Bible Reading
Mark 12:13-17 “And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk. And they came and said to him, "Teacher, we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For you are not swayed by appearances, but truly teach the way of God. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?" But, knowing their hypocrisy, he said to them, "Why put me to the test? Bring me a denarius and let me look at it." And they brought one. And he said to them, "Whose likeness and inscription is this?" They said to him, "Caesar's." Jesus said to them, "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's." And they were amazed at him.”
[24:50]Mark 12:28-31 “And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?" Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.' The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.”
[43:02]Mark 12:18-27 “And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
[32:20]Observation questions
- What details in Mark 12 show that the Pharisees and Herodians were trying to trap Jesus rather than honestly learn from Him? [25:33]
- What does Jesus ask to see before answering the question about paying taxes, and what does He point out about it?
- What beliefs of the Sadducees make their question about resurrection especially revealing? [32:59]
- In Jesus’ answer about the greatest commandments, what two directions of love are joined together, and how does the teacher of the law respond?
Interpretation questions
- Why was Jesus’ answer about Caesar and God not an escape from the tax question, but a deeper answer about what belongs to God? [30:35]
- Jesus tells the Sadducees that they do not understand the Scriptures or God’s power. What assumptions about eternal life were they bringing into their question, and how does Jesus correct those assumptions? [35:30]
- What does God calling Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob reveal about the resurrection and God’s relationship with His people? [41:41]
- Why can love for God not be separated from love for people, including difficult people and enemies? [48:00]
Application questions
- Jesus knows not only what people do, but also why they do it—and why they resist what He calls them to do. Is there an area of life where an excuse has covered up resistance to God: a relationship, finances, schedule, service, or something else? What would honest surrender look like? [31:27]
- What is one hard or honest question about God, faith, suffering, obedience, or the future that has been left unspoken? What might it look like to bring that question to God and remain open to His answer? [51:31]
- Loving God with all the heart, soul, mind, and strength includes more than attending worship. Where is most of the group’s energy, attention, and strength going right now? Is there anything that needs to be reordered so that love for God is more visible in daily life? [56:24]
- Who is a “neighbor” in everyday life right now—a family member, coworker, stranger, or someone difficult to be around? What is one specific way love, patience, mercy, or service could be shown to that person this week? [48:43]
- Is there someone who is hard to love because of disagreement, hurt, annoyance, or conflict? What would it mean to treat that person as someone made in God’s image without pretending that the conflict does not matter? [49:10]
- When feelings of being unlovable or unworthy show up, how can remembering Christ’s love and sacrifice change the way a person sees himself or herself—and then treats others? [55:44]
