Give to Caesar
"And to God what is God's"
Two things you can tap
- A verse number shows the Bible’s exact words.
- An underlined word shows what it means.
Story
What happened?
Tap a verse number, like , to read the Bible’s exact words.
The whole story, in shortWhat happens, start to finish. Open it if you want the ending first.
In the temple courts, spies tried to trap Jesus by asking whether it was right to pay taxes to Caesar. Jesus asked whose image was on a coin and said, "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's." Then some Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, asked whose wife a woman married to seven brothers would be, and Jesus said that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
Where it is in the Bible: Luke 20:20-40
Who’s who and what came beforePeople, places, and the story so far. Open it anytime.
Scene Card
Cast
- Jesus: The one the Gospels present as the promised Messiah and the Son of God. It is a few days before he dies.
- Spies: Men sent by the religious leaders. They pretend to be honest so they can trap Jesus.
- The Sadducees: A group of leaders, many of them priests. They do not believe the dead will rise.
- Some scribes: Teachers of God's law, listening in.
Setting
- The temple courts in Jerusalem.
When
- Holy Week, about 2,000 years ago, a few days before Jesus was crucified.
Before the Story
Jesus had ridden into Jerusalem. Crowds praised him as King (19:38).
Jesus taught every day in the temple. The leaders were looking for a way to kill him, but the people hung on his every word (19:47-48).
The leaders had to be careful. If Jesus said something against Rome, they could hand him over to the Roman governor. If he said something people didn't like, the crowds might turn on him.
Map of the Story
| Scene | Verses | What happens |
|---|---|---|
| 1. A trap | 20:20-22 | Spies ask about paying taxes |
| 2. Whose picture? | 20:23-26 | Jesus asks for a coin |
| 3. Seven brothers | 20:27-33 | The Sadducees ask a trick question about the resurrection |
| 4. The God of the living | 20:34-40 | Jesus says the dead will rise |
Plain Retelling
Scene 1 of 4A Trap
The leaders watched Jesus closely. They sent spies who pretended to be sincere.
They hoped to catch him saying something wrong, so they could hand him over to the Roman governor.
The spies started with flattery. "Teacher," they said, "we know that You speak and teach correctly" (20:21).
Then came the trap. "Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar or not?" (20:22). Caesar was the Roman emperor.
If Jesus said yes, the people would be angry, because they hated paying Rome. If he said no, the Romans could arrest him.
Scene 2 of 4Whose Picture?
But Jesus saw through their trick.
"Show Me a denarius. Whose image and inscription are on it?" (20:24). A denarius was a silver Roman coin.
"Caesar's," they answered (20:24).
"Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's" (20:25).
They couldn't trap him. They were amazed at his answer, and they went quiet.
Scene 3 of 4Seven Brothers
Next came some Sadducees. They did not believe that the dead would rise.
They told Jesus a story. God's law said that if a man died without children, his brother should marry the widow.
There were seven brothers. The first married a woman and died. Then the second married her, and the third, and all seven died. Then the woman died too.
"So then, in the resurrection, whose wife will she be? For all seven were married to her" (20:33).
They thought the question made the resurrection sound silly.
Scene 4 of 4The God of the Living
Jesus said that life in this age includes marriage. But life after the resurrection is different.
"In fact, they can no longer die, because they are like the angels" (20:36).
Then Jesus pointed to Moses, whom the Sadducees trusted. At the burning bush, God called himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. They had died long before.
"He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive" (20:38).
Some scribes said, "Teacher, You have spoken well!" (20:39).
After that, nobody dared to ask him any more questions.
Meaning
What does it mean?
Read It
What Does This Mean?
| The text says | It means |
|---|---|
| "Spies who pretended to be sincere" (20:20) | They weren't really asking. They wanted to trap Jesus. |
| "Whose image and inscription are on it?" (20:24) | The coin carried Caesar's picture, so it belonged to Caesar. |
| "Give to Caesar what is Caesar's" (20:25) | It is right to pay taxes and respect the government. |
| "And to God what is God's" (20:25) | People carry God's image. We belong to God. |
| "They can no longer die" (20:36) | The resurrection is a new kind of life that never ends. |
| "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living" (20:38) | People who die trusting God are alive to him. |
Back Then
The Roman coin had the emperor's face. The inscription called Tiberius Caesar the son of a god. Many Jewish people found that offensive.
The Sadducees only accepted the first five books of the Bible as their authority. That is why Jesus answered them from Moses.
God's law about a brother's widow is in Deuteronomy 25:5-6. It protected a widow and kept the family name alive.
Literal Reader Alert
Does this mean God and the government are equal? No. Jesus says to give the government what it is owed, like taxes. But everything, even Caesar, belongs to God.
Will people be married in heaven? Jesus said life after the resurrection is different. That doesn't mean people forget the ones they loved. Jesus didn't say more, and neither should we.
Do people become angels when they die? No. Jesus said people will be like the angels in one way: they will never die again. People stay people, raised to new life.
How People Feel
| Who | Feeling | Why |
|---|---|---|
| The spies | Sneaky | They pretended to be sincere (20:20) |
| The spies | Amazed | Jesus's answer left them speechless (20:26) |
| The Sadducees | Smug | They thought they had a question with no answer (20:33) |
| Some scribes | Impressed | "Teacher, You have spoken well!" (20:39) |
For you
What does it mean for me?
Your Turn
What do you belong to? Tap one.
God
You carry God's image, like a coin carries a picture. You belong to him.
My country
You can be a good citizen. Jesus said give Caesar what is Caesar's.
Not sure
Jesus says you are God's. He made you and loves you.
Someone died
Jesus says God is the God of the living. To him, all are alive.
You Might Have Heard
"When you die, that's the end."
What's true: Death is real, and it is sad. Jesus wept when his friend died.
What the story is mainly about: Jesus said the dead will rise. God is "not the God of the dead, but of the living" (20:38). A few days later, Jesus himself rose from the dead.
Where Jesus is: In the temple courts, a few days before his own death, saying that death is not the end.
Good News
People tried to trap Jesus. He told them the truth: we belong to God, and God is the God of the living.
"He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to Him all are alive" (20:38).
Jesus died and rose again. Because he lives, everyone who belongs to him will live too.
You belong to God. And because Jesus rose, death does not have the last word.
Big Idea
Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's. You belong to God, and he is the God of the living.
If this story brings up big feelings, talk with someone you trust, like a parent, pastor, or counselor.
For leaders and parentsLuther, church readings, and notes for teaching.
From Luther
Luther taught that God rules the world in two ways. Through governments, he keeps order. Through the gospel, he forgives and saves. Christians honor the government, but they belong to God first.
In Church
Many churches follow the Revised Common Lectionary. In Year A, it reads Matthew's version of the coin question, Matthew 22:15-22 (Lectionary 29). In Year C, it reads Luke 20:27-38 in November (Lectionary 32).
We quote Luther for what he got right about grace. He also wrote terrible things about Jewish people. Read our note on that.
Memorize
How do I keep it?
One line from this story to learn by heart. Practice a little now. It will come back later so it sticks.
Give to Caesar what is Caesar's, and to God what is God's.
How did that feel?
Using this at church
Read in church on
For a newsletter or sermon notes
Give to Caesar, explained in plain words. Leaders try to trap Jesus with a coin and a trick question about seven brothers. About 9 minutes. https://freescripture.org/stories/give-to-caesar/
Lines for the next eight Sundays, on Digital Lutheran Church