Mark 12:28
This man was quite interested in Jesus. He was used to hearing answers, and questions, that were not so well thought out as Jesus’s. He was inspired. He was challenged. He was encouraged.
His question is one of the few that Jesus faced that was actually meant to be legitimate. It doesn’t seem that this man was trying to trap Jesus. Instead he was actually trying to test his knowledge and see what Jesus knew.

Heavenly Father, we are surrounded by so many people who don’t even want to think about your truth. We are surrounded by lies and false assumptions. But, we know that you want us to have your truth, that you want us to know the truth. Thank you for the Lord Jesus, who is the truth himself. May we live in him always! We love you father. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:27
   For those who live in the kingdom of darkness there is but one option, death. There is nothing else. The adversary can bring no other blessing, and of course it is not a blessing. Life belongs to almighty God. No one else may impart it. He is the God of the living. Any other course than following his will, ends only in death.
   And death itself is not an end. Because God has life in his hand, he has the power to resurrect even the evil for judgement. He is the one to be feared, he is the one to be loved. To miss this, is to greatly err.

Heavenly Father, thank you for telling us your truth, and allowing us to partake in life. You have all the power in heaven and on earth. But you have the power of life, and that is ultimate. No matter what else someone might do life is all that matters. We praise you for your awesome goodness, power, and wisdom. In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:27
   Jesus is very clear here. The Sadducees were totally incorrect, and he told them so. He was not afraid to tell them how wrong they were.
   This is really quite an interesting interchange because this question was not as dangerous as many of the others which Jesus was asked. The Pharisees would agree with him about the reality of the resurrection. However, it is very unlikely that they ever thought of his solution to the problem.

Heavenly Father, you are the Holy God of all. Life itself is in your hands. And, we know that we live only because that is your will. Life is up to you. You own it and maintain it. Thank you for giving us life here, and in the world to come! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

Mark 12:26
   Jesus, unsurprisingly, offers a unique, and irrefutable, explanation for the reality of the resurrection. This answer not only settles the question once and for all, but also gives great hope to his people. Life is God’s intention. Ultimate final death will only be the fate of those who resist God.

Heavenly Father, the hope we have in Christ is our motivation. When we think of the original paradise we are inspired. But when we think of the future you have promised us, we are overwhelmed with joy. Thank you! In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray and praise you, Amen.

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.