Mark 12:18-27 A Glimpse of Heaven
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Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant Church
Joel and Mary Nadel, Covenant Church
From J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”
From J.C. Ryle’s “Expository Comments on the Gospels - Mark”
House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text
House Rules: Phones, Respect, Stay on the Text
Pray
Background
Background
Approaching the end of Jesus earthly ministry
First part was Him establishing His purpose for God’s people - that He/the Son of God, had come to save His people from their sins - Repent and believe the Gospel
Jesus has now entered into Jerusalem amid much excitement among the entire population - we are in the last week of Jesus’ life
His popularity is frightening to the Roman and Jewish political and religious leadership
Jesus is challenging the Jewish religious leaders over their leadership and their corruption - unable to discredit Him they are now secretly building a case to have Him executed
Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. “There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. “The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. “In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”
Introduction
Introduction
A conversation between our Lord, Jesus Christ, and the Sadducees
On the face of it, it seems a very strange conversation - an odd question they pose
The Sadducees were not unbelievers, but they did not teach God’s Word - heresy
They were essentially what we would call Deists today
God created everything and then left it alone
God took no interest in the affairs of men and women
They believed in no resurrection - they were essentially existentialists - there are many of these today as well
Theistic existentialists are Deists
Atheistic existentialists
These Pharisees were trying to discredit Jesus and His teachings - they wanted to make Him look the fool.
In the last couple of lessons - Legalists/formalists on one side, infidels on the other. Infidels essentially hate God, or reject the concept altogether
Both will attack the Gospel though.
1. Infidels have no sense of fairness or shame
1. Infidels have no sense of fairness or shame
This question from the Sadduccees is a good example
Tell of a woman who married seven brothers, one after the other, had no children, and survived all of them
Ask: “who’s wife will she be in the resurrection?”, in eternity
Clearly this was not a real case, but a ridiculous one designed to mock, that they were using to discredit the teachings of Jesus and Moses
Such a case likely would never happen
All they were trying to do was trip up the Lord by posing an extreme possibility
They did not want to directly challenge the doctrine of the resurrection - only to propose possible consequences of the doctrine to ridicule it
Three things to remember in arguments with unbelievers: 1) they will argue about difficult matters, 2)unfairness and dishonesty, and 3) Unbelievers have a conscience
Unbelievers will always try to press us on difficult matters in religion, especially those things having to do with the world to come
Unbelievers will always try to press us on difficult matters in religion, especially those things having to do with the world to come
We need to avoid this kind of argument, particularly since it is often based on opinions and human reasoning
We need to stick to the plain facts and evidence of Christianity - stay close to the Bible and avoid talking about what is not covered
We need to watch out about unfairness and dishonesty in the argument - experience proves this
We need to watch out about unfairness and dishonesty in the argument - experience proves this
Unbelievers will often make up facts to support their conclusions
Unbelievers will speak authoritatively about the Bible, though they have not read it - they have only read the works of people opposed to the faith
They have never studied carefully the foundations of Christianity
Remember, every unbeliever has a conscience - we need to appeal to that
Remember, every unbeliever has a conscience - we need to appeal to that
The people who talk the most loudly, and mockingly, about religion often know that, even while they are talking, they are wrong
The points you make, that they sneer at and ridicule, will probably stick with them in the end
2. Most misunderstandings can be traced to ignorance of the Bible
2. Most misunderstandings can be traced to ignorance of the Bible
Mark 12:24 “Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?”
The truth of this point is proved by facts in almost every stage of church history
King Josiah’s reformatioon was closely connected to the discovery of the book of the law
False teachings in Jesus time were the result of neglecting the scriptures
The Middle Ages were times when the Bible was kept from the people
The Protestant Reformation was a result of translating and circulating the Bible
The countries that enjoy the most moral light, are those where the Bible is known and studied
The godliest families read the Bible
The godliest people read the Bible
None of this can be denied
We need to be resolved to read, study, meditate on the Bible and hear it preached and taught or we can fall into deadly errors
We need to read and understand the Bible so that we can make it our rule of faith and practice (not other things)
The more the Bible is known, the better the world will be - we need to do what we can to spread the Gospel everywhere
Most of all, we need to teach our children - the best gift we can give them is a knowledge of the Bible
3. Life for us will be very different, after the resurrection
3. Life for us will be very different, after the resurrection
Mark 12:25 ““For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.”
There are many difficulties connected with what the Bible tells us about the life to come - so it must be
The world beyond the grave has ever been seen by any living person
Most of the conditions that we will live in there are hidden from us, and if we were told of them, we would probably not understand it
Let’s be satisfied to know that the bodies of the saints (Christians) will be raised, and though made perfect, will be like their bodies on earth. So alike, that we can expect to know each other when we get there
The risen Christian (saint) will be free of everything that causes us weakness and suffering
There will be nothing like Mohammed’s belief in 72 virgins and such - sin will be absent - no reincarnation
Hunger and thirst will be no more - we wont need food
We wont be tired anymore - we won’t need sleep
There will be no more death, so there will be no births
Since we will be in the full presence of Christ, there will be no need of marriage, so that men and women can help each other
We will be able to serve God tirelessly, focus on Him, do His will perfectly, in our glorious bodies - we will be like the angels in heaven
This is great comfort for the true Christian
In our bodies now, we suffer pain, fatigue, weakness
We have to worry about so much: what to eat and drink, what to wear, how to manage our lives, where to live, who we should be friends with
In the world to come, all that will be changed - nothing will be lacking to make us completely happy
One thing we need to carefully keep in mind - we want to rise again to the “resurrection of life” and not the “resurrection of condemnation” which we will talk about in the next lesson
To the believer in the Lord Jesus, the resurrection will be the greatest of blessings
To the unbeliever and the godless, the resurrection will be total misery and a curse
We cannot rest until we are one with Christ and Christ in us - then we can look forward to joy in the life to come.
The Gospel
The Gospel
1 Corinthians 15:3–4 (ESV)
For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
Romans 10:9 (ESV)
because, if you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved.
Questions
Questions
Prayer requests/Lord’s Prayer
Prayer requests/Lord’s Prayer
Questions
Questions