Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Holy and eternal Father, thank you that my life is hidden with Christ in you. Thank you that my future is secure in your nature and grace. Thank you that you have defeated sin and death in Jesus and brought immortality to light and allow me to share in your eternal and divine nature through grace. Now, precious God, please empower me to display my faith in you, my relationship with you, and my confidence because of you, to my friends, family, and coworkers. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

Then the Pharisees left the place where Jesus was teaching. They made plans to catch Jesus saying something wrong. The Pharisees sent some men to Jesus {to trick him}. They sent some of their own followers and some men from the group called Herodians. These men said, "Teacher, we know that you are an honest man. We know that you teach the truth about God's way. You are not afraid of what other people think about you. All men are the same to you. So tell us what you think. Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar ? Yes or no?" But Jesus knew that these men were trying to trick him. So he said, "You hypocrites ! Why are you trying to catch me saying something wrong? Show me a coin used for paying the tax." The men showed Jesus a silver coin. Then Jesus asked, "Whose picture is on the coin? And whose name is written on the coin?" The men answered, "It is Caesar's picture and Caesar's name." Then Jesus said to them, "Give to Caesar the things that are Caesar's. And give to God the things that are God's." Those men heard what Jesus said, and they were amazed. They left him and went away. That same day some Sadducees came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no person will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a question. They said, "Teacher, Moses told us that if a married man dies and he had no children, then his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother. There were seven brothers among us. The first one married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman. Then the second brother also died. The same thing happened to the third brother and all the other brothers. The woman was last to die. But all seven men had married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will she be?" Jesus answered, "You don't understand because you don't know what the Scriptures say. And you don't know about the power of God. At the time when people rise from death, there will be no marriage. People will not be married to each other. Allpeople will be like the angels in heaven. Surely you have read what God said to you about the rising from death? God said, 'I am 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 the God only of living people." All the people heard this. They were amazed at Jesus' teaching.

Grace (kindness) and peace be given to you more and more, because now you know God and Jesus our Lord. Jesus has the power of God. And his power has given us everything we need to live and to serve God. We have these things because we know him. Jesus called us by his glory and goodness. Through his glory and goodness, Jesus gave us the very great and rich gifts that he promised us. With those gifts you can share in being like God. And so the world will not ruin you with the evil things it wants.