THE SCRIPTURES AND THE POWER OF GOD

Passage: Mark 12:18-27

Key verse: 27

NIV

Marriage at the Resurrection(A)

18 Then the Sadducees,(B) who say there is no resurrection,(C) came to him with a question. 19 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.(D) 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection[a] whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

24 Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures(E) or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.(F) 26 Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’[b]?(G) 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 12:23 Some manuscripts resurrection, when people rise from the dead,
  2. Mark 12:26 Exodus 3:6
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

18 And (A)Sadducees came to him, (B)who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (C)if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man[a] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.”

24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because (D)you know neither the Scriptures nor (E)the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither (F)marry nor (G)are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, (H)have you not read in (I)the book of Moses, in (J)the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, (K)‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 12:19 Greek his brother
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. No marriage in heaven (18-23)

The Sadducees were the top leaders in the Jewish religion, yet they did not believe in heaven or in hell, nor in spiritual reality. They were trying to entrap Jesus when they asked a question about a hypothetical woman who followed the levirate law and married seven brothers, successively. The Sadducees' question, 'In the resurrection, whose wife would she be?' reveals their ignorance--and their preoccupation with death and sex. Spiritual reality cannot be understood in physical terms. No earthly joy can add to the joy of heaven. There is no need for physical marriage in heaven.

2. God of the living (24-27)

Jesus saw their deeper problem: They did not believe the Scriptures or the power of God. God is living. He is the Giver of life. The Bible teaches that the patriarchs who have left this world are still alive and are with God in heaven (Ex 3). Our hope is in the living God.

Prayer: Lord, teach me your word and your almighty resurrection power.

One Word: God of Abraham; God of the living; my God