18 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees — religious
leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this
question: 19 “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies,
leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a
child who will carry on the brother’s name. 20 Well, suppose there
were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 21
So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children.
Then the third brother married her. 22 This continued with all seven
of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. 23
So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were
married to her.” 24 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you do
not know the Scriptures, and you do not know the power of God. 25
For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In
this respect they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 “But
now, as to whether the dead will be raised — have you not ever read about this
in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God
of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 27 So He is the God of the
living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.” Mark 12:18-27
(NLT)
After
the Pharisees and Herodians failed to entrap Jesus with their tax question, the
Sadducees questioned Jesus about the resurrection (Mark 12:18; see also Matthew
22:23; Luke 20:27). The Sadducees were wealthy and sophisticated Jewish
religious leaders who believed there was no resurrection from the dead (Mark
12:18; see also Matthew 22:23; Luke 20:27). Not only did the Sadducees believe
there was no resurrection, they also did not believe in future punishment and
reward or the existence of angels and spirits (Acts 23:8). The Sadducees only
upheld the written Pentateuch (Genesis — Deuteronomy) and they believed the
written Pentateuch had no direct and exact teaching about the resurrection,
future judgement, and angels (Acts 23:8; see also Acts 4:1-2). However, the
Pharisees, another Jewish religious group, believed in the life after death,
resurrection, final judgment, angels, and spirits (Acts 23:8). The Pharisees upheld
not only the written Pentateuch (Genesis — Deuteronomy) but also the oral
traditions of the elders that interpreted the Pentateuch.
The
Sadducees asked Jesus: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that when a man dies
without children, the man’s brother should marry his widow and have children in
his brother’s name” (Mark 12:19, TLB; see also Matthew 22:24; Luke 20:28,
quoting Deuteronomy 25:5-10). So, the Sadducees proceed to say there were seven
brothers and the oldest married a woman and died, and left no children (Mark
12:20; see also Matthew 22:25; Luke 20:29). Next, the second brother married
the widow, but soon he died too and left no children. Then the next brother
married her and died without children (Mark 12:21; see also Matthew 22:26; Luke
20:30). This continued until all seven brothers died, and still there were no
children conceived by the woman (Mark 12:22 see also Matthew 22:26; Luke
20:31). Finally, the woman died too (Mark 12:22; see also Matthew 22:27; Luke
20:32). Then, the Sadducees asked Jesus, “In the resurrection, whose wife will
she be, for she had been the wife of all seven brothers?” (Mark 12:23, TLB; see
also Matthew 22:28; Luke 20:33).
With
their line of questioning, the Sadducees wanted to make a mockery of not only
Jesus but also their enemies, the Pharisees, regarding the levirate marriage.
According to Old Testament law, when a man died without a male child, his
brother had to marry the widow and produce children to care for the widow and
allow the family line to continue (Deuteronomy 25:5-10; see also Genesis
38:8-10; Ruth 4:1-12). However, many biblical scholars believe the Jewish
people rarely performed this marriage law. The Sadducees (who had no belief of
the resurrection and the afterlife) tried to trip Jesus up on this question
with a fictitious example of the “levirate marriage,” but Jesus saw through the
Sadducees’ scheme.
Jesus
said to the Sadducees, “Your trouble is that you do not know the Scriptures and
do not know the power of God” (Mark 12:24, TLB see also Matthew 22:29). The
true and living God is all-powerful and He has the power and sufficiency to
raise the dead (e.g., see Luke 24:6-7; John 5:21; Acts 2:24; Romans 8:11; 2
Corinthians 1:9). Furthermore, Jesus said, “For when these seven brothers and
the woman rise from the dead, they will not be married — they will be like the
angels” (Mark 12:25, TLB see also Matthew 22:30; Luke 20:36). In the
resurrection, men and women will not marry because there is no married state
and no death in the after-life. In the resurrection, resurrected saints
relationship change and we will be as angels (see also 1 Corinthians 15:35-50).
In Luke’s Gospel, Jesus replied to the Sadducees, “Marriage is for people here
on earth. But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead
will neither marry nor be given in marriage and they will never die again”
(Luke 20:34-36, NLT).
Then
Jesus taught the Sadducees and said, “But now as to whether there will be a
resurrection — have you never read in the book of Exodus about Moses and the
burning bush? God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and I am the God of
Isaac, and I am the God of Jacob’ (Mark 12:26, TLB; see also Matthew 22:31-32;
Luke 20:37, referencing Exodus 3:6). Jesus goes on to say, “The living God
is God of the living, not the dead. You are way, way off base” (Mark 12:27,
MSG; see also Matthew 22:32; Luke 20:38). Luke’s Gospel also added that
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive with God (Luke 20:38). Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob were alive with God when God spoke those words to Moses (see Exodus 3:6,
15-16). God did not tell Moses that He was (past tense) the God of Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob. Instead, God said to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, and the
God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob” (Exodus 3:6). Therefore, Jesus taught that
the Sadducees had overlooked Exodus 3:6 because the Pentateuch teaches that
there is life after death. All true believers of Jesus will enjoy the
resurrection and eternal life with God (e.g., see Romans 6:5; 1 Corinthians
6:14; 1 Corinthians 15:22).
Matthew’s
Gospel added that when the crowds heard Jesus’ response on the resurrection,
they were astounded at Jesus’ teaching (Matthew 22:33). Luke’s Gospel said that
some of the religious teachers of the law who were listening to Jesus’ response
to the Sadducees said, “Well said, Teacher!” (Luke 20:39, NLT). “No one dared
to ask Him (Jesus) any more questions” (Luke 20:40, NLT). The Sadducees
thought that they were smart, but Jesus soon revealed He is smarter
(Matthew 22:31-33).
Many
people have questioned the afterlife. In Jesus’ day, the Sadducees and many
others denied the resurrection from the dead (e.g., see Acts 4:1-4; Acts
17:18). Doubters of the afterlife continue among many groups today (among them
Black Muslims, Buddhists, Marxist, and most atheists). For the Apostle Paul, he
saw the issue of the resurrection the most important issue for the church.
According to the Apostle Paul, “For if there is no resurrection of the dead,
then Christ has not been raised either. And if Christ has not been raised, then
all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless” (1 Corinthians
15:13-14, NLT). The Apostle Paul was a Pharisee (Acts 26:5; Philippians 3:5)
and he believed in the resurrection of the dead, final judgment, angels, and
spirits (see Acts 23:6-8; Acts 24:15-21). In his New Testament writings, the
Apostle Paul revealed how Jesus finally conquered death (1 Corinthians 15).
Apostle
Paul: 3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had
also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures
said. 4 He was buried, and He was raised from the dead on the third
day, just as the Scriptures said. . . . 12 But tell me this—since we
preach that Christ rose from the dead, why are some of you saying there will be
no resurrection of the dead? 13 For if there is no resurrection of the dead, then
Christ has not been raised either. 14 And if Christ has not been
raised, then all our preaching is useless, and your faith is useless. 15 And
we apostles would all be lying about God—for we have said that God raised
Christ from the grave. But that cannot be true if there is no resurrection of
the dead. 16 And if there is no resurrection of the dead, then
Christ has not been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised,
then your faith is useless and you are still guilty of your sins. 18
In that case, all who have died believing in Christ are lost! 19 And
if our hope in Christ is only for this life, we are more to be pitied than
anyone in the world. 20 But in fact, Christ has been raised from the
dead. He is the first of a great harvest of all who have died. 21 So
you see, just as death came into the world through a man, now the resurrection
from the dead has begun through another Man. 22 Just as everyone
dies because we all belong to Adam, everyone who belongs to Christ will be
given new life. . . . 45 The Scriptures tell us, “The first man,
Adam, became a living person.” But the last Adam—that is, Christ—is a
life-giving Spirit. . . . 57 But thank God! He gives us
victory over sin and death through our Lord Jesus Christ. 58 So,
my dear brothers and sisters, be strong and immovable. Always work
enthusiastically for the Lord, for you know that nothing you do for the Lord is
ever useless.
1 Corinthians 15:3-4, 12-22, 45, 57-58 (NLT)
Reference
Life
Application Study Bible (Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale House Pub., 2005).
New
Student Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992).
Ryrie Study
Bible
(Chicago, IL: Moody, 1995).
The
Apologetics Study Bible: Understanding Why You Believe (Nashville,
TN: Holman Bible Publishers, 2012).
Zondervan NIV
Study Bible
(Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2008).
Loyd,
Melton, Ph.D., Professor of New Testament (Due West, SC: Erskine Theological
Seminary, 2015).
Wiersbe,
Warren W. Bible Exposition Commentary
– New Testament (Victor Books, 1989).
