Christ Confounds His Enemies

Picture: Christ Confounds His Enemies 3TC 378.1

This chapter is based on Matthew 22:15-46; Mark 12:13-40; Luke 20:20-47. 

The priests and rulers could not refute Christ’s charges. But this made them only the more determined to entrap Him. They sent spies, “who pretended to be honest, in order to trap him by what he said, so as to hand him over to the jurisdiction and authority of the governor.” NRSV. These young men, eager and zealous, were accompanied by Herodians who were to hear Christ’s words so that they could testify against Him at His trial. 3TC 378.2

The Pharisees had always chafed under Roman taxes, holding that paying them was contrary to the law of God. Now the spies came to Jesus as though they were wanting to know their duty: “Teacher, we know that You say and teach rightly, and You do not show personal favoritism, but teach the way of God in truth: Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?” 3TC 378.3

Those who put the question to Jesus thought they had disguised their intentions, but Jesus read their hearts like an open book. “Why do you test Me?” He said, showing that He read their hidden purpose. They were still more confused when He added, “Show me a denarius.” They brought it, and He asked them, “‘Whose image and inscription does it have?’ They answered and said, ‘Caesar’s.’” Pointing to the coin, Jesus said, “Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” 3TC 378.4

The spies felt baffled and defeated. The brief, decisive way in which Jesus had settled their question left them nothing further to say. Christ’s reply was no evasion, but a candid answer to the question. Holding in His hand the Roman coin, He declared that since they were living under the protection of the Roman power, they should give that power the support it claimed. But while they were peaceably subject to the laws of the land, they should at all times give their first allegiance to God. 3TC 378.5

If the Jews had fulfilled their obligations to God faithfully, they would not have come under a foreign power’s control. No Roman banner would have waved over Jerusalem, no Roman governor would have ruled within her walls. 3TC 378.6

The Pharisees marveled at Christ’s answer. He had not only rebuked their hypocrisy but had stated a great principle that clearly defines the limits of duty to the civil government and duty to God. And although many went away dissatisfied, they saw that Jesus had clearly set forth the principle underlying the question, and they marveled at His farseeing discernment. 3TC 378.7

No sooner had Jesus silenced the Pharisees than the Sadducees came forward with sly questions. As a group they were bigoted, yet there were persons of genuine piety among them who accepted Christ’s teachings. The Sadducees professed to believe the greater portion of the Scriptures, but in practical terms they were skeptics and materialists. 3TC 379.1

The Resurrection, a Subject of Controversy

The resurrection was especially a subject of controversy between the Pharisees and Sadducees. The Pharisees had been firm believers in the resurrection, but their views about the future state became confused. Death became a mystery beyond explanation. The discussions between the two parties usually resulted in angry disputes. 3TC 379.2

The Sadducees did not have so strong a hold on the common people, but many had the influence that wealth gives. The high priest was usually chosen from among them. The fact that they were eligible for such a high office gave influence to their errors. 3TC 379.3

The Sadducees rejected the teaching of Jesus; His teaching about the future life contradicted their theories. They believed that, having created human beings, God had left them to themselves, independent of a higher influence. They held that people were free to control their own lives and to shape the events of the world; their destiny was in their own hands. 3TC 379.4

Ideas of God Mold Character

Their ideas of God molded their own character. Just as, in their view, He had no interest in mankind, so they had little regard for one another. Refusing to acknowledge the influence of the Holy Spirit, they lacked His power in their lives. They boasted of their birthright as children of Abraham, but they were destitute of the faith and kindness of Abraham. Their hearts were not touched by the needs and sufferings of others. They lived for themselves. 3TC 379.5

By His words and works, Christ bore witness to a divine power that produces supernatural results, to a future life, to God as a Father of the human family, always mindful of their true interests. He taught that God moves on the heart by the Holy Spirit. He showed how wrong it was to trust in human power to transform character, when only the Spirit of God can do it. 3TC 379.6

In seeking a controversy with Jesus, the Sadducees felt confident that they could damage His reputation, if not condemn Him. The resurrection was the subject on which they chose to question Him. If He would agree with them, He would offend the Pharisees. If He would differ with them, they intended to hold His teaching up to ridicule. The Sadducees reasoned that if the immortal body is to be composed of the same particles of matter as it was in its mortal state, then it must have flesh and blood and resume in the eternal world the life interrupted on earth. Husband and wife would be reunited, marriages formed, and all things go on the same as before death. 3TC 379.7

In answer to their questions, Jesus lifted the veil from the future life. “In the resurrection,” He said, “they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.” The Sadducees were wrong. “You are mistaken,” He added, “not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” He did not charge them with hypocrisy, but with error in their beliefs. 3TC 380.1

He declared their ignorance of the Scriptures and the power of God to be the cause of their confusion of faith and darkness of mind. Christ called on them to open their minds to those sacred truths that would broaden the understanding. Thousands become unbelievers because they cannot understand the mysteries of God. The only key to the mysteries that surround us is to acknowledge in them the presence and power of God. People need to recognize God as the Creator of the universe, One who commands and performs all things. 3TC 380.2

Christ told His hearers that if there were no resurrection of the dead, the Scriptures that they professed to believe would be of no value. He said, “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” God sees the result of His work as though it were now accomplished. The precious dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and come out from the grave to immortal life. There will be a close and tender relationship between God and the resurrected redeemed. He sees this condition as if it were already existing. The dead live unto Him. 3TC 380.3

The Sadducees were left with nothing to say. He had not spoken a word that they could take the least advantage of to condemn Him. 3TC 380.4

The Pharisees, however, did not despair yet. They convinced a certain learned scribe to question Jesus about which of the ten commandments was the most important. They had exalted the first four commandments, which point out our duty to our Maker, as of far greater significance than the other six, which define our duty to others. Jesus had been charged with exalting the last six commandments above the first four. 3TC 380.5

The lawyer approached Jesus with a direct question, “Which is the first commandment of all?” Christ’s answer was direct: “The first of all the commandments is ... ‘you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.’” “The second is like the first,” said Christ, “for it flows out of it.” “‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” “On these two commandments hang all the Law and the Prophets.” 3TC 380.6

Both of these commandments are an expression of the principle of love. We cannot keep the first and break the second, nor can we keep the second while we break the first. Only as we love God supremely is it possible for us to love our neighbor impartially. 3TC 380.7

Christ taught His hearers that the law of God is a divine unit, not so many separate laws, some of them highly important and others only slightly important. We show our love to God by obeying all His commandments. 3TC 381.1

The scribe who had questioned Jesus was astonished. In the presence of the assembled priests and rulers he honestly acknowledged that Christ had given the right interpretation to the law. 3TC 381.2

The scribe had some sense of how worthless were mere ceremonial offerings and the faithless shedding of blood for cleansing from sin. Love and obedience to God and unselfish regard for others appeared to him to be more valuable than all these rites. His firm and prompt response before the people showed a spirit entirely different from that of the priests and rulers. Jesus’ heart went out in pity to the honest scribe who had dared to speak his true convictions. “Now when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’” 3TC 381.3

The Pharisees had gathered close around Jesus as He answered the scribe. Now He asked them a question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose Son is He?” He intended this question to show whether they regarded Him simply as a man or as the Son of God. A chorus of voices answered, “The Son of David.” When Jesus revealed His divinity by His mighty miracles, when He healed the sick and raised the dead, the people had inquired among themselves, “Could this be the Son of David?” But many who called Jesus the Son of David did not recognize His divinity. The Son of David was also the Son of God. 3TC 381.4

In reply, Jesus said, “‘How then does David in the Spirit [the Spirit of Inspiration from God] call Him “Lord,” saying: “The Lord said to my Lord,
‘Sit at My right hand,
Till I make Your enemies Your footstool’”?
“‘If David then calls Him “Lord,” how is He his son?’ And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor from that day on did anyone dare question Him anymore.” 3TC 381.5