Death and Taxes, Part 1

Today from Chuck Swindoll. Further me remind you that is not an afterthought living God, the chain on the mission from heaven to earth to die. He was ordained to die. The purpose of his arrival on the planet was that he might live perfect life being free from sin, that he might die.

The perfect sacrifice. Imagine what it was like to walk alongside.

She's ministry on earth. His disciples had the privilege of watching history unfold in real time while in Matthew chapter 17 we find what appears to be a spontaneous conversation.

When Jesus gave his best friends and becoming fiction.

Think of the anguish. This caused the disciples as they ponder the loss of their Lord and friend today on Insight for living.

Chuck Swindoll helps us understand the implications of this emotional exchange title this message death and taxes. Looking at Matthew 17 the last six verses of this chapter, I have a lady say to me as she was coming in the church early this morning my husband and I were reading that passage of Scripture. Your preaching on today and we wondered to each other. What in the world is he gonna say about that.

I thought the same thing as a matter of fact when I first looked at these verses. This is not what the expositor would call a scintillating passage of Scripture.

But it's a part of Scripture.

And when you're committed to the exposition of God's word. You don't pick and choose you push her way through, and that means you don't dodge the ones that seem difficult to apply in them in the middle of the section that were looking at the whole subject changes, which is a part of the flow of events that were were not usually ready for but you'll see that for yourself.

Matthew 17 I'm reading from the new living translation and if you have brought your Bible. Turn with me to verse 22 to the end of the chapter of Matthew 17. After they had gathered again in Galilee. Jesus told him, the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies, he will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead and the disciples were filled with grief. On their arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter and asked him, doesn't your teacher pay the temple tax yes he does. Peter replied that he went into the house, but before he had a chance to speak Jesus asked him what you think Peter did kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered, but they tax the people they have conquered.

Peter replied well then Jesus said the citizens are free.

However, we don't want to offend somebody down to the lake and throw in a line, open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of us to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download your searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.org/study another message from Chuck titled death and taxes. It must've been wonderful to have walked with Jesus literally as he made his way during his earthly ministry over the many miles that they walked together he and his disciples were well inseparable. And as he reached closer to the cross.

The closer their relationship became.

He had called them to be with him and then he would send them for he knew when he called them that there would come the day when he would no longer be with them. He would go to the cross, he would die for the sins of the world. Yes, he would be raised after being in the grave, and he would ascend into heaven. Following a period of time on earth, but at that time when he was gone, they would be on their own. Following through with the things that he had begun so it stands to reason as he got nearer the time, but he would be arrested and put on trial and then mailto across that his focus would become more and more on his debt.

Even though can you imagine that was not a subject. The disciples would find pleasant to address or even think about. We've all had loved ones who have had terminal diseases and are we upset with them. Talk with them and walk with them and rarely do we bring up the fact that they are going to die is not a subject that is pleasant to address, but death is a reality, and in the case of Christ. It is the reason he came on like all of us who come to live and to live a full life. He came to live a short life, died at age 33 younger than many of us, I would say most of us, knowing that his death was eminent. About six months away, he decided it was time to bring up the subject again.

He did that frequently and sometimes as in this case abruptly.

So, out of the blue is there walking along, having been together following the Transfiguration and the time with him at the base of the mountain you remember they're making their way back home where Peter would call Holman Jesus would call the well of what might've been the home of his ministry Capernaum on their way to that town. He brings up the subject again. He doesn't prepare them for it.

He simply and abruptly addresses it in verse 22 Matthew 17. After they gathered again in Galilee.

Jesus told them the Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands of his enemies, he will be killed, but on the third day he will be raised from the dead and the disciples literally from the original. We read they grieved exceedingly. There was sighing there were probably gasps the shaking of heads you see he has talk to them about this before. If I count correctly.

This is the third time he is brought up the subject. It won't be the last.

But this third time he brings up something he had not mentioned the first two times and that is that he will be betrayed into the hands of his enemies. He tells them bluntly and forthrightly that of the trail is underway. I looked up the word betrayed in Webster's and I found the very first response in the dictionary was that it has the roots to to be a traitor. The word traitor is tucked away within the word betrayed little to the disciples realize that the traitor was standing in their midst that I know that there would be one who would betray him, but to think that he would be one of their own.

