Religion Unmasked, Unmasked Religion! - Mark 12:37b-44

Religion Unmasked, Unmasked Religion!

Mark 12:37b-44

Introduction: In the book of I Samuel we have a very instructive scene in which the prophet Samuel goes to the house of Jesse, led by the Spirit of God, to find the one who is to be anointed as the next king of Israel, to replace Saul. Jesse had eight sons, and when Samuel saw the eldest, Eliab, he thought, surely this is the one the Lord has chosen! But God had another plan. He said to Samuel,

“But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not consider his appearance or his height, for I have rejected him. The LORD does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart...” (I Sam 16:7).

We can only see the outward appearance, we don’t know the heart of another human. Part of what God would teach us in our passage today is that He does know our hearts. He understands our thoughts. He knows what motivates our actions. We might fool other people, we might even deceive ourselves, but God knows the truth about us. As followers of Jesus, we have the promise of the Spirit to convict us and to guide us. Commenting on this passage, Warren Wiersbe said, “Pride of living and pride of giving are sins that we must avoid at all cost…”

       We see in these two contrasting scenes at the end of Mark 12 the basis for the title of today’s message. Initially I wondered if these really went together, or if it would be better to treat them in separate messages. I hope you’ll see how they are connected. First, Jesus exposes, “unmasks,” the hypocritical “religion” of many of the leaders, particularly pointing out the scribes, who were considered “experts in the Law.” In the second scene, the large offerings of the wealthy are contrasted with the sacrificial gift of a poor widow. Her gift, all that she had, revealed her faith, and her sincere, “unmasked” religion. So our title: “Religion Unmasked, Unmasked Religion!” Both of these scenes point to…

The Maine* Idea: God demands a humble and sincere heart as we steward what He has entrusted to us.

I. Religion Unmasked: God sees our heart attitude in worship, service, and giving (37b-40).

“And the great throng heard him gladly. ³⁸ And in his teaching he said, ‘Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes and like greetings in the marketplaces  ³⁹ and have the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts,  ⁴⁰ who devour widows' houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation.’” 

       The setting is established in 12:37b. Jesus had responded to the questions of the leaders with wisdom, one by one evading the traps they laid. The source of His authority?  A parable about a rejected Son and a reference to Psalm 118. Paying taxes? The resurrection and marriage? The greatest commandment? He answered them all. Then, to the delight of the crowd, He asks them a provocative question that they could not answer, based on Psalm 110:1, Who’s son is the Messiah? Merely David’s son, or something more? And so, having silenced His adversaries, He continued teaching those who would hear Him in Jerusalem.

       Appearances can fool people, but God knows our heart. Jesus had already warned His disciples to “beware of the leaven of the Pharisees…” (8:15). Here he warns them to be watchful of the “scribes.” Some translations might refer to this group as “lawyers” since they were considered “experts in the law.” From a religious perspective they might be viewed like seminary professors, or high-level pastors that would speaking at conferences and the like.  Like the Pharisees, in general they would have been highly respected by the people. Yet Jesus knew their hearts. And here he calls out some of them (“…beware of the scribes who…” [v.38]) both for their pride, and for their abuse of power. First, He says they “…like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted in the marketplaces…” The flowing robes Jesus describes here were meant to show off their status as religious leaders. The greetings in the market place would have been others greeting them with titles of respect, such as “rabbi,” “master,” or even “father.” They enjoyed the recognition. Recognition feels good, but it can feed our sinful pride.  Benjamin Franklin, in his autobiography said,

There is perhaps no one of our natural passions so hard to subdue as pride. Beat it down, stifle it, mortify it as much as one pleases, it is still alive. Even if I could conceive that I had completely overcome it, I should probably be proud of my humility. 

       Jesus continues, saying in 12:39 that some of these leaders “…and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets…” (v.39). It is another manifestation of pride, enjoying the recognition, being honored by the people.  I have to say I feel uncomfortable in getting any attention directed at me. Not because I am humble, more likely because I know how easily I can be prideful! I am encouraged by the many “humble servants” I see in our church family. Those who serve, and give, and minister quietly, behind the scenes, not wanting recognition or attention drawn toward their serving and giving. That is a good definition of true humility, “…not thinking meanly of yourself, simply not thinking of yourself at all.” Andrew Murray said,

Humility is perfect quietness of heart. It is for me to have no trouble; never to be fretted or vexed or irritated or sore or disappointed. It is to expect nothing, to wonder at nothing that is done to me, to feel nothing done against me. It is to be at rest when nobody praises me and when I am blamed or despised. It is to have a blessed home in the Lord where I can go in and shut the door and kneel to my Father in secret and be at peace as in a deep sea of calmness when all around is trouble. It is the fruit of the Lord Jesus Christ's redemptive work on Calvary's cross, manifested in those of His own who are definitely subject to the Holy Spirit. 

Someone said, "They that know God will be humble, and they that know themselves cannot be proud."

      Jesus said to beware of the leaders who had the wrong kind of attitude, who were prideful (meaning some of the scribes, not all!).  God knows our heart!  Some were also abusing their power, “…consuming widows’ houses…” and “…for a pretense making long prayers…” Were they exploiting the generosity of widows for their own profit? It seems so (could the widow in the next scene, giving her last two-mites, have been a victim of such abuse?).

       Jesus said leaders who abuse their position and whose hearts are not right with God, “…will receive the greater condemnation…” That is a sobering warning for anyone who would teach or lead. And this is not an isolated teaching. James made a similar statement when he said in James 3:1, “Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness.” God knows our hearts! The proverb comes to mind that says “Above all things, guard your heart…” (Prov 4:23). Notice that verse talks about watching carefully over our own heart. Of course, Jesus knows the hearts of us all. The only human heart we can be fairly certain about it our own!

