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MARK: WORKING MESSIAH FIFTH DIVISION: WHEN WILL THE MESSIAH ESTABLISH HIS KINGDOM? 10:1-13:37 FOURTH SECTION: NOW AND THEN 12:13-13:2
(The corresponding PowerPoint® presentation is Mark 5th Division 4th Section: NOW AND THEN QUESTIONS or click here on Mark Fifth Division Now & Then Questions PP or click on the same title on the Mark studies home page.)
Question And Answer Sessions In The Temple
The Outline:
I. Pharisees and Taxes Now 12:13-17
II. Sadducees And Marriage Then 12:18-27
III. Scribes And Law Now 12:28-34
IV. Messiah’s Enemies Now and Then 12:35-40
V. The Temple Now and Then 12:41-13:2
Review Questions To Aid In The Study Of Mark 12:13-13:2
Theological War Games Jesus was questioned by different groups on his visits to the temple. In the first story the text says that they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to trap in his words. Who is referred to as they? When you look back at the first twelve verses of the chapter and back into chapter eleven it becomes obvious. The word they refers to the chief priests, the scribes and the elders who questioned his authority to cleanse the temple (11:27 and 28). After he told the parable of the evil tenants of a vineyard, in 12:1-12, against them they wanted to take him right there and then, but they feared the people.
These groups who came to ask him questions were not theological students flexing their academic muscles, but were sent by his enemies, who were planning to kill him. While they often focused on how things are now in this life he taught them, and us, how to see things from a different perspective, both now and then.
This section about the questions and answers Jesus gave in the temple to different groups that questioned him is the fourth section of the fifth division. After being questioned by three different groups, the Pharisees and Herodians together, the Sadducees and then a scribe, or teacher of the law, he then began to ask questions as he taught in the temple.
Things Don’t Change Much! People tend to agree that there are two things we cannot avoid, death and taxes! In this part of the Gospel the writer touches on these two themes. In the first scene the Pharisees come to ask Jesus about the tax to Caesar. In the second the Sadducees ask a question about the resurrection, a question closely related to death. In their case even more so because they did not believe in the resurrection!
Today people question taxes as they did thousands of years ago. Many today, however, would not even consider giving God a tithe let alone all they had to live on!
The Jews of Jesus’ time questioned taxes because they had to pay a foreign government and not a Jewish government. It was as though they thought a foreign government would naturally be unfair and a Jewish one would be entirely upright. God had warned them in Samuel’s time that if they demanded a king they would be burdened with the king’s demands. He would tax them and take their children into his service.
An Underlying Question But taxes were not the only questions they had and were not the only questions they asked Jesus. However, one of the underlying questions and a question that we must answer, in these five stories, with a setting in the temple and surrounded by religious people, was, “Do we want religion or do we want God?” Is there a difference between these two things? The Bible seems to say that there is a true love for God, but that religion, something that looks like a love for God, is a counterfeit. It has all the trappings of being spiritual but lacks the presence of God. Think about this issue as you move through these stories, all taking place in the temple, a religious place, and amongst religious people. There is one reference to Christianity as religion in the Bible in the letter of James and it is obvious he is writing about a sincere faith. Jas 1:26 If anyone considers himself religious and yet does not keep a tight rein on his tongue, he deceives himself and his religion is worthless. Jas 1:27 Religion that God our Father accepts as pure and faultless is this: to look after orphans and widows in their distress and to keep oneself from being polluted by the world (James 1:26, 27 NIV).
I. Pharisees And Taxes Now 12:13-17
A Religious Political Trap In Mark 12:13-17 the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Jesus in a question that set politics against religion. In this case the politician was Caesar, the ruler of the Roman Empire, and God, ruler of the Universe. Caesar was Roman and God was supposedly Jewish. If you gave one answer in favor of God you were in trouble with Caesar and committing treason! If you answered in favor of Caesar, you were in trouble with God, and committing blasphemy!
