Having cleansed the Temple, Jesus continues his confrontation with the Jewish religious authorities by addressing matters of human pride, civic duty and the interpretation of scripture. And woven throughout the dialogue is an affirmation of who Jesus is: he is the anointed Messiah, the one who’s way was prepared by John the Baptist; he is God’s own beloved son, sent to proclaim a message to his fathers’ people; he is rejected by those people, given over to Caesar and killed; and on the third day he is raised from the dead. This is a summary of the Gospel.
• In what ways can you make it known that Jesus possesses all authority in heaven and on earth?
• For a first-century Jew, what do you think it would mean ‘to give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s, and to God what is God’s’?
• What does it mean for you today to give to God what is God’s?
• ‘He is not the God of the dead, but of the living’. In what ways does knowing this bring you hope today?
