You don't know the Scriptures and the Power of God?
Series: Jesus' Authority
Speaker: Steve Jeffrey
Date: 22nd April 2012
00:00:00 --> 00:00:00 Let's pray.
00:00:01 --> 00:00:05 Father God, we thank you for your word.
00:00:05 --> 00:00:09 We pray that we would not tonight make the mistake
00:00:09 --> 00:00:13 of these who confront Jesus,
00:00:14 --> 00:00:16 who play loose and fast with the truth,
00:00:17 --> 00:00:20 who deny some of the central tenets
00:00:20 --> 00:00:23 of what it means to be part of your kingdom.
00:00:24 --> 00:00:28 We pray, Lord, that we would read your word,
00:00:28 --> 00:00:29 we would hear your word,
00:00:29 --> 00:00:31 we would understand your word
00:00:31 --> 00:00:33 and that we would not ignore it.
00:00:34 --> 00:00:37 We pray, Father, that in what we're doing tonight
00:00:37 --> 00:00:40 that we will not miss you, we pray.
00:00:40 --> 00:00:42 So we pray that we would get a greater glimpse
00:00:42 --> 00:00:44 of your glory, your purposes,
00:00:45 --> 00:00:48 and the part that we play in that as your people.
00:00:48 --> 00:00:51 And so be with us now as we open up your word
00:00:51 --> 00:00:54 that we might not just hear it,
00:00:55 --> 00:00:58 but that we might experience something of your power.
00:00:58 --> 00:00:59 And we pray it for your sake.
00:01:00 --> 00:01:00 Amen.
00:01:01 --> 00:01:04 So get your Bibles open to Mark chapter 12.
00:01:04 --> 00:01:09 Our recent sermon series on the kingdom of God,
00:01:09 --> 00:01:10 I think, is particularly helpful
00:01:10 --> 00:01:14 when we're coming to looking at Mark 12
00:01:14 --> 00:01:17 and this little short series that we got here
00:01:17 --> 00:01:19 last week, this week, and next week
00:01:19 --> 00:01:21 on the clash with ultimate authority.
00:01:22 --> 00:01:23 For anyone out there,
00:01:23 --> 00:01:26 remember how we define the kingdom of God
00:01:26 --> 00:01:27 in our series, Kingdom of God?
00:01:27 --> 00:01:33 God's people in God's place under God's rule.
00:01:33 --> 00:01:36 Yes, God's people in God's place under God's rule.
00:01:36 --> 00:01:36 Fantastic.
00:01:37 --> 00:01:38 Straight at the top of the class.
00:01:38 --> 00:01:40 Tashi, you should consider a ministry internship
00:01:40 --> 00:01:41 at some point.
00:01:43 --> 00:01:45 For the people of God in the Old Testament,
00:01:46 --> 00:01:49 much of their expectations of the kingdom
00:01:49 --> 00:01:52 centered around Israel and Jerusalem
00:01:52 --> 00:01:54 and the temple and the rituals in the temple.
00:01:54 --> 00:01:59 And what we saw in our series
00:01:59 --> 00:02:02 was that the consistent problem
00:02:02 --> 00:02:05 was that they did all the religious practice stuff
00:02:05 --> 00:02:06 but they rejected God
00:02:06 --> 00:02:07 and they rejected his authority,
00:02:07 --> 00:02:09 they rejected his word.
00:02:09 --> 00:02:10 They looked the part
00:02:10 --> 00:02:11 but in the actual fact,
00:02:11 --> 00:02:13 their hearts were a long way from God.
00:02:14 --> 00:02:18 The eventual consequence was exiled from God's place.
00:02:19 --> 00:02:20 God stuck them over there in the naughty corner
00:02:20 --> 00:02:22 for 70 years in Babylon
00:02:22 --> 00:02:25 and to fine tune them a bit.
00:02:27 --> 00:02:29 And during the course of that,
00:02:30 --> 00:02:32 God was speaking to his people
00:02:32 --> 00:02:35 and prophesying about a future day
00:02:35 --> 00:02:37 where there would be a future king,
00:02:37 --> 00:02:38 a Christ, a Messiah,
00:02:38 --> 00:02:41 who would restore the kingdom of God.
00:02:41 --> 00:02:44 And when this king comes,
00:02:45 --> 00:02:47 he will give his people new hearts
00:02:47 --> 00:02:50 which would internally be moved to obey Christ
00:02:50 --> 00:02:52 or the king, the Messiah.
00:02:53 --> 00:02:56 And so the opening words of Jesus' ministry
00:02:56 --> 00:02:57 right at the beginning of Mark's gospel
00:02:57 --> 00:02:59 are very significant for us.
00:03:00 --> 00:03:01 So chapter one says this,
00:03:01 --> 00:03:03 the time, this is the words of Jesus,
00:03:04 --> 00:03:05 the time has come.
00:03:06 --> 00:03:07 The kingdom of God is near.
00:03:07 --> 00:03:12 And so Jesus is talking about the fulfillment
00:03:12 --> 00:03:15 of all of these promises for the people of God.
00:03:16 --> 00:03:19 Jesus then goes on to demonstrate the kingdom's realm,
00:03:19 --> 00:03:21 the rule of this king.
00:03:22 --> 00:03:25 And he, as the king of the kingdom of God,
00:03:25 --> 00:03:28 by calling disciples to follow him,
00:03:28 --> 00:03:29 complete strangers,
00:03:29 --> 00:03:30 come, follow me,
00:03:30 --> 00:03:31 and they leave their nets
00:03:31 --> 00:03:32 and they go and follow Jesus.
00:03:33 --> 00:03:34 He drives out demons,
00:03:34 --> 00:03:35 he heals lepers,
00:03:35 --> 00:03:36 the blind, the paralytic,
00:03:36 --> 00:03:37 he raises the dead,
00:03:37 --> 00:03:38 he calms the storm.
00:03:39 --> 00:03:42 He demonstrates that there is nothing
00:03:42 --> 00:03:43 outside of his control.
00:03:44 --> 00:03:45 As the king of the kingdom,
00:03:46 --> 00:03:47 he rules everything.
00:03:47 --> 00:03:49 And so the kingdom of God
00:03:49 --> 00:03:51 is not restricted to Israel
00:03:51 --> 00:03:52 and Jerusalem and the temple.
00:03:54 --> 00:03:55 He is the king over everything,
00:03:56 --> 00:03:57 all encompassing.
00:03:58 --> 00:04:01 And then as you move further into Mark's gospel,
00:04:01 --> 00:04:02 you get to chapters nine and 10
00:04:02 --> 00:04:04 and we discover the surprising nature
00:04:04 --> 00:04:06 of this rule,
00:04:06 --> 00:04:07 of this king.
00:04:08 --> 00:04:09 He is, in fact,
00:04:09 --> 00:04:10 a servant king
00:04:10 --> 00:04:12 who has come to serve
00:04:12 --> 00:04:14 and not be served.
00:04:14 --> 00:04:15 He has come to give his life
00:04:15 --> 00:04:16 as a ransom for many.
00:04:17 --> 00:04:19 And the second great surprise
00:04:19 --> 00:04:22 is when you move out of chapter 10
00:04:22 --> 00:04:23 and into chapter 11
00:04:23 --> 00:04:26 and you see that the king arrives
00:04:26 --> 00:04:27 at his,
00:04:27 --> 00:04:28 the city.
00:04:28 --> 00:04:30 He arrives at Jerusalem,
00:04:30 --> 00:04:31 Jesus arrives
00:04:31 --> 00:04:32 and there's a crowd there.
00:04:32 --> 00:04:33 They've got palm trees,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:34 you know,
00:04:34 --> 00:04:35 and they're waving
00:04:35 --> 00:04:36 and they're cheering.
00:04:36 --> 00:04:37 The king has arrived.
00:04:38 --> 00:04:39 And what you discover
00:04:39 --> 00:04:40 is that when the king
00:04:40 --> 00:04:42 goes to the temple,
00:04:42 --> 00:04:43 he is rejected.
00:04:45 --> 00:04:46 He's rejected.
00:04:48 --> 00:04:49 He first of all
00:04:49 --> 00:04:50 rejects the temple
00:04:50 --> 00:04:51 and the old order of things.
00:04:52 --> 00:04:52 He gets a whip
00:04:52 --> 00:04:55 and turns over tables
00:04:55 --> 00:04:56 and drives people out.
00:04:56 --> 00:04:58 He rejects the old
00:04:58 --> 00:04:59 religious system
00:04:59 --> 00:05:00 of pomp
00:05:00 --> 00:05:01 and corruption
00:05:01 --> 00:05:02 and hypocrisy
00:05:02 --> 00:05:04 and he replaces
00:05:04 --> 00:05:05 that system
00:05:05 --> 00:05:06 with himself.
00:05:06 --> 00:05:06 He says,
00:05:06 --> 00:05:08 you don't come
00:05:08 --> 00:05:08 and meet God
00:05:08 --> 00:05:09 now through this temple.
00:05:09 --> 00:05:10 You meet God with me.
00:05:10 --> 00:05:11 So three days,
00:05:11 --> 00:05:12 I'm going to pull it down
00:05:12 --> 00:05:13 and I'm going to rebuild it again.
00:05:13 --> 00:05:14 So everything
00:05:14 --> 00:05:16 that this temple stood for
00:05:16 --> 00:05:17 is now going to be
00:05:17 --> 00:05:18 met in me.
00:05:18 --> 00:05:20 You meet God
00:05:20 --> 00:05:20 through me.
00:05:21 --> 00:05:22 You want to relate to God?
00:05:22 --> 00:05:23 It is through me.
00:05:23 --> 00:05:29 And what happens then
00:05:29 --> 00:05:30 out of there,
00:05:31 --> 00:05:32 chapter 11,
00:05:33 --> 00:05:34 Jesus curses a fig tree.
00:05:35 --> 00:05:35 It's a symbol
00:05:35 --> 00:05:36 of God's rejection
00:05:36 --> 00:05:38 of the old order of things.
00:05:39 --> 00:05:40 And so that
00:05:40 --> 00:05:42 it is completely clear
00:05:42 --> 00:05:44 what Jesus is on about,
00:05:45 --> 00:05:46 we hear the story
00:05:46 --> 00:05:47 of the parable
00:05:47 --> 00:05:49 of the tenants
00:05:49 --> 00:05:50 that Chris preached
00:05:50 --> 00:05:51 on last week.