They prepared the trap by telling Jesus they knew he was a man of integrity. They also laid it on thick saying, You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are... (12:14 NIV. Well, maybe that was a bit of an exaggeration, but they were hoping he might say something against Caesar. They could accuse him of treason. In Luke’s gospel this is made very clear, They hoped to catch Jesus in something he said so that they might hand him over to the power and authority of the governor (Luke 20:20b NIV),
They went on to say, ...but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth (12:14 NIV). You see, if Jesus could be swayed just once by the fear of Caesar to vote against God he’d lose his integrity with Israel.
Two Sides To The Coin In response to their question shall we pay tribute to Caesar or not, Jesus was very wise! He asked for a coin, a denarius, of his time. But why? He had something in mind which would take his listeners back to the very dawn of time, back to the creation of the world, and of man. When he had the denarius in hand Jesus asked whose portrait or image and inscription was on it. Caesar’s they replied. Then Jesus said to them, Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s (12:17 NIV).
The text then said they were amazed at him. But why?
Total Commitment Through the implied parallel between the image of Caesar on the coin and the image of God in man, Jesus reminds them that they owed total allegiance to God. As human beings created in God’s image we belong to God. We owe our existence to God.
The coins in use were Roman coins. Caesar had authority over them. There was a time when the Jews ruled themselves. They had their own kings.
Those Jewish kings ruled as God’s delegates. But they became corrupt. They bore God’s image and ruled by God’s authority but eventually they rejected God’s authority and no longer obeyed God’s word. The image of God in them was marred. The Lord rejected them from being king. He sent his people into captivity under foreign kings. He punished and disciplined them by making them delegates of other rulers, first the Babylonians, then, the Persians, the Greeks, and now the Romans. Men like Daniel became a holy testimony as he served under Gentile kings. He served, God and Nebuchadnezzar, God and Darius. He was a humble, wise and hard working governor, who knew how to render to Caesar, the things of Caesar, and to God, the things of God.
Back To Creation In this section of Mark which deals with when the Messiah will establish his kingdom, the writer, has taken us back to the creation, and the terrible significance of the image of God in man. God’s image in us reminds us that we owe him all we are and have! Any tithe God may ask of us is only representative of all we owe him and all he gives us!
When we come to the last stories of this section we will find the rich pouring large amounts into the temple treasury. We’ll also meet a poor widow who puts in two small copper coins, worth less than a penny. Jesus commends her highly. She has put in all she had to live on while the others put in what they will never miss (12:44 MSG). In fact he says she put in more than all the others put together! What a contrast between wealthy religious leaders who quibble with Jesus about taxes and the widow who put in all she had. But more of this later!
Lasting Longer But there is a contrast in this first story about the taxes which is important to note. While we realize that there are two powers here and that one is greater than the other, God is greater than Caesar. There is something else to note. It has to do with the dimension of time. Not only is God bigger than Caesar, God’s authority lasts much longer.
II. Sadducees And Marriage Then 12:18-27
Forward To Resurrection In the second story of this section, Mark 12:18-27 the Sadducees came to Jesus with a question. While the question of the Pharisees and Herodians about taxes was used by Jesus to take everyone’s thoughts back to the image of God in man at creation, the question of the Sadducees takes our thoughts forward to the final resurrection.
While the Pharisees and Herodians had forgotten, for all practical purposes that man was made in God’s image, the Sadducees’ stated doctrine was that they did not believe in resurrection. The Sadducees use a hypothetical case to take our thinking into the future to the end of time. The first story takes us back to the beginning and the second story forward to the end.
The Sadducees told a story of a woman who married 7 times and each time the husband died leaving no children. So they asked whose wife she would be in the resurrection, since the 7 were married to her. Jesus answered. First he accused them of not knowing the Scriptures, and secondly of not knowing the power of God. Not knowing these two things leads to error.
Marriage For This Life First Jesus deals with the future of marriage. Marriage is for this life only. If marriage was for the afterlife people could not marry again in this life in order to be true to their dead spouse. No, people do not marry nor give in marriage after death. That’s for this time on earth. After we die we are in a state like the angels of God.
Then Jesus hits them with the second cannonball! Now about the dead rising - haven’t you read how God told Moses at the burning bush that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob? God isn’t talking about the dead. These men were alive. They weren’t on earth anymore but alive with God.
The Beginning And End Of God’s Plan Jesus took the Pharisees and Herodians back to our wonderful beginnings in creation. He took the Sadducees forward to the hope of the resurrection. Through these two stories the gospel writer tells us about the beginning and the end of God’s plan.
