Mark 12:18 And some Sadducees came to Him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they questioned Him, saying, 19 Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if anyone's brother dies and leaves a wife behind and leaves no child, his brother should take the wife and raise up seed to his brother. 20 There were seven brothers. And the first took a wife, and when he died, he left no seed; 21 And the second took her and died, leaving behind no seed; and the third similarly; 22 And the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife. 24 Jesus said to them, Is it not because of this that you err, that you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in the heavens. 26 But concerning the dead, that they are raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the section concerning the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, "I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob"? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You err greatly.
In 12:18-27 the Sadducees came to the Lord Jesus. The Sadducees were a sect among the Jews (Acts 5:17). They did not believe in the resurrection, nor in angels, nor in spirits (Acts 23:8). In Mark 12:18-27 the Sadducees thought that they could defeat the Lord Jesus regarding the matter of resurrection. The Sadducees thought that they were very clever in asking the Lord such a question. The Lord Jesus said to them, "Are you not deceived because of this--not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God?" (v. 24). Knowing the Scriptures is one thing, and knowing the power of God is another. We need to know both. Here "the Scriptures" refer to the verses of the Old Testament concerning resurrection, and "the power of God" refers to the power of resurrection. The Lord went on to say that in the resurrection there will not be any marriage [v. 25] . The Lord Jesus, however, did not stop here. He continued [in vv. 26-27] . Since God is the God of the living and is called the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, therefore these three who had died, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, will be resurrected. This is the way the Lord Jesus expounded the Scriptures--not only by the letter, but by the life and power implied within them. Furthermore, Jehovah is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. If they will not be resurrected, how could God be called their God? He would never be known as the God of the dead--He is the God of the living. Therefore, this title indicates resurrection. (c) Living Stream Ministry.
Bible verses are taken from the Recovery Version of the Bible and Words of Ministry from Witness Lee, Life-study of Mark, pp. 326-327. Both are published by Living Stream Ministry, Anaheim, CA. Please visit us at www.emanna.com. Send comments to: [email protected].
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