Pharisees and Herodians - Mark 12:13
The
Herodians were Jewish supporters of King Herod and his family. They often favored compromises between their Judaism and the Hellenistic influences of the day. This often brought them into conflict with the Pharisees. The Pharisees thought such compromises with foreign influences were sinful. See the article on Pharisees and Sadducees. Mark reported that this unusual coalition was
sent to Jesus. Anyone who had power to send members of both of these groups was a very high ranking official. The plot against Jesus was being shaped in the top tier of Jewish leadership.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar's and to God what is God's - Mark 12:14-17
They tried to trap Jesus, first by lulling him into complacency with false compliments. Then with their trick question they tried to lure him into either promoting revolution against Rome or angering Jews who hated Roman taxation and rule.
Roman silver coin - Mark 12:15
A
denarius was a Roman silver coin that had the image of Caesar imprinted on it.
12:16-17 Jesus wisely escaped their trap. He reaffirmed the biblical principle that people are to be subject to government authority when it does not involve disobedience to God. (See Rom. 13:1-7.) Taxes belonged to Caesar and should be paid. But by adding that human beings were always to give God what belonged to Him, Jesus made the most radical demand. Human beings were made in God's image; and ultimately everything a person is belongs to God. Jesus' challenge to give God everything that belongs to Him had revolutionary potential.
The Sadducees - Mark 12:18
The
Sadducees were another party in Judaism. They had great influence because of their connections to the temple and to the aristocracy of Jerusalem. See the article on Pharisees and Sadducees. They did not believe in the resurrection, but they tried to act as though they did to trap Jesus with a trick quick question. See
BC 37.
Kinsman–redeemer legislation - Mark 12:19
Their question is based on the kinsman–redeemer legislation of Deut. 25:5, 6.
Jesus rebuked their attempt. - Mark 12:24-27
Jesus rebuked their attempt to trap him by condemning them for two failures. They didn't know the
power of God and they didn't know the
scriptures. They underestimated God's power by denying that he could raise the dead. God will raise his people to a whole new order of physical life, and in this new mode of living, marriage is irrelevant. They also misunderstood the scriptures. Jesus quoted Exod. 3:6. God told Moses that he was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus claimed that such a claim was a nonsense statement and patently false unless Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had all been still alive with God when God spoke to Moses. God is the God of the
living.
One scribe listened - Mark 12:28-34
There was at least one scribe who listened honestly to Jesus and was not trying to trap him.
613 Commandments - Mark 12:28
The rabbis counted 613
commandments in the Books of Moses and argued over which were the most important.
Jesus answered - Mark 12:29-31
Jesus answered the question by quoting the Shema, which was prayed daily by the Jews. The name
Shema is the first word of Deut. 6:4, 5,
Hear. The most important commandment is to
love God with all one's being. Jesus went further and referred to Lev. 19:18 saying that the second most important grows out of the first, love your
neighbor.
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