Once again a contrast is drawn for us, a contrast between life on earth with marriage and life in heaven without marriage. While marriage is very important, its place is on earth during the few short years we live here. It is like human government. Both human government and human marriage is for now, not for then. There is an exception, however. That exception is Jesus. He will rule forever and ever, and he did become a man, so there will be a human being ruling then. There will also be a marriage then, the marriage of the Lamb, the Lord Jesus, to his bride, the church.
Where will the author of the gospel take us now?
III. Scribes And Law Now 12:28-34
The Heart Of The Matter One of the teachers of the law is the next to approach Jesus with a question. He sees that Jesus answers them very well. He gets to the heart of all matters by asking Jesus what the greatest command of all is. With this question and Jesus’ answer, we find ourselves making a full and screeching stop right in present time!
Although Jesus quoted from the law of Moses, because he quoted the overriding realities of all God’s law, he was quoting realities that were good for all of time. Jesus went to the heart of the matter. God is one. Love the Lord your God with all you are. Love your neighbor as yourself.
The teacher agreed and in fact repeated these laws. He did add two things to what Jesus quotes. ...and there is no other but him” and “..is more important than all burnt offerings and sacrifices (12:32, 33 NIV).
Close, Very Close! When Jesus saw the teacher answered wisely he said to him that he was not far from the kingdom of God. Why was he not far from the kingdom? In Judaism they had added many rules and regulations, besides the many details of the law’s sacrifices and their regulations. You could “lose sight of the forest for the trees”. People might become slaves to the law and forget they were really to love and serve the Lord. In the next story Jesus will describe the sins of the teachers of the law, not very complimentary! This teacher of the law was beginning to see the key issues at stake and therefore was not far from the kingdom of God. In the terms of children’s guessing games we would say he was getting “warm”.
Again a contrast is drawn between God and all others, between love for God and neighbor and the burnt offerings and sacrifices. The Person of God is eternal. Our love for him is to go on into eternity.
World you like a prayer request for your church? Well here it is. Pray that your pastor, other leaders and the whole congregation will grow in their love for the Lord! Oh that this petition might be one of the main things we ask for in prayer! When are we going to pray? When will we pray seriously for this huge need in our lives and congregations? When are we going to turn off the TV and begin to pray for a couple of hours? Isn’t it time we did this? We cannot go on with such a miserably poor life of prayer, with such a useless spiritual life! What about praying for each other even for those who criticize us and ignore us? Yes, it is time to pray for them as well. It is time to pray for growth in our churches, spiritual and numerical growth. Am I praying for my pastor? Am I praying for elders, deacons and other leaders? It is time to begin! We cannot wait!
IV. Messiah & his Enemies Now And Then 12:35-40
Teaching And Practice In the fourth story we find Mark, the writer, giving us a sampling of Jesus’ teaching in the temple. Jesus makes references to two things, the teaching of the teachers of the law and the practices of the teachers of the law. First Jesus implies that the teachers of the law do not understand the implications of their own teachings about the Messiah. Secondly they don’t understand the implications of their way of life.
Lacking In Understanding First they don’t understand the Messiah. They don’t understand that the Messiah is both David’s son and David’s Lord. He is born after David but he is greater that David. The father is greater than his son. How can David call a son of his own ‘Lord’?
The teachers of the law fall short in theological understanding. The Psalm quoted by Jesus speaks of the Lord putting the enemies of David’s Lord under his feet. Who are these enemies? Could they be those who pretend to speak for him and yet do not know him?
Could these teachers of the law be the Messiah’s enemies?
Lacking In Practice Jesus goes on to seal their condemnation. The teachers of the law are not only ignorant of Messiah but they live lives which are to be condemned. Jesus told them to watch out for the teachers of the law. Here follows a list of their evils: -They like to walk around in flowing robes. -They love greetings in the market places. -They take the most important seats in the synagogues. -They take the places of honor at banquets. -They devour widows’ houses. -For a show they make lengthy prayers.
Then Jesus described their end. Such men will be punished most severely!
