Mark 12:18-27 NKJV – “18 Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying: 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 “Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. 21 “And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. 22 “So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. 23 “Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.” 24 Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because 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 heaven. 26 “But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’ ? 27 “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.”
V18 “Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying…”
Why didn’t the Sadducees believe in a resurrection or angels?
(Brave AI): “Sadducees and Resurrection
“The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead because they adhered strictly to the written Torah (the first five books of the Bible) and rejected the Oral Law and other parts of the Hebrew Bible that taught about resurrection and the afterlife. Their strict adherence to the written Torah meant they did not accept the resurrection or the existence of angels and spirits, which are mentioned in other parts of the Hebrew Bible. This belief was rooted in their conservative interpretation of scripture and their rejection of any teachings not explicitly stated in the Pentateuch. Additionally, the Sadducees were more concerned with the political and social status quo and saw the doctrine of resurrection as a revolutionary idea that could disrupt their power and influence.”
V19 “…Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.” The Sadducees pose a gotcha question to Jesus. You would think they would learn by now, but their blind hatred and envy of Jesus controlled them. Their attitude was “I’m right, and Jesus is wrong.”
How does hate blind a person from the truth?
Brave AI summarizes: “Additionally, the idea of being blinded by negative emotions extends to a broader spiritual context. According to the article “Blind to the Truth,” Satan can blind the minds of unbelievers, affecting their thoughts, reasoning, opinions, feelings, beliefs, and views, thereby obstructing their ability to see things correctly. This spiritual blindness can be caused by various factors, including pride, ignorance, and following false guides, which prevent individuals from recognizing the truth.
“In summary, hate and other negative emotions can significantly impair a person’s ability to perceive the truth, both in personal relationships and in a broader spiritual sense.”
This idea is taught by Paul the Apostle: Ephesians 4:17-19 NKJV “This I say, therefore, and testify in the Lord, that you should no longer walk as the rest of the Gentiles walk, in the futility of their mind, 18 having their understanding darkened, being alienated from the life of God, because of the ignorance that is in them, because of the blindness of their heart; 19 who, being past feeling, have given themselves over to lewdness, to work all uncleanness with greediness.”
V20 “Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.” This is Levirate marriage is defined in Deuteronomy 25:5-10.
V21 “And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise.”
22 “So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all, the woman died also.”
V23 “Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.” The Sadducees are testing Jesus with this question. They believed there is no resurrection, so if there was, whose wife will she be? It is not an honest question.
V24 “Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?”
They are mistaken. Why? It is for two reasons: 1) they do not know the Scriptures and 2) they do not know the power of God. The Greek word for know is (G1492) εἴδω eídō, which means to see in various ways depending on the context. The Sadducees did not understand (see) these two things. Why? Because their theology and beliefs were of greater value than the Scriptures. They interpreted the Scriptures with their assumptions.
A principle is taught to always elevate the plain, normal reading of Scripture and believing it is a priority.
V25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.“ Jesus teaches them the doctrine that they should have already known. Angels are mentioned in Genesis 19:1-22. The Hebrew word for angel is (H4397) מַלְאָךּ mal’āḵ, which means a messenger or angel. The Sadducees did not believe in angels or the resurrection (Acts 23:8).
Angels do not marry or given in marriage. When there is human resurrection as in Daniel 12:2, there is no marriage either.
A rather lengthy comment is helpful:
(Zondervan Bible Commentary (1 Vol.)) “Whereas the former question had been aimed to place Jesus in a political difficulty, this next one was aimed to place Him in a theological difficulty. It was addressed to Him by members of the priestly and aristocratic Sadducean party, who endeavoured now to make the doctrine of the resurrection, in which they disbelieved, look ridiculous. Their contention, ultimately, was that it was incompatible with the law of levirate marriage, as laid down in Deuteronomy 25:5–10, which they quoted loosely to Jesus (19). Jesus in effect denied that this was so, provided that the resurrection-life was correctly conceived; and He hinted that the reason why the Sadducees found difficulty with the doctrine of the resurrection was because of their prior rejection of the existence of angels (Acts 23:6–8); for just as angels, being immortal, did not need to marry, nor did human beings in their resurrection state (25). Turning His attention, thereupon, from the issue as to the manner of the resurrection to that of its fact, Jesus demonstrated that belief in the resurrection was logically implied right back in the Pentateuch. He pointed out that in Exodus 3:6, God described Himself as being, during the lifetime of Moses, the God of men who, according to the flesh, were no longer alive (26), the inference being that God was still caring for them then, and that at the last, necessarily, He would raise up their bodies, so that they might become sharers together in the final blessedness. The fault, therefore, with the Sadducees was that they did not know the Scriptures which taught the resurrection, or the power of God which could effect the resurrection (24).”
V26 “But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob?” Jesus teaches that there is a resurrection. Jesus is referring to Exodus 3:2-6.
V27 “He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.” There are 3 things taught here: 1) God is not the God of the dead, 2) God is God of the living, and 3) you are greatly mistaken. Their interpretation of the Bible led to this problem.
Scriptures must be interpreted in their plain, normal sense, because God spoke plainly. If it is symbolic or allegorical, then it would be clear from the context.
“When the plain sense of Scripture makes common sense, seek no other sense; therefore, take every word at its primary, ordinary, usual, literal meaning unless the facts of the immediate context, studied in the light of related passages and axiomatic and fundamental truths, indicate clearly otherwise.” ~Dr. David L. Cooper
We learn:
- How interpreting the Bible with preconceived ideas changes the meaning.
- Jesus corrects their faulty interpretation.
- Jesus teaches the resurrection from the Torah.
Questions:
- How do we interpret the Bible?
- Are you making some of the same mistaken method of interpretation?