Who’s Image

The religious leaders tried to trick Jesus so that they would get Him in trouble with the Romans over paying taxes.  But Jesus saw through their deceit and answered their question in a way that they marveled at Him.  Read Matthew 22:15-22, “Then the Pharisees went and plotted how they might entangle Him in His talk. And they sent to Him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, ‘Teacher, we know that You are true, and teach the way of God in truth; nor do You care about anyone, for You do not regard the person of men. Tell us, therefore, what do You think? Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?’ But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, ‘Why do you test Me, you hypocrites? Show Me the tax money.’ So they brought Him a denarius. And He said to them, ‘Whose image and inscription is this?’ They said to Him, ‘Caesar’s.’

And He said to them, ‘Render therefore to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.’ When they had heard these words, they marveled, and left Him and went their way.”

The religious leaders thought they had Jesus trapped by the question they asked because the Pharisees would accuse Jesus of not being loyal to God if He gave the wrong answer and the Herodians would accuse Him of rebellion against Rome if He was to say that they shouldn’t pay taxes, they were opposing parties and for the most part enemies.

I listen to Ravi Zacharias quite often and I have heard him say that the man should have asked him this question, whose image is on you?  Read what it says in Genesis 1:26-27, “Then God said, ‘Let Us make man in Our image, according to Our likeness; let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.’ So God created man in His own image; in the image of God He created him; male and female He created them.”

We know from the Word that God’s image is on us, so if that is true and I believe it is, then we belong to God.  That must be the reason that no one can really be happy, content and satisfied without a personal relationship with God.  We are not here to die with the most toys or even to be an idol or to have the most money or the most power or prestige or popularity, we are here to honor and love God above everything else and to love our families and neighbors, which even includes our enemies and to be an example of Jesus.  God loved us so much that He made us in His image and likeness and even when we rebel against Him and sin, which we all have, He still loves us and wants us to have a relationship with Him.  

Our sins separate us from God because he is so pure and holy, so in our unregenerate state we could never meet His standards, so He made a way that we could be in right standing with Him.  There had to be the shedding of blood for a sin sacrifice, for without it there could be no forgiveness of sins and we, being born in sin, had to have a way for our sins to be atoned for because we have all sinned and fell short of the glory of God.  So God sent His beloved Son, Jesus Christ, to be that atonement for our sins.  

All down through the ages animals were sacrificed for sins, but read what it says in Hebrews 9:11-29, “But Christ came as High Priest of the good things to come, with the greater and more perfect tabernacle not made with hands, that is, not of this creation. Not with the blood of goats and calves, but with His own blood He entered the Most Holy Place once for all, having obtained eternal redemption. For if the blood of bulls and goats and the ashes of a heifer, sprinkling the unclean, sanctifies for the purifying of the flesh, how much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without spot to God, cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God? And for this reason He is the Mediator of the new covenant, by means of death, for the redemption of the transgressions under the first covenant, that those who are called may receive the promise of the eternal inheritance.

For where there is a testament, there must also of necessity be the death of the testator. For a testament is in force after men are dead, since it has no power at all while the testator lives. Therefore not even the first covenant was dedicated without blood. For when Moses had spoken every precept to all the people according to the law, he took the blood of calves and goats, with water, scarlet wool, and hyssop, and sprinkled both the book itself and all the people, saying, “This is the blood of the covenant which God has commanded you.” Then likewise he sprinkled with blood both the tabernacle and all the vessels of the ministry. And according to the law almost all things are purified with blood, and without shedding of blood there is no remission.

Therefore it was necessary that the copies of the things in the heavens should be purified with these, but the heavenly things themselves with better sacrifices than these. For Christ has not entered the holy places made with hands, which are copies of the true, but into heaven itself, now to appear in the presence of God for us; not that He should offer Himself often, as the high priest enters the Most Holy Place every year with blood of another— He then would have had to suffer often since the foundation of the world; but now, once at the end of the ages, He has appeared to put away sin by the sacrifice of Himself. And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment, so Christ was offered once to bear the sins of many. To those who eagerly wait for Him He will appear a second time, apart from sin, for salvation.”

Read 2 Corinthians 5:18-21, “Now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation.

Now then, we are ambassadors for Christ, as though God were pleading through us: we implore you on Christ’s behalf, be reconciled to God. For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.”

Now read John 3:16-17, “For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.”

So if you are reading this and have never committed your life to Christ or maybe you have been backsliding for a while make things right today.  Repent, by turning away from your sins, and ask the Lord to forgive you and to be the Lord of your life.  Then find a friend and share what you have done and start growing in your new found faith, reading and studying God’s Word and spending time in prayer.  Start fellowshipping with other believers.  When you make this commitment, don’t be in a hurry; let the Lord fill you with His peace, love and joy.  I think this is the most important choice you will ever make and if you are sincere it will change your life forever for the better.  

Have a super day and may the good Lord bless you and yours!!