In the story preceding Jesus takes the teacher of the law back to the Law of Moses and to the greatest of the commands. In this story about his teaching in relation to the teachers of the law he makes reference to a future time when the Messiah’s enemies will be put under his feet and when the teachers of the law will be punished most severely!
Again a contrast is drawn. The teachers of the law, and for that matter, any enemy of Jesus will finally be punished. Fortunately their evils are limited to this life. The rule of Messiah, however, will be forever. While we do not yet see all Christ’s enemies under his feet, one day we will. All will submit to him.
V. The Temple Now And Then 12:41-13:2
In chapters 12:41-13:2, Jesus changes his activity from teaching to watching or looking, and then responding to what he sees.
First Jesus watched the people put gifts in the temple treasury, and then upon the request of one of his disciples he surveyed the buildings of the temple.
Jesus Was Impressed! As Jesus watches activities at the treasury he is not impressed with the large amounts put in by the rich. He extols the widow who puts in two coins worth less than a penny. It was not what she put in but what she had left that drew Jesus words of commendation and praise. The rich put in much but kept much. The widow put in all. She was left with nothing! Truly this widow loved the Lord her God with all she had! The law called on Israel to love the Lord their God with all their heart and with all their soul and with all their mind and with all their strength! She loved God with all she had to live on.
In the side walk in Hollywood the names of the stars are imbedded. I wonder whose names will appear imbedded in the sidewalks of heaven! We do not know the name of this poor widow, but I dare say all the armies of heaven know it!
The Disciples Were Impressed! As Jesus left the temple a disciple said, “Look, Teacher what massive stones and magnificent buildings!” Jesus surprised him and cut him short with a prophecy. He looked forward to the destruction of that very temple by the Romans. He said, See these great buildings? Not one stone will be left on another, everyone will be thrown down (13:2 NIV)!
It is amazing that the Romans tore the temple apart stone by stone because rumors had it that the Jews had hidden gold in the stones of the temple! The very thing the teachers of the law and others loved became the motive for the destruction of their temple. And it had become their temple so God took away his protection and allowed it to be torn down stone by stone.
Here in the heart of the nation, in the temple itself Jesus is questioned, he teaches about their leaders and he observes their practices. At the end of the visit he condemns the place to total destruction. They have abandoned their total commitment to God and to their neighbor. He predicted God’s abandonment of them. His inward presence is absent in their lives so all the outward signs of his presence would be swept away!
With this bleak future predicted for the temple Jesus got his disciples’ minds in high gear. This solicits questions from them about the future. Chapter 13:3-37 relates Jesus’ answer. That’s another chapter of this story.
What Impresses You? Surely things like gifting, size, cost, power and other characteristics impress us, do they not? But are we not even more impressed by love, kindness, commitment, patience, mercy, joy, thankfulness and self discipline? Yes! The rich with luxury cars, boats, airplanes and other possessions do impress! But what impresses some of us even more are both rich and poor who love God and care for their fellow human beings. In Latin America I have seen Christians, who are not doing as well economically as they had been doing, gathering to plan ways in which they can love God by ministering to the poor. Churches have opened dining halls for poor children and offered them whatever they could, even if it were just a cup of tea and a slice of bread. Others have planned visits on a monthly basis into the favelas and villas, the poor sections of Brazilian and Argentine cities, to bring medical teams, barbers, medicines, clothing, food, Christian books, drama, mime, and other gospel ministry.
I was staying in the home of Brazilian believers in Sao Jose dos Campos, not far from Sao Paulo. One evening when I returned four of them were seated around the table planning visits to the poor. The man and his wife and their pastor and his wife were there. The brother with whom I was staying had worked in a bank but lost his job. He sold his car and with the money they had saved up he bought a car wash facility. He earned less, the hours were much longer, the physical exertion was much greater, and he was not getting any younger at 51 years of age! Yet here he was making an effort to reach out to those who were suffering more than he was.
Review I. Pharisees and Taxes Now (12:13-17) We are to respect both divine and human government.
II. Sadducees And Marriage Then (12:18-27) There is life after death but our intimacies will be with the Lord in the marriage of the Lamb, not in what we know as earthly marriage. Our state will be like the angels.
