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After the Lord Jesus had been examined by the chief priests and the elders of the people concerning the source of His authority, the disciples of the Pharisees with the Herodians questioned Him about giving tribute to Caesar (Matt. 22:15-22). The Herodians were those who took sides with King Herod’s regime and took part with him in injecting Grecian and Roman manners of life into the Jewish culture. Normally they sided with the Sadducees, but were opposed to the Pharisees; here they united with the Pharisees to ensnare the Lord Jesus.
The Herodians opposed the Pharisees because the Pharisees were very conservative, whereas the Herodians were modern, standing with the Sadducees who also were modernistic in their thinking. However, on this occasion the Herodians and Pharisees conspired to trap the Lord Jesus. They expected Him to fall into their snare. In verse 17 they said to the Lord, “Tell us therefore, What do you think? Is it lawful to give tribute to Caesar, or not?” This is really an ensnaring question. All the Jews opposed giving tribute to Caesar. If the Lord Jesus had said that it was lawful to do this, He would have offended all the Jews who followed the Pharisees. But if He said that it was not lawful, this would have given the Herodians, who stood with the Roman government, strong ground to accuse Him. The matter of paying tribute to Caesar was very unpleasant to the Jews; they hated it. The Pharisees were especially against it. However, the Herodians agreed with paying tax to the Roman government. Thus, one of the two parties opposed this matter, and the other favored it. According to their concept, no matter how the Lord answered their question, He would still fall into their snare.
The Lord Jesus, however, is wise and knows how to handle every person and every situation. In verse 19 He said, “Show Me the tribute money.” Then they brought to Him a denarius. The Lord did not show the Roman coin, but asked them to show one to Him. Since they possessed one of the Roman coins, they were caught. By having a Roman coin, they had lost the case already.
Verses 20 and 21 say, “And He says to them, Whose is this image and inscription? They say, Caesar’s. Then He says to them, Pay then what is Caesar’s to Caesar, and what is God’s to God.” To pay Caesar what is Caesar’s is to pay tribute to Caesar according to his governmental regulations. To pay to God what is God’s is to pay the half shekel to God according to Exodus 30:11-16, and to offer all the tithes to God according to the law of God. The Jews were under two authorities, the political authority of Rome and the spiritual authority of God. In Jerusalem there was not only the Roman government, but also the temple of God. For this reason, the Jewish people had to pay tax to both systems, to the Roman government and to God’s temple. Therefore, the Lord told them to pay to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s. This answer shocked the Pharisees and the Herodians, and they were defeated.
In 22:23-33 we see the Lord’s test at the hands of the Sadducees. The Sadducees were ancient modernists who did not believe in angels or in resurrection (Acts 23:8). They were exactly like the modernists and higher critics of today who do not believe in the Scriptures, in angels, or in miracles. These ancient modernists came to the Lord with a question regarding the resurrection. It seemed that they were quite clever. They told the Lord of a woman who had married seven brothers and asked Him, “In the resurrection, therefore, of which of the seven will she be the wife? For they all had her” (v. 28). From the human point of view, this was a difficult question. No doubt the Pharisees, the ancient fundamentalists, would have found it hard to answer. The Lord Jesus, however, gave the Sadducees a strong answer.
Verse 29 says, “But Jesus answered and said to them, You are deceived, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Knowing the Scriptures is one thing, and knowing the power of God is another. We need to know both. The Scriptures here refer to the verses of the Old Testament concerning the matter of resurrection, and the power of God refers to the power of resurrection. In His answer to the Sadducees, the Lord did four things: firstly, He condemned them; secondly, He rebuked them; thirdly, He taught them; and fourthly, He muzzled them. He condemned them by telling them that they were deceived. Every modernist has been deceived. For this, they need to be condemned. Today’s modernists must be condemned for denying the resurrection, angels, and miracles. When I was young, such teachings were spreading in China. For example, the modernists said that the water of the Red Sea was not divided and that the people did not cross over on dry land. They claimed that the shallow water of the sea was blown apart by a strong wind and that this enabled the people to walk on land. What a demonic teaching! The ancient modernists, like those of today, thought they were so clever, but actually they were deceived. Therefore, the Lord rebuked them by saying that they did not know the Scriptures or the power of God.
