A well-known apologist recounted the story of the inane, asinine, and incredulous attempt of the scribes and Pharisees to incriminate Christ before the masses. Jesus said to them, “Bring Me a penny. Whose image and superscription is on it?”
“Caesar’s,” they said. Jesus replied, “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God, the things that are God’s.” The apologist joked that he wished Jesus wouldn’t have said that. At the time, the apologist was in the United States, and it was nearing April 15th, which is when taxes are due. He also mentioned that it would have been nice if it were made clear exactly what belonged to God.
“Whose image and superscription?” Interesting. When Christ was crucified, Pilate had a sign put above Him, and on it was written “This is Jesus Christ: the King of the Jews”. Pontius Pilate had those words written in Latin, Hebrew, and Greek. All who passed by would know at least one of those languages.
When Moses was told by God to go and tell Pharaoh to free His people, Moses asked the Lord, “Who do I say to the Children of Israel when they ask who sent me?” God replied, “I am that I am.” In Hebrew, the name that would be accounted to the name Yahweh – “I Am that I am.”
When I was younger, in response to the questions “Who are you?” or “What’s your name?” it was a lot more common for the person to answer, “I am,” followed by his or her name.
Another point to consider is that products and creations have trademarks and serial numbers, showing their manufacturers and the companies that own them. These symbols show that they’re sent from a particular company, and are property of that particular company. Every time when we say ‘I am’, we are referencing our “serial number” followed by our name – I am meaning “I Am that I am.”
The Bible says we are already made in the image of God. He made us, male and female, as referenced in Genesis 1:26-27. We weren’t created directly from the dirt and the dust of the earth, but Adam was. Eve was created out of his rib, and subsequently from them whom God created, so we are also creations of God, made in the image of God.
So, “whose image and superscription” are we? We’re created in the image of God. We’re constantly saying ‘I am’ referencing God, Yahweh, ‘I Am that I am’. “Render therefore unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s.” We all do have to pay our taxes.
“Render unto God the things that are God’s.” What belongs to God? We do, and all that we have. That’s why the Bible says we ought to “love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, with all thy soul, with all thy mind, with all thy strength.” Romans 12:1 says “I beseech you therefore brother by the mercies of God that you present your bodies a living sacrifice, wholly acceptable unto God which is your reasonable service.”