They don't know that right now is a matter of fact, I'm convinced Judas was probably among the most trustworthy of the group is the one who held the purse he was their chosen treasurer. What little money they handle. Judas handled it. That John tells us in one of his off-the-cuff comments that he pilfered from that purpose. He took money from it. He was evil to the core. Even though he walked among the 12. I will be betrayed. I am going to be killed, and I think that's all they heard what you are grieving exceedingly. You don't hear everything is being said.

Matter of fact when I thought back over grievous times in my own life. I remember saying things like, what did you just say because much of what was said slipped by me in my grief that I think what happened. I don't believe they realize fully that he would be raised until the day of the resurrection. When I came upon the empty tomb. They did not know what to think. Even though he had mentioned his resurrection more than a few times, but they never could get that clear in their minds. First, it was a miracle that he would come back from beyond the second the grief of his death was too much for them to take in. So now we leave them greedy and I think they were silent. I like that in my Bible. There's a loose blank space between the 23rd verse, and the 24th verse. I think they made the rest of their way to Capernaum in silence, turning over in their minds what life would be like when he was killed. I'm sure they all were asking themselves how are we going to make it without what will we do when we are faced with things that now we simply backed away and let him handle when he's taken from us. How can we go along. It's all that and so much more than occupied their attention once he mentioned that he would be killed before I go further let me remind you that his death was was not an afterthought with the living God. I repeat, he came on the mission from heaven to earth to die. He was ordained to die.

The purpose of his arrival on the planet was that he might live that perfect life being free from sin, that he might die.

The perfect sacrifice he who knew no sin was made sin for us, that we might be made the righteousness of God in him right for possible so they left with her thoughts, lost in their grief.

Nothing more is recorded, because I believe nothing more.

At that time was said to good time for me to add a thought here before we go on in the journey. All of us need to learn how to respect silence. There are times when words get in the way and in fact grab the attention of someone when in in the plan of God in the providence of God, he would have them stay in silence to think think through things when you're in conversation.

Be careful to leave room for silence when you're with another who was struggling with whatever leave room, leave a space for silence.

Don't don't don't fill it in with words, don't be uncomfortable when words aren't flowing as a message in silence that we will otherwise miss.

So there is no talk any further until we arrive at Capernaum map Capernaum is located on the northernmost shore of the loom sea of Galilee. When you travel to Israel. It is one of the places you will always visit you come from the coast and you travel east over a small area of hillside and then you come and overlook the sea of Galilee, and if you continue around the sea. You get to the northern shore where you would find copper not home of male or we know it is Capernaum. This is where Peter lives with his wife and family so there back in Peter's familiar territory where he fished the shores of the Sea of Galilee, and perhaps other disciples lived there. This was sort of headquarters for Jesus evangelistic ministry. So, if you will learn there.

Back home, and there must've been a familiar sight Jesus with his 12 as they walk into the town no doubt people took notice in this case a temple tax collector.

Observe the revival we read the collectors of the temple tax came to Peter. No doubt Peter by now is known as the spokesman for the group so we singles out the one who would normally speak for the group not Jesus, but he spoke to Peter and he asked a question that suggests an affirmative answer. When you read it like that your teacher pays the temple tax doesn't eat your teacher does pay that tax doesn't eat now.

I think in his heart of hearts he would hope that he wasn't paying taxes that he might report him and they would have further grounds of accusation against him, but in fact he was paying those taxes. The problem with this passage as we can take it all the way to begin is that it is on the subject. Nobody wants to hear about. I realize that my wife reminded me of that. Just this morning. The problem with the passage or dealing with his you're talking about things nobody wants to hear about and she's right.

If you had known I was going to talk on taxes. You probably would've found a reason not to come, though, so we didn't tell you ahead of time. We take it as it comes. But this becomes intriguing when you look deeper into it. Like all things in the Bible are problem of course is that most of us are not Jewish.

None of us lives in the first century so we do not come to Herod's Temple. We do not help support the temple with any of our tax money, but if we lived in that day and we were age 20 and older. We would in fact when this patient became the Emperor and the temple of Herod was destroyed in 70 A.D. 8070.

