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The Coin in the Mouth of the Fish

The Coin in the Mouth of the Fish: The Provision of the King’s Son

A Presentation of Authority from Matthew 17:24-27

This singular miracle, found only in the Gospel of Matthew, is not a dramatic healing or a multiplication of food, but a quiet, powerful display of Christ’s complete Sovereignty over Creation and a lesson in not giving unnecessary offence. It serves as an ultimate testimony that Jesus Christ, the Son of God, is also the Lord of the Temple.

The Return Question: Why Pay a Tax for His Own House?

The Context: The Temple Tax

When Jesus and His disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the Temple tax approached Peter. This was the annual tax of a half-shekel (or two drachmas, known as the didrachma) required of every male Jew for the maintenance and services of the Temple in Jerusalem (Exodus 30:13-16).

“And when they were come to Capernaum, they that received tribute money came to Peter, and said, Doth not your master pay tribute?” (Matthew 17:24, KJV)

The Principle: The Sons Are Free

Before Peter could answer, Jesus preempted the discussion with a fundamental question of kingship:

“What thinkest thou, Simon? of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers? Peter saith unto him, Of strangers. Jesus saith unto him, Then are the children free.” (Matthew 17:25-26, KJV)

The Theological Implication:

  • Jesus, being the Son of God, is the Heir and Lord of the Temple (His Father’s House) which the tax was meant to support.
  • The literal “children of the King” who rules the Temple are therefore exempt from the tax. Jesus clearly asserts His divine right to exemption, extending that royal freedom to Peter, as His chosen disciple and a “son” of the Kingdom.

The Prophetic Hotspot: Power, Purpose, and Provision

Though exempt by right, Jesus chose to pay. This act of voluntary submission reveals the nature of His mission and His authority.

1. The Priority of Not Giving Offence (Submission)

Jesus instructs Peter to pay the tax, not out of obligation, but for the sake of peace and to avoid becoming a stumbling block to others.

“Notwithstanding, lest we should offend them, go thou to the sea, and cast an hook, and take up the fish that first cometh up; and when thou hast opened his mouth, thou shalt find a piece of money: that take, and give unto them for me and thee.” (Matthew 17:27, KJV)

  • This demonstrates the principle that even when one has the divine right to be free, one should sometimes submit to avoid needless controversy (compare with Romans 14 and 1 Corinthians 8). Jesus’s obedience even when not required prefigures His ultimate obedience to the cross.

2. The Demonstration of Omniscience and Omnipotence (Sovereignty)

The miracle itself is a profound assertion of divine control over the natural world:

  • Omniscience: Jesus knew of the coin’s precise location and knew that the first fish caught by Peter would be the one carrying the payment.
  • Omnipotence: He commanded creation—the fish and the sea—to serve His immediate, specific need. The coin, a stater or shekel, was exactly the amount needed to pay the didrachma tax for both Himself and Peter.

3. The Picture of Redemption (Provision)

The instruction to provide the tax for “me and thee” (Jesus and Peter) holds a powerful redemptive symbolism:

  • The Temple tax itself was originally a ransom (Exodus 30:12) to make an atonement for the soul.
  • The miraculous provision of the coin points to the truth that Christ is the ultimate provider of the ransom. The Son of God, who is exempt from all debt, voluntarily provides the payment for Himself and His follower. This anticipates His final, complete payment of the ransom for all who believe, redeeming them from the bondage of sin and adopting them into the royal family as “children of the King.”