GOD IS THE GOD OF THE LIVING

Passage: Mark 12:13-27

Key verse: 27

NIV

Paying the Imperial Tax to Caesar(A)

13 Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians(B) to Jesus to catch him(C) in his words. 14 They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know that you are a man of integrity. You aren’t swayed by others, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. Is it right to pay the imperial tax[a] to Caesar or not? 15 Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”

But Jesus knew their hypocrisy. “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked. “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.” 16 They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose image is this? And whose inscription?”

“Caesar’s,” they replied.

17 Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”(D)

And they were amazed at him.

Marriage at the Resurrection(E)

18 Then the Sadducees,(F) who say there is no resurrection,(G) 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.(H) 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[b] 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(I) 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.(J) 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’[c]?(K) 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!”

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Footnotes
  1. Mark 12:14 A special tax levied on subject peoples, not on Roman citizens
  2. Mark 12:23 Some manuscripts resurrection, when people rise from the dead,
  3. 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

Paying Taxes to Caesar

13 (A)And they sent to him some of (B)the Pharisees and some of (C)the Herodians, to (D)trap him in his talk. 14 And they came and said to him, “Teacher, (E)we know that you are true and do not care about anyone's opinion. For (F)you are not swayed by appearances,[a] but truly teach (G)the way of God. Is it lawful to pay (H)taxes to (I)Caesar, or not? Should we pay them, or should we not?” 15 But, knowing (J)their hypocrisy, he said to them, “Why (K)put me to the test? Bring me (L)a denarius[b] and let me look at it.” 16 And they brought one. And he said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said to him, “Caesar's.” 17 Jesus said to them, (M)“Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that are God's.” And they marveled at him.

The Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

18 And (N)Sadducees came to him, (O)who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that (P)if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man[c] 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 (Q)you know neither the Scriptures nor (R)the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither (S)marry nor (T)are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, (U)have you not read in (V)the book of Moses, in (W)the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, (X)‘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 12:14 Greek you do not look at people's faces
  2. Mark 12:15 A denarius was a day's wage for a laborer
  3. 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

The Pharisees wanted to trap Jesus by asking him a question about taxes. Jesus saw their hypocrisy. Then Jesus said to them, “Give back to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.” We belong to God. We should be ready to give everything to God when he needs us!

Then Sadducees came with a weird story about brothers marrying one woman and all dying without children. They wanted to prove that there is no resurrection. They made a very fatalistic story, filled with the power of death and darkness. Jesus said to them. “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’? He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” God was saying that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still with him in heaven. They are still living with God. There is resurrection in God!

God has power to raise the dead. There is no death for those who believe in him. We will gain eternal life in the kingdom of God. Lord, it is easy to live under the power of death, darkness and fatalism. But you are the God of the living. Jesus has overcome the power of sin and death. We are no longer ruled by the power of death, but through the power of Jesus to overcome the power of death!

Prayer: Help us to have resurrection faith!

One Word: God is God of the living.