       The apostle Paul was having his motives challenged by some in the Church in Corinth. He said in the fourth chapter of his first letter to that congregation,

“I care very little if I am judged by you or by any human court; indeed, I do not even judge myself.  ⁴ My conscience is clear, but that does not make me innocent. It is the Lord who judges me.  ⁵ Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait till the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men's hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God…” (I Cor 4:3-5).

False “religion” will certainly be unmasked! God demands a humble and sincere heart as we steward what He has entrusted to us. We see next a contrasting story and an example of a humble heart, sacrificially focused on the Kingdom of God…

II. Unmasked Religion: Giving cheerfully and sacrificially can demonstrate a heart of worship (41-44). By “unmasked religion” I mean sincere, vulnerable, unfeigned.

⁴¹ And he sat down opposite the treasury and watched the people putting money into the offering box. Many rich people put in large sums.  ⁴² And a poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which make a penny.  ⁴³ And he called his disciples to him and said to them, "Truly, I say to you, this poor widow has put in more than all those who are contributing to the offering box.  ⁴⁴ For they all contributed out of their abundance, but she out of her poverty has put in everything she had, all she had to live on."

       First of all, we should be careful not to read more into this scene than the writer, and the Lord, intends. It might seem an odd scene, Jesus watching as people came by and but their offerings in the box. Actually, Jewish tradition tells us there was not one, but 13 offering boxes around the temple. They had trumpet shaped “funnels” made of brass on the top, so that as people threw their offerings in (only coins, there was no paper money!) it would funnel down into the box. As this widow put in these two small coins, it couldn’t have made much noise as it slid down into the collection! But Jesus knew exactly what she had done. She gave everything she had.  And He commends her generosity and faith.

       Jesus had already spoken of the challenge that the rich face in coming to God on His terms. He also made it clear that all things are possible for God (Mark 10:23-27). Here, Jesus does not criticize the large gifts of the rich. He simply says that the sacrificial gift of the widow, her last two small coins, hardly a penny, but it was all that she had. And it was greater than the large gifts of the wealthy in the eyes of God. Jesus is concerned about stewardship and faith in His followers.

       He does commend the sacrificial gift of the widow, putting “all her living” into the offering box.  Remember the fable of the pig and the hen? They saw the sermon title on the church sign one week: How can you serve? The hen suggested, “I have an idea, let’s make a bacon and egg breakfast for the church!” The pig replied, “There’s a small problem with that plan. It only requires a contribution from you. For me it means total commitment!” God doesn’t call many of us to give away everything we have. But He does require total commitment! Paul said it in Romans 12:1, “I urge you therefore brothers, in view of God’s mercy, to present your bodies as a living sacrifice to the Lord…” The poor widow gave all that she had, all her living, and was commended for her sacrifice. It’s hard to read this without harkening back to another scene in Mark, chapter 10, where Jesus calls on one young man to make a similar sacrifice…

¹⁷ As Jesus started on his way, a man ran up to him and fell on his knees before him. "Good teacher," he asked, "what must I do to inherit eternal life?"  ¹⁸ "Why do you call me good?" Jesus answered. "No one is good-- except God alone.  ¹⁹ You know the commandments: 'Do not murder, do not commit adultery, do not steal, do not give false testimony, do not defraud, honor your father and mother.'"  ²⁰ "Teacher," he declared, "all these I have kept since I was a boy."  ²¹ Jesus looked at him and loved him. "One thing you lack," he said. "Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me."  ²² At this the man's face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth.

From outward appearances that rich, young ruler was a good man, a pious man. Jesus knew his heart, and the Bible tells us He loved him (10:21). Because He loved him, he told him the truth. He knew that this man’s wealth had become an idol. And so, He pointed the man to the “one thing” he lacked: he had to loosen his grip on his money. “Sell it all, give to the poor, and follow me.” He went away dejected, sad. Why? That rich, young ruler couldn’t do it, he wouldn’t let go. He loved his “stuff” more than he loved Jesus.

       Fast forward two chapters to our setting here in Mark 12, in the context of the Passover week. This poor widow had almost nothing, a couple of small coins worth a fraction of a penny. And she gave it all. What a contrast in those two stories! That is what sometimes happens, the more people have, the smaller the percentage that they feel they can give. I remember one pastor telling of someone who came to him asking for prayer because he just didn’t feel he could cheerfully give 10% of his salary to the church anymore. He said, “When I was starting out, making only $100 a week, it didn’t seem like so much to give 10%.”  Then he said, “Now that I’m making $1000, a tithe seems like a lot of money!” And the pastor did pray for him: “Lord, help this brother give in proportion to how you have blessed him, or bring his salary into proportion to what he can cheerfully give!” I am not sure how that worked out!  Jesus says that in God’s accounting, the poor widow’s sacrificial gift is more than all the gifts of the wealthy that were filling the coffers of the Temple! Why? She gave all that she had. God is not just interested in the 10%! How do we use the 90% that is left? Jesus said “Seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.” Missionary Doctor David Livingstone had a great perspective. He said,

I place no value on anything I have or may possess, except in relation to the kingdom of God. If anything will advance the interests of the kingdom, it shall be given away or kept, only as by giving or keeping it I shall most promote the glory of Him to whom I owe all my hopes in time or eternity.

What is God saying to me in this passage? “Religion unmasked, Unmasked religion!” One day God will bring to light the things hidden in darkness, and expose the motives of our hearts. He demands a humble and sincere heart as we steward what He has entrusted to us. The material things He has given us, the spiritual gifts that we are to use to build up others in the church, and also the message He has entrusted to us. We have been given much. It is required of stewards that one be found trustworthy!

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?  For those in leadership the lesson is pretty clear: Above all else, guard your heart! Everything else depends on it… (Prov 4:23). I think that also applies by extension to every follower of Jesus. Paul asked the Corinthians, “What do you have that you did not receive? And if you received it, why do you boast as if you had not?” (I Cor 4:7). We were not saved because we were good, because we earned it. On the contrary, “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God,  ⁹ not a result of works, so that no one may boast…” (Eph 2:8,9).  There is no room for pride in the Christian life. Jesus paid it all, all to Him we owe!  The experts in the Law that Jesus points to in this passage had lost sight of the two greatest commandments, because they loved self rather than God, and they exploited others for personal gain (Strauss, p.559). The widow didn’t think of herself at all it seems, as she gave her all.

