Bible Lesson: Prophecies Made By The
Lord Jesus: Payment Of The Temple Tax
The Prophecy: Peter, Catch A Fish,
Pay The Tax
The Fulfillment: Fish With A Coin In
Its Mouth
Bible Text:
Matthew 17:24-27 NLT (Payment of the Temple Tax)
24 On their
arrival in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax came to Peter
and asked him, “Doesn’t your Teacher pay the Temple tax?”
25 “Yes, He
does,” Peter replied. Then he went into the house. But before he
had a chance to speak, Jesus asked him, “What do you think, Peter?
Do kings tax their own people or the people they have conquered?”
26 “They tax
the people they have conquered,” Peter replied. “Well, then,”
Jesus said, “the citizens are free!
27 However, we
don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and
throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you
will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of
us.”
Matthew, the only disciple to relate this story, tells us that Jesus
was at home in Capernaum, and as was their custom, collectors of the
temple tax came looking for funds (support for the temple).
Exodus 30:11-16 GNT (The Tax for the Tent of the Lord's
Presence.)
11 The Lord
said to Moses,
12 “When you
take a census of the people of Israel, each man is to pay Me a price
for his life, so that no disaster will come on him while the census
is being taken.
13 Everyone
included in the census must pay the required amount of money, weighed
according to the official standard. Everyone must pay this as an
offering to Me.
14 Everyone
being counted in the census, that is, every man twenty years old or
older, is to pay Me this amount.
15 The rich man
is not to pay more, nor the poor man less, when they pay this amount
for their lives.
16 Collect this
money from the people of Israel and spend it for the upkeep of the
Tent of My presence. This tax will be the payment for their lives,
and I will remember to protect them.”
A half-shekel temple tax was due from everyone 20 years and older,
(refusal to pay meant that one was apostate). How did Peter know
that, yes Jesus was faithful in paying His tax (temple tax)? He knew
only too well by the directive given to Moses by The Lord, for every
Jew in Israel (20 years old and above).
All this leads one to believe that either it was just the two of
them, Peter and Jesus, and or, of them all (the twelve and Jesus),
only Jesus and Peter were older than 20.
Jesus told Peter to go fishing, and that a coin (A Stater-Roman Coin,
worth one Shekel, enough for taxes for two people.), would be found
in the fishes mouth.
Matthew so matter of factly writes the encounter, he does not bother
to show the miraculous details of the fish and its coin, it's just
known, if Jesus said it, it would be so.
Lessons From
This Story:
How many a dear soul has preached about the abundance of The Lord's
wealth, and true it is!
Psalm 50:10 KJV
For every beast
of the forest is Mine, and the cattle upon a thousand hills.
Luke 6:38 KJV
Give, and it
shall be given unto you; good measure, pressed down, and shaken
together, and running over, shall men give into your bosom. For with
the same measure that ye mete withal it shall be measured to you
again.
But a great Truth, often over looked, is that we are “Citizens of Heaven.”
Matthew 17:26
NLT
“They tax the people they have conquered,” Peter replied.
“Well, then,” Jesus said, “the citizens are free!
Jesus knew that the temple was His Fathers House, and therefore His
own, as well, and so did not need to pay tax. He was the God Of All
The Earth, The Creator, The King Of kings, and Lord of lords, and as
His follower, Peter himself, was a son of The King, and free.
John 8:36 KJV
If The Son
therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.
Ephesians 1:3-5
KJV
3 Blessed be
The God And Father Of Our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath blessed us with
all spiritual blessings in heavenly places in Christ:
4 According as
He hath chosen us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we
should be holy and without blame before Him in love:
5 Having
predestinated us unto the adoption of children by Jesus Christ
to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will,
Ephesians
2:4-7,19-21 KJV
4 But God, who
is rich in mercy, for His great love wherewith He loved us,
5 Even when we
were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace
ye are saved;)
6
And hath raised
us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ
Jesus:
7 That in the
ages to come He might shew the exceeding riches of His grace in His
kindness toward us through Christ Jesus.
19 Now
therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow
citizens with the saints, and of the household of God;
20 And are
built upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ
Himself being
The Chief
Corner Stone;
21 In whom all
the building fitly framed together groweth unto an holy temple in The
Lord:
22 In whom ye
also are builded together for an habitation of God through The
Spirit.
Galatians 3:26
KJV
For ye are all
the children of God by faith in Christ Jesus.
As Christians we not only have our names written in The Lamb's Book
Of Life, but are Citizens of heaven.
Hebrews 11:13-16 KJV (Read the whole chapter.)
13 These all
died in faith, not having received the promises, but having seen them
afar off, and were persuaded of them, and embraced them, and
confessed that they were strangers and pilgrims on the earth.
14 For they
that say such things declare plainly that they seek a country.
15 And truly,
if they had been mindful of that country from whence they came out,
they might have had opportunity to have returned.
16 But now they
desire a better country, that is, an heavenly: wherefore God
is not ashamed to be called their God: for He hath prepared for them
a city.
A Child Of The
King
Once I was clothed in the rags of my sin,
Wretched and poor, lost and lonely within,
But with wond'rous compassion the King of all kings,
In pity and love, took me under His wing.
Chorus
Oh, yes, oh, yes, I'm a child of the King
His royal blood now flows in my viens.
And I who was wretched and poor, now can sing,
"Praise God, Praise God, I'm a child of the King."
Now I'm a child with a heavenly home.
My Holy Father has made me His own.
And I'm cleansed by His blood, And I'm clothed in His love,
And someday I'll sing with the angels above.
Chorus
Oh, yes, oh, yes, I'm a child of the King
His royal blood now flows in my viens.
And I who was wretched and poor, now can sing,
Praise God, Praise God, I'm a child of the King."
By Cindy Walker
© 1961, renewal 1989 by Cindy Walker-Orce Music
All rights reserved
Romans 8:16 KJV
"The
Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the
children of God:"
Matthew 17:27
NLT
However, we
don’t want to offend them, so go down to the lake and
throw in a line. Open the mouth of the first fish you catch, and you
will find a large silver coin. Take it and pay the tax for both of
us.”
And Peter went, the fish came, and the tax was paid.
The Lord Jesus is King of kings, tribute should be paid to Him, and
yet, not willing to offend them, He paid the temple tax.
And we the very children of God, the very kings and priests of God
(Heir Apparent), we have His resources as well.
Psalm 55:22 KJV
Cast thy burden
upon The Lord, and He shall sustain thee: He shall never suffer the
righteous to be moved.
Psalm 84:11 KJV
For The Lord
God is a Sun and Shield: The Lord will give grace and glory: no good
thing will He withhold from them that walk uprightly.
I Peter 5:7 KJV
Casting all
your care upon Him; for He careth for you.
Genesis 22:6-14 KJV (Abraham and his only son Isaac.)
6 And Abraham
took the wood of the burnt offering, and laid it upon Isaac his son;
and he took the fire in his hand, and a knife; and they went both of
them together.
7 And Isaac
spake unto Abraham his father, and said, My father: and he said, Here
am I, my son. And he said, Behold the fire and the wood: but where is
the lamb for a burnt offering?
8 And Abraham
said, My son, God will provide Himself a lamb for a burnt offering:
so they went both of them together.
9 And they came
to the place which God had told him of; and Abraham built an altar
there, and laid the wood in order, and bound Isaac his son, and laid
him on the altar upon the wood.
10 And Abraham
stretched forth his hand, and took the knife to slay his son.
11 And The
Angel Of The Lord called unto him out of heaven, and said, Abraham,
Abraham: and he said, Here am I.
12 And he said,
Lay not thine hand upon the lad, neither do thou any thing unto him:
for now I know that thou fearest God, seeing thou hast not withheld
thy son, thine only son from Me.
13 And Abraham
lifted up his eyes, and looked, and behold behind him a ram caught in
a thicket by his horns: and Abraham went and took the ram, and
offered him up for a burnt offering in the stead of his son.
14
And Abraham called the name of that place Jehovah
jireh (The
Lord will provide):
as it is said to this day, In the mount of The Lord it shall be seen.
Our Lord provided for Abraham, and for Peter and He will provide for
us.
Psalm 23:1 ERV
The Lord is my
Shepherd. I will always have everything I need
