The Lord Jesus Examined – Mark 12
The Lord Jesus told a parable the Pharisees could understand. It was a parable that they guessed correctly that the Lord Jesus implied that they were villains. The villains in the story were thieves and murderers and this was what the Lord Jesus thought about the religious leaders.
The religious leaders had some trick questions for the Lord Jesus. They questioned the Lord Jesus about paying taxes. Perhaps they would catch him between legal obligation to the government and the resentment felt among the people toward the Romans. They thought they could make him either a tax-evader or force him to lose favor with the crowd.
Of course, the trick did not work. The Lord Jesus said, "Render unto Caesar's what is Caesar's, and unto God what is God's." The coin was made in Caesar's image but man was made in the image of God. This reply surprised them and it made the common people rejoice because of him.
Next they asked the Lord Jesus a hypothetical question. An imaginary scenario was created by the questioner regarding marriage and resurrection. The Lord Jesus said they did not know the Bible or the power of God. The Lord Jesus reaffirmed that there will be a resurrection.
Another question put to Jesus: what was the greatest commandment? After he answered this it appeared the questioner only half-heartedly tried to trick the Lord Jesus. The Lord Jesus gave him a compliment. Perhaps this was a sincere question from that man.
The Lord Jesus asked the final question: whose son is the Christ? This question seemed easy but when they gave their reply the Lord Jesus asked a follow-up question: "David himself calls him 'Lord'. How then can he be his son?"
The Lord Jesus commended a poor widow's offering. This shows God is always mindful of the smallest sacrifices we make. He remembers the good we do even if we give a cup of cold water to one of his disciples.
The Lord Jesus told a parable against the religious leaders. In turn they tried to trap him with religious questions about paying taxes, marriage, the resurrection, and the greatest commandment. The Lord Jesus answered all the questions and asked them a question.
The question the Lord Jesus asked them pointed to the Son of David as the Son of God. How can David, in the Spirit, call his son "Lord"? The only answer was that the Son of David was also the Son of God. These religious leaders were unable to accept this.
This is where religious people, false religions, and unbelievers attack. They attack the fact that the Lord Jesus is both fully man and fully God. If the Lord Jesus were not God he would not be sinless. If he were not sinless he could not have been the Lamb of God who took away our sin. However, we know the scripture teaches that the Lord Jesus is the Son of God and is completely sinless.
Mark 1:1, "The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;"
Mark 15:39, "And when the centurion, which stood over against him, saw that he so cried out, and gave up the ghost, he said, Truly this man was the Son of God."
John 9:35-38, "Jesus heard that they had cast him out; and when he had found him, he said unto him, Dost thou believe on the Son of God? He answered and said, Who is he, Lord, that I might believe on him? And Jesus said unto him, Thou hast both seen him, and it is he that talketh with thee. And he said, Lord, I believe. And he worshipped him."
1 Peter 1:19, "But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:"
Hebrews 4:15, "For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin."
All the questions the religious leaders asked were hypocritical. They did not ask questions to find the truth but instead to trap the Lord Jesus in his words so they would have a reason to accuse him.
The Lord Jesus told his disciples to beware of the religious leaders and not to follow their example.
