Perhaps you remember the account of the Pharisees and Herodians trying to entangle Jesus in His words regarding payment of taxes to Caesar. There are accounts of this encounter in Matthew 22, Mark 12 and Luke 20. For this post let’s look at
Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. When they had come, they said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are true, and care about no one; for You do not regard the person of men, but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why do you test Me? Bring Me a denarius that I may see it.” So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” And Jesus answered and said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they marveled at Him. Mark 12:13-17 (NKJV)
So basically the question of Jesus was, “Whose image and inscription are on the denarius?” The answer, “Caesar’s”. Which brings us to Jesus’ final answer, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.”
Seems to me like this is where Jesus introduced the rule of images and inscriptions.
Of course, there was a second part to Jesus’ final answer that in my mind seems to suggest a second question …
“Whose image are you made in and whose inscription is written upon you?” The answer, “God’s”. Which brings us to Jesus’ concluding answer, “Render to God the things that are God’s.”
Lest we forget …
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them. Genesis 1:26-27 (ESV)
And our divine inscription is written not with ink but by the Holy Spirit …
And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying, “This is the covenant that I will make with them after those days, declares the Lord: I will put my laws on their hearts, and write them on their minds,” then he adds, “I will remember their sins and their lawless deeds no more.” Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin. Hebrews 10:15-18 (ESV)
And that divine inscription is also a guarantee of the salvation to come …
For the Son of God, Jesus Christ, whom we proclaimed among you, Silvanus and Timothy and I, was not Yes and No, but in him it is always Yes. For all the promises of God find their Yes in him. That is why it is through him that we utter our Amen to God for his glory. And it is God who establishes us with you in Christ, and has anointed us, and who has also put his seal on us and given us his Spirit in our hearts as a guarantee. 2 Corinthians 1:19-22 (ESV)
Which brings us back to Jesus’ concluding answer …
“Render to God the things that are God’s.”
So what are a few ways that rendering could look like under the new covenant …
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake will save it.” Luke 9:23-24 (ESV)
So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God. 1 Corinthians 10:31 (ESV)
For the love of Christ controls us, because we have concluded this: that one has died for all, therefore all have died; and he died for all, that those who live might no longer live for themselves but for him who for their sake died and was raised. 2 Corinthians 5:14-15 (ESV)
I’m sure there are far more examples than are listed above … please make your own list and add your thoughts via comments below.
In the meantime, I’m still considering the rule of images and inscriptions …
Bernie
