Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy God, please help me find my answers in Jesus as I seek your truth. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

So the Jewish leaders waited for the right time to get Jesus. They sent some men to Jesus. They told these men to act like they were good men. They wanted to find something wrong with the things Jesus said. (If they found something wrong, then they could give Jesus to the governor, who had power and authority {over him}.) So the men asked Jesus, "Teacher, we know that what you say and teach is true. It doesn't matter who is listening—you teach the same to all people. You always teach the truth about God's way. Tell us, is it right that we should pay taxes to Caesar ? Yes or No?" But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. Jesus said to them, "Show me a coin. Whose name is on the coin? And whose picture is on it?" They said, "Caesar's." Jesus said to them, "Then give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. And give to God the things that are God's." The men were amazed at his wise answer. They could say nothing. The men were not able to trick Jesus before the people. Jesus said nothing they could use against him. Some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that people will not rise from death.) They asked Jesus, "Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and had no children, then his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother. One time there were seven brothers. The first brother married a woman, but died. He had no children. Then the second brother married the woman, and he died. And the third brother married the woman, and he died. The same thing happened with all the other brothers. They all died and had no children. The woman was the last to die. But all seven brothers married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will this woman be?" Jesus said to the Sadducees, "On earth, people marry each other. Some people will be worthy to be raised from death and live again after this life. In that life they will not marry. In that life people are like angels and cannot die. They are children of God,because they have been raised from death. Moses clearly showed that people are raised from death. When Moses wrote about the burning bush, he said that the Lord is 'the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. ' {If God said he is their God, then} these men are not really dead. He is God only of living people. All people that belong to God are alive." Some of the teachers of the law said, "Teacher, your answer was very good." No person was brave enough to ask him another question.

Related Scripture Readings

All the people said good things about Jesus. They were amazed at the beautiful words Jesus spoke. The people said, "{How can he speak like this?} He is only Joseph's son, isn't he?" They were amazed at Jesus' teaching, because he spoke with authority (power). The people were amazed. They said to each other, "What does this mean? With authority and power he (Jesus) commands evil spirits and they come out."

The followers of Jesus heard this. Many of the followers said, "This teaching is hard {to accept}. Who can accept this teaching?" Jesus knew that his followers were complaining about this. So Jesus said, "Is this teaching a problem for you? Then will it also be a problem for you to see the Son of Man going back to the place where he came from? It is not the body that gives a person life. It is the spirit that gives life. The things I told you are spirit. And so these things give life. But some of you don't believe." (Jesus knew the people that did not believe. Jesus knew this from the beginning. And Jesus knew the person that would turn against him.) Jesus said, "That is why I said, 'If the Father does not let a person come to me, then that person cannot come.'" After Jesus said these things, many of his followers left him. They stopped following Jesus. Jesus asked the twelve apostles, "Do you want to leave too?" Simon Peter answered Jesus, "Lord, where would we go? You have the things that give life forever. We believe in you. We know that you are the Holy One from God."

So Jesus came to them and said, "All authority (power) in heaven and on earth is given to me. So go and make followers of all people in the world. Baptize them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Teach those people to obey everything that I have told you. You can be sure that I will be with you always. I will continue with you until the end of the world."