       Will we choose to serve Him with our whole heart? Can we give cheerfully, sacrificially, in faith?  He doesn’t need our money. He owns the universe after all! But as we give, He will grow our faith and carry out His mission in the world. Could it be that as God works through our prayers and at the same time is working in us, He also works through our giving, and at the same time He is growing our faith? Will we also use the time He gives us for His glory? Will we be faithful stewards of the message that He has entrusted to us?  Unmasked religion!  AMEN.

WHO IS JESUS? Son of Man and Son of God! - Mark 12:35-37

WHO IS JESUS? Son of Man and Son of God!

Mark 12:35-37

Introduction: Our church here in Boothbay began in 1809, just over 200 years ago. Charles Swindoll commented on some noteworthy events that occurred that same year… as well a couple that occurred in another year a little over 2000 years ago…

…Take the year 1809. The international scene was tumultuous. Napoleon was sweeping through Austria; blood was flowing freely. Nobody then cared about babies. But the world was overlooking some terribly significant births.

     For example, William Gladstone was born that year. He was destined to become one of England's finest statesman. That same year, Alfred Tennyson was born to an obscure minister and his wife. The child would one day greatly affect the literary world in a marked manner. On the American continent, Oliver Wendell Holmes was born in Cambridge, Massachusetts. And not far away in Boston, Edgar Allan Poe began his eventful, albeit tragic, life. It was also in that same year that a physician named Darwin and his wife named their child Charles Robert. And that same year produced the cries of a newborn infant in a rugged log cabin in Hardin County, Kentucky. The baby's name? Abraham Lincoln.

     If there had been news broadcasts at that time, I'm certain these words would have been heard: "The destiny of the world is being shaped on an Austrian battlefield today." But history was actually being shaped in the cradles of England and America. Similarly, everyone thought taxation was the big news--when Jesus was born. But a young Jewish woman cradled the biggest news of all: the birth of the Savior.  

A seemingly unnoticed birth to a humble couple, witnessed first by some animals in a stable, signaled the coming of the One to whom all history pointed. Who is Jesus? That is the question. Who is this One, who loved us so much that He laid down His life for us? Why should an itinerate rabbi from the first century be the central figure in all of human history?  Knowing and believing the truth about Jesus is the most important question facing every human. This passage will ask us: Who is Jesus? What say you?

       One of the tendencies these days is to minimize the importance, or even deny the possibility, of absolute truth. Consequently, churches and ministries are sometimes more attuned to culture or to the style of worship, than they are to the substance of Biblical teaching. The danger is, that without a commitment to truth, without an insistence on sound doctrine, people can quickly drift into error. In his letter to one young pastor that Paul had apparently mentored, the apostle said that an elder, “…must hold firm to the trustworthy word as taught, so that he may be able to give instruction in sound doctrine and also to rebuke those who contradict it…” (Titus 1:9). Truth matters, and attention to doctrine is part of the calling that God has given to teachers and pastors in the church. Specifically, when it comes to Christology, the doctrine of Christ, we’ll see that is precisely where many cults and sects go wrong. Someone will come knocking at your door, maybe this week, with a distorted answer to the question, “Who is Jesus?” And that distortion is nothing new. 

       The Jews of the first century were challenged to recognize the One who came in fulfillment of the messianic hope. But even seeing that Jesus is the Messiah still leaves us with another fundamental question, a question that Jesus raises here: Is this Messiah merely David’s son?  Or something more? And does it really matter if my belief doesn’t fully reflect what the Bible teaches? Many people like to affirm that Jesus was a great moral teacher, He showed us about loving one another and was an example of how we should live. Yet they don’t deal with Jesus’ own claims about his identity: “Before Abraham was, I AM!” This passage deals with the question of His nature(s). He is man, and so, as the last Adam, He lived a perfect life, and became our substitute, making a way for us to be reconciled to God. But He is more than a man.

The Maine* Idea: The Word of God teaches that Jesus is both man (David’s son) and God (the Son of God). First, let’s consider His…

I. Humanity: The Messiah, Jesus, is the fully human Son of Man, descended from Adam, and David, according to the Scriptures (35).

³⁵ And as Jesus taught in the temple, he said, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?” 

       Remember the context: Jesus had responded to a series of questions from the religious leaders of Israel. One-by-one different groups came to Him and posed their questions. For most of them, they were not looking for answers, but rather they hoped to catch Jesus in his words, seeking to discredit Him or to have a basis for accusing Him. Finally, in v.34 we read that none of them dared ask another question. The wisdom of this man was astounding, to the delight of the crowds and to the frustration of the leaders. They were out of ammunition it seemed, and for the moment were silenced. So, Jesus has a question for them, seeking to stretch their understanding of the nature of the Messiah. First, He asks a question, “How can the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?” On a first reading of this passage, we might think that Jesus is denying that the Messiah would be descended from David. He is saying He is not merely David’s son. The Davidic sonship of the messiah was well established in Scripture.  We read the promise first made to David in 2 Sam 7:12-16…   

¹² When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come from your body, and I will establish his kingdom.  ¹³ He shall build a house for my name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever.  ¹⁴ I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. When he commits iniquity, I will discipline him with the rod of men, with the stripes of the sons of men,  ¹⁵ but my steadfast love will not depart from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.  ¹⁶ And your house and your kingdom shall be made sure forever before me. Your throne shall be established forever.'"