00:05:51 --> 00:05:51 Sorry,
00:05:52 --> 00:05:52 Sam preached
00:05:52 --> 00:05:53 on last week here.
00:05:53 --> 00:05:56 that the people
00:05:56 --> 00:05:57 of Israel
00:05:57 --> 00:05:58 have consistently
00:05:58 --> 00:05:59 rejected God
00:05:59 --> 00:06:00 and rejected
00:06:00 --> 00:06:01 the messengers
00:06:01 --> 00:06:02 of God
00:06:02 --> 00:06:02 and now
00:06:02 --> 00:06:05 I'm rejecting you.
00:06:05 --> 00:06:06 I'm rejecting
00:06:06 --> 00:06:07 the old order,
00:06:07 --> 00:06:07 the old system.
00:06:08 --> 00:06:09 And so in the temple courts,
00:06:10 --> 00:06:11 the scene
00:06:11 --> 00:06:12 of the king's
00:06:12 --> 00:06:13 rejection
00:06:13 --> 00:06:14 of the old order,
00:06:14 --> 00:06:15 if you like,
00:06:15 --> 00:06:16 out on the deck,
00:06:18 --> 00:06:19 we see the rejection
00:06:19 --> 00:06:20 of Israel king
00:06:20 --> 00:06:21 by the leaders
00:06:21 --> 00:06:22 of Israel.
00:06:22 --> 00:06:23 Israel.
00:06:24 --> 00:06:25 Jesus' credibility
00:06:25 --> 00:06:27 and even his life
00:06:27 --> 00:06:28 are at stake
00:06:28 --> 00:06:29 in these encounters
00:06:29 --> 00:06:31 that he has
00:06:31 --> 00:06:33 with these religious leaders.
00:06:34 --> 00:06:35 Jesus uses
00:06:35 --> 00:06:36 each of these
00:06:36 --> 00:06:37 encounters,
00:06:37 --> 00:06:38 these clashes,
00:06:38 --> 00:06:39 as an opportunity
00:06:39 --> 00:06:40 to reveal something
00:06:40 --> 00:06:40 striking
00:06:40 --> 00:06:42 about the kingdom
00:06:42 --> 00:06:43 and what it means
00:06:43 --> 00:06:43 to be part
00:06:43 --> 00:06:44 of that kingdom.
00:06:44 --> 00:06:45 Last week,
00:06:45 --> 00:06:46 we had round one.
00:06:46 --> 00:06:47 Chief priests,
00:06:47 --> 00:06:48 teachers of the law
00:06:48 --> 00:06:48 and the elders
00:06:48 --> 00:06:49 confront Jesus
00:06:49 --> 00:06:51 and they go away
00:06:51 --> 00:06:51 with their tail
00:06:51 --> 00:06:52 between the legs.
00:06:53 --> 00:06:53 Round two
00:06:53 --> 00:06:54 is introduced
00:06:54 --> 00:06:55 in verse 13.
00:06:56 --> 00:06:56 Later,
00:06:56 --> 00:06:56 they,
00:06:57 --> 00:06:58 that's talking
00:06:58 --> 00:06:58 about the Sanhedrin,
00:06:58 --> 00:06:59 that's the Jewish
00:06:59 --> 00:07:00 ruling council,
00:07:01 --> 00:07:02 the Sanhedrin,
00:07:02 --> 00:07:03 they send
00:07:03 --> 00:07:04 some Pharisees
00:07:04 --> 00:07:05 and Herodians
00:07:05 --> 00:07:06 to Jesus
00:07:06 --> 00:07:07 to catch him
00:07:07 --> 00:07:08 in his words.
00:07:08 --> 00:07:11 There are two kinds
00:07:11 --> 00:07:12 of powers
00:07:12 --> 00:07:13 that bind people together.
00:07:14 --> 00:07:15 One is love
00:07:15 --> 00:07:17 and the other
00:07:17 --> 00:07:18 is hatred.
00:07:20 --> 00:07:20 Naturally,
00:07:21 --> 00:07:22 love is preferred.
00:07:22 --> 00:07:24 Love is the glue
00:07:24 --> 00:07:25 of the Trinity.
00:07:26 --> 00:07:27 It is,
00:07:27 --> 00:07:28 love is God's gift
00:07:28 --> 00:07:28 to the church
00:07:28 --> 00:07:29 and his command
00:07:29 --> 00:07:30 for the church
00:07:30 --> 00:07:33 but hatred
00:07:33 --> 00:07:34 can bring together
00:07:34 --> 00:07:35 diverse people.
00:07:36 --> 00:07:38 People is diverse
00:07:38 --> 00:07:39 as the Pharisees
00:07:39 --> 00:07:41 and the Herodians.
00:07:42 --> 00:07:42 There could be
00:07:42 --> 00:07:43 hardly,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:43 I think,
00:07:43 --> 00:07:44 two groups
00:07:44 --> 00:07:45 with such opposing
00:07:45 --> 00:07:47 views in Israel.
00:07:48 --> 00:07:49 The Pharisees
00:07:49 --> 00:07:50 were fierce
00:07:50 --> 00:07:52 nationalists.
00:07:53 --> 00:07:54 The Herodians,
00:07:54 --> 00:07:55 on the other hand,
00:07:55 --> 00:07:56 were supporters
00:07:56 --> 00:07:56 of Herod,
00:07:57 --> 00:07:57 the Roman ruler
00:07:57 --> 00:07:58 over Israel.
00:07:59 --> 00:08:00 The Pharisees
00:08:00 --> 00:08:00 represented
00:08:00 --> 00:08:01 a narrow,
00:08:02 --> 00:08:03 conservative Judaism
00:08:03 --> 00:08:05 and the Herodians
00:08:05 --> 00:08:05 were liberal
00:08:05 --> 00:08:06 in their convictions.
00:08:06 --> 00:08:07 The Pharisees
00:08:07 --> 00:08:08 were right-wingers,
00:08:08 --> 00:08:08 the Herodians
00:08:08 --> 00:08:09 were left-wingers.
00:08:09 --> 00:08:10 The Pharisees
00:08:10 --> 00:08:11 represented resistance
00:08:11 --> 00:08:12 to Rome,
00:08:12 --> 00:08:12 the Herodians
00:08:12 --> 00:08:13 accommodation
00:08:13 --> 00:08:14 to Rome.
00:08:16 --> 00:08:17 And what cemented
00:08:17 --> 00:08:18 them together
00:08:18 --> 00:08:19 as a group
00:08:19 --> 00:08:21 was their hatred
00:08:21 --> 00:08:21 of Jesus.
00:08:22 --> 00:08:23 They've come together
00:08:23 --> 00:08:24 because of their
00:08:24 --> 00:08:26 hatred of Jesus
00:08:26 --> 00:08:27 and the hope
00:08:27 --> 00:08:28 that we can bring
00:08:28 --> 00:08:29 this man down.
00:08:30 --> 00:08:30 And then once
00:08:30 --> 00:08:30 that's done,
00:08:30 --> 00:08:31 we'll go back
00:08:31 --> 00:08:32 to hating each other.
00:08:32 --> 00:08:34 You see,
00:08:34 --> 00:08:35 Jesus was causing
00:08:35 --> 00:08:35 havoc with the
00:08:35 --> 00:08:36 religious agenda
00:08:36 --> 00:08:37 of the Pharisees
00:08:37 --> 00:08:37 and he was causing
00:08:37 --> 00:08:38 havoc with the
00:08:38 --> 00:08:39 political agenda
00:08:39 --> 00:08:40 of the Herodians.
00:08:41 --> 00:08:41 And so they
00:08:41 --> 00:08:42 unite in an attempt
00:08:42 --> 00:08:43 to bring him down
00:08:43 --> 00:08:43 and that's what it
00:08:43 --> 00:08:44 says there in verse 12.
00:08:45 --> 00:08:45 Later,
00:08:45 --> 00:08:46 they sent
00:08:46 --> 00:08:47 some of the Pharisees
00:08:47 --> 00:08:48 and the Herodians
00:08:48 --> 00:08:49 to catch him
00:08:49 --> 00:08:51 in his words.
00:08:52 --> 00:08:53 They want to
00:08:53 --> 00:08:54 trap Jesus
00:08:54 --> 00:08:57 in his words
00:08:57 --> 00:08:57 so that they could
00:08:57 --> 00:08:58 charge him
00:08:58 --> 00:08:59 with treason
00:08:59 --> 00:09:00 or heresy,
00:09:01 --> 00:09:02 both of which
00:09:02 --> 00:09:03 they can conspire
00:09:03 --> 00:09:03 with the death
00:09:03 --> 00:09:04 penalty in some way.
00:09:07 --> 00:09:08 First though,
00:09:09 --> 00:09:10 they have to
00:09:10 --> 00:09:11 pave the way
00:09:11 --> 00:09:12 for the question
00:09:12 --> 00:09:13 in order to,
00:09:14 --> 00:09:15 by throwing Jesus
00:09:15 --> 00:09:16 off course if you like.
00:09:16 --> 00:09:17 So verse 14,
00:09:17 --> 00:09:18 they came to him
00:09:18 --> 00:09:18 and said,
00:09:18 --> 00:09:19 Teacher,
00:09:19 --> 00:09:20 we know
00:09:20 --> 00:09:21 that you are
00:09:21 --> 00:09:22 a man of integrity.
00:09:23 --> 00:09:24 You aren't swayed
00:09:24 --> 00:09:24 by men
00:09:24 --> 00:09:25 because you pay
00:09:25 --> 00:09:26 no attention
00:09:26 --> 00:09:28 to who they are
00:09:28 --> 00:09:29 but you teach
00:09:29 --> 00:09:29 the way of God
00:09:29 --> 00:09:30 in accordance
00:09:30 --> 00:09:31 with the truth.
00:09:32 --> 00:09:33 And so their lips
00:09:33 --> 00:09:35 are just dripping
00:09:35 --> 00:09:37 with insincere flattery
00:09:37 --> 00:09:39 as they attempt
00:09:39 --> 00:09:39 to appear
00:09:39 --> 00:09:40 as innocent inquirers
00:09:40 --> 00:09:41 of Jesus
00:09:41 --> 00:09:42 in a hope
00:09:42 --> 00:09:43 that Jesus
00:09:43 --> 00:09:43 will be thrown
00:09:43 --> 00:09:44 off course
00:09:44 --> 00:09:45 and they can slip
00:09:45 --> 00:09:46 their question in,
00:09:46 --> 00:09:47 he'll give them
00:09:47 --> 00:09:48 a wrong answer
00:09:48 --> 00:09:49 and bang,
00:09:49 --> 00:09:49 we've got him.