After the Lord condemned and rebuked the Sadducees, He taught them. In verse 30 He said, “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are as angels of God in heaven.” This means that in resurrection there will be no male or female. Hence, there will be no marriage. This will take place by the power of God. Those who deny the resurrection do not know the power of God.
In order to help the Sadducees know the depth of truth implied in the words of the Scriptures, the Lord said, “But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read that which was spoken to you by God, saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” Since God is the God of the living and is called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, these three who have died will be resurrected. This is the way the Lord Jesus handled the Scriptures — not only by the letter, but by the life and power implied within them.
I appreciate the Lord’s interpretation of the Bible. He said that God was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If there were no resurrection to come, then God would have to be the God of the dead. The fact that God is the God of the living and that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob proves that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be resurrected. If they are not to be resurrected, then how could God be the God of the living? This is the genuine, honest, living, trustworthy exposition of the Bible. By giving the Sadducees such an answer, the Lord muzzled them.
When the Pharisees learned that the Lord had silenced the Sadducees, they held a council about what to do next. Then one of them, a lawyer, tempted the Lord by asking Him a question about the great commandment in the law. A lawyer was one versed in the law of Moses, a professional interpreter of the law of the Old Testament. The Lord said that the great and first commandment was to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, and mind (vv. 37-38). Then He continued, “And the second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.” These two commandments are both a matter of love, either loving God or loving man. Love is the spirit of God’s commandments.
In all these tests the Lord Jesus was questioned regarding four things: religion, politics, belief, and the law. Regarding religion, He was questioned concerning the source of authority in religious activities. Regarding politics, He was asked about paying tribute to the Roman government. Regarding belief, He was questioned about the belief in the resurrection. Regarding the law, He was asked which was the great commandment. From all four directions those who tested the Lord Jesus were muzzled and had nothing more to say.
After He had been questioned, the Lord had a question for the Pharisees. Verses 41 and 42 say, “Now while the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus questioned them, saying, What do you think concerning the Christ? Whose Son is He?” From 21:23 to 22:46, during His last visit to Jerusalem, the center of Judaism, Christ was surrounded by the chief priests, elders, Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and a lawyer, who endeavored to ensnare Him by asking puzzling and crafty questions. Firstly, the chief priests, representing the authority of the Jewish religion, and the elders, representing the authority of the Jewish people, asked Him concerning His authority (21:23). This was a question according to their religious concept. Secondly, the fundamental Pharisees and political Herodians asked Him a question related to politics. Thirdly, the modernistic Sadducees questioned Him concerning the fundamental belief. Fourthly, a self-qualified lawyer asked Him a question concerning the law. After answering all their questions wisely, He asked them a question concerning Christ. This is the question of questions. Their questions were related to religion, politics, belief, and the law. His question was concerning Christ, who is the center of all things. They knew religion, politics, belief, and the law, but they paid no attention to Christ. Hence, He asked them, “What do you think concerning the Christ?” This question of questions must be answered by everyone.
People today have many questions, but all their questions can be classified into the four categories of religion, politics, belief, and the law. Just as in ancient times, people today care for these things, not for Christ. They simply have no concept concerning Him. But God’s concern is for Christ, and Christ’s concern is for Himself. Hence He asks, “What do you think about Christ? Whose Son is He?” This question touches Christ’s Person, which is a mystery, the most perplexing matter in the universe.