That describes an ideal son, and an eternal throne. That promise is assumed through-out the subsequent Scriptures. For example, Psalm 89:3-4 says,

³ You have said, "I have made a covenant with my chosen one; I have sworn to David my servant:  ⁴ 'I will establish your offspring forever, and build your throne for all generations…'"

The prophets, likewise, picked up on the theme of a Davidic ruler and a future kingdom, as in Isaiah 9:6-7,   

⁶ For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.  ⁷ Of the increase of his government and of peace there will be no end, on the throne of David and over his kingdom, to establish it and to uphold it with justice and with righteousness from this time forth and forevermore. The zeal of the LORD of hosts will do this.

In the face of coming exile, the weeping prophet offers hope of restoration and a future kingdom in Jeremiah 23:5-6,  

⁵ "Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will raise up for David a righteous Branch, and he shall reign as king and deal wisely, and shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.  ⁶ In his days Judah will be saved, and Israel will dwell securely. And this is the name by which he will be called: 'The LORD is our righteousness.'

And so, “Son of David” became almost synonymous with “messiah” as being at the heart of the hope of Israel. When the gospel of Matthew was written, the apostle began with a genealogy, establishing the connection between Jesus, David, and Abraham. Let me quote a couple of verses from the genealogy in Mt 1:1-17,  

¹ The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the son of David, the son of Abraham…  ⁵ and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, ⁶ and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah…  ¹⁶ and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ.  ¹⁷ So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

David is a key individual in the line of the Messiah. In fact, as Paul begins his magnum opus setting forth the gospel he preached, he says in Romans 1:1-4,

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God,  ² which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures,  ³ concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh  ⁴ and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord…

So, Jesus is not, could not be, denying the Davidic Sonship of the Messiah. It was part of the cry of the multitude that Jesus had accepted a few days earlier at the triumphal entry (cf. Mark 11:10; Matthew 21:15). Yes, He is David’s son, but Jesus asks, how can the Messiah merely be David’s son? He does not deny His human lineage. Because He is man we also know, as the writer to the Hebrews said,

…we have a great high priest who has passed through the heavens, Jesus, the Son of God, let us hold fast our confession.  ¹⁵ For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin… (Heb 4:14-15).

But He came not only so that we would be assured that He understands and empathizes with our life in a fallen world, but also to undo the fall, to make it possible for fallen humans to be reconciled to holy God. As Paul wrote in I Cor 15:21-22,

²¹ For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead.  ²² For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

Where Adam failed, and brought death and the curse on humanity, Jesus was faithful, making possible reconciliation and life for all who believe. Divine Justice required a substitute, and so, “The Word was made flesh, and lived for awhile among us…” (John 1:14). The Word of God teaches that Jesus is both man (David’s son) and God (the Son of God). And so, Jesus does not deny His humanity, but He invites us to consider His…

II. Deity: The Messiah, Jesus, is also the eternal Son of God, as David himself under-stood (36-37a; cf. Ps 2:7). There is something of a debate among New Testament scholars as to whether “Son of Man” or “Son of God” is the dominant title for Jesus in Mark. Clearly the former is more prevalent, appearing 14 times in the gospel, whereas “Son of God” appears only 4 times (discounting 3:11!). However, it is interesting that “Son of God” appears at key points in the story: the opening verse, the baptism of Jesus (1:11), the Mount of Transfiguration (9:7), and on the Cross (15:39). Which is Mark emphasizing? “Both” is the correct answer. He is presenting a balanced Christology. He wants his readers, and us, to recognize both the humanity of Christ (and his descent from Adam and from David) and the deity of Christ (and His eternal relationship with the Father). He is the God-Man. Jesus points to Psalm 110:1 to show the future glory of the victorious and reining Messiah. Importantly, David recognizes He is superior to himself, He is the ultimate Sovereign, and he calls Him “Lord.” A father would not address his son with such reverence in the culture of the ancient Near East! Unless he knew something more about this Son…

³⁶ David himself, in the Holy Spirit, declared, "' The Lord said to my Lord, Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet.'  ³⁷ David himself calls him Lord. So how is he his son?" And the great throng heard him gladly.

       At Christmas we hear some good theology when we sing, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.  Remember the lines, “Veiled in flesh the Godhead see, hail the incarnate deity… Pleased with men as man to dwell, Jesus out Immanuel!” God incarnate! John began His gospel by saying “…the Word was God…” (1:1). The apostles understood his role as creator, Paul wrote that “…by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities- all things were created through him and for him” (Col 1:16). They saw Him do works that no man could do. Only after seeing the resurrected Christ did Thomas confess, “My Lord and my God!” (John 20:28). Later Paul would write, “…confess with your mouth Jesus as Lord, and believe in your heart that God has raised Him from the dead, and you will be saved…” (Rom 10:9). In the context of Romans there is no doubt that he is referring to the deity of Christ. The Bible teaches He is both man and God…

III. In perfect union: The two natures, Divine and Human, are perfectly united in the one person, Jesus Christ (cf. Phil 2:5-8).

⁵ Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus,  ⁶ who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped,  ⁷ but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form,  ⁸ he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross… (Phil 2:5-8).

       The tendency through the ages has been for cults and sects (and sometimes the church!) to drift away from the biblical teaching about the two natures of Christ, and either to emphasize only his deity, or, more commonly, only his humanity, denying that He was fully God. At the Council of Chalcedon in A.D. 451 the church responded to some heresies that were developing concerning the person of Christ. Some groups had tended to emphasize His deity, but denied His full humanity. Others affirmed His humanity, but denied His deity. The Council referred to the hypostatic union, that is, the perfect union of two natures, divine and human, in the one person, Jesus Christ. That definition still stands as an accurate summary of the biblical teaching of the person of Christ.  Still, we easily can drift off course in maintaining that right theology. On the one hand, we may see the carpenter’s son, with dusty feet walking through the highways and byways of Galilee and Judea, at times tired, hungry or thirsty, just like us, and we forget He is God incarnate! Or, on the other hand, we may see His majesty, His exaltation to the Father’s right hand, His omniscience, His omnipotence, His authority to forgive sins, to rebuke demons, or to calm the sea, and we forget that He took on a human nature, that He was tempted in all points like as we are, and so our high priest really can sympathize with us in our weakness!  Fully God, and fully Man. And so, He could be our perfect and sufficient Savior.