00:09:50 --> 00:09:51 They're hoping
00:09:51 --> 00:09:52 to disarm him.
00:09:52 --> 00:09:53 Ironically,
00:09:53 --> 00:09:54 their flattery
00:09:54 --> 00:09:55 contains at least
00:09:55 --> 00:09:57 an element of truth.
00:09:57 --> 00:09:59 Jesus isn't influenced
00:09:59 --> 00:09:59 by man
00:09:59 --> 00:10:00 and he wasn't
00:10:00 --> 00:10:01 influenced
00:10:01 --> 00:10:03 by their flattery
00:10:03 --> 00:10:04 in any sense.
00:10:05 --> 00:10:06 He wasn't going
00:10:06 --> 00:10:07 to be intimidated
00:10:07 --> 00:10:08 by them,
00:10:08 --> 00:10:09 he was walking
00:10:09 --> 00:10:10 into their trap
00:10:10 --> 00:10:10 with his eyes
00:10:10 --> 00:10:11 wide open
00:10:11 --> 00:10:12 and the trap
00:10:12 --> 00:10:13 is set in verse 14,
00:10:14 --> 00:10:14 is it right
00:10:14 --> 00:10:15 to pay taxes
00:10:15 --> 00:10:16 to Caesar
00:10:16 --> 00:10:17 or not?
00:10:18 --> 00:10:19 Should we pay
00:10:19 --> 00:10:20 or shouldn't we?
00:10:20 --> 00:10:23 That's a very
00:10:23 --> 00:10:24 clever question.
00:10:25 --> 00:10:26 It would seem
00:10:26 --> 00:10:27 that they have
00:10:27 --> 00:10:28 learnt
00:10:28 --> 00:10:29 something
00:10:29 --> 00:10:31 from the last
00:10:31 --> 00:10:31 encounter
00:10:31 --> 00:10:32 between Jesus
00:10:32 --> 00:10:33 and the chief priests,
00:10:33 --> 00:10:34 the teachers
00:10:34 --> 00:10:35 of the law
00:10:35 --> 00:10:35 and the elders.
00:10:36 --> 00:10:36 You remember
00:10:36 --> 00:10:37 the last encounter
00:10:37 --> 00:10:38 from last week
00:10:38 --> 00:10:39 when Jesus
00:10:39 --> 00:10:40 asked these guys
00:10:40 --> 00:10:41 a question?
00:10:42 --> 00:10:42 John's baptism,
00:10:43 --> 00:10:43 was it from man
00:10:43 --> 00:10:44 or from God?
00:10:46 --> 00:10:47 And either answer,
00:10:48 --> 00:10:48 they get together
00:10:48 --> 00:10:51 and huddle
00:10:51 --> 00:10:52 and either answer,
00:10:52 --> 00:10:53 they know,
00:10:53 --> 00:10:54 and so what do they do?
00:10:55 --> 00:10:57 These gutless weasels
00:10:57 --> 00:10:59 lied through their tooth
00:10:59 --> 00:10:59 and said they don't know.
00:11:02 --> 00:11:03 They hang loose
00:11:03 --> 00:11:04 with their convictions
00:11:04 --> 00:11:05 in order to
00:11:05 --> 00:11:06 save their egos
00:11:06 --> 00:11:07 and their skin.
00:11:08 --> 00:11:10 And so the next group
00:11:10 --> 00:11:11 have thought
00:11:11 --> 00:11:12 that was a good idea,
00:11:13 --> 00:11:14 turned Jesus' tactic around
00:11:14 --> 00:11:15 and thrown it back
00:11:15 --> 00:11:16 in his face.
00:11:17 --> 00:11:18 They've hit him
00:11:18 --> 00:11:18 with a question
00:11:18 --> 00:11:20 where either answer
00:11:20 --> 00:11:21 would be enough
00:11:21 --> 00:11:21 to secure
00:11:21 --> 00:11:22 the death penalty.
00:11:23 --> 00:11:24 A refusal
00:11:24 --> 00:11:25 to answer
00:11:25 --> 00:11:26 would be disastrous
00:11:26 --> 00:11:27 and so would evasion.
00:11:27 --> 00:11:28 And so
00:11:28 --> 00:11:29 if Jesus says,
00:11:29 --> 00:11:30 yes,
00:11:30 --> 00:11:31 pay your taxes
00:11:31 --> 00:11:32 to Caesar,
00:11:32 --> 00:11:33 he's a traitor
00:11:33 --> 00:11:34 to Israel.
00:11:34 --> 00:11:35 We can get him up
00:11:35 --> 00:11:36 on blasphemy charges.
00:11:38 --> 00:11:38 And those
00:11:38 --> 00:11:39 with the religious agenda
00:11:39 --> 00:11:40 would just have him
00:11:40 --> 00:11:40 at that
00:11:40 --> 00:11:41 and they just love that.
00:11:42 --> 00:11:43 But if he says,
00:11:43 --> 00:11:44 no,
00:11:45 --> 00:11:46 then he's stirring up
00:11:46 --> 00:11:46 a rebellion
00:11:46 --> 00:11:47 against Rome
00:11:47 --> 00:11:48 and those
00:11:48 --> 00:11:50 with a political agenda
00:11:50 --> 00:11:50 could have him
00:11:50 --> 00:11:51 up on treason charges
00:11:51 --> 00:11:53 and we'll get him
00:11:53 --> 00:11:53 for that.
00:11:55 --> 00:11:55 And so the
00:11:55 --> 00:11:57 tension
00:11:57 --> 00:11:58 you can imagine
00:11:58 --> 00:11:59 in the air
00:11:59 --> 00:11:59 is thick.
00:12:01 --> 00:12:01 Pharisees
00:12:01 --> 00:12:02 hoping for a yes,
00:12:02 --> 00:12:03 the Herodians
00:12:03 --> 00:12:04 hoping for a no,
00:12:04 --> 00:12:06 but Jesus
00:12:06 --> 00:12:07 is one step ahead.
00:12:08 --> 00:12:10 He knows
00:12:10 --> 00:12:11 their hypocrisy.
00:12:11 --> 00:12:13 It says in verse 15
00:12:13 --> 00:12:14 and he says this,
00:12:14 --> 00:12:16 why are you
00:12:16 --> 00:12:17 trying to trap me?
00:12:18 --> 00:12:19 Bring me a denarius
00:12:19 --> 00:12:20 and let me look at it.
00:12:22 --> 00:12:23 You can just imagine
00:12:23 --> 00:12:24 the hush
00:12:24 --> 00:12:25 in the crowd
00:12:25 --> 00:12:26 as Jesus
00:12:26 --> 00:12:28 takes the coin
00:12:28 --> 00:12:29 that's been given
00:12:29 --> 00:12:30 to him,
00:12:31 --> 00:12:33 probably not by Judas,
00:12:34 --> 00:12:35 and he
00:12:35 --> 00:12:37 holds it up.
00:12:38 --> 00:12:39 He holds it up
00:12:39 --> 00:12:40 in front of them
00:12:40 --> 00:12:40 and says,
00:12:41 --> 00:12:43 so whose portrait's
00:12:43 --> 00:12:43 that?
00:12:43 --> 00:12:44 Verse 16.
00:12:45 --> 00:12:46 Whose portrait's
00:12:46 --> 00:12:46 that?
00:12:46 --> 00:12:47 Whose inscription
00:12:47 --> 00:12:47 is on there?
00:12:49 --> 00:12:50 What can they say?
00:12:50 --> 00:12:51 It's pretty obvious.
00:12:51 --> 00:12:51 It's the face
00:12:51 --> 00:12:53 of Tiberius Caesar
00:12:53 --> 00:12:54 was on the inscription.
00:12:55 --> 00:12:56 It was the face
00:12:56 --> 00:12:57 that was on there
00:12:57 --> 00:12:57 and the inscription
00:12:57 --> 00:12:58 on it says,
00:12:58 --> 00:12:59 Tiberius Caesar,
00:12:59 --> 00:13:01 son of the divine
00:13:01 --> 00:13:02 Augustus.
00:13:03 --> 00:13:04 That was the
00:13:04 --> 00:13:05 inscription on it.
00:13:06 --> 00:13:06 Whose picture is it?
00:13:07 --> 00:13:07 Who made it?
00:13:08 --> 00:13:08 What do the people
00:13:08 --> 00:13:08 say?
00:13:08 --> 00:13:10 Caesar.
00:13:14 --> 00:13:15 And so Jesus
00:13:15 --> 00:13:16 says to them
00:13:16 --> 00:13:17 in verse 17
00:13:17 --> 00:13:18 what some have regarded
00:13:18 --> 00:13:19 as the single most
00:13:19 --> 00:13:20 influential political
00:13:20 --> 00:13:21 statement ever made.
00:13:23 --> 00:13:25 Give to Caesars
00:13:25 --> 00:13:26 what is Caesar's
00:13:26 --> 00:13:27 and to God
00:13:27 --> 00:13:28 what is God's.
00:13:30 --> 00:13:31 And they were
00:13:31 --> 00:13:33 all amazed
00:13:33 --> 00:13:33 at him.
00:13:35 --> 00:13:36 And Jesus
00:13:36 --> 00:13:36 temporarily
00:13:36 --> 00:13:39 saved his life
00:13:39 --> 00:13:40 as well as
00:13:40 --> 00:13:41 giving the guidelines
00:13:41 --> 00:13:42 of a proper
00:13:42 --> 00:13:42 relationship
00:13:42 --> 00:13:44 with God
00:13:44 --> 00:13:45 and Caesar.
00:13:46 --> 00:13:47 In saying
00:13:47 --> 00:13:47 give to Caesar
00:13:47 --> 00:13:48 what he
00:13:48 --> 00:13:48 seizes,
00:13:49 --> 00:13:51 Jesus recognizes
00:13:51 --> 00:13:51 there is
00:13:51 --> 00:13:52 a place
00:13:52 --> 00:13:53 under God
00:13:53 --> 00:13:54 even for a
00:13:54 --> 00:13:55 Gentile ruler
00:13:55 --> 00:13:56 in society.
