Ben Wilson

The temple was the center of Jewish worship. It was really the center of their world. It's hard to overemphasize how important the temple was, but it was also more than that. It was a symbol of the entire Herodian regime, meaning the regime of Herod and the Sadducees who supported him. N.T.

The temple was the center of Jewish worship. It was really the center of their world. It's hard to overemphasize how important the temple was, but it was also more than that. It was a symbol of the entire Herodian regime, meaning the regime of Herod and the Sadducees who supported him. N.T.

Wright says, The temple became de facto the cultic shrine organized by those who had made a somewhat unsteady peace with Rome. Okay. And Jesus considers these people illegitimate. He's trying to say that he is going to bring the kingdom of heaven, right? Not them. So here's what Jesus does.

Wright says, The temple became de facto the cultic shrine organized by those who had made a somewhat unsteady peace with Rome. Okay. And Jesus considers these people illegitimate. He's trying to say that he is going to bring the kingdom of heaven, right? Not them. So here's what Jesus does.

He goes to the temple and it says, quote, he began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves. and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

He goes to the temple and it says, quote, he began to cast out them that sold and bought in the temple and overthrew the tables of the money changers and the seats of them that sold doves. and would not suffer that any man should carry any vessel through the temple.

And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared him, because all the people were astonished at his doctrine.

And he taught, saying unto them, Is it not written, My house shall be called of all nations the house of prayer, but ye have made it a den of thieves. And the scribes and chief priests heard it, and sought how they might destroy him, for they feared him, because all the people were astonished at his doctrine.

Okay, so Jesus has struck a blow at the heart of Jewish worship, saying that it's illegitimate, that these people have made it a place for money changers and a den of thieves. And so from this point on, the Pharisees and Sadducees are now going into overdrive, thinking about how they can get rid of Jesus.

Okay, so Jesus has struck a blow at the heart of Jewish worship, saying that it's illegitimate, that these people have made it a place for money changers and a den of thieves. And so from this point on, the Pharisees and Sadducees are now going into overdrive, thinking about how they can get rid of Jesus.

Now, they can't do it themselves, both because Jesus is still popular with the people and because they don't have the legal authority to execute someone outright. They are under Roman rule. They can only turn people over to the authorities. So they start looking for pretexts upon which they can recommend charges to the Romans. And so they start trying to set traps for him.

Now, they can't do it themselves, both because Jesus is still popular with the people and because they don't have the legal authority to execute someone outright. They are under Roman rule. They can only turn people over to the authorities. So they start looking for pretexts upon which they can recommend charges to the Romans. And so they start trying to set traps for him.

And at first, Jesus cleverly avoids these. In the most famous example, the chief priests ask Jesus whether it is lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not. And this is quite the conundrum, because if he says no, he can be turned over to the Romans because he's urging people not to pay their taxes. So this is the pretext they're looking for. But if he says yes, he's undermining his radical message.

And at first, Jesus cleverly avoids these. In the most famous example, the chief priests ask Jesus whether it is lawful to give tribute unto Caesar or not. And this is quite the conundrum, because if he says no, he can be turned over to the Romans because he's urging people not to pay their taxes. So this is the pretext they're looking for. But if he says yes, he's undermining his radical message.

He's exposing himself as a toady of the Roman regime. And that would make him very unpopular with the people. And so they're trying to put him in this bind. Should we pay taxes to Rome or not? So he answers very cleverly. He asks them to pull out a coin. And then he asks them, whose is the image and the superscription on the coin? And of course, it's Caesar on these Roman coins.

He's exposing himself as a toady of the Roman regime. And that would make him very unpopular with the people. And so they're trying to put him in this bind. Should we pay taxes to Rome or not? So he answers very cleverly. He asks them to pull out a coin. And then he asks them, whose is the image and the superscription on the coin? And of course, it's Caesar on these Roman coins.

And so they say Caesar's. And he says to them, render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. It's a very clever answer in that it doesn't give them a pretext to turn him over to the authorities, but neither does it fully say, pay all your taxes, that's all hunky dory.

And so they say Caesar's. And he says to them, render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar's and unto God the things that are God's. It's a very clever answer in that it doesn't give them a pretext to turn him over to the authorities, but neither does it fully say, pay all your taxes, that's all hunky dory.

So these type of responses are able to keep him out of prison for a little bit, but obviously not for long. The chief priests and the scribes and the elders and the high priests, basically anyone who can be described as a religious authority in any way, shape or form, People who are normally rivals and hate each other begin getting together and conspiring to remove Jesus.

So these type of responses are able to keep him out of prison for a little bit, but obviously not for long. The chief priests and the scribes and the elders and the high priests, basically anyone who can be described as a religious authority in any way, shape or form, People who are normally rivals and hate each other begin getting together and conspiring to remove Jesus.