III. Scribes And Law Now (12:28-34) The scribe hit the nail on the head theoretically, by agreeing with Jesus when he placed love for God and neighbor above all other commandments. All that was left to do was to carry it out!
IV. Messiah & his Enemies Now and Then (12:35-40) Jesus moves from a defensive role to an offensive role. He attacks his enemies’ positions both in doctrine and practice. He leaves his enemies the scribes, or doctors of law and religion, condemned! However, he leaves their actual punishment to a future time.
V. The Temple Now and Then (12:41-13:2) History repeated itself! The temple had been destroyed before because Israel became corrupted and abandoned the One who gave them their spiritual life and temple. Although they had rid themselves of idols after the deportation to Babylon they had set up new gods for themselves. One of those gods was money. They coveted. They devoured the houses of widows. Another god was they themselves. They chose the best seats, and made long prayers so that people would see how good they were. They trusted in a building, the temple just as their ancestors had done. Their ancestors had cried, “The temple of the Lord”, thinking that having the temple would protect them. Read the words of Jeremiah to see just how foolish they were.
1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, 2 Stand in the gate of the LORD’S house, and proclaim there this word, and say, Hear the word of the LORD, all ye of Judah, that enter in at these gates to worship the LORD. 3 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, Amend your ways and your doings, and I will cause you to dwell in this place. 4 Trust ye not in lying words, saying, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, The temple of the LORD, are these. 5 For if ye throughly amend your ways and your doings; if ye throughly execute judgment between a man and his neighbour; 6 If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt: 7 Then will I cause you to dwell in this place, in the land that I gave to your fathers, for ever and ever. 8 Behold, ye trust in lying words, that cannot profit. 9 Will ye steal, murder, and commit adultery, and swear falsely, and burn incense unto Baal, and walk after other gods whom ye know not; 10 And come and stand before me in this house, which is called by my name, and say, We are delivered to do all these abominations? 11 Is this house, which is called by my name, become a den of robbers in your eyes? Behold, even I have seen it, saith the LORD. 12 But go ye now unto my place which was in Shiloh, where I set my name at the first, and see what I did to it for the wickedness of my people Israel. 13 And now, because ye have done all these works, saith the LORD, and I spake unto you, rising up early and speaking, but ye heard not; and I called you, but ye answered not; 14 Therefore will I do unto this house, which is called by my name, wherein ye trust, and unto the place which I gave to you and to your fathers, as I have done to Shiloh. 15 And I will cast you out of my sight, as I have cast out all your brethren, even the whole seed of Ephraim (Jeremiah 7:1-15 AV/KJV).
In 70AD the Romans attacked the city of Jerusalem, destroyed the temple, and the people were scattered around the earth for nearly 2000 years. This reminds us that we need to place ourselves in his merciful hands, not trusting ourselves, or any object here on earth for salvation. He alone saves!
Questions To Aid In The Study Of Mark 12:13-13:2 1. How many different groups asked Jesus questions in the temple? List the names of the groups and one or two of their characteristics. 2. How did Jesus keep a balance in the answers he gave especially in light of time and eternity, now, or the present, and then, or the future? 3. Think for a minute of all the persons mentioned: God, Caesar, Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, husbands, wives, Moses, angels, scribes, neighbors, David, the Holy Spirit, Messiah, The rich, a poor widow, and the disciples. What were the positive things Jesus said about how they acted and what were the negative things he said about how they acted? Who was commended and who was condemned? 4. What material things are mentioned here? Taxes, a denarius, image, inscription, the Scriptures, burnt offerings and sacrifices, my right hand, footstool, long robes, the best seats in the synagogue, the best places at feasts, widows’ houses, the treasury, money, two mites, abundance, poverty, the temple, buildings and stones. How were they used? How are they to be used? What would happen to them? 5. Both the Caesar and a poor widow are mentioned in these stories. Knowing what we know about the Caesars as a group, some who were deified, others immoral, even homicidal, and withstanding some good traits, who of the two do you think was greatest in Jesus’ eyes and why? Which of the two was an example of living out the first and greatest commandment? While recognition was given to the poor widow who put in all she had to live on what will you and I be recognized for?
©Copyright 2006-2046 John (Jack) W Rendel. All rights reserved. |
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