00:13:56 --> 00:13:57 The Apostle Paul
00:13:57 --> 00:13:57 writes this
00:13:57 --> 00:13:59 in Romans 13
00:13:59 --> 00:14:00 verses 4 to 7
00:14:00 --> 00:14:01 that such a
00:14:01 --> 00:14:01 ruler
00:14:01 --> 00:14:03 is God's
00:14:03 --> 00:14:03 servant
00:14:03 --> 00:14:04 to do you
00:14:04 --> 00:14:04 good.
00:14:05 --> 00:14:05 But if you
00:14:05 --> 00:14:06 do wrong
00:14:06 --> 00:14:07 be afraid
00:14:07 --> 00:14:08 for he does
00:14:08 --> 00:14:08 not bear
00:14:08 --> 00:14:09 the sword
00:14:09 --> 00:14:09 for nothing.
00:14:10 --> 00:14:11 He is God's
00:14:11 --> 00:14:11 servant
00:14:11 --> 00:14:12 an agent
00:14:12 --> 00:14:13 of wrath
00:14:13 --> 00:14:14 to bring
00:14:14 --> 00:14:15 punishment
00:14:15 --> 00:14:15 on the
00:14:15 --> 00:14:16 wrongdoer.
00:14:17 --> 00:14:17 Therefore
00:14:17 --> 00:14:18 it is necessary
00:14:18 --> 00:14:18 to submit
00:14:18 --> 00:14:19 to the
00:14:19 --> 00:14:19 authorities
00:14:19 --> 00:14:20 not only
00:14:20 --> 00:14:20 because of
00:14:20 --> 00:14:21 possible punishment
00:14:21 --> 00:14:22 but also
00:14:22 --> 00:14:23 because of
00:14:23 --> 00:14:23 conscience.
00:14:23 --> 00:14:26 This is also
00:14:26 --> 00:14:26 why you pay
00:14:26 --> 00:14:27 taxes
00:14:27 --> 00:14:27 for the
00:14:27 --> 00:14:28 authorities
00:14:28 --> 00:14:28 are God's
00:14:28 --> 00:14:29 servants
00:14:29 --> 00:14:30 who give
00:14:30 --> 00:14:30 their full
00:14:30 --> 00:14:31 time to
00:14:31 --> 00:14:31 governing.
00:14:32 --> 00:14:33 Give everyone
00:14:33 --> 00:14:34 what you owe
00:14:34 --> 00:14:34 him.
00:14:35 --> 00:14:35 If you owe
00:14:35 --> 00:14:36 taxes
00:14:36 --> 00:14:37 pay taxes
00:14:37 --> 00:14:38 if revenue
00:14:38 --> 00:14:39 revenue
00:14:39 --> 00:14:41 if respect
00:14:41 --> 00:14:42 then respect
00:14:42 --> 00:14:43 if honour
00:14:43 --> 00:14:44 then honour
00:14:44 --> 00:14:46 and Peter
00:14:46 --> 00:14:47 says the same
00:14:47 --> 00:14:47 has the same
00:14:47 --> 00:14:48 idea in 1 Peter 2
00:14:48 --> 00:14:49 13
00:14:49 --> 00:14:50 when he calls
00:14:50 --> 00:14:51 for submission
00:14:51 --> 00:14:53 for the Lord's
00:14:53 --> 00:14:53 sake
00:14:53 --> 00:14:55 to every
00:14:55 --> 00:14:56 authority
00:14:56 --> 00:14:57 instituted
00:14:57 --> 00:14:57 among men.
00:14:58 --> 00:14:58 Every
00:14:58 --> 00:14:59 authority
00:14:59 --> 00:15:00 instituted
00:15:00 --> 00:15:01 among men.
00:15:02 --> 00:15:02 And so
00:15:02 --> 00:15:03 the New
00:15:03 --> 00:15:03 Testament
00:15:03 --> 00:15:05 assumes
00:15:05 --> 00:15:06 the validity
00:15:06 --> 00:15:07 of the
00:15:07 --> 00:15:08 secular state
00:15:08 --> 00:15:08 and it
00:15:08 --> 00:15:09 demands
00:15:09 --> 00:15:10 even when
00:15:10 --> 00:15:10 the secular
00:15:10 --> 00:15:11 state
00:15:11 --> 00:15:12 is controlled
00:15:12 --> 00:15:14 by a man
00:15:14 --> 00:15:15 who thinks
00:15:15 --> 00:15:15 he is
00:15:15 --> 00:15:16 God
00:15:16 --> 00:15:19 it still
00:15:19 --> 00:15:19 demands
00:15:19 --> 00:15:23 allegiance.
00:15:23 --> 00:15:26 submission.
00:15:31 --> 00:15:32 A
00:15:32 --> 00:15:33 poorly run
00:15:33 --> 00:15:33 state
00:15:33 --> 00:15:35 is better
00:15:35 --> 00:15:35 than no
00:15:35 --> 00:15:36 state at
00:15:36 --> 00:15:36 all.
00:15:37 --> 00:15:37 Of course
00:15:37 --> 00:15:37 there are
00:15:37 --> 00:15:38 some
00:15:38 --> 00:15:38 exceptions
00:15:38 --> 00:15:39 but the
00:15:39 --> 00:15:40 overall
00:15:40 --> 00:15:41 point is
00:15:41 --> 00:15:41 that
00:15:41 --> 00:15:42 Christians
00:15:42 --> 00:15:43 are called
00:15:43 --> 00:15:43 to a
00:15:43 --> 00:15:44 profound
00:15:44 --> 00:15:45 obedience
00:15:45 --> 00:15:47 to their
00:15:47 --> 00:15:47 government.
00:15:48 --> 00:15:48 Cheating
00:15:48 --> 00:15:48 on taxes
00:15:48 --> 00:15:49 is completely
00:15:49 --> 00:15:50 ruled out.
00:15:50 --> 00:15:51 there ought
00:15:51 --> 00:15:51 to be
00:15:51 --> 00:15:52 respect
00:15:52 --> 00:15:52 and
00:15:52 --> 00:15:52 submission
00:15:52 --> 00:15:53 to those
00:15:53 --> 00:15:53 in authority
00:15:53 --> 00:15:54 and must
00:15:54 --> 00:15:54 pray for
00:15:54 --> 00:15:55 those who
00:15:55 --> 00:15:55 rule over
00:15:55 --> 00:15:56 us.
00:15:57 --> 00:15:58 More often
00:15:58 --> 00:15:58 than not
00:15:58 --> 00:15:59 though
00:15:59 --> 00:16:01 the reason
00:16:01 --> 00:16:01 we obey
00:16:01 --> 00:16:02 is for fear
00:16:02 --> 00:16:02 of punishment
00:16:02 --> 00:16:04 not because
00:16:04 --> 00:16:05 of the
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 Lord's sake
00:16:05 --> 00:16:05 right.
00:16:06 --> 00:16:07 Not because
00:16:07 --> 00:16:07 it's right
00:16:07 --> 00:16:08 but because
00:16:08 --> 00:16:09 we fear
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 to be
00:16:09 --> 00:16:09 punished.
00:16:12 --> 00:16:13 Such as
00:16:13 --> 00:16:14 driving along
00:16:14 --> 00:16:14 the M7
00:16:14 --> 00:16:16 on the way
00:16:16 --> 00:16:16 to Katoomba
00:16:16 --> 00:16:19 and all
00:16:19 --> 00:16:19 of a sudden
00:16:19 --> 00:16:20 the traffic
00:16:20 --> 00:16:20 is all
00:16:20 --> 00:16:21 slow.
00:16:22 --> 00:16:23 We're way
00:16:23 --> 00:16:23 below the
00:16:23 --> 00:16:24 speed limit
00:16:24 --> 00:16:26 and why
00:16:26 --> 00:16:26 are we
00:16:26 --> 00:16:26 way below
00:16:26 --> 00:16:27 the speed
00:16:27 --> 00:16:27 limit?
00:16:27 --> 00:16:28 Because a
00:16:28 --> 00:16:28 policeman has
00:16:28 --> 00:16:29 pulled up
00:16:29 --> 00:16:30 someone on
00:16:30 --> 00:16:31 the side of
00:16:31 --> 00:16:31 the road
00:16:31 --> 00:16:32 and we
00:16:32 --> 00:16:32 just all
00:16:32 --> 00:16:33 assume
00:16:33 --> 00:16:33 automatically
00:16:33 --> 00:16:34 that we
00:16:34 --> 00:16:34 are guilty.
00:16:35 --> 00:16:37 We fear
00:16:37 --> 00:16:38 punishment.
00:16:39 --> 00:16:40 Not because
00:16:40 --> 00:16:40 we think
00:16:40 --> 00:16:41 it's right
00:16:41 --> 00:16:41 to stick
00:16:41 --> 00:16:42 on 100
00:16:42 --> 00:16:42 kilometres
00:16:42 --> 00:16:42 an hour.
00:16:43 --> 00:16:44 We just
00:16:44 --> 00:16:44 fear to be
00:16:44 --> 00:16:45 caught.
00:16:46 --> 00:16:46 And when we
00:16:46 --> 00:16:47 say we fear
00:16:47 --> 00:16:47 to be caught
00:16:47 --> 00:16:48 we're worried
00:16:48 --> 00:16:48 about the
00:16:48 --> 00:16:49 cost it's
00:16:49 --> 00:16:49 going to be.
00:16:50 --> 00:16:50 $200 or
00:16:50 --> 00:16:51 whatever it
00:16:51 --> 00:16:51 is for,
00:16:51 --> 00:16:52 I don't know
00:16:52 --> 00:16:52 what the
00:16:52 --> 00:16:52 speed and
00:16:52 --> 00:16:53 fine is,
00:16:53 --> 00:16:54 but whatever
00:16:54 --> 00:16:54 it is,
00:16:54 --> 00:16:55 depends on
00:16:55 --> 00:16:55 how fast
00:16:55 --> 00:16:56 you're going.
