Whose Image and Inscription is This?

Jonathan Togonon

New Life Harvest Community

Sermon • Submitted 4 years ago

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Intro

Text - Mark 12.13-17

Mark 12:13–17 NKJV

13 Then they sent to Him some of the Pharisees and the Herodians, to catch Him in His words. 14 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? 15 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.” 16 So they brought it. And He said to them, “Whose image and inscription is this?” They said to Him, “Caesar’s.” 17 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.

Title - Whose Image and Inscription is This?

Background

the Pharisees wanted to catch Jesus in His own words

they put a question: is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not?

the Jews were divided over taxes:

they paid their tax because they were forced to

paying taxes is a sign of being under foreign domination

Mark 1. The Pharisees Try to Trap Jesus with a Question about Taxes (13–15a)

Three taxes were imposed by the Romans on Judea. The first was the ground tax, which was 10% of all grain and 20% of all wine and fruit. The second was the income tax, which amounted to 1% of a man’s income. The third was the poll tax, paid by men aged 12 to 65 and women 14 to 65. This was one denarius a year, about a day’s wage for a laborer.

if Jesus says “Pay” - the Jews will lose regard for Him

if He says “don’t pay” - He will be declaring himself as enemy of Rome, and will be treated as revolutionary

The Main Point

Jesus’ answer by asking for a denarius and asking them whose image and inscription were in it:

give to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s

give to God the things that are God’s

Whose image and inscription is in our life?

we are bound to submit to the authority to whom that mark belongs!

Sermon Points

It is a godly thing to pay your taxes!

The ‘mark’ and ‘inscription’ on the money say it belongs to ‘caesar’

mark - grk. EIKON, a visible representation

inscription - grk. EPIGRAPHE, letters inscribed

Paying taxes has a number of implications:

it implies submission to the governing authority

hence, to “not pay” is to rebel

it implies recognition/respect to governing authority

hence, to ‘not pay’ is to disrespect

Paul taught the Christians in Rome to pay their taxes

Romans 13:1 NKJV

1 Let every soul be subject to the governing authorities. For there is no authority except from God, and the authorities that exist are appointed by God.

Romans 13:4–7 NKJV

4 For he is God’s minister to you for good. But if you do evil, be afraid; for he does not bear the sword in vain; for he is God’s minister, an avenger to execute wrath on him who practices evil. 5 Therefore you must be subject, not only because of wrath but also for conscience’ sake. 6 For because of this you also pay taxes, for they are God’s ministers attending continually to this very thing. 7 Render therefore to all their due: taxes to whom taxes are due, customs to whom customs, fear to whom fear, honor to whom honor.

on the other, it is a godly thing to give to God what belongs to God - but HOW?

Man bears the “image” of God and the “inscription” of God

man bears the “image” of God

Genesis 1.27

Genesis 9:6 NKJV

6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man.

man bears the “inscription” of God

Romans 2:14–15 NKJV

14 for when Gentiles, who do not have the law, by nature do the things in the law, these, although not having the law, are a law to themselves, 15 who show the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and between themselves their thoughts accusing or else excusing them)

the law is written in man’s conscience - excusing / accusing

Therefore, man is bound to acknowledge and submit to God’s authority!

to deny it is to rebel against God

God’s image and inscription in us should DRAW US CLOSE/BACK TO GOD

NOTE: the role of conscience in coversation

1 Peter 3.21 - baptism is the respond of a good conscience to God

2 Tim 1.3 - I serve God with a pure conscience

1 Timothy 1.5 - the purpose of commandment is love from pure heart and good conscience

what happens to those who refuse to recognize the image of God?

those who refuse to recognize the image of God will go to the “image of the beast”

evolution - man came from lower forms of animals, and he himself is an animal - IMAGE OF THE BEAST!

this dogma - idea, concept - of evolution will ultimately make way for the image of the beast

image of the beast - in Rev 13 created by the “second beast” to resemble the “first beast” (antichrist)

Revelation 13:15–17 NKJV

15 He was granted power to give breath to the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak and cause as many as would not worship the image of the beast to be killed. 16 He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand or on their foreheads, 17 and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.

NOTE: man’s degeneration because of sin

separated from God

changed the glory of God into the image of animals

removed God - atheism

will receive the image of the beast

the “other” image of God - Christ

Unknown to man, but now proclaimed by the gospel, there is another image of God - Jesus Christ!

Colossians 1:15 NKJV

15 He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.

God has appointed us to be conformed to this image!

Romans 8:29 NKJV

29 For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son, that He might be the firstborn among many brethren.

2 Corinthians 3:18 NKJV

18 But we all, with unveiled face, beholding as in a mirror the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from glory to glory, just as by the Spirit of the Lord.

This image comes with inscription - the Word of God written in our hearts!

2 Corinthians 3:3 NKJV

3 clearly you are an epistle of Christ, ministered by us, written not with ink but by the Spirit of the living God, not on tablets of stone but on tablets of flesh, that is, of the heart.

Note: the enemy is working hard to “blind” people from seeing the glorious image of God!

2 Corinthians 4:3–6 NKJV

3 But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, 4 whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. 5 For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. 6 For it is the God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.

Conclusion

Whose image and inscription is in your life today?

If all you have now is the “fallen image” -

YOU DON’T NEED TO REMAIN BOUND TO THAT FALLEN IMAGE

GOD IS OFFERING YOU NOW A BETTER IMAGE - JESUS CHRIST

If you have been born again -

you are no longer identified to the fallen image of God

you bear the image and inscription of Christ in you!

the Holy Spirit is working to manifest the new and glorious image of God that is now in you!

Colossians 3:9–11 NKJV

9 Do not lie to one another, since you have put off the old man with his deeds, 10 and have put on the new man who is renewed in knowledge according to the image of Him who created him, 11 where there is neither Greek nor Jew, circumcised nor uncircumcised, barbarian, Scythian, slave nor free, but Christ is all and in all.