They still required to pay the temple tax. It was a lifelong long-standing obligation that all pay the temple tax when I get to a cultural section like this realizing that no one would be informed of temple taxes. I turned are some of my resources that help clarify in this case. William Barclay does a good job of this delete William Barclay from Great Britain writes these words the temple at Jerusalem was a costly place to run there for the daily morning and evening sacrifices which each involve the offering of a year old, lamb, so every morning and every evening. Someone had to purchase the land and bring in for sacrifices along with the lamb were offered wine and flour and oil and the incense which was burned every day had to be bought and prepared the costly hangings and the roles of the priests could constantly wore out another expense. The role of the high priest was itself worth a king's ransom rights. Barclay, all of this required money lots of money. The tax was in fact the equivalent to two days wages. Every year a man 20 and older must say back to days wage to pay the temple tax and brought into the temple treasury no less than 76,000 pounds a year you configure your own pounds and dollars. I'll let you leave I'll leave that for you. The tax authorities came to Peter and asked him if his master paid those taxes. This hope was that Jesus would refuse to pay for if he refused. The Orthodox whatever ground of accusation against you get the picture. So Peter is confronted with the tax collector asked about Jesus paying taxes.

The response Peter replied yes he does, he pays his tactics in the Peter went into the house before Peter can open his mouth.

Jesus addresses him and does a little love instructing of his own.

It's a teaching moment I call it Jesus never missed one. This is a great moment for Jesus to instruct Peter in this he asked them to questions look at them first.

He said Peter what you think. By the way that the reason some teachers are great teachers is not because they have all the right answers is because they know how to ask the right questions. I it's it's a real gift.

It was said that Socrates was a brilliant teacher, not because he had all the right answers, but because he knew how to ask just the right questions. I remember sitting in a class taught by delete yes Louis Johnson who was a very stern but excellent teacher at Dallas seminary happen to teach Greek. I was taking Romans from Dr. Johnson and also two Corinthians from Dr. Johnson. I have the scars to prove it.

But anyway, back to Romans. I was sitting in the class over so the front row.

God bless you. That said, here and and I was right there. I could even get spit on by the teacher with necessary keys their waxing eloquent and all of a sudden he asked a very good question before I did much thinking I shot my hand up. Mistake number one man is as old Mr. Swint all is here today to give us his profound answer to the question I knew you I was in trouble.

There I slowly broke my hand down and began to answer the question, and you know when you don't really know the answer you give a longer answer it, runs along as the long tails of it, and before long as that stop stop right there. If you continue out on that limb. I'm going to so you all with a hard set of facts that kind of Dr. Johnson say that as a matter fact he did so meal with a hard set of facts not going to tell you some of those top teachers for the best I ever had, Jesus was asked was an excellent most of us can identify with Chuck Swindoll's youthful exuberance in the seminary classroom because we've all had those embarrassing moments of unqualified zeal, please take a mental note of this moment because will resume our study right here in Matthew 17 as insight for living continues. Next time to learn more about this ministry or to see what resources are available for today's topic, please visit us online@insightworld.org.

Now let me remind you that we've had selected one of Chuck's Hallmark books to complement your study in the book of Matthew today I'm directing your attention to the grace awakening. If you begin to question whether or not you're qualified to serve God in any capacity. This book will restore your confidence Peter for all of his full pause and goof ups was not only redeemed, but Peter became a stalwart leader in the early church movement in the grace awakening Chuck assures us none of us measure up to God's standard of perfection and we need to stop trying. Gratefully, God's amazing grace covers our flaws and weaknesses in his Hallmark book, Chuck will help you understand how to rest in God's gift to you, and you can purchase a copy right now by going to insight.org/offer.

Then as we close, let me see a special word of thanks to our monthly companions who understand the importance of their monthly gift. Your generosity means so much as God leads you to support insight for living either with a one time donation or by becoming a monthly companion. We invite you to join the ranks of those making insight for living possible to do that right now by calling us listening in the US, 1-800-772-8880 phone number again 1-800-772-8888 or go online to insight.org/monthly companion join is when Chuck Swindoll continues to about taxes Thursday insight for living. The preceding message, death and taxes was evaluated in 2017 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll. All rights reserved worldwide. Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited