Category: Uncategorized

Mark 12:25
   There is nothing in the Old Testament that specifically says that their will be no marriage in heaven. However, there are plenty of passages that would lead one to assume that. Thus, Jesus is teaching these men to let their assumptions come from Scripture, not form thier own judgments.
   Many have used this verse to say that we will be angels in heaven. But that is not what he said. He said we will be like the angels in the respect that we will not marry nor be given in marriage. Being like angels and actually being angels is two different things.

Heavenly Father, we will praise you for your goodness to us. You know when we need your blessings. You know that here in this present life marriage is a wonderful gift from you. When we get to heaven we know that we will receive other gifts from you that we cannot enjoy now. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:24
   They couldn’t know the Scriptures because they wouldn’t admit to the power of God. They needed to have asked God to show them the truth, but instead they relied on their own understanding.

Heavenly Father, may we never forget that your Word belongs to you. It is not our book, but your book. We will praise you for it and look to you for illumination as we read it. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:23
   Though it seemed a strong argument it was little more than an argument from error. When you set up your own specifics disregarding the truth, you create an error. The point they are making is that the resurrection did not make sense in light of life circumstances. However, they fell into the error of assuming what could not be assumed.

Heavenly Father, help us never to make false assumptions, but to rely on your Word for truth. You have been so merciful to give it to us. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:22
   Here is where the story seems the most far-fetched though it is still theoretically possible. It is likely just one of those what-if stories made up to prove a point. However, there was no point here to prove, as Jesus would shortly show.
   We tend to do this a lot, by the way. We invent scenarios to illustrate the ‘right’ choice on issues. However, we must be careful to be consistent with the whole of Scripture. Otherwise we may fall into such crazy concoctions as we see here before us.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the completeness of your Word. Without it we might fall into many weird and harmful doctrines. It is your book that keeps Christianity from being an ethnic, tribal, cultural, or political cohort. Only by your Word can we establish truth. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:21
   If the story does have a basis in fact, it would seem to be the most unbelievable coincidence in history. So, more likely, the story is embellished at least a bit. For the sake of the argument, such a thing could theoretically happen.

Heavenly Father, though life throws us some curve balls, thank you for helping us through every circumstance. Through Christ we can make it through the strangest of lives. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:20
   The facts of this story make it sound suspect. However, it is not altogether impossible that there were seven brothers. The Jews would have been fairly prolific. So we cannot rule out the possibility. Besides this, if the story were deniable, it would likely not have been presented as it was. That said the details concerning the wife and the death of all of the brothers seems far-fetched.

Heavenly Father, thank you for your truth. We don’t have to wonder about it. Man will fabricate things, but you are always dependable. I praise you for your faithfulness, righteousness, and love. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:19
Their statement is accurate. This was indeed in the law. In this way a family line could be perpetuated. However, what ensues after this is a perfect illustration of the fact that the law cannot save. It only instructs.

Heavenly Father, thank you for instructions, but thank you also for life. Without life in Christ we would be stuck trying to be righteous on the basis of the law alone and you know how that would go. Your plan is perfect. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:18
   The Sadducees didn’t believe in a resurrection, meaning that the afterlife was something they felt one could not be certain about. This is actually not as strange as we might think. The fact is that they read the Old Testament with a human eye alone. They didn’t see enough there about resurrection to accept the doctrine. This is why we must rely on the Spirit, which the Sadducees also denied.

Heavenly Father, thank you for the Holy Spirit! We have such hope for sanctification because of him. Your goodness to us is so wonderful! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:17
   What he is saying here is that since the money bears the image of the emperor, it belongs to him. But that is all he may lay claim to. Since human beings bear the image of God, we belong to him. So his ownership is greater. The physical government may expect a tax, but God may expect utter devotion in every regard. We may be debtors to government, but we are the possession of Almighty God. Thus, the paying taxes to the government is not incompatible with worshipping God. His worship is not destroyed by it since he may expect much much more.

Heavenly Father, you cannot be worshipped simply by monetary giving. We must be aware that our days belong to you too. All of our tomorrows are yours to hold. Thank you for giving us life and letting us be your servants. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:16
   The money, of course, had markings on it from the Roman government. Just as in every country today, the economic system was intertwined in the governmental system. There is no separating the two, and money is directly issued by the government. It is a service provided by each nation to its people. Business could be conducted without it, by going back to a barter system. It is offered as a convenience, allowing for the setting of exact prices.

Heavenly Father, you are so wise! Often we live our lives without even thinking about how the world around us works. We miss many things that are important to understand. You are so good to us to have given us the Bible, and you use it to remind us of the truth. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.