What is God saying to me in this passage?  Back in Mark 8:29 Jesus asked His disciples “…but who do you say that I am?” That is really the question that is put before us in this text: Who is Jesus? What do you say? The Bible teaches that He is both man (David’s son) and God (the Son of God).  There is mystery in that statement. How can one person have two natures? There is mystery in the Trinity as well, how can one God exist eternally as three persons? God is God, we are creatures, we won’t understand everything about Him fully! But we can know what He has revealed. How important is it that we get this doctrine right? How can we believe in Him without knowing who He is? If we settle for own ideas about Jesus we are creating an idol. We need to hear what He has said, what has been revealed to us in the Scriptures.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage?  Jesus is the central figure of history. Nothing is more important that knowing the truth about who He is, and responding rightly to what He did for us in His death and resurrection. Our text last week taught us about the first and greatest commandment: to love God with our all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. To know Him is to love Him. Think of it, God became a man to do for us what we could not do for ourselves!  Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. He did that for us.  The disciples were seeing, and slowly learning, through the three years that they walked with Him. Still, near the end of that time Philip has this exchange with Jesus in John 14…

⁸ Philip said to him, "Lord, show us the Father, and it is enough for us." ⁹Jesus said to him, "Have I been with you so long, and you still do not know me, Philip? Who-ever has seen me has seen the Father. How can you say, 'Show us the Father'?

They heard the wisdom and authority of His teaching. They saw Him do miracles that attested to His deity. They still struggled to understand. Jesus said, “My sheep hear my voice and I know them, and they follow me.” Have you recognized the Shepherd’s voice?  Who is Jesus? What say you? A good teacher? An example? Yes, and so much more. The God-Man. Have you trusted Him? Do you know Him? Will you love Him? AMEN.

The Love God Requires, The Love God Gives - Mark 12:28-34

The Love God Requires, The Love God Gives

Mark 12:28-34

Introduction: I have not counted, but according to rabbinic sources there are 613 commandments in the Old Testament. Of those there are 248 positive commands telling the Israelites what to do, and 365 negative commands, telling them what not to do. Through the centuries rabbis have tried to divide those between less serious (light) and more serious (heavy) commands. With all of that, there were naturally numerous attempts by the rabbis through the ages to summarize the Law to a more succinct number, to get at the heart of the matter. That is essentially what the scribe in this passage is asking Jesus to do. Which is the greatest commandment? This scribe seems to have a different attitude than some of the previous leaders. He doesn’t seem to be tempting Jesus, seeking to catch Him in His words. Rather he is perhaps testing Jesus, asking a sincere question, and seeing if Jesus’ apparent wisdom could address what he viewed as an important issue. Which of the commandments is “first,” i.e. most important, of all?  Paul, in His Spirit inspired description of the Law said,  “…the law was our guardian until Christ came, in order that we might be justified by faith…” (Gal 3:24, ESV).  The Law protected, guided, revealed truth, showed God’s standard… and exposed our desperate need for redemption and grace. As we’ll see, we need a new heart.

Context: We are still in the passion week, between Palm Sunday and the Cross. Jesus has confronted the leaders in Jerusalem since the triumphal entry a couple of days earlier. Another man comes with more openness with a question…

The Maine* Idea: Sincere love for God and for our neighbor can only come through being rightly related to the King.

I. You cannot obey God without knowing Him and loving Him (28-30).

²⁸ And one of the scribes came up and heard them disputing with one another, and seeing that he answered them well, asked him, "Which commandment is the most important of all?"  ²⁹ Jesus answered, "The most important is, 'Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.  ³⁰ And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength...'  " 

       The approach of this scribe, this expert in the Law, is different that some of the leaders that had come before. In those cases the context and the questions they asked made it clear that they were looking for a basis to condemn Jesus, or at least to discredit Him before the people. We have no such indication from Mark that this leader had the same motives. To be sure, this man is not yet a disciple. Though he calls Jesus “teacher” in his response to Jesus’ answer, he does so more in the sense of commending a peer than affirming Jesus as Lord. There is likewise no indication that this man recognized his own depravity, and his desperate need for forgiveness and reconciliation with God. Even so, there does seem to be a level of openness, of seeking, of honest questioning, something that we have not seen in those that had clearly made up their minds to reject Jesus.  Perhaps he was “testing” Jesus, seeing if this rabbi was as sharp as He seemed. He asks, “Which commandment is first of all?”

       Jesus answers first by quoting from the “Shema,” a passage of Scripture memorized and quoted daily in the prayers of Jews to this day. Deuteronomy 6:4,5,

“Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God, the LORD is one.  ⁵ You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might...”

As most Christians learn “John 3:16” and can recite it from memory, Jews learn the Shema. It’s been called the confession of faith of Judaism. Deuteronomy 6:4 starts with that Hebrew word, “Shema,” which means, “Hear! Listen!”  The context of Deuteronomy 6 makes it clear that the verse is calling Israel to recognize that there is one true God, Yahweh, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Him alone are they to worship. I am convinced that the best translation of the Hebrew text is the one we see only in the margin of a few English translations: “Hear O Israel, Yahweh is our God, Yahweh alone!” Ironically, the Great I AM, the God who spoke to Moses out of the burning bush, now incarnate in Christ, stood there before this ruler, and he did not recognize Him.  To know Him is to love Him. The command comes in v.5: love God with all your heart, mind, soul, and strength, i.e. with all of your being. C.S. Lewis said, “On the whole, God's love for us is a much safer subject to think about than our love for Him.”  Love Him with all that we are? How can we do that? R.C. Sproul in his commentary on Mark said he doesn’t think he’s kept that commandment perfectly for five minutes of his life! And us? We’ll see in this passage that sincere love for God (and for our neighbor) can only come through being rightly related to the King.

II. You cannot truly love God, who you can’t see, while not loving your neighbor, who you can see (31-33). Jesus doesn’t stop with the first and greatest commandment, but He goes further…

³¹ …The second is this: 'You shall love your neighbor as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these.³² And the scribe said to him, "You are right, Teacher. You have truly said that he is one, and there is no other besides him.  ³³ And to love him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one's neighbor as oneself, is much more than all whole burnt offerings and sacrifices." 

  Jesus’ second reference is to Leviticus 19:17-18 which says,

¹⁷ “You shall not hate your brother in your heart, but you shall reason frankly with your neighbor, lest you incur sin because of him.  ¹⁸ You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against the sons of your own people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the LORD.”

       The apostle John wrote his first letter dealing extensively with the possibility and the basis for assurance of salvation. In almost every chapter he touches on the subject of “love” as a basis for our assurance. For example, we read in 1 John 4:7-9,   

⁷ Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God, and whoever loves has been born of God and knows God.  ⁸ Anyone who does not love does not know God, because God is love.  ⁹ In this the love of God was made manifest among us, that God sent his only Son into the world, so that we might live through him.

And then in 1 John 4:19-21  he makes it clear that…

¹⁹ We love because he first loved us.  ²⁰ If anyone says, "I love God," and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen.  ²¹ And this commandment we have from him: whoever loves God must also love his brother.

Loving God, the One who is perfect, who is truth, who is good and who does all things well, that is something we think we should do (even though none of us does it perfectly!). Loving our neighbor, who is noisy (and nosey!), who borrows our stuff and never brings it back, who plays his music so loud that even closing my windows don’t help, who always mows his lawn exactly when I want to take a nap, (you get the idea!) that is not always so easy! I’ve shared before this little poem, I don’t know the author, but it expresses our struggle…

To live above with saints I love will certainly be glory!

To live below with saints I know, that’s another story!

Indeed! But wait a minute. Love is emotional, it involves our feelings, but it begins with a choice. And it involves action. It means not only wanting the best, but doing what is best for our neighbor, without expecting anything in return. In his book Mere Christianity, C.S. Lewis wrote,

"Do not waste your time bothering whether you 'love' your neighbor, act as if you did. As soon as we do this, we find one of the great secrets. When you are behaving as if you loved someone, you will presently come to love him. If you injure someone you dislike, you will find yourself disliking him more. If you do him a good turn, you will find yourself disliking him less."

One counselor told the story of a wife who came into his office full of hatred toward her husband…

"I do not only want to get rid of him, I want to get even. Before I divorce him, I want to hurt him as much as he has me." The counsellor suggested an ingenious plan: "Go home and act as if you really love your husband. Tell him how much he means to you. Praise him for every decent trait. Go out of your way to be as kind, considerate, and generous as possible. Spare no efforts to please him, to enjoy him. Make him believe you love him. After you've convinced him of your undying love and that you cannot live without him, then drop the bomb. Tell him that you are getting a divorce. That will really hurt him." With revenge in her eyes, she smiled and exclaimed, "Beautiful, beautiful. Will he ever be surprised!" And she did it with enthusiasm. Acting "as if." For two months she showed love, kindness, listening, giving, reinforcing, sharing. When she didn't return, the counsellor called. "Are you ready now to go through with the divorce?" "Divorce?" she exclaimed. "Never! I discovered I really do love him." Her actions had changed her feelings. Motion resulted in emotion.

Love shows itself in actions. Actions can change us too! Love, without expecting anything in return. Unlike this letter from a girl seeking to reconcile with her former fiancé.’’

Dearest Jimmy,

No words could ever express the great unhappiness I've felt since breaking our engagement. Please say you'll take me back. No one could ever take your place in my heart, so please forgive me. I love you, I love you, I love you! Yours forever, Marie.

P.S. And congratulations on winning the state lottery.

Expecting nothing in return! Love your neighbor as yourself.  Choose to do what is best for them. But, you might ask, “Who is my neighbor?” Funny you should ask!  There is a similar exchange between Jesus and a scribe recorded in Luke 10:25-37 that leads to that very question being answered through a story that Jesus told…

²⁵ And behold, a lawyer stood up to put him to the test, saying, "Teacher, what shall I do to inherit eternal life?"  ²⁶ He said to him, "What is written in the Law? How do you read it?"  ²⁷ And he answered, "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind, and your neighbor as yourself."  ²⁸ And he said to him, "You have answered correctly; do this, and you will live."  ²⁹ But he, desiring to justify himself, said to Jesus, "And who is my neighbor?"  ³⁰ Jesus replied, "A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and he fell among robbers, who stripped him and beat him and departed, leaving him half dead.  ³¹ Now by chance a priest was going down that road, and when he saw him he passed by on the other side.  ³² So likewise a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side.  ³³ But a Samaritan, as he journeyed, came to where he was, and when he saw him, he had compassion.  ³⁴ He went to him and bound up his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he set him on his own animal and brought him to an inn and took care of him.  ³⁵ And the next day he took out two denarii and gave them to the innkeeper, saying, 'Take care of him, and whatever more you spend, I will repay you when I come back.'  ³⁶ Which of these three, do you think, proved to be a neighbor to the man who fell among the robbers?"  ³⁷ He said, "The one who showed him mercy." And Jesus said to him, "You go, and do likewise." (Luke 10:25-37, ESV).

Who is my neighbor? Anyone who’s need I see, who’s need I am able to meet. So, if I love my neighbor, I am going to want what is best for them, and do what I can to help them experience God’s best, without expecting anything in return. The wounded man in the parable promised nothing to the Good Samaritan. As far as we know he had nothing to offer. Yet the Samaritan stopped, and helped. And he went the extra mile and not only helped the man in crisis, but went further, even leaving some money and offering to pay any expenses above and beyond that. He loved his neighbor, not expecting anything in return.

       Giving a cup of water in the name of Jesus, feeding the hungry, helping those in need are all ways that we should show love to others. But have we really loved them if we stop there? The greatest need our neighbors have is to know and experience the saving grace of Jesus Christ. Eternity is at stake. We are called to bring the message of grace to the people around us, urging them on behalf of Christ to be reconciled with God. If we do that out of love, because we care, because we want them to experience the abundant life, the eternal life that God promises to those who trust Him, some will hear.  Loving God and loving our neighbor is greater than all burnt offerings and sacrifices because sincere love for God and for our neighbor can only come through having a new heart, being rightly related to the King. That brings us to…

III. We can’t keep either commandment without a new life in relation to Jesus Christ: Only One perfectly kept the first commandment (34)!

³⁴ And when Jesus saw that he answered wisely, he said to him, "You are not far from the kingdom of God." And after that no one dared to ask him any more questions.

       Remember the night time meeting between Jesus and Nicodemus recorded in John 3:3-5… when the Lord said, “Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Nicodemus seemingly was attracted to something in the preaching of Jesus, but he didn’t understand that he needed a transformed heart. Keeping the Law, by our own effort, can never make us right with God. Why? As James said, “…whoever keeps the whole law, and fails in one point, is guilty of all…” (James 2:9-11). We need to be justified by grace, through faith. We need a new heart, we need to be born again. The scribe in our passage acknowledged Jesus’ reply, and had a “wise” response of his own, but even so Jesus didn’t say He was “in.” He said, “You are not far from the kingdom of God.” The King stood there, right in front of this religious leader, he wasn’t far,  yet all he could see was a good, wise teacher. Remember the rich young ruler? Jesus told him, “You lack one thing…” Remember Agrippa in Acts 26, after hearing the testimony of Paul, “…you almost persuade me to be a Christian…” Almost persuaded, loving material things more than the Lord, or as in this case, still failing to recognize who Jesus is, and not (yet) trusting in Him. To know Him is to love Him. Remember the three questions Mark has been answering in this Gospel: Who is Jesus? Why did He come? What does it mean to follow Him?

What is God saying to me in this passage? Sincere love for God, with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength, and genuine, unfeigned love for our neighbor, love that wants and does what is best for them, without expecting anything in return, that kind of love can only come through being rightly related to the King.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? When it comes to God, we can truly say that to know Him is to love Him. As we grow in our knowledge of God, our love for Him deepens and grows (and so will our love for our neighbor).  Jesus said “He who has seen me has seen the Father.” As we’ve been walking deliberately through this gospel over the last year and a half or so, do you feel like your getting to know Him better, do you sense that you love Him more?   Francis Xavier wrote in the early 1500’s the following (this is an old, English translation),

My God, I love Thee; not because I hope for heaven thereby,

Nor yet because who love Thee not Are lost eternally.

Thou, O my Jesus, Thou didst me Upon the cross embrace;

For me didst bear the nails, and spear, And manifold disgrace,

And griefs and torments numberless, And sweat of agony;

Yea, death itself; and all for me Who was thine enemy.

Then why, O blessed Jesus Christ, Should I not love Thee well?

Not for the sake of winning heaven, Nor of escaping hell;

Not from the hope of gaining aught, Not seeking a reward;

But as Thyself hast loved me, O ever-loving Lord.

So would I love Thee, dearest Lord, And in Thy praise will sing;

Solely because Thou art my God, And my most loving King.

 Oh that we should love Him so… and love our neighbors as ourselves!    AMEN.

“I Can Only Imagine” Mark 12:18-27

“I Can Only Imagine”

Mark 12:18-27

Introduction: The popular Christian song, “I can only imagine” (and the movie that tells the story) got some people talking recently about the hope of eternal life. What will it be like? What has God planned for those who know Him? Most people seem more comfortable talking about “heaven” than about the hope of the resurrection.  Why is that? After all, Jesus was the first-fruits of the resurrection! His victory over death assures us that those who are in Christ will also be raised. The first-fruits came as the first part of the harvest… the rest of the harvest would soon surely follow. Think about this: Jesus didn’t simply die, be buried, and go to heaven. The body of Jesus that was put into the tomb was raised to life. The tomb was empty! Jesus said in John 5:28-29,  “Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice  ²⁹ and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.” His resurrection initiated this age, which will culminate in the resurrection of those He purchased with His blood… I’ve quoted to you before Eric Sauer, who wrote in Triumph of the Crucified…

The present age is Eastertime. It began with the resurrection of the Redeemer, and will end with the resurrection of the redeemed. Between lies the spiritual resurrection of those called into new life through faith in Christ. so we live between two Easters, and in the power of the first Easter we go to meet the last Easter…

This is not a small point of doctrine open to discussion, it is at the core of biblical Christianity! It speaks about the basis, the power, and the hope of the Christian life!  Paul called it a doctrine of first importance (I Cor 15:3) and then said a few verses later,  “But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.  ¹⁴ And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain…” (I Cor 15:13-14).  Our faith stands or falls on the truth of the resurrection, and the future resurrection of believers, according to Paul, is inseparable from the resurrection of Christ. That is what is being challenged here.

       Different groups from the leaders of the Jews have come to Jesus, looking for a basis to condemn Him, trying to catch Him in His own words. The Sadducees denied the idea of a future resurrection. They denied any idea of an afterlife. The best someone could hope for is to “live on” through the progeny they left behind. 

In contrast, we see The Maine* Idea in this passage: Believers in Christ are promised a future resurrection and fullness of life in the presence of the King.

I. A Hypothetical Problem rooted in unbelief (18-23).

¹⁸ And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,  ¹⁹ "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.  ²⁰ There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring.  ²¹ And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise.  ²² And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died.  ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife." 

      First of all, we see here the danger of bad theology in the example of the Sadducees. Mark wants us to know at the outset that this next group of leaders that came to Jesus had a theological problem with some of the Lord’s teaching. In contrast to the Pharisees, the Sadducees were a wealthy, aristocratic class, tied to the priesthood in Jerusalem, and they denied any idea of a future resurrection. It is interesting that so far in Mark, Jesus had more confrontations with the Pharisees and the scribes over their elevation of human tradition than He had with the Sadducees. After the resurrection, it is the Sadducees who are especially offended by the preaching to the apostles. Why? Because they preached the resurrection of Jesus, as well as the future hope of believers! That theology did not fit the Sadducees belief system. Do you remember the scene in the book of Acts when Paul is hauled before the Sanhedrin in Jerusalem? We read in Acts 23:6-10,   

⁶ Now when Paul perceived that one part were Sadducees and the other Pharisees, he cried out… "Brothers, I am a Pharisee, a son of Pharisees. It is with respect to the hope and the resurrection of the dead that I am on trial."  ⁷ And when he had said this, a dissension arose between the Pharisees and the Sadducees...  ⁸ For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, nor angel, nor spirit, but the Pharisees acknowledge them all.  ⁹ Then a great clamor arose, and some of the scribes of the Pharisees' party stood up and contended sharply, "We find nothing wrong in this man. What if a spirit or an angel spoke to him?" 

       Paul seized on something he had in common with the Pharisees, knowing that that would divide the council! His gospel preaching focused on the death and resurrection of Christ, and he tied that to the hope of a future resurrection for those who believe. The Sadducees’ would not consider such a message!

       Here, in our passage in Mark 12, we see the hypocrisy of determined unbelief: “Teacher, Moses wrote to us…”  As with the leaders who attempted to trap Jesus with their question before, these men were not seeking answers!  They address Him as “teacher,” seemingly with respect, but their question reveals their intentions. This is probably a question that would often be used to ridicule the idea of a future resurrection. They were not seeking to understand, they did not want to learn, they were trying to confound Jesus (as if that could happen!) or to expose what they viewed as an irreconcilable situation. “Look at the ridiculous problems such a doctrine would cause!” If fact, their question exposed their own ignorance of the Scriptures and of God’s power.

        An insincere question that twisted the intention of Scripture…  The Law of Levirate marriage is indeed rooted in Scripture (Dt 25:5ff). As the new generation of the children of Israel were preparing to enter the promised land, God inspired Moses to write Deuteronomy, largely a restatement and summary of the Law for the nation. To not have an heir to carry on the family lineage was considered a tragic situation, and this law, in certain circumstances, would allow a man’s name to continue in Israel. The child of such a union would carry the deceased’s name.

       The same principle is reflected in the kinsman-redeemer practice which is at the center of the book of Ruth. Naomi’s husband died, her sons died, and one of the daughters-in-law, Ruth, returned with Naomi to the Land. When Ruth made herself known to Boaz, that beautiful story of redemption unfolds as he pays the redemption price, and takes Ruth as his wife. Her son, who in the story is also called the son of Naomi, became the grandfather of King David, and so a part of the line that finally brought the Messiah, Jesus. God had a purpose for Israel, and each of the tribes had a portion in His plan. The law of levirate marriage would assure the name of the deceased would continue in the land. It had a purpose. The Sadducees here are attempting to pose a scenario, perhaps possible, though highly unlikely, that would show the idea of resurrection to be absurd… The woman had seven husbands! Would she have a “harem” of husbands in the resurrection? (My own grandmother became a widow at the age of 29, and out-lived two more husbands!). They weren’t asking a question, they were making a statement. They wanted to show how ridiculous the idea of resurrection was. But they didn’t understand their own Scriptures… or God’s power! Believers in Christ are promised a future resurrection and fullness of life in the presence of the King.

II. God’s Perfect Plan is revealed in Scripture (24-25).

²⁴ Jesus said to them, "Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither 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. 

       Jesus frames his answer, using the same verb twice. In v.24 He says, “…is this not the reason you are wrong…” Then in v.27 “You are quite wrong…” The verb here is planao, “to wander, go astray.” It is the word from which the word “planet” was derived, as early astronomers noted that the visible planets seemed to move through the constellations in contrast to the stars which appeared to be stationary in relation to each other. The planets looked like “wandering stars.” Here Jesus uses the verb “wander, go astray” twice, emphasizing the fact that the Sadducees had “wandered off course.” In fact, the verb is passive, they had been led astray. How and why? They did not know the Scriptures, nor the power of God. There is a not too subtle warning here for us as well. There are a lot of competing theologies out there, a lot of ideas about how God works and what the Bible says. They are not all correct. Truth is absolute. The religious leaders in general, and in this case the Sadducees, were mistaken about Jesus. Their own Messiah stood there in front of them. For at least a few days now He has been in Jerusalem, teaching in and around the Temple. Think about that: God incarnate, teaching in the Temple in Jerusalem, the very place that He had chosen to be especially present in the midst of His people. The one who spoke to Moses from the burning bush and who parted the Sea and had caused the mountain to tremble as He gave Him the command-ments on Sinai was there. And they were missing Him! Why? Because their theological system conflicted with what He seemed to be and some of the things that He said. We need to seek Him, openly, diligently, with an open heart and a teachable spirit. These men were led astray because they missed the mark on two levels.

       First, Jesus said, “…you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God…” The Sadducees had a more restricted view of authoritative Scripture than other groups among the leadership. They viewed the Torah, the Pentateuch, the five books of Moses, as the only authoritative source of doctrine. It seems they acknowledged value in other writings, such as the prophets and the Psalms, but only Moses was given the Law. In a certain sense, they had a “canon within the canon.” We need to know what the Bible says, the whole Bible. One of the reformers said, “Since God makes known His will clearly in the Scriptures, the want of acquaintance with them is the source and cause of all errors…” They erred, not knowing the Scriptures!

       That is a good warning to us not to forget that the entire Bible, 66 books, Old and New Testament, is the fully inspired and infallible Word of God.  The one true God, Yahweh, the God who is, authored it all. He has spoken!  We have His word, written. When Jesus spoke to the disciples after the resