Mark 12:18-27

Last week I shared with you the confrontational nature of this period of Jesus' life. This is his passion week, the week he will die on the cross, and the religious and political leaders of his day are building a case against him. We've already seen how the Pharisees and Herodians challenged him about Rome's occupation. Today we will observe the Sadducees challenge Jesus.

18a And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection.

The Sadducees

Before considering the challenge, we must consider who brought the challenge. The Sadducees were another religious group from that era, but they were opposed to the Pharisees in almost every way. Jesus had some views in common with the Pharisees, but none with the Sadducees.

So who were they? Mark only mentions them here. They are not detailed often in Scripture, but there are a few characteristics we can glean about them from history.

First, they rejected the supernatural. This is the most important thing to know about them because it will form the foundation of their question to Jesus. They did not believe in a spiritual dimension. They did not believe in angels. And they did not believe in life after death or any resurrection of God's people to live in heaven forever with God. Again, this will influence their challenge of Jesus.

Second, they had a low view of the Bible. Though they likely read and studied other parts of the Bible, it seems they thought only the first five books -- Genesis through Deuteronomy -- were authoritative. They thought later prophets and writers after Moses could not have established pure doctrine. Rather than highly esteem Scripture, they had a low view of the Bible.

Third, they were the minority view at that time, but the one in the highest positions of clerical power. The people disagreed with them. The Pharisees outnumbered them. But they had ascended the ranks and had become the aristocratic, wealthy, and influential religious group in Israel. Well educated yet skeptical of anything supernatural, they became the religious elite.

You've seen this in modern times; imagine the History Channel overlooking thousands of credible Christian scholars for an interview in favor of liberal religious scholars who cast doubt on nearly everything in Scripture. Today's liberal theologians and scholars -- and I don't mean politically liberal, but theologically liberal -- are represented in Jesus' day by the Sadducees.

No Resurrection

Now, as I said, this group did not believe in the future resurrection of God's people. Mark says, "And Sadducees came to him, who say there is no resurrection " (18).

This is not Mark's way of saying they doubted Jesus' resurrection. They didn't even know he would rise from the dead. What they doubted was a standard doctrine among God's people at that time (and in our time): the resurrection of all people, some to eternal life and some to eternal death.

18b And they asked him a question, saying, 19 "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man 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."

Their Hypothetical

Their way of debunking the doctrine of the future resurrection was to share an elaborate hypothetical situation with Jesus. It might seem confusing to us, but was easily understood by everyone there that day.

Their whole hypothetical situation was based on an Old Testament practice called Levirate marriage. It has nothing to do with Levites, but the word "levir," from which their word for "brother" came. This law was articulated in Deuteronomy 25:5-10 as a way to protect women's land ownership rights in ancient Israel. If a man was married and died without bearing an heir who would inherit his land, his brother would then marry the widow, and they would attempt to bear children together. The child would be the rightful heir of the deceased husband, thus keeping the land in the family. It became complicated and massaged in its application over the years, but it was a general practice in ancient Israelite culture.

Well, the Sadducees mocked the idea of life after death, and they used this Old Testament societal law as a way to mock it. They painted the picture of a family of seven brothers who all died before they could raise an heir with the widow. All seven had her as wife (23). You can imagine them snickering when they asked Jesus, "In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be?" (23).

24 Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?

You Are Wrong

I want to first point out Jesus' first words: "Is this not the reason you are wrong?" (24). They were wrong. And Jesus was about to tell them how and why they were wrong. But they were wrong.

I mention this because we live in a time when -- though it should be obvious some are wrong, and some are right -- many like to imagine that, especially in matters of religion, everyone is right. Or, perhaps more popularly, everything but Christianity is right. Simultaneously, everything is right. Even when in contradiction to each other. "Your truth," "my truth," but no "the truth." It's insane. But Jesus knew these Sadducees were wrong about life after death, and he said so.

Jesus Confronts Their Issues

And Jesus gave them two major reasons they were wrong. First, they didn't know the Scriptures (24). Second, they didn't know the power of God (24).

They didn't know the Bible. And they didn't know God's power. Now, Jesus is going to elaborate on both of these problems, but in reverse order. First, he will show them how they didn't know God's power. Then he will show them how they didn't know God's word.

25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.

They Didn't Know The Power Of God

This is Jesus' way of showing them how they didn't know the power of God. They didn't realize God would raise his people from the dead (25). They didn't understand that in the resurrected state, his people would not marry or be given in marriage (25). They didn't comprehend that, in matters of marriage in heaven, God would make us like angels who never marry (25).

Now I know there's a lot to talk about here. We have questions. Is there really no marriage in heaven? Will we know each other in heaven? Will there be anything special about our loved ones in heaven?

But before tackling those questions, I want you to see this problem in the Sadducees' thinking. Jesus already said it. They didn't know the power of God (24). They were ignorant of it, and because they couldn't imagine God's power, they couldn't believe in a future resurrection. They were naturalists, and they objected to anything supernatural, anything they couldn't count and calculate by themselves.

But they forgot to account for God's power.

And this lack of conviction about God's power often leads people into the Sadducean error. You read something in the Bible, you hear a doctrine announced from Scripture, and since you cannot put God's power into the equation, you consider the Scripture or Scriptural doctrine a falsehood. Let me give some examples.

Take the Christian and biblical doctrine of the Trinity. The Bible makes a few truths abundantly clear.

God is one. We aren't polytheists. Biblical people never have been. All the way back to Abraham's day, biblical people have worshipped one God. For years, Israel has stated:

"Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one." (Deuteronomy 6:4, ESV)

But the Bible also portrays God the Father, God the Son (Jesus), and God the Spirit. So the Bible demonstrates God is one, but also declares three persons are God.

Additionally, the Bible declares the Father, Son, and Spirit to be distinct from one another -- and working in harmony. In other words, God doesn't show up as Father one day, the Son the next, and the Spirit the next.

So God is one. But he is Father, Son, and Spirit -- three persons. So, though the mind cannot accurately fathom this truth, the historical Christian church has concluded God is a Triunity -- the Trinity.

But if someone does not take into account the mysterious and transcendent power of God, they will never believe such a doctrine. This was the Sadducees' problem -- they didn't know the power of God.

Here's another example: the infallible nature of God's word. In its original transmission, it is perfect and without error (the tons of copies we have contain a small sampling of errors, but there are so many copies we can easily determine what the original said).

But someone might say, "An infallible book cannot be written by fallible people." Now, we could respond by saying, "But a fallible person made that declaration, so the statement cannot be trusted." And around and around we could go until we conclude we can't know anything with any certainty at all. Or can we?

But we must account for the power of God. You can draw a straight line in the sand even with a crooked stick, and God's power carried along imperfect people to get the Bible written. God's power makes it possible.

Or consider one more. Some would say that human beings aren't as bad as the Bible reports. We aren't under sin. We haven't fallen short of the glory of God. There's no way we are as vastly separated from God's glory as the Bible declares.

But this is a profound rejection of God's majestic power. He is holy, beyond us, and perfect in all his ways. The only way one can believe humanity is born in fellowship with God is to have a low view of God. And a low view of God must reject God's power.

So I hope you can see how this Sadducean rejection of God's power set them on the wrong course in a thousand ways. And, as you read the Bible, please account for the power of God. Concepts like divine justice, election, and even the gospel itself only make sense when the power of God is considered. If God is weak and limited, yes, you cannot trust the contents of Scripture. But since he is who he says he is, his word can be trusted.

Like Angels In Heaven

All that said, we must take a moment to address Jesus' teaching on marriage in heaven.

First, please note that he said we would be like angels in heaven (25). Like. In this one category -- marriage -- we will be like the angels.

The Bible never teaches we'll become angels when we are resurrected. You won't get your wings.

The Bible does teach that we are inferior to angels today (Hebrews 1:7, 2:5-9), but will judge them in the future (1 Corinthians 6:3). We will become superior to the angelic realm at the resurrection.

No Marriage In Heaven

But one way we'll be like the angels in heaven is that we won't marry or procreate.

This concept has troubled some. It might be troubling to some of you. Honestly, if you are married and excited that you won't be once in heaven, please reach out for some marital help.

I don't want to go too far with Jesus' words. I don't think it's right to conclude from his statement that there will be no gender, no intimate or important relationships, and no recollection at all of the earthly life when in heaven. On the contrary, there are indications that family relationships will be known in heaven (Luke 16:27-28).

But why won't there be marriage in heaven?

Well, for one, there will be no need for procreation in heaven. Today, we are meant to fill the earth and subdue it. And many believe that for a population to thrive, it has to, at a minimum, replace its current population. Some worry about this in our time. Americans -- and nations like France, Germany, Japan, and the UK -- are not repopulating at a replacement rate. Many speculate this will have long term impacts on the economy, old age, and immigration. But in heaven, we won't have such worries. The population will be fixed because no one will die.

Additionally, in heaven, there won't be any need to raise young believers. In marriage on earth, God is looking for "godly offspring" (Malachi 2:15). And couples who can should raise kids for God's glory. But in heaven, we will all be godly and mature. There will be no need to raise a new generation of believers. So no need for procreation.

Secondly, in heaven, there won't be any sin, so every relationship will be operating at its healthiest level. On earth today, we require special relationships to get us through, whether with a spouse or friendships or both. But, in heaven, the entire community will be in community with each other. The need for companionship, a major reason God created marriage in the first place, will be solved for everyone in eternity.

And thirdly, there will be a marriage in heaven. The Bible says that marriage today is meant to be a metaphor for Christ's marriage to his church. As Paul wrote,

"This mystery [about oneness in marriage] is profound, and I am saying that it refers to Christ and the church." (Ephesians 5:32, ESV)

This means married couples today are meant to model Jesus' marriage to his bride. Husbands are to love their wives like Christ loved the church. And wives are to follow their husbands like the church is supposed to follow Christ.

But, even at their best, earthly marriages are a mere shadow. One day, in heaven, the ultimate marriage will occur, and we will all be one with God.

26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about 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 God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong."

They Didn't Know The Scriptures

Remember, Jesus had said the Sadducees didn't know the power of God or the Scriptures. When he talked about heaven, he showed them how they didn't understand the power of God to raise people to a new life, one that didn't require marriage.

Here, Jesus demonstrated how they didn't know the Scriptures. He brought them back to Exodus 3-4, but he called it the passage about the bush, referring to the burning bush that Moses saw in the wilderness before he was called to go to deliver Israel from Egypt.

In that passage, one the Sadducees said was authoritative because it was in Exodus, God referred to himself by saying, "I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" (26). This was an important statement for every Israelite, including the Sadducees.

Jesus' point was that God didn't say, "I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but they are dead now." No, Jesus said! God is not God of the dead, but of the living (27).

Even though Abraham had died centuries before Moses, Abraham was alive when God spoke to Moses, so he said "I am the God of Abraham " (26). Isaac was alive, so God said "I am the God of Isaac " (26). And Jacob was alive too. All three -- though they'd been dead for years -- are alive.

Jesus' statement is so wise and perceptive -- no shocker there. He understood the word because he wrote the word. And his words are a corrective against even many modern theologians who say the Old Testament saints had no idea about the afterlife. Even all the way back in Exodus, God talked about being the current God of men who walked with him on earth many centuries earlier.

So Jesus combatted their erroneous ideas about the resurrection, about life after death, with a true interpretation of the Bible.

So he taught them from Exodus how God is the God of the living. And if he'd wanted to, he could have rattled off dozens of Old Testament quotations that pointed to life after death.

Know Your Bible

Let me give an exhortation at this point: know your Bible. Let it be a regular part of your life. You cannot live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God (Deuteronomy 8:3). We need to read the word. We need to know the word.

Get a Bible reading calendar plan for 2021 if you need to, but be constant in the consumption of Scripture. And I also invite you to join me for our through-the-Bible-study we release each Tuesday. We're on a little Christmas break right now but will get back into Exodus in January. Join us! Be in the word!

Let me add, as you read and study the word, respect the word. Here's the correct attitude to have:

"All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, equipped for every good work." (2 Timothy 3:16–17, ESV)

Progressive Christians (Modern Sadducees)

Let me conclude by saying a word about the Sadducean presence today because I believe there is a growing influence of their mindset in the worldwide visible church in our modern time. There is a growing movement called Progressive Christianity. It isn't really Christianity at all because it eventually denies the Bible's core doctrines and replaces them with naturalistic secularism. Like the Sadducees, they are atheist-ish, are ruled by emotions, and veil themselves with Christian terminology and practices. They deny the Scriptures and the power of God. And they are eerily similar to the Sadducees of Jesus' time. Here are some similarities.

Modern progressive Christians are like the Sadducees in that they will try to prove their points with riddles. Rather than wrestle with the Bible, they think they can defeat biblical doctrines by asking skeptical questions. Theirs is the wrong kind of skepticism; there's no real, honest search for answers on the pages of Scripture. Instead, they ask challenging questions and scoff at the Bible, but there is no honest intellectual pursuit for the answers. And the answers exist.

Modern progressive Christians are like the Sadducees in that they will try to debunk the Bible with the Bible. These Sadducees mocked the biblical doctrine of the resurrection by appealing to a passage in Deuteronomy. In our modern-day, it's common to hear a progressive Christian denounce hell because "God is love." God is love, it's in the Bible, but so is hell. And we must work to see how both doctrines coexist and even complement each other. I think God's love requires eternal judgment.

Another example would come from society's emerging views on sexuality. When Barack Obama was championing homosexual civil unions, he said, "If people find that controversial then I would just refer them to the Sermon on the Mount, which I think is, in my mind, for my faith, more central than an obscure passage in Romans." This was his way of pitting one Scripture against another. But all Scripture is God-breathed. You can't be a Jesus' words only Christian, but all of God's word must be embraced and balanced and studied together.

Modern progressive Christians are like the Sadducees in that they want to delete the supernatural. They don't know the power of God. So they eventually reject Jesus' resurrection, the pillar event on which Christianity rises. And when they talk about the miraculous in Scripture, they excuse it away. Jesus didn't walk on water, but on a sandbar mixed with a mirage, so the disciples thought he was walking on water. Nevermind how Peter started drowning on a sandbar, but that's one explanation. Jesus didn't miraculously feed the five thousand. Instead, when the boy produced the five loaves and two fish, everyone was convicted of hoarding their lunches, and everyone began sharing with everyone else. Slowly, all the supernatural events which require the power of God are eliminated. Creation, the parting of the Red Sea, Jonah -- all of it is explained away because they don't know the power of God.

And modern progressive Christians are like the Sadducees in that they never produce life, but must hijack life. They come into communities of faith, disguising themselves like believers, in an attempt to upset the faith of existing Christians. They have no evangelistic campaign. The unbelieving world would have no interest in debating the inerrancy of Scripture with a progressive Christian. So they sneak into churches and put on an air of spirituality.

They use Christian terminology, but those terms carry different definitions. The Sadducees would do this. There's some evidence that they said they believed in the resurrection so they could fit in, but they thought of resurrection as your children living after you die -- totally different idea than what the Bible teaches. But they had to manipulate and twist Scriptures in order to hijack the life of the believing community. They cannot produce life, but must hijack it. And to hijack life, pretension is required.

Encouragement For Mark's Original Readers

So, in this passage today, Jesus responded well to the challenge that the Bible is a silly book filled with silly teachings. And we must believe Jesus and the conclusions he taught.

The reason this is all so important is because it's a life or death issue. To get life after death, you must believe Jesus is the Son of God (God the Son) who became a man and died for the world's sins and then rose from the dead. And once the Sadducean error begins to creep into your heart, you will eventually doubt Jesus who bought you, bring upon yourself swift destruction (1 Peter 2:1). Let us not be a people who mock the word, but honor the word, for it has come from the God who saved us.