Mark 12:18-27
Introduction
In this passage, we have the second of three consecutive attacks on Jesus by certain groups.This time it is the Sadducees.
Bear this in mind as we examine today’s passage.
Verse 18
Now we see that it is the turn of the Sadducees to come with a trap for Jesus. This time the subject is the resurrection from the dead. The Sadducees believed that there is no resurrection.
The Sadducees were one of the religious groups that were part of the ruling body of the Sanhedrin. They had a number of disagreements over theological matters with the Pharisees. Some of the significant differences were as follows:
The Pharisees emphasised the sovereignty of God, whereas the Sadducees believed that the affairs of men and of history were determined solely by the free will of man.
The Pharisees believed in the existence of angels and demons but the Sadducees denied their existence. Bear this in mind when we see the answer that Jesus gives to the Sadducees later.
And finally, the Pharisees believed that the canon of scripture included the Torah (the first 5 books of the Old Testament), the prophets and the wisdom literature. But the Sadducees only accepted the Torah. The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection because they said there was nothing in the Torah about the resurrection and life after death.
Bear this in mind when we see the answer that Jesus gives to the Sadducees later. It’s just worth noting that the Pharisees believed in the resurrection and life after death.
Keep in mind everything I have said as we examine the remainder of today’s text.
Verses 19 to 23
In these verses we see the Sadducees put a conundrum to Jesus in an effort to trap Him and discredit the idea of the resurrection. A conundrum is a confusing and difficult problem or question / a problem that is difficult to deal with.
They start in Verse 19 by quoting a passage from the Torah. Remember that the Sadducees only accepted the Torah as the Word of God. They were quoting Deuteronomy 25:5-6. This is known as the ‘kinsman redeemer commandment.’
In Verses 20 to 22 they put an extreme imaginary scenario to Jesus and then in Verse 23 they put a question to Him based on this scenario. In effect are were asking who is going to be her husband in heaven.
Is this a relevant question for us today? Yes, this is relevant to those who have been married to more than one husband or wife in this life.
In the next two verses we are going to see what Jesus has to say about this.
Verses 24 to 25
In Verse 24 Jesus begins to answer their question by rebuking them. His accusation against them is that they are mistaken because they do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God.
It is still possible today for God to accuse Christians of not knowing or understanding the scriptures. Every believer should have a sound knowledge of the Word of God.
And it is possible today for God to accuse Christians of not understand the power of God. The power of God is at the heart of what it means to be a Christian. We have seen this power at work over and over again throughout Mark’s Gospel. We have seen Jesus calm the storm, raise the dead and heal the sick. See Ephesians 1:18-20. We have God’s resurrection power available to us. We must recognise that power and act in it.
Having rebuked the Sadducees for their wrong thinking, Jesus then begins to correct their thinking in Verse 25. Notice how Jesus starts by saying that they rise from the dead. Straight away Jesus is teaching them that there is such a thing as the resurrection.
Then He says that they neither marry nor are given in marriage. Jesus is saying that there is no marriage in heaven or after the resurrection. Marriage is something that we only experience now in this life. Notice how Jesus uses the example of the angels in heaven who are not married.
The idea of not being married in heaven might seem awful to us now but when we get to heaven it is not going to bother us. This is because life in heaven will be so different to what it is now. In heaven we will experience a depth of joy and delight that we can barely imagine now.
It’s just worth pointing out that, in Verse 25, Jesus affirms the existence of angels which the Sadducees denied.
Verses 26 to 27
Now in Verse 26 Jesus uses a surprising passage from scripture to prove that there is a resurrection. He quotes a verse from the burning bush story in the Book of Exodus. It can be found in Exodus 3:6. In this verse God is revealing something about Himself to Moses.
The first thing that Jesus says in Verse 27 is that God is not the God of the dead but the God of the living. The remarkable thing about this statement from Jesus in relation to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob is that when God spoke to Moses in the burning bush, we know that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob had all died. Even though they had died, God was saying in the present tense that He was their God. This tells us that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still alive.
It is worth noting at this point that Jesus has just shown the Sadducees that the resurrection and life after death is spoken of in the Torah even though they said it wasn’t.
What do verses 26 and 27 mean for us today? It means that God will not let death end our personal existence. In these verses Jesus answers the age-old question of what happens to us when we die. He affirms that life goes on forever.
This refutes the false doctrine of annihilation. This doctrine teaches that there is no life after death. It’s a way of avoiding judgement and personal responsibility for what we do in this life.
And finally, notice what Jesus says at the end of Verse 27. It is a great mistake not to accept what Jesus has taught about the resurrection and life after death. This is especially true for those who are not saved.