35, you're like, 'Eh, I don't know.' Right? It's your choice or not, your call. But if your friend borrows $35 from you, that's not a gift anymore, right? That's a loan. Give me my $35. You get that Venmo request, $35, and you're like, 'Ew,' right? That's the term Jesus is using. He's using the language of owed. So he doesn't say, 'Oh, you can give or not give.' No, no, no, he says, 'No, no, you give what is owed. Give Rome what it is owed.'
21 · Defines 'assent' as the type of obedience Jesus requires
Now, when you add those points up, those points together, you realize Jesus is asking for a different type of assent, a different type of agreement. Now, maybe that word assent is unfamiliar to you, but it can mean either approval or agreement, right? It can range, it has a range in there. And if assent is kind of a weird word to you, I'm sorry, I needed another A. I really needed this A, and so that's what we're going with. Assent. Jesus is saying you do not have to approve of the Roman tax. You don't have to approve of how it's being levied or what the money is going to. You don't have to approve of the fact that that money is going to be used to fund the continued occupation of your nation by a foreign power. He's not saying you got to approve. But Jesus is saying you do have to acknowledge if God has put an authority in place, and you have to agree to give them what's in proportion to what God has given a sphere of authority. In other words, God gives us sphere of authority. In proportion to that, we're to give what is owed to them in that sphere of authority.
22 · States the first implication: it obligates your assent
Now, here's why this perspective is different from anyone else in Jesus' day. First, it obligates your assent, meaning the rule of whether you comply with this law or not— is this tax or not— is not, do I agree with the denarius tax. That's not it. The rule is not, 'Does the denarius tax make sense to me?' Nope, that's not the question. The question is this: Did God give authority in that sphere to that governing authority? That's the question.
23 · Personal story: Ricky receives a parking ticket he believes is unjust (confusing construction zone signage)
Let me kind of share from my own life here, one of my more painful government interactions. A few years ago, I parked in a spot downtown that was— it was— Well, I thought it was a good spot, right? So what was happening is they were doing some construction in the area, and so there were all these hooded meters with the little orange hood that says, 'Don't park here.' And then there were meters that were free over here. And so I think, 'Okay, great. I'm just gonna pull right here, right before that 'Do Not Park Here' section starts, and I'll go about my day.' So I went and had a meeting. I came back, there's a ticket. I'm like, 'A ticket? What the heck?' Like, 'You parked in an illegal zone.' What in the world? So I look and I realize, oh wait, wait, this— oh no. Like, so I paid this meter, but I was supposed to pay this meter, and this meter had a hood on it, right? And so it was kind of unclear. There was a lot of stuff around, and so it wasn't totally immediately clear like which spot was which because of the construction. And so I thought, oh, this is unbelievable. This is what our founding fathers were talking about. When they threw that tea into the sea, man. So I decide, okay, I'm gonna march down on my court date. I'm gonna dispute this. I'm gonna dispute it. And I heard, like, if the cop doesn't show up to verify the evidence, that you can win. So I thought, I'm gonna show up and I'm gonna demand my rights. So I go down and the judge is sitting there with his robes. And so he asked me to explain the situation. And I say, so therefore you can see it was unclear and it's really the government's fault and they should be paying me for this inconvenience. And so the judge says, well, you know, with parking laws, the cop does not have to be here. We just assume the cop is telling the truth, and you have to prove that he wasn't. I'm like, no, that's not— there's something in the Constitution about this, right? And he says, well, if you have some evidence, if you could go gather the evidence and bring it back, I'll give you another court date. And I was like, no, I can't gather the evidence. The construction is done. The contract says over. Do you have a time machine? I'm supposed to go back in time and take pictures and then bring it to you? And basically he said, listen, you have two choices. You can either continue to dispute this by hiring your own personal lawyer, or you can pay the fine. And he said something like, sometimes it's better just to pay the fine. And so I walk out and my heart begins to be more and more inflamed. And I began to have the Star-Spangled Banner play in my heart. And the American flag is waving, and I feel my founding fathers like Hamilton and Washington begin to speak to me and say, 'Ricky, this is why we fought and died.' And I'm just being like, 'Yes, yes, this is why.' So I'm like, 'I'm gonna fight, I'm gonna take this to Supreme Court.' And I have images of myself on the steps of the Supreme Court winning one for the little guy, right? And once all that blew over, the next day, I realized I had a choice. I did not agree with the parking ticket. I did not think it was wise. I did not even, like, think, 'I want to know where my money is going to go in city government after this parking ticket.' But that was the wrong question. The wrong question was, 'Did God give the city of El Paso authority to regulate parking?' Reluctantly, my answer was yes. And so I paid the $117.