00:16:59 --> 00:17:00 We submit
00:17:00 --> 00:17:00 for the
00:17:00 --> 00:17:01 Lord's sake
00:17:01 --> 00:17:05 but Jesus
00:17:05 --> 00:17:06 brilliance
00:17:06 --> 00:17:06 really comes
00:17:06 --> 00:17:07 to the
00:17:07 --> 00:17:07 fore in
00:17:07 --> 00:17:07 the second
00:17:07 --> 00:17:08 half of
00:17:08 --> 00:17:08 the answer.
00:17:09 --> 00:17:10 Give to
00:17:10 --> 00:17:11 God what
00:17:11 --> 00:17:12 is God's.
00:17:14 --> 00:17:15 Because it's
00:17:15 --> 00:17:16 the second
00:17:16 --> 00:17:17 half of
00:17:17 --> 00:17:18 the statement,
00:17:19 --> 00:17:20 it is the
00:17:20 --> 00:17:21 emphasis of
00:17:21 --> 00:17:21 the statement.
00:17:24 --> 00:17:25 See what I'm
00:17:25 --> 00:17:25 saying there?
00:17:27 --> 00:17:27 Give to
00:17:27 --> 00:17:28 Caesar what
00:17:28 --> 00:17:28 ceases,
00:17:29 --> 00:17:29 give to
00:17:29 --> 00:17:30 God what
00:17:30 --> 00:17:30 is God
00:17:30 --> 00:17:31 means that
00:17:31 --> 00:17:31 that second
00:17:31 --> 00:17:32 half of the
00:17:32 --> 00:17:32 statement
00:17:32 --> 00:17:33 usurps it.
00:17:33 --> 00:17:34 that's the
00:17:34 --> 00:17:35 primary point.
00:17:36 --> 00:17:37 The kingdom
00:17:37 --> 00:17:38 of Jesus
00:17:38 --> 00:17:38 that Jesus
00:17:38 --> 00:17:39 is talking
00:17:39 --> 00:17:40 about isn't
00:17:40 --> 00:17:41 primarily about
00:17:41 --> 00:17:41 you pay your
00:17:41 --> 00:17:41 taxes,
00:17:42 --> 00:17:43 it's about
00:17:43 --> 00:17:44 giving God
00:17:44 --> 00:17:45 what is
00:17:45 --> 00:17:46 due to
00:17:46 --> 00:17:46 God.
00:17:47 --> 00:17:47 Our
00:17:47 --> 00:17:48 submission to
00:17:48 --> 00:17:48 God's
00:17:48 --> 00:17:49 authority will
00:17:49 --> 00:17:50 be evidence
00:17:50 --> 00:17:50 in our
00:17:50 --> 00:17:51 submission to
00:17:51 --> 00:17:51 God by
00:17:51 --> 00:17:52 obedience to
00:17:52 --> 00:17:52 what he
00:17:52 --> 00:17:52 commands.
00:17:53 --> 00:17:54 In other
00:17:54 --> 00:17:55 words, you
00:17:55 --> 00:17:55 can't say
00:17:55 --> 00:17:56 Christ is my
00:17:56 --> 00:17:57 ruler, I
00:17:57 --> 00:17:58 submit to
00:17:58 --> 00:17:59 Christ as
00:17:59 --> 00:18:00 my king and
00:18:00 --> 00:18:01 then ignore
00:18:01 --> 00:18:01 what he
00:18:01 --> 00:18:03 commands, such
00:18:03 --> 00:18:04 as submission
00:18:04 --> 00:18:05 to governing
00:18:05 --> 00:18:07 authorities or
00:18:07 --> 00:18:08 being generous or
00:18:08 --> 00:18:09 to meet together
00:18:09 --> 00:18:09 as a church or
00:18:09 --> 00:18:10 to turn the
00:18:10 --> 00:18:10 other cheek or
00:18:10 --> 00:18:11 to reject anger
00:18:11 --> 00:18:12 or to not
00:18:12 --> 00:18:13 judge or to
00:18:13 --> 00:18:13 let no unwholesome
00:18:13 --> 00:18:14 talk come out
00:18:14 --> 00:18:14 of your mouth.
00:18:14 --> 00:18:15 You can't say
00:18:15 --> 00:18:16 he is my king
00:18:16 --> 00:18:17 and then reject
00:18:17 --> 00:18:18 what he
00:18:18 --> 00:18:18 commands.
00:18:21 --> 00:18:21 In saying
00:18:21 --> 00:18:22 give to God
00:18:22 --> 00:18:23 what is God's,
00:18:23 --> 00:18:24 Jesus is
00:18:24 --> 00:18:25 recognizing that
00:18:25 --> 00:18:26 there is only
00:18:26 --> 00:18:27 one God
00:18:27 --> 00:18:29 which subtly
00:18:29 --> 00:18:30 puts Caesar
00:18:30 --> 00:18:32 in his place.
00:18:33 --> 00:18:34 but it
00:18:34 --> 00:18:35 doesn't just
00:18:35 --> 00:18:35 put Caesar
00:18:35 --> 00:18:36 in his place,
00:18:36 --> 00:18:36 he puts us
00:18:36 --> 00:18:37 in our place
00:18:37 --> 00:18:38 as well.
00:18:39 --> 00:18:40 You see, the
00:18:40 --> 00:18:41 essence of
00:18:41 --> 00:18:41 sin is to
00:18:41 --> 00:18:43 rebel against
00:18:43 --> 00:18:43 God.
00:18:43 --> 00:18:43 It's an attempt
00:18:43 --> 00:18:44 to remove
00:18:44 --> 00:18:45 God and
00:18:45 --> 00:18:46 his authority
00:18:46 --> 00:18:46 over my
00:18:46 --> 00:18:47 life so
00:18:47 --> 00:18:47 that I am
00:18:47 --> 00:18:48 king.
00:18:49 --> 00:18:49 It is to be
00:18:49 --> 00:18:50 the determinants
00:18:50 --> 00:18:50 of our own
00:18:50 --> 00:18:52 life and our
00:18:52 --> 00:18:52 own destiny
00:18:52 --> 00:18:53 and direction.
00:18:55 --> 00:18:55 And yet
00:18:55 --> 00:18:56 what this
00:18:56 --> 00:18:56 passage is
00:18:56 --> 00:18:57 saying is
00:18:57 --> 00:18:59 that whether
00:18:59 --> 00:18:59 you realize
00:18:59 --> 00:19:00 it or not,
00:19:00 --> 00:19:01 even those in
00:19:01 --> 00:19:02 positions of
00:19:02 --> 00:19:02 authority,
00:19:03 --> 00:19:04 we are all
00:19:04 --> 00:19:05 people under
00:19:05 --> 00:19:06 orders.
00:19:07 --> 00:19:08 We are all
00:19:08 --> 00:19:09 under orders.
00:19:10 --> 00:19:10 Jesus subtly
00:19:10 --> 00:19:11 states God's
00:19:11 --> 00:19:12 ownership of
00:19:12 --> 00:19:13 everything,
00:19:13 --> 00:19:14 giving to God
00:19:14 --> 00:19:16 what is God's
00:19:16 --> 00:19:18 is exactly
00:19:18 --> 00:19:18 what the
00:19:18 --> 00:19:19 Pharisees have
00:19:19 --> 00:19:20 not been
00:19:20 --> 00:19:20 doing.
00:19:21 --> 00:19:22 They have
00:19:22 --> 00:19:22 been playing
00:19:22 --> 00:19:23 religious games.
00:19:25 --> 00:19:26 It's a very
00:19:26 --> 00:19:27 clear warning
00:19:27 --> 00:19:27 for us here
00:19:27 --> 00:19:28 to check
00:19:28 --> 00:19:29 our allegiances.
00:19:29 --> 00:19:29 Jesus.
00:19:31 --> 00:19:32 And so the
00:19:32 --> 00:19:32 Pharisees and
00:19:32 --> 00:19:33 the Rodians,
00:19:33 --> 00:19:33 they have
00:19:33 --> 00:19:34 played their
00:19:34 --> 00:19:35 ace card and
00:19:35 --> 00:19:36 they've been
00:19:36 --> 00:19:36 trumped.
00:19:37 --> 00:19:38 Two groups
00:19:38 --> 00:19:39 have now
00:19:39 --> 00:19:39 confronted Jesus
00:19:39 --> 00:19:40 seeking a
00:19:40 --> 00:19:40 reason to
00:19:40 --> 00:19:41 arrest him.
00:19:41 --> 00:19:41 Both have
00:19:41 --> 00:19:42 walked away
00:19:42 --> 00:19:42 with their
00:19:42 --> 00:19:43 tail between
00:19:43 --> 00:19:43 their legs.
00:19:44 --> 00:19:44 And now it's
00:19:44 --> 00:19:45 time for the
00:19:45 --> 00:19:46 Sadducees to
00:19:46 --> 00:19:46 have a shot.
00:19:47 --> 00:19:47 Not with a
00:19:47 --> 00:19:48 political question
00:19:48 --> 00:19:49 but with a
00:19:49 --> 00:19:50 theologically loaded
00:19:50 --> 00:19:50 question.
00:19:51 --> 00:19:51 And again,
00:19:52 --> 00:19:53 lips just
00:19:53 --> 00:19:54 dripping with
00:19:54 --> 00:19:55 insincerity.
00:19:55 --> 00:19:57 There's a bit
00:19:57 --> 00:19:58 of scoffing
00:19:58 --> 00:19:58 and a bit
00:19:58 --> 00:19:59 of ridicule
00:19:59 --> 00:19:59 thrown in
00:19:59 --> 00:20:00 amongst it
00:20:00 --> 00:20:00 all.
00:20:01 --> 00:20:02 The Sadducees
00:20:02 --> 00:20:03 were a
00:20:03 --> 00:20:04 powerful Jewish
00:20:04 --> 00:20:04 faction.
00:20:05 --> 00:20:05 Mark tells
00:20:05 --> 00:20:06 us in
00:20:06 --> 00:20:07 verse 18
00:20:07 --> 00:20:08 that the
00:20:08 --> 00:20:08 distinctive
00:20:08 --> 00:20:09 doctrine of
00:20:09 --> 00:20:10 the Sadducees
00:20:10 --> 00:20:11 is they
00:20:11 --> 00:20:12 don't believe
00:20:12 --> 00:20:13 in the
00:20:13 --> 00:20:13 resurrection.
00:20:14 --> 00:20:15 Which is
00:20:15 --> 00:20:15 why they
00:20:15 --> 00:20:16 were sad,
00:20:16 --> 00:20:16 you see.
