Traps, Taxes, and True Worship

Mark chapter 12, starting in verse 13.

"...then they," the they there is the religious leaders, the chief priests and the scribes, "...they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to him," that's to Jesus, "...in order to trap him in a statement." And they came and said to him, teacher, we know that you are truthful and you defer to no one and you show partiality to no one.

You show no partiality to any and you teach the way of God in truth.

So definitely some flattery there.

And then their question, is it lawful? to pay a tax to Caesar or not? Shall we pay or shall we not pay? And he, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, why are you testing me? Bring me a denarius to look at.

So they brought one, and he said to them, whose likeness and inscription is this? And they said to him, Caesar's.

Verse 17, And Jesus said to them, Render to Caesar that which is Caesar's, and to God that which is God's.

And they were amazed at God.

Now, this exchange between Jesus and this group of Pharisees and Herodians, if you remember from the last few weeks as we've been going through the Gospel of Mark, is from day three.

It took place on day three of our Lord's Passion Week.

The first day of Passion Week is recorded for us in Mark chapter 11, verses 1 through 11.

It's the triumphal entry.

It is what we traditionally call Palm Sunday.

And it was on that day that our Lord came to Jerusalem riding on the colt of a donkey in fulfillment of the prophecy of Zechariah 9, verse 9, where Zechariah foretold the fact that Israel's messianic king would come to them riding on the colt, or the foal, of a donkey.

And while He is riding into Jerusalem, there are crowds lining the way who are proclaiming and declaring at the top of their lungs, Hosanna, blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord, quoting from Psalm 118.

And that Messianic Psalm, they quote that to demonstrate their understanding that Jesus is the rightful heir of the Davidic throne.

He is the true son of David and Israel's true king.

That's day one of Passion Week.

Day two of Passion Week takes place starting in verse 12 of Mark chapter 11 through verse 19.

And Jesus, in verse 11 on day one, had gone into the temple and seen everything that was there.

And now on day two, He comes back to the temple and He runs out the money changers and those who were selling animals to He cleanses the temple and he indicts and rebukes and condemns the religious leaders for turning a house of prayer, God's house, into a den of thieves.

Then in verse 19, on day two of Passion Week, Jesus and his disciples returned to Bethany, which is where they're staying, a village on the eastern side of the Mount of Olives where Lazarus and Mary and Martha live, probably staying, Jesus was with them during the evenings while he was coming into Jerusalem for his Passion Week.

So, this event in Mark 12 takes place on day three.

Day three begins in Mark 11, verse 20.

Jesus and His disciples note that the fig tree, which Jesus had cursed the day before, has withered.