SERIES: Jesus, Son of God: Headlines from Mark
TOPIC: Jesus Gets Political
TEXT: Mark 12:13-17
SCRIPTURE:
- Two diverse groups were united in their hatred of Jesus – the Pharisees (religious agenda) and the Herodians (political agenda). Together they approached Jesus in order to trap Him with their question. A yes or no answer would anger either the Jews or the Romans. Dissect the insincere flattery used in verse 14.
- Put yourself in this scene, and talk about the surprising result in verse 17, “Their mouths hung open, speechless.” (The Message).
ACCOUNTABILITY
- Share a time when you experienced or witnessed insincere flattery?
- What does that say about the character of these players?
- What character cautions does this passage bring to mind?
TRANSFORMATION:
- Much has been written about these words in verse 17, “Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” What “things” belong to the state and what belongs to God?
- Jesus asked to see a denarius (the size of our dime) and pointed out the likeness and inscription on it. What likeness do we bear?
- How does “likeness bearing” play out in our lives?
- The Pharisees and the Herodians had “lifetime allegiances.” What is your “lifetime allegiance?”
- “Fear sells.” That is why political parties use fear to sway people. Talk about the quote below in light of the last few years when “fear” seemed to dominate so many conversations.
“The remarkable thing about God is that when you fear God, you fear nothing else, whereas if you don’t fear God, you fear everything else.” Oswald Chambers