00:20:19 --> 00:20:19 They
00:20:19 --> 00:20:21 some of
00:20:21 --> 00:20:22 them are
00:20:22 --> 00:20:22 just getting
00:20:22 --> 00:20:23 it now.
00:20:23 --> 00:20:23 It's an
00:20:23 --> 00:20:24 old one,
00:20:24 --> 00:20:24 I know,
00:20:24 --> 00:20:25 but every
00:20:25 --> 00:20:26 time Sadducees
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 are there,
00:20:26 --> 00:20:26 you've got to
00:20:26 --> 00:20:27 give it.
00:20:28 --> 00:20:28 Anyway,
00:20:30 --> 00:20:31 they basically
00:20:31 --> 00:20:32 denied the
00:20:32 --> 00:20:33 spiritual life.
00:20:34 --> 00:20:34 The Sadducees
00:20:34 --> 00:20:35 were the most
00:20:35 --> 00:20:37 conservative group
00:20:37 --> 00:20:37 in Israel.
00:20:38 --> 00:20:38 They accepted
00:20:38 --> 00:20:39 only the
00:20:39 --> 00:20:40 Old Testament
00:20:40 --> 00:20:40 law, that
00:20:40 --> 00:20:41 is the Torah,
00:20:41 --> 00:20:41 the Pentateuch,
00:20:41 --> 00:20:42 the first five
00:20:42 --> 00:20:43 books of the
00:20:43 --> 00:20:43 Bible.
00:20:43 --> 00:20:44 They only
00:20:44 --> 00:20:45 accepted those
00:20:45 --> 00:20:45 first five
00:20:45 --> 00:20:46 books as
00:20:46 --> 00:20:47 the word of
00:20:47 --> 00:20:47 God.
00:20:47 --> 00:20:48 They rejected
00:20:48 --> 00:20:49 everything else.
00:20:49 --> 00:20:49 They rejected
00:20:49 --> 00:20:50 the rest of the
00:20:50 --> 00:20:51 writings of the
00:20:51 --> 00:20:51 prophets from
00:20:51 --> 00:20:52 the Old
00:20:52 --> 00:20:52 Testament.
00:20:53 --> 00:20:54 And they
00:20:54 --> 00:20:55 were legalists,
00:20:56 --> 00:20:56 that is,
00:20:56 --> 00:20:57 they were
00:20:57 --> 00:20:58 legalistic about
00:20:58 --> 00:20:59 the obedience to
00:20:59 --> 00:21:01 those laws as
00:21:01 --> 00:21:02 they saw fit.
00:21:02 --> 00:21:03 But they were
00:21:03 --> 00:21:04 legal liberalists,
00:21:04 --> 00:21:05 which means they
00:21:05 --> 00:21:06 obeyed the bits
00:21:06 --> 00:21:07 that they believed,
00:21:07 --> 00:21:07 but the bits that
00:21:07 --> 00:21:08 they don't believe,
00:21:08 --> 00:21:09 they basically read
00:21:09 --> 00:21:09 the Bible with a
00:21:09 --> 00:21:10 pair of scissors.
00:21:11 --> 00:21:11 They cut out the
00:21:11 --> 00:21:11 bits they don't
00:21:11 --> 00:21:12 like.
00:21:13 --> 00:21:13 And so
00:21:13 --> 00:21:17 they were a
00:21:17 --> 00:21:19 pretty nasty
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 bunch of
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 people.
00:21:19 --> 00:21:19 people.
00:21:20 --> 00:21:21 In fact,
00:21:21 --> 00:21:22 Josephus,
00:21:22 --> 00:21:22 who was a
00:21:22 --> 00:21:24 historian around
00:21:24 --> 00:21:24 that time,
00:21:24 --> 00:21:25 who himself was
00:21:25 --> 00:21:26 a Sadducee,
00:21:27 --> 00:21:29 said that the
00:21:29 --> 00:21:31 Sadducees were
00:21:31 --> 00:21:32 rude, harsh,
00:21:32 --> 00:21:33 and callous.
00:21:34 --> 00:21:35 And that was
00:21:35 --> 00:21:35 just amongst
00:21:35 --> 00:21:36 themselves,
00:21:37 --> 00:21:37 with their own
00:21:37 --> 00:21:38 kind.
00:21:38 --> 00:21:38 Forget about
00:21:38 --> 00:21:39 anyone else,
00:21:39 --> 00:21:40 they just hated
00:21:40 --> 00:21:40 everyone else.
00:21:41 --> 00:21:42 So they had a
00:21:42 --> 00:21:42 pretty bad
00:21:42 --> 00:21:43 reputation of
00:21:43 --> 00:21:45 being not nice
00:21:45 --> 00:21:46 people.
00:21:46 --> 00:21:46 They weren't
00:21:46 --> 00:21:48 well regarded in
00:21:48 --> 00:21:49 the community
00:21:49 --> 00:21:49 at all.
00:21:50 --> 00:21:50 And they
00:21:50 --> 00:21:52 reckon that the
00:21:52 --> 00:21:53 Old Testament
00:21:53 --> 00:21:53 law doesn't say
00:21:53 --> 00:21:54 anything about
00:21:54 --> 00:21:56 life after death.
00:21:56 --> 00:21:57 And they come to
00:21:57 --> 00:21:57 Jesus with a
00:21:57 --> 00:21:58 hypothetical theological
00:21:58 --> 00:21:59 situation, a
00:21:59 --> 00:22:01 ridiculous situation.
00:22:01 --> 00:22:02 It's an attempt to
00:22:02 --> 00:22:03 make resurrection
00:22:03 --> 00:22:05 look ridiculous,
00:22:05 --> 00:22:06 and in the end
00:22:06 --> 00:22:07 make Jesus look
00:22:07 --> 00:22:07 stupid.
00:22:08 --> 00:22:09 Just suppose,
00:22:09 --> 00:22:09 they say,
00:22:09 --> 00:22:10 there are seven
00:22:10 --> 00:22:11 brothers, and the
00:22:11 --> 00:22:12 first brother is
00:22:12 --> 00:22:14 married, he dies,
00:22:14 --> 00:22:14 and leaves a wife
00:22:14 --> 00:22:15 with no kids.
00:22:17 --> 00:22:18 Now Moses says,
00:22:18 --> 00:22:18 back in
00:22:18 --> 00:22:19 Deuteronomy,
00:22:20 --> 00:22:20 that this
00:22:20 --> 00:22:21 brother, one of
00:22:21 --> 00:22:22 his other brothers
00:22:22 --> 00:22:23 is meant to take
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 over and marry
00:22:23 --> 00:22:23 the widow.
00:22:24 --> 00:22:25 So the second
00:22:25 --> 00:22:25 brother marries
00:22:25 --> 00:22:27 her, but he
00:22:27 --> 00:22:28 dies too.
00:22:29 --> 00:22:29 And it's the
00:22:29 --> 00:22:30 same thing for
00:22:30 --> 00:22:31 the third, the
00:22:31 --> 00:22:31 fourth, the
00:22:31 --> 00:22:32 fifth, the
00:22:32 --> 00:22:32 sixth, the
00:22:32 --> 00:22:33 seventh brother.
00:22:33 --> 00:22:34 Kind of like
00:22:34 --> 00:22:35 seven brides for
00:22:35 --> 00:22:35 seven brothers
00:22:35 --> 00:22:36 except the other
00:22:36 --> 00:22:36 way around,
00:22:37 --> 00:22:37 sort of.
00:22:38 --> 00:22:39 And last of
00:22:39 --> 00:22:40 all, say the
00:22:40 --> 00:22:40 Sadducees, the
00:22:40 --> 00:22:42 woman finally
00:22:42 --> 00:22:42 dies, exhausted
00:22:42 --> 00:22:43 from seven
00:22:43 --> 00:22:45 marriages and
00:22:45 --> 00:22:46 having to put up
00:22:46 --> 00:22:46 with seven
00:22:46 --> 00:22:47 husbands.
00:22:48 --> 00:22:50 So here's the
00:22:50 --> 00:22:50 question.
00:22:52 --> 00:22:52 You reckon
00:22:52 --> 00:22:53 there's going to
00:22:53 --> 00:22:54 be life after
00:22:54 --> 00:22:54 death, whose
00:22:54 --> 00:22:56 wife's she going
00:22:56 --> 00:22:57 to be in
00:22:57 --> 00:22:58 heaven?
00:22:58 --> 00:22:59 What they're
00:22:59 --> 00:22:59 trying to do is
00:22:59 --> 00:23:00 they're trying to
00:23:00 --> 00:23:01 take a central
00:23:01 --> 00:23:03 theological truth
00:23:03 --> 00:23:04 and make it look
00:23:04 --> 00:23:05 so stupid.
00:23:06 --> 00:23:06 And Jesus, the
00:23:06 --> 00:23:07 foundation of
00:23:07 --> 00:23:08 Jesus' answer is
00:23:08 --> 00:23:08 in verse 24.
00:23:09 --> 00:23:10 Are you not
00:23:10 --> 00:23:11 in error?
00:23:12 --> 00:23:13 Because you do
00:23:13 --> 00:23:13 not know the
00:23:13 --> 00:23:14 scriptures or the
00:23:14 --> 00:23:15 power of God.
00:23:16 --> 00:23:16 You see, their
00:23:16 --> 00:23:17 problem had two
00:23:17 --> 00:23:18 sources, ignorance
00:23:18 --> 00:23:19 of God's word
00:23:19 --> 00:23:20 and ignorance
00:23:20 --> 00:23:20 of God's
00:23:20 --> 00:23:20 power.
00:23:21 --> 00:23:22 And I want to
00:23:22 --> 00:23:23 say that they're
00:23:23 --> 00:23:24 both, in fact,
00:23:24 --> 00:23:25 connected.
00:23:28 --> 00:23:28 In their
00:23:28 --> 00:23:30 reading of the
00:23:30 --> 00:23:31 Bible, even
00:23:31 --> 00:23:32 their bit of the
00:23:32 --> 00:23:34 Bible, they've
00:23:34 --> 00:23:35 missed God.