24 · States the second implication: it frees you in your assent
It obligates your assent. But second, it frees you in your ascent. If you can get this point, guys, I think it'll really serve you in so many areas. You can give, we can give as Christians, we can give what is owed to the authorities above us knowing that there is an authority above them, okay? If you get that, I think it'll transform so much. Caesar is accountable to God. His image might be on the coin, but God's image is on Caesar, right?
25 · Biblical example: Herod Agrippa accepts worship as a god and God strikes him dead (Acts 12)
Later, the Herodians, who are big fans of King Herod, they reject, you know, they reject Jesus' teaching. And what happens is Herod later is listening to a crowd shout, 'The voice of a god and not of a man!' And he's just like, 'Yes, that's right, I love it!' And God, in that moment, sees his pride, strikes him with a horrific intestinal issue and he dies, right? What does that mean? It means Herod's not the authority. There's an authority above Herod.
26 · Unpacks the freeing logic: God holds authorities accountable in proportion to the authority he has given them
So when we as Christians, when there is a sphere of authority given to a governing power and we may not like it, we remember, 'To whom much is given, much is required.' No one in the end will get away with anything. God holds people accountable in proportion to the authority that he has given them. That's why elders, it says, will be judged with a greater strictness because of their role in teaching the Bible. That same principle applies to government.
27 · Analogy: A father-in-law tells a pastor on his wedding day, 'I don't trust you, but I do trust God'—and walks his daughter down the aisle
Think of it this way. I know a pastor who, um, he was, he was going to get married and he was having a conversation with his future father-in-law right before the wedding. And he's trying to honor his future father-in-law. And so he tells his future father-in-law, Sir, thank you for trusting me with your daughter. And the father-in-law looks back at him and just says, 'I don't trust you.' And of course, the guy's like, 'Well, that's not what I was hoping for.' And the dad continues and says, 'I don't trust you, but I do trust God.' And he went and walked his daughter down the aisle. And so, however reluctantly the man did it, he did it, and I think the same principle principle applies. In some ways, there may be a sphere of authority given to a governing authority that we're just like, 'I don't trust you.' But here's where we're freed: we can trust God, and God will hold them accountable.
28 · Emotional payoff of the vertical framework: Christians can live with lightness of heart and joy instead of despair in chaotic political moments, because we know God rules above all earthly powers
So many, I think, despair in this cultural moment with where we're at, like, 'Oh, if this government does it, if that government does this, oh, what's going to happen?' Listen, there is one who rules and reigns above all earthly powers. When you're freed to trust him, I think it leads to a lightness of heart and joy in the midst of any circumstance.
29 · Acknowledges the congregation's pressing question about limits on obedience
And, all right, it obligates your assent, it frees you in your assent, and then the third one, I know there's a whole group that's like, 'You've gotta say this last one.' All right, we're getting there, otherwise I'm gonna be real uncomfortable. Yes, it limits your assent.
30 · States the third implication: it limits your assent
It limits your assent. Now, this could be a whole sermon in and of itself, but God does not require to assent to anything and everything in earthly power. May ask of us. In Acts 4, Peter hears this message, and he is ordered by the Jewish authorities to stop preaching Jesus. And what is Peter's response? It is this: 'We must obey God rather than man.' And it's not as though Peter, like, 'Did you not hear what Jesus said? Did you not understand what he was saying? Did you not remember what you wrote in 1 Peter 2?' No. Here's how this works together. When God's clear authority conflicts with a human governing authority, we must follow God's authority rather than obey the human authority, right? We are accountable to a higher authority.
31 · Clarifies the test for legitimate disobedience: the conflict must be clear and direct, not the product of a convoluted 30-minute argument connecting disparate verses
So when there is a conflict between the human authority and God's authority that's clear in Scripture, and I think Vince said it well, sometimes there are some things we're like, well, if I really squint, then this is an issue of, you know, that's of disagreement. If I like connect 10 different things and build a 30-minute argument for why I don't have to do this— Vince's, Vince's comment was, that's, that's probably not good. It should be something that's like, the Bible says this, they say this, right? That kind of a situation. In many cases, the Bible says this, they say this, we're going to follow the Bible, we're going to follow God's authority.
32 · Provides concrete examples of legitimate disobedience: (1) No state can order a Christian to perform actions that violate God's clear moral commands (abortion, gender reassignment)
So an example would be this: no state can order a Christian doctor to perform an abortion. No state can order a Christian doctor to perform a gender reassignment surgery, as an example. Additionally, when God does not give authority to a human government in a particular area but gives that authority to another authority, then we must honor the authority that God has placed. For example, a human government cannot order a church to change its beliefs, cannot say you must stop preaching about sin or about gender or about marriage. We cannot obey. We must obey God.
33 · Restates the thesis and frames the church's calling: in a cultural moment obsessed with horizontal political positioning, Christians should be defined by the vertical dimension—our relationship to the God who rules above all earthly powers
Now, we could say much more about that, but I want to sum up by saying this: our relationship to the kingdoms around us is transformed by the God above us. We— church, if we get this, I think we'll be beautifully countercultural in our current cultural moment, because everybody is only reacting to what's horizontally on the spectrum. Christians are to be the ones reacting to what's vertically going on.
34 · Introduces the third major section: a different allegiance
Third, and most importantly, a different allegiance. Now, the coin itself in the ancient world was a claim to allegiance. Remember what it said: Tiberius, son of the divine Augustus, chief priests. Caesar was not just claiming, 'Hey, I'm in charge of economic policy here, so if you could turn your coins in, as, you know, as agreed, that would be great.' No, he is saying, 'Worship me.' He's saying, 'Bow to me.' He's saying, 'I own you.' He's saying, 'Your allegiance is mine.'
35 · Unpacks the second half of Jesus' answer: 'Render to God what is God's
And the zealots would say, 'That's why we can't participate. That's why, even if the tax is not expensive, we cannot say that.' Jesus confounds them when he says, 'Render to God what is God's.' Remember that word 'owed.' It's not just give to God whatever you want. It's give God what he is owed. And what is God owed? Right? If Caesar is owed your quarters because he made the quarters, what is God owed if he made you? If he made us? If he made everything? There, as Kuyper would say, 'There is not one square inch in the whole domain of our human existence over which Christ, who is over all, does not cry, 'Mine!'' Render to God what is God's.
36 · Unpacks the comprehensive scope of God's ownership: breath, lungs, minds, words, relationships, talents, work, bank accounts, the atmosphere that protects us from cosmic death
Every human being walks around with the image of God on them and in them. They walk around just by being human with the stamp of God's ownership on them, right? Even in this room, seated here, your air, your breath, your lungs that are keeping you alive are gifts from God. Did you make those? Did the government give those lungs to you? No, right? Our minds and mouths and words are gifts from God. Our relationships and friendships and families are gifts from God. Our skills and talents and abilities and work, And bank accounts are gifts from God, right? The— we were learning in science this week with my boys about the earth's atmosphere and the fact that you live on a flying sphere hurtling through the universe protected somehow against meteorites that would kill you every week or radiation that would nuke you all the time. That is a gift from God.
37 · Explains why Jesus' answer silences everyone
And the response to Jesus making this claim is that everyone is silenced. Everyone's silenced. The Herodians are silenced because they acknowledged God, but they lived most of their life unto themselves, chasing power and fame and money. You might think, 'Well, the Pharisees are better. They punctiliously obey the law. They try to figure out exactly what is God owned, even if it's a tiny plant. Oh, this leaf is God's and the rest of the leaf— the rest of the plant is mine.' Right? That was the Pharisees. And Jesus says, 'Both of you are not acknowledging God's ownership over everything.' You're lying. Even you Pharisees that seem so religious, you're saying, 'This is God's so that all of this can be mine.' And Jesus says, 'Nuh-uh. He owns all of it. He owns it all.'
38 · Pivots to the universal human problem: Caesar's sin (claiming ultimate allegiance) is our sin
Look, what this reveals is that the problem with Caesar's claim is the problem in each of our hearts. Caesar was claiming, 'I'm king. I'm supreme. Everything belongs to me and everybody should do what I want.' But we do the exact same thing. That's what the Herodians are doing. That's what the Pharisees are doing. That's what you and I do. Listen, we come out as kids doing this.
39 · Personal story: Ricky's 2-year-old son Anson, nicknamed 'King of Babies,' has internalized the title and now responds to the family song with regal delight, as if he truly deserves worship
One illustration is my son Anson. When he was born, we probably ill-advisedly proclaimed him the king of babies. And my son Ford, I think, was the one that came up with it. The king of babies. So as he's grown up, we've called him the king of babies. We're so committed to this, we created a theme song for him. Anson, the king of the babies. And we'll sing that as Anson comes in the room. We love it. Now, here's the terrifying thing, though. At age 2 now, he understands what we are doing, and his response is not, 'Oh, Father. Oh, Father, stop. I am just another member of the household here.' He does not do that. What is his response? We proclaim him Anson the King of Babies. He smiles and does this. And you can tell in his heart he's like, 'Yes, yes, my subjects.' It is a privilege for you to have me here today, right? And as I'm looking at my 2-year-old, I'm thinking, 'That's concerning,' and also, 'That's me.' Because how many times am I talking to Jen that we're having a conflict about something and I am— my reaction stems from a place of, 'But I am the king.' But I should be followed. I should be honored and worshiped and obeyed in this moment, and you are not. Right? That's what happens in our interactions with others. That is— that's the essence of sin.
40 · Traces the sin back to Eden: the serpent's temptation was 'You can be like God'—i
Right? The essence of sin is Adam and Eve listening to the snake who says, 'You can be like God.' Meaning, this sphere of authority over you, you can be over that. Right, man? That's where this comes from.
41 · Exposes the hypocrisy politics reveals: we are zealous to detect sin and injustice in government but indifferent to sin in our own hearts
And in fact, politics often brings this out of us in a particular way, doesn't it? And we notice something, our focus when it comes to sin finding and injustice finding in the world around us is not usually in here, it's usually out there, right? 'Cause when we see a governing authority misusing their authority, when we see God's given government something and they misuse it, we're like, unbelievable, right? But that's not a reaction when we do the same thing. When we see sin and injustice in a politician, we're like, this. Despicable, right? Usually much kinder to sin and injustice in our own hearts. When we say, 'Man, the government is just not seeking biblical wisdom on these issues.' Guess who else is probably not seeking biblical wisdom? It's the person in the mirror for so many of us. Jesus is leveling the playing field. He's saying the Herodians aren't up here, the Pharisees aren't up here, the Zealots aren't up here. All of you are here because God made a claim on all of you.
42 · Christological pivot: Jesus brings everyone to a level place of shared guilt so they will see why he came
And Jesus, over and over in his ministry, brings everybody down to a level place and says, 'Here's where you are. Here's where the Lord is,' so that they understand finally why Jesus is there. Listen, this text is beautiful news because Jesus is the person Caesar claims to be. Caesar says, 'I'm the son of a god.' Jesus is actually God incarnate, the Prince of Heaven, the Son of God himself, the ruler and master of the universe who spoke the universe into being, who sustains the universe by the word of his power, standing right there in front of them.
43 · Gospel turn: Jesus could call every debt due—'Have you lived out God's image? If not, you're forfeit'—but instead he goes to the cross as 'The King of the Jews' and dies as a criminal
And if Jesus— look at me— if Jesus wanted to, he could call every debt in that crowd due in that moment. Saying, 'Have you lived out the image of God in your life? If not, then your life is forfeit to me. Your soul, your eternity are forfeit to me.' But is that what Jesus does? No. Remember why he's here. Remember this week. Remember where he is going in just days. He is marching. He is interrupted in his march to the cross. And what does he do on the cross? He hangs. Under a sign that says, 'The King of the Jews,' but he hangs there as a criminal, as a rebel for everyone that self-proclaimed them king that was wrong, just like you and me. And he takes their place. The debts that were due us, right, the debts that were due God by us, he goes to the cross and he pays those debts for them.