Christology is the study of the Person of Christ. From the second century onward, Christian teachers have been fighting with one another concerning Christology. Today the battle between us and the opposers is also related to this matter. For example, one of the leading opposers teaches that Christ is not in us, but is merely represented in us by the Holy Spirit. According to him, Christ is at the right hand of God in the third heaven, and the Holy Spirit represents Him in us. This concept is related to tritheism, the teaching that the three of the Godhead are separate individuals. Those who teach that Christ is merely represented in us by the Holy Spirit actually have three Gods. Deep within, many fundamental Christians subconsciously have this concept. Recently, some opposers have said that Christ’s divinity is in the believers, but His humanity is in heaven. How ridiculous! Now some not only have three Gods, but two Christs, a material Christ and a spiritual Christ. Such peculiar concepts are the issue of our fallen mentality. What a dreadful thing to separate Christ’s humanity from His divinity! This illustrates the fact that the question regarding Christ is still the question of questions today.
When the Pharisees were asked this question by the Lord, they replied that Christ was David’s son (v. 42). No doubt, according to the Scriptures, this answer was correct. Then the Lord said, “How then does David in spirit call Him Lord, saying, The Lord said to My Lord, Sit on My right hand until I put Your enemies underneath Your feet? If then David calls Him Lord, how is He his Son?” (vv. 43-45). The question here is how a great-grandfather could call his great-grandson Lord. This was one question the Pharisees did not know how to answer. As God, in His divinity, Christ is the Lord of David; as a man, in His humanity, He is the Son of David. The Pharisees had only half the scriptural knowledge concerning Christ’s Person, that He was the Son of David according to His humanity. They did not have the other half, concerning Christ’s divinity as the Son of God. The mention of the spirit in verse 43 indicates that Christ is only known by us in our spirit through God’s revelation (Eph. 3:5, Gk.).
Verse 46 says, “And no one was able to answer Him a word, nor did anyone from that day dare to question Him any more.” Christ’s question of questions concerning His wonderful Person muzzled the mouths of all His opposers. The Pharisees had studied the Old Testament, and they had seen clearly that Christ was to be the Son of David. But they did not see that Christ was also the Son of God.
Even those who have admitted that Christ is both the Son of God and the Son of David have argued whether His two natures were separate or mingled. Instead of arguing about Christ’s Person, we should say, “Hallelujah, we have a Person who is glorious and mysterious! He is so wonderful that we cannot adequately understand Him.” Consider Isaiah 9:6: “For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given...and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counselor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.” It will take eternity for us to understand this verse. Christ is a child, yet He is the mighty God. He is the Son, yet He is called the everlasting Father. Do not think that we can understand Christ adequately today. No, He is too wonderful and too far beyond our comprehension. We do not even fully understand ourselves, much less Christ. Do you know where your spirit is, or where your soul is? Can you locate your heart? The more you analyze yourself, the more you will find yourself in a maze. When I was very young, I thought I knew myself thoroughly. But the longer I have lived, the more I realize how little I know. If we cannot understand ourselves, how can we adequately understand Christ, the embodiment of the Triune God?
How wonderful Christ is! He is both God and man, both the Son of God and the Son of David. Furthermore, He is both in the heavens and in us. He is inside and outside; He is on the top and on the bottom; He is the greatest and the smallest. Oh, Christ is everything! We need to know Him to such a degree. Then we shall say, “Lord Jesus, I cannot exhaust the knowledge of You. Lord, You are the only worthy One. If there is a God, this God must be You. If there is a genuine human being, this person must be You. Lord, You are the Savior, the Redeemer, the life, and the light.” We today must come to know how inexhaustible the Lord Jesus is as the Son of David and the Son of God. Both the experience of Him and the knowledge of Him are inexhaustible. Because Christ is the all-inclusive One, the enjoyment of Him is inexhaustible.
Do not be led into the devilish snare of debate concerning the Person of Christ. Thinking you know everything concerning Christ’s Person is an indication that you have been snared already. Although we can know Christ, we cannot understand Him thoroughly. We know that Jesus Christ is the Son and that He is also called the Father, for the Bible tells us so. But we cannot comprehend this adequately. We also know that Christ is the Son of God and the Son of man and that He has both the divine nature and the human nature in one Person. Thus, He is one Person with two natures and two lives. However, it is beyond our ability to understand this thoroughly. We simply believe whatever the Bible says and praise Him for being so wonderful! We need to worship Him, take Him in, enjoy Him, and experience Him as the wonderful One.
