Death and Taxes

The sermon centers on Jesus' supreme authority over both death and taxes, revealing His divine nature and redemptive purpose through a close examination of Matthew 17:22–27. It emphasizes that Jesus' prediction of His betrayal and resurrection underscores His sovereignty over death, not only as the sinless Son of Man who willingly laid down His life, but also as the one whose death was divinely orchestrated by the Father for the salvation of sinners, fulfilling prophecy and demonstrating God's love and justice. The second part, involving the temple tax, illustrates Jesus' freedom from human institutions while affirming His humility and grace, as He instructs Peter to pay the tax through a miraculous fish, thereby affirming His divine power and His role as the new Adam who exercises perfect dominion over creation. The sermon calls believers to marvel at Jesus as both God and man, to live with humble grace in non-essential matters, and to prioritize the gospel over legalistic divisions, ultimately exalting Christ as Lord over all creation, death, and human systems, and inviting all to repent and believe in Him for eternal life.