The one thing
Jesus came to turn image bearers into message sharers.
The passage
Mark 12:13-17
group questions
Know
- Dan said in Wales to say “She’s / he’s the spit of you” means “She / he looks just like you”. What characteristics (physical or personality) have you inherited from either your parents or others who raised you?
Grow
- Read James 1:19. Instead of responding to the hypocrisy of the Herodians and Pharisees (Dan called them the “Heresies”) with anger, Jesus paused, gave Himself some space and asked a question. How might this advice be helpful for you when dealing with conflict in your life?
- Read Romans 13:1-2. Jesus says to “give unto Caesar what is Caesar’s”. As Christians, what does being a good citizen of Canada look like? How should we respond when our ethics (based on the Bible) are opposed to the government’s perspective? Can you think of an example where this tension exists today?
- What does it mean to you that you are an image bearer of God?
- If you were in Rome-occupied Israel, would you pay the Roman tax or not? What if no one ever found out? Explain your answer.
- God’s unshare-able (incommunicable) characteristics include His omnipotent (all-powerfulness), His infinitude and His self-existence. Have you ever meditated on these realities of God? What impact has it had on you? Why should these characteristics lead to awe or worship?
- Think is what characteristics God shares with us (a couple of examples: holiness, love, kindness). These are known as God’s communicable Why should these characteristics give us hope?
- The Roman denarius had both the image of Caesar and his inscription of Caesar on it. In what way do we have the inscription of God on our lives? Think of verses that might communicate this truth. Consider 2 Corinthians 3:3-4 and Isaiah 43:1.
- In what ways can we consider our lives as God’s currency? How is this analogy helpful (or not) in evaluating how we are spending our lives?
- Dan quoted DL Moody “The world has yet to see what God can do with someone fully consecrated to him. By God’s help, I aim to be that someone”. Take a couple of minutes in silence and Imagine what your life would look like if you lived this out.
Show
- Each morning, before your day begins, stand in front of a mirror and say to yourself “In whatever circumstance comes by way today, I am a letter from God” (2 Cor 3:3).