00:23:36 --> 00:23:37 And in missing
00:23:37 --> 00:23:38 God, they've
00:23:38 --> 00:23:38 missed his
00:23:38 --> 00:23:39 character, they've
00:23:39 --> 00:23:39 missed his
00:23:39 --> 00:23:40 power, they've
00:23:40 --> 00:23:41 missed everything
00:23:41 --> 00:23:41 that God can do.
00:23:41 --> 00:23:45 You see, a
00:23:45 --> 00:23:45 thorough knowledge
00:23:45 --> 00:23:46 of the word of
00:23:46 --> 00:23:46 God is the
00:23:46 --> 00:23:47 only way to
00:23:47 --> 00:23:47 safeguard us
00:23:47 --> 00:23:49 from error.
00:23:49 --> 00:23:50 And yet, these
00:23:50 --> 00:23:51 guys knew it.
00:23:52 --> 00:23:53 At least the
00:23:53 --> 00:23:53 bit they
00:23:53 --> 00:23:54 accepted.
00:23:55 --> 00:23:55 Their problem
00:23:55 --> 00:23:56 was a lack of
00:23:56 --> 00:23:57 submission to the
00:23:57 --> 00:23:57 word of God.
00:23:57 --> 00:23:58 They won't attack
00:23:58 --> 00:23:59 the Bible with a
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 pair of scissors.
00:23:59 --> 00:23:59 Anything they
00:23:59 --> 00:24:00 like, get rid
00:24:00 --> 00:24:00 of.
00:24:03 --> 00:24:03 And Jesus
00:24:03 --> 00:24:04 addresses the
00:24:04 --> 00:24:05 problem of
00:24:05 --> 00:24:06 their ignorance
00:24:06 --> 00:24:07 of God's word
00:24:07 --> 00:24:09 by diving right
00:24:09 --> 00:24:09 into the very
00:24:09 --> 00:24:10 heart of the
00:24:10 --> 00:24:10 Old Testament
00:24:10 --> 00:24:11 law.
00:24:11 --> 00:24:13 which they
00:24:13 --> 00:24:14 claim resurrection
00:24:14 --> 00:24:15 can't be found.
00:24:16 --> 00:24:17 And so Jesus
00:24:17 --> 00:24:17 takes them to
00:24:17 --> 00:24:18 Exodus 3, one of
00:24:18 --> 00:24:19 the most famous
00:24:19 --> 00:24:19 passages in the
00:24:19 --> 00:24:20 Old Testament,
00:24:20 --> 00:24:21 where God speaks
00:24:21 --> 00:24:21 to Moses the
00:24:21 --> 00:24:22 burning bush, and
00:24:22 --> 00:24:23 God says to
00:24:23 --> 00:24:25 Moses, I am the
00:24:25 --> 00:24:26 God of Abraham,
00:24:26 --> 00:24:27 the God of
00:24:27 --> 00:24:27 Isaac, the God
00:24:27 --> 00:24:28 of Jacob.
00:24:29 --> 00:24:29 Now you see,
00:24:29 --> 00:24:30 Abraham, Isaac,
00:24:30 --> 00:24:31 and Jacob were
00:24:31 --> 00:24:32 dead hundreds of
00:24:32 --> 00:24:33 years when God
00:24:33 --> 00:24:34 said that to
00:24:34 --> 00:24:34 Moses the
00:24:34 --> 00:24:35 burning bush.
00:24:36 --> 00:24:37 And notice he
00:24:37 --> 00:24:38 doesn't say, I
00:24:38 --> 00:24:39 was, he doesn't
00:24:39 --> 00:24:40 say, I used to
00:24:40 --> 00:24:41 be, he says, I
00:24:41 --> 00:24:41 am, I am,
00:24:41 --> 00:24:43 I still am the
00:24:43 --> 00:24:44 God of Abraham,
00:24:44 --> 00:24:45 Isaac, and
00:24:45 --> 00:24:45 Jacob.
00:24:47 --> 00:24:47 I am still very
00:24:47 --> 00:24:48 much their God
00:24:48 --> 00:24:50 because they are
00:24:50 --> 00:24:51 with me.
00:24:51 --> 00:24:52 He's not the
00:24:52 --> 00:24:53 God of the
00:24:53 --> 00:24:53 dead, he's the
00:24:53 --> 00:24:54 God of the
00:24:54 --> 00:24:54 living.
00:24:54 --> 00:24:55 And in one way
00:24:55 --> 00:24:56 when he says
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 that, he's a
00:24:56 --> 00:24:56 bit of an
00:24:56 --> 00:24:57 uppercut to
00:24:57 --> 00:24:58 these Sadducees,
00:24:58 --> 00:24:59 I'm the God
00:24:59 --> 00:25:00 of the living,
00:25:01 --> 00:25:01 not the dead,
00:25:02 --> 00:25:02 which is why
00:25:02 --> 00:25:03 you're not
00:25:03 --> 00:25:03 accepting me as
00:25:03 --> 00:25:04 your God because
00:25:04 --> 00:25:05 you're dead.
00:25:05 --> 00:25:06 Sort of a bit
00:25:06 --> 00:25:06 like that, he's
00:25:06 --> 00:25:07 having a crack at
00:25:07 --> 00:25:07 them as well.
00:25:07 --> 00:25:09 So Abraham,
00:25:09 --> 00:25:09 Isaac, and
00:25:09 --> 00:25:10 Jacob enjoyed a
00:25:10 --> 00:25:11 special covenant
00:25:11 --> 00:25:12 relationship with
00:25:12 --> 00:25:13 God which was so
00:25:13 --> 00:25:14 dynamic and so
00:25:14 --> 00:25:16 profound that it
00:25:16 --> 00:25:17 demanded a
00:25:17 --> 00:25:17 continued living
00:25:17 --> 00:25:18 relationship with
00:25:18 --> 00:25:19 God after death.
00:25:20 --> 00:25:21 So Hebrews 11,
00:25:22 --> 00:25:23 verse 10 tells us
00:25:23 --> 00:25:25 that the patriarchs,
00:25:25 --> 00:25:25 which are Abraham,
00:25:26 --> 00:25:26 Isaac, and
00:25:26 --> 00:25:28 Jacob, knew that
00:25:28 --> 00:25:28 the covenant
00:25:28 --> 00:25:30 promises extended
00:25:30 --> 00:25:32 beyond life in
00:25:32 --> 00:25:33 this world.
00:25:33 --> 00:25:33 It says,
00:25:33 --> 00:25:34 Abraham was
00:25:34 --> 00:25:35 looking forward
00:25:35 --> 00:25:36 to the city
00:25:36 --> 00:25:37 with foundations
00:25:37 --> 00:25:38 whose architect
00:25:38 --> 00:25:39 and builder is
00:25:39 --> 00:25:40 God.
00:25:40 --> 00:25:41 They were all
00:25:41 --> 00:25:42 still living by
00:25:42 --> 00:25:43 faith when they
00:25:43 --> 00:25:43 died.
00:25:43 --> 00:25:44 They did not
00:25:44 --> 00:25:45 receive the
00:25:45 --> 00:25:46 things promised.
00:25:46 --> 00:25:47 They only saw
00:25:47 --> 00:25:47 them and welcomed
00:25:47 --> 00:25:48 them from a
00:25:48 --> 00:25:49 distance and they
00:25:49 --> 00:25:50 admitted that they
00:25:50 --> 00:25:51 themselves were
00:25:51 --> 00:25:51 aliens and
00:25:51 --> 00:25:52 strangers in the
00:25:52 --> 00:25:52 world.
00:25:53 --> 00:25:54 And verse 16 of
00:25:54 --> 00:25:56 Hebrews 11 says
00:25:56 --> 00:25:56 this,
00:25:57 --> 00:25:58 Instead, they
00:25:58 --> 00:25:59 were longing for a
00:25:59 --> 00:26:00 better country, a
00:26:00 --> 00:26:01 heavenly one.
00:26:01 --> 00:26:02 Therefore, God is
00:26:02 --> 00:26:03 not ashamed to be
00:26:03 --> 00:26:03 called their God
00:26:03 --> 00:26:04 for he has
00:26:04 --> 00:26:05 prepared a city
00:26:05 --> 00:26:05 for them.
00:26:07 --> 00:26:07 And that's when
00:26:07 --> 00:26:08 Jesus comes in with
00:26:08 --> 00:26:09 his concluding
00:26:09 --> 00:26:09 thrust.
00:26:10 --> 00:26:11 He's not the God
00:26:11 --> 00:26:12 of the dead but
00:26:12 --> 00:26:13 the living.
00:26:14 --> 00:26:15 Take that, you
00:26:15 --> 00:26:16 Sadducees.
00:26:17 --> 00:26:18 It's right out of
00:26:18 --> 00:26:19 book two of the
00:26:19 --> 00:26:20 five books that you
00:26:20 --> 00:26:21 accept as the word
00:26:21 --> 00:26:22 of God.
00:26:22 --> 00:26:23 And that's just one
00:26:23 --> 00:26:23 example.
00:26:23 --> 00:26:24 He could have used
00:26:24 --> 00:26:24 at least half a
00:26:24 --> 00:26:25 dozen different
00:26:25 --> 00:26:25 examples.
00:26:28 --> 00:26:29 What it seems to
00:26:29 --> 00:26:31 me is that their
00:26:31 --> 00:26:32 whole reading of
00:26:32 --> 00:26:34 these five books
00:26:34 --> 00:26:35 of the Bible,
00:26:35 --> 00:26:35 their whole law,
00:26:35 --> 00:26:36 what they accept
00:26:36 --> 00:26:36 as the word of
00:26:36 --> 00:26:38 God, in all their
00:26:38 --> 00:26:39 reading of it, it
00:26:39 --> 00:26:40 appears that they've
00:26:40 --> 00:26:41 missed God.
00:26:43 --> 00:26:43 Completely missed
00:26:43 --> 00:26:44 God.
00:26:44 --> 00:26:45 Who is the whole
00:26:45 --> 00:26:46 point?
00:26:48 --> 00:26:49 They had read the
00:26:49 --> 00:26:50 Bible and they had
00:26:50 --> 00:26:51 judged it, they had
00:26:51 --> 00:26:52 evaluated it and they
00:26:52 --> 00:26:53 believed it based on
00:26:53 --> 00:26:54 what they thought
00:26:54 --> 00:26:55 their minds were
00:26:55 --> 00:26:55 reasonable.
00:26:56 --> 00:26:56 What their minds
00:26:56 --> 00:26:57 thought was reasonable.