44 · Direct evangelistic appeal: If you came for politics, God has a different agenda—to show you Jesus as the King you've been looking for
Listen, if you're not a Christian, And you came in thinking, 'I wonder what he's gonna say about politics?' God has a totally different agenda for you being here today. His agenda is this: to see how good of a king Jesus is and how he is the thing that you have been looking your whole life for in your heart of hearts. Listen, I don't know what your life is like, but I do know this. Something about your life, according to theologian Bob Dylan, is this: You gotta serve somebody. There is something that's animating your life. Maybe it's passion for politics, maybe it's government, maybe it's power, maybe it's a career, maybe it's a relationship. Whatever it is that you have put kind of on the throne of your life and put as the king of your life, none of those things are as good as this King. What other king would offer himself for you? What other king would with his life pay your debts? What other king? Would give the gift of his Son to pay for sinners and rebels. Only this God, only this King.
45 · Historical example: Simon the Zealot, the only disciple defined politically, stood in the crowd hearing Jesus' answer
So, in closing, let me end with this. I want to introduce you to somebody who's standing in the crowd at this moment that you may not be aware of, and he's notable for what he does not say. We are introduced at the beginning of Mark to Simon the Zealot. And he's the only disciple described in political terms, right? You get a lot of, like, Peter, the brother of this person, that person, the brother— this person was their dad. Simon, the thing that stood out about Simon, the thing that defined his identity was he was a zealot. If you're paying attention at the beginning of the message, who were the zealots? The zealots were the guys shouting, 'Burn it down!' Right? They're going to throw off the oppression of the Roman Empire. They hate injustice. They want a good king on the throne of Israel. They're gonna force them out. And listen, they have a point. Rome is unjust. Israel does need a good king on the throne. But he comes and follows Jesus, and his life and identity are completely reshaped from the inside out. When Jesus ascends and Simon has kind of free rein to do whatever he wants, you know what he chooses to do? He chooses to stand with Peter and the other apostles As Peter proclaims, Jesus is the King and he is building, is making, is bringing a kingdom of heaven that's far better than any of these earthly kingdoms. And Simon, through his life, evidently took Jesus' words to heart because he is not known in history for defying Roman governing authority. He lived in and among Rome, lived in and among those powers, giving what they were due, But eventually, at the end of his life, when a governing authority said, 'You stop preaching Jesus or we will kill you,' he said, 'No, kill me. I will not stop.' In the end, Simon the Zealot was redefined. His identity, which was once defined horizontally, became redefined vertically. He started out as Simon the Zealot on the political spectrum. He ended as a martyr, Simon the Christian, on the vertical spectrum.
46 · Restates the main thesis as a charge to the church: In 2021 America, Christians are called to be defined by the vertical dimension (God above us) rather than the horizontal (political positioning)
Brothers and sisters, I think this is our opportunity in the United States of America and the year of our Lord 2021. I think Jesus is calling us to be known much more for the vertical dimension of our lives than the horizontal dimension. Now, it doesn't mean we can't be involved in political matters or advocate for things or do things. I'm not saying that. What I am saying is this: what defines us is not the kingdom around us, but the kingdom above us. What defines us is not who's in the Oval Office, but who's on the throne of heaven.
47 · Closing prayer: (1) For non-Christians, that they would see Jesus as the King they've been looking for and surrender the crown
Would you stand and let's pray? Now, Father, I first pray for anyone that maybe came in today and would not have said when they came in that you were the King of their life, that came in with something else on the throne of their life. Lord, I pray that in this moment they would see the beauty and goodness of Jesus as King and see that you are the person they've been looking for. You're the thing that they've been looking for. And I pray that they would come to you and take the crown off of their head and put it at your feet. What other king is like you? What other king has everything and made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant? What other king had control of every debt and yet goes to pay for the sins of the debtors? Oh, no one is like you, Lord. I pray that they would see, find, and believe today. And I pray for the rest of us, Lord, that we get so wrapped up and begin to be redefined by the horizontal relationship of governing. Powers and authorities and parties around us, that we would not allow anything to define us more than that vertical relationship between us and Jesus as King. You paid it all. To all— to you we now owe everything. In Jesus' name we do pray, amen.