Hello everyone, this is Mark Davis, and I want to welcome you to the Gospel Explorations Podcast, where we gather together each week to take time to explore God's word to learn how we have to live in this present age. Let's jump into today's episode. Hello and welcome back to the Gospel Explorations Podcast. This is Mark Davis. I'm your host, and this is episode number 72. In our last episode together, we uh came down from the Mountain of Transfiguration into really what we would call the Valley of Need, and there we saw Jesus triumph where his disciples failed. Now, today in our passage, the tone shifts a little bit, and Jesus turns his disemp, and Jesus turns his disciples' attention forward, and that is to the cross. And then almost unexpectedly we see this moment that seems very small, even we might consider ordinary, and it's a conversation about paying taxes. But in it we need to be careful we don't miss something. Because in this simple moment, Jesus reveals something profound to us about who he is and what it is that he came to do. So if you have your Bibles, let's look at Matthew chapter 17, starting in verse number 22. We read these words, and while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of Man shall be betrayed into the hands of men, and they shall kill him, and the third day he should be raised again, and they were exceeding sorry. We see Jesus here speaking very plainly. The Son of Man should be betrayed, and they shall kill him, and the third day he will be risen again. Now this isn't vague or symbolic, it's a direct statement that he was going to be betrayed, he was going to be put to death, and he was going to rise again. And even in spite of this, the disciples don't understand. And the scriptures tell us that instead of feeling hope, they felt sorrow. Now, the question here is why would they feel this way? Well, it's because they heard the part about death, but they didn't grasp the part about the resurrection. And this happens more than once in the Gospels. Jesus repeatedly tells them what is coming, but it doesn't sink in until after it happens. In Luke 24, we're told that after the resurrection, the angels had to remind them, He is not here but is risen. Remember how he spake unto you. You see, they had heard it, but they had not understood. And if we're honest, I believe we can relate in the same way. We can hear truth, even clear truth, and we can still struggle to believe it when it doesn't fit our expectations. The disciples expected to find a conquering Messiah. They didn't expect him to be a suffering savior. But Jesus never speaks of the cross without also speaking of the resurrection, because death is not the end of the story. And even when we don't fully understand what God is doing, we have the hope that his promises remain true. Now the scene shifts somewhat to something very practical. Look at verses twenty-four and twenty-five. And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter and said, Doth not your master pay tribute? He saith yes. And when he was coming to the house, Jesus prevented him, saying, What thinkest thou, Simon? Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute, of their own children or of strangers? Now this tribute money was a temple tax, and every Jewish man was expected to contribute to the upkeep of the temple. It wasn't a Roman tax, it was a religious obligation. And Peter is asked, Does your master pay the temple tax? And without hesitation, Peter says yes. Then he walks into the house, and before he can even bring it up, Jesus speaks first. That's what it means when the text says Jesus prevented him, that is, he anticipated the conversation. And Jesus asked Peter a question. From whom do kings take taxes? From their own children or from strangers? And Peter gave the obvious answer from strangers. Now look at verse number twenty six. Peter said unto him, Of strangers, Jesus saith to him, then are the children free? And this is the key point. The temple is the house of God. Jesus is the Son of God. So by that logic, Jesus is not obligated to pay the temple tax. The tax is for the house of his father. And the son does not pay taxes to his own house. He is free. Now this is a quiet yet powerful declaration of who Jesus is. He's not just a teacher, he's not just a prophet, he is the Son of God. And yet what happens next is even more powerful. We read this in Matthew 17, 27. Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up, and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money, that taken given to them for me and thee. So Jesus in effect says, I don't have to pay it, but I will. He said, Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them. You see, Jesus chose to pay not out of obligation, but out of wisdom and humility. He didn't insist on his rights, he doesn't create an unnecessary offense, he didn't use his identity as a reason to withdraw from his ordinary responsibilities. Instead, he willingly stepped up to the expectation. Now that alone would have been remarkable, but then he provides the payment in a miraculous way. Jesus told Peter to go to the sea and to cast a hook and to take the first fish and open its mouth, and in it he would find a coin. Now it's important we remember that Peter was a professional fisherman. He used nets, he worked with crews of fishermen, he caught fish in large numbers. So for Jesus to tell him to go catch one fish with a hook, this alone would have been a humbling statement. But what is even more surprising is what happens next. Inside the fish's mouth is exactly enough money to pay the tax for me and thee, he says. How astonishing. Jesus provides in a way that is completely unexpected, yet it's precise and completely sufficient. It's not more than needed, it's not less than needed, it was exactly what was required. And he does it through his authority over creation. The same Lord who commands storms or cast out demons, or even shines his glory on the mountain, is now providing a coin to a fish. This is an important reminder to us that nothing is outside of his control. And what we find revealed about Jesus in this moment is important for us. First, we're reminded that Jesus is the Son. He's not obligated to pay this temple tax because the temple belongs to his father. He's not just part of the system, he stands above it. But then we see Jesus' humility, that even though he is free to not pay the tax, he chooses to pay it. He doesn't insist on his rights, he doesn't create an unnecessary offense, he just walks in wisdom and humility. And then we see Jesus making provision. He meets the need in a way that no one would ever expect. And in the process, he provides not just for himself, but for Peter as well. And this is where the picture gets even more powerful. This moment really is more than a miracle. It's a picture of the gospel. Jesus didn't owe the tax, but he paid it anyway. And he didn't just pay it for himself, he paid it for Peter too. And that's the entire gospel. Jesus owed no debt, he had no sin, no guilt, no obligation, but he stepped in and he paid what he did not owe. The cross is the ultimate picture of this moment. Jesus, the Son who is free, chooses to pay not with a coin, but with his life. So what does this mean for us? Well, first, we should trust what Jesus says, even when we don't fully understand it. The disciples were sorrowful because they didn't grasp the resurrection, but Jesus' words were true. Second, we ought not cling to our rights at the expense of our witness. Jesus could have refused to pay the tax, but he chose not to offend unnecessarily. And the third thing we see here is we must learn to trust God's provision. It may not come in the way that we expect, but it will be exactly what we need. And then last, we are reminded that Jesus has paid what we could not. The one who was free paid the penalty for you and for me. You see, we find here a Savior who speaks of his coming, death, and resurrection, and we find here a son who pays a debt he does not owe. And both of these things point to the same truth that Jesus came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life a ransom for many. So, friend, whatever burden it is that you're carrying today, whatever confusion you may be facing, whatever need you have, Christ calls us to look to him, to trust his word, to rest in his provision, and remember the price he's already paid for those that know him as their personal savior. I want to take a moment just to say thank you for joining me today on the Gospel Explorations podcast. My prayers that this episode has been a help to you. If it has, would you share it with someone else? And don't forget to check out the show notes, where you'll find more questions and further study helps. Until next time, friends, grace and peace. Thanks for listening. I hope that you've been both encouraged and challenged today. If you want to connect with us further, please be sure to check us out on the web at gospelexplorations.com. We look forward to having you join us again next time.