00:26:57 --> 00:27:01 What they had had is
00:27:01 --> 00:27:02 they gained a whole
00:27:02 --> 00:27:03 heap of rules in
00:27:03 --> 00:27:03 order to govern
00:27:03 --> 00:27:04 their life.
00:27:06 --> 00:27:07 They had pursued
00:27:07 --> 00:27:08 some kind of
00:27:08 --> 00:27:08 moralism.
00:27:11 --> 00:27:12 But they missed
00:27:12 --> 00:27:13 God.
00:27:14 --> 00:27:15 They missed God's
00:27:15 --> 00:27:15 agenda.
00:27:15 --> 00:27:16 They missed his
00:27:16 --> 00:27:16 purpose.
00:27:17 --> 00:27:17 They missed his
00:27:17 --> 00:27:18 character.
00:27:18 --> 00:27:19 They missed his
00:27:19 --> 00:27:21 miracle working power
00:27:21 --> 00:27:22 to resurrect the
00:27:22 --> 00:27:23 dead.
00:27:23 --> 00:27:25 And in missing
00:27:25 --> 00:27:27 God, they missed
00:27:27 --> 00:27:27 life.
00:27:28 --> 00:27:29 That is why I think
00:27:29 --> 00:27:30 our core value of
00:27:30 --> 00:27:31 Christ-centered Bible
00:27:31 --> 00:27:33 saturation is crucial
00:27:33 --> 00:27:34 for us as a church.
00:27:34 --> 00:27:35 It's not just Bible
00:27:35 --> 00:27:35 saturation.
00:27:36 --> 00:27:36 It's not just know
00:27:36 --> 00:27:37 your Bible.
00:27:37 --> 00:27:38 It's know the Christ
00:27:38 --> 00:27:39 of the Bible.
00:27:42 --> 00:27:43 Because he's the
00:27:43 --> 00:27:43 point.
00:27:46 --> 00:27:47 God is the main
00:27:47 --> 00:27:48 thing.
00:27:50 --> 00:27:51 We go to the
00:27:51 --> 00:27:52 scriptures to see
00:27:52 --> 00:27:52 God and his
00:27:52 --> 00:27:53 glory, his
00:27:53 --> 00:27:54 purposes, his
00:27:54 --> 00:27:56 character, so that
00:27:56 --> 00:27:57 we would be aligned
00:27:57 --> 00:27:58 with him.
00:28:01 --> 00:28:02 And so giving to
00:28:02 --> 00:28:02 God what he's
00:28:02 --> 00:28:04 God's is a call to
00:28:04 --> 00:28:05 total allegiance
00:28:05 --> 00:28:08 that would flow
00:28:08 --> 00:28:10 over into every
00:28:10 --> 00:28:11 aspect of your
00:28:11 --> 00:28:11 life.
00:28:12 --> 00:28:13 Clearly it didn't
00:28:13 --> 00:28:14 for the Pharisees,
00:28:15 --> 00:28:16 for the Herodians,
00:28:17 --> 00:28:18 or for the
00:28:18 --> 00:28:19 Sadducees.
00:28:19 --> 00:28:21 They had sort of
00:28:21 --> 00:28:22 packaged their life
00:28:22 --> 00:28:23 life, so they
00:28:23 --> 00:28:24 had all these rules
00:28:24 --> 00:28:25 and it didn't seem
00:28:25 --> 00:28:26 to impact anything
00:28:26 --> 00:28:27 relationally.
00:28:29 --> 00:28:31 Total allegiance
00:28:31 --> 00:28:32 with God flows
00:28:32 --> 00:28:34 over into all
00:28:34 --> 00:28:35 areas of life.
00:28:37 --> 00:28:38 If you have a
00:28:38 --> 00:28:39 problem with the
00:28:39 --> 00:28:39 submission to
00:28:39 --> 00:28:41 authority, let me
00:28:41 --> 00:28:43 tell you, it
00:28:43 --> 00:28:45 flows up to your
00:28:45 --> 00:28:45 submission to
00:28:45 --> 00:28:46 Christ.
00:28:46 --> 00:28:48 It is a reflection
00:28:48 --> 00:28:49 of your submission to
00:28:49 --> 00:28:49 Christ.
00:28:51 --> 00:28:51 They're not
00:28:51 --> 00:28:52 disconnected.
00:28:56 --> 00:28:58 And why is this
00:28:58 --> 00:28:59 allegiance to
00:28:59 --> 00:29:00 Christ so
00:29:00 --> 00:29:01 essential?
00:29:04 --> 00:29:05 Because eternal
00:29:05 --> 00:29:07 life, resurrected
00:29:07 --> 00:29:09 life, is not a
00:29:09 --> 00:29:10 destination, it's a
00:29:10 --> 00:29:11 person.
00:29:12 --> 00:29:13 John 17, Jesus
00:29:13 --> 00:29:14 says this,
00:29:14 --> 00:29:15 now this is
00:29:15 --> 00:29:16 eternal life,
00:29:16 --> 00:29:18 that they may
00:29:18 --> 00:29:18 know you, this
00:29:18 --> 00:29:19 is Jesus
00:29:19 --> 00:29:21 speaking, that
00:29:21 --> 00:29:21 they may know
00:29:21 --> 00:29:23 you, God, the
00:29:23 --> 00:29:25 only true God, and
00:29:25 --> 00:29:26 Jesus Christ whom
00:29:26 --> 00:29:26 you have sent.
00:29:29 --> 00:29:30 You miss Jesus,
00:29:31 --> 00:29:32 you reject Jesus,
00:29:32 --> 00:29:33 you ignore Jesus,
00:29:33 --> 00:29:35 and you reject
00:29:35 --> 00:29:36 life.
00:29:36 --> 00:29:36 life.
00:29:40 --> 00:29:41 To know Jesus is
00:29:41 --> 00:29:42 to know the
00:29:42 --> 00:29:43 power of God's
00:29:43 --> 00:29:43 gift of a
00:29:43 --> 00:29:44 resurrected life.
00:29:45 --> 00:29:46 And that is the
00:29:46 --> 00:29:47 problem with the
00:29:47 --> 00:29:48 Sadducees.
00:29:49 --> 00:29:50 They have read the
00:29:50 --> 00:29:51 Bible, missed God,
00:29:52 --> 00:29:53 and missed life.
00:29:56 --> 00:29:57 What is implicit in
00:29:57 --> 00:29:58 these encounters,
00:29:59 --> 00:30:00 which will become
00:30:00 --> 00:30:02 explicit next week,
00:30:03 --> 00:30:04 in Jesus' last
00:30:04 --> 00:30:05 encounter,
00:30:05 --> 00:30:07 is that the
00:30:07 --> 00:30:08 allegiance God
00:30:08 --> 00:30:10 requires is not
00:30:10 --> 00:30:11 a mere obedience
00:30:11 --> 00:30:12 to a set of
00:30:12 --> 00:30:15 rules, it's
00:30:15 --> 00:30:16 not an
00:30:16 --> 00:30:18 impressive
00:30:18 --> 00:30:18 religious
00:30:18 --> 00:30:19 practices,
00:30:20 --> 00:30:23 but a heart
00:30:23 --> 00:30:24 that loves God,
00:30:26 --> 00:30:27 that treasures
00:30:27 --> 00:30:29 Jesus, treasures
00:30:29 --> 00:30:29 the Lord Jesus.
00:30:31 --> 00:30:32 And in the
00:30:32 --> 00:30:33 very temple
00:30:33 --> 00:30:34 precincts,
00:30:35 --> 00:30:36 at the very
00:30:36 --> 00:30:36 center of the
00:30:36 --> 00:30:37 religious practices
00:30:37 --> 00:30:38 of the people
00:30:38 --> 00:30:39 of God,
00:30:40 --> 00:30:41 Jesus has
00:30:41 --> 00:30:42 encounters with
00:30:42 --> 00:30:44 the leaders of
00:30:44 --> 00:30:45 the religious
00:30:45 --> 00:30:45 practices of the
00:30:45 --> 00:30:46 people of God.
00:30:47 --> 00:30:48 The leaders of the
00:30:48 --> 00:30:49 people of God.
00:30:49 --> 00:30:50 And they have
00:30:50 --> 00:30:50 their pomp,
00:30:51 --> 00:30:51 and they have
00:30:51 --> 00:30:52 their ceremony,
00:30:52 --> 00:30:53 and they can quote
00:30:53 --> 00:30:54 the scriptures,
00:30:54 --> 00:30:55 and they can pray
00:30:55 --> 00:30:56 impressively,
00:30:56 --> 00:30:59 and yet they
00:30:59 --> 00:30:59 reject their
00:30:59 --> 00:31:00 king.
00:31:02 --> 00:31:03 Right in the
00:31:03 --> 00:31:04 very temple
00:31:04 --> 00:31:04 precincts,
00:31:04 --> 00:31:05 they reject
00:31:05 --> 00:31:06 their king.
00:31:08 --> 00:31:09 The very place
00:31:09 --> 00:31:10 where you would
00:31:10 --> 00:31:11 think that
00:31:11 --> 00:31:12 people would be
00:31:12 --> 00:31:13 waiting for the
00:31:13 --> 00:31:14 fulfillment of all
00:31:14 --> 00:31:15 the promises of
00:31:15 --> 00:31:16 God, waiting for
00:31:16 --> 00:31:17 the Messiah to
00:31:17 --> 00:31:18 come, longing
00:31:18 --> 00:31:19 for him,
00:31:19 --> 00:31:21 and he gets
00:31:21 --> 00:31:22 rejected there.
00:31:24 --> 00:31:25 So, I want to
00:31:25 --> 00:31:26 ask you,
00:31:27 --> 00:31:29 what if these
00:31:29 --> 00:31:30 encounters that
00:31:30 --> 00:31:31 Jesus had
00:31:31 --> 00:31:32 happened on our
00:31:32 --> 00:31:33 deck,
00:31:34 --> 00:31:36 straight after
00:31:36 --> 00:31:36 five o'clock
00:31:36 --> 00:31:37 congregation?
00:31:38 --> 00:31:39 Would Jesus
00:31:39 --> 00:31:41 find hearts and
00:31:41 --> 00:31:41 lives that
00:31:41 --> 00:31:42 treasure him?
00:31:42 --> 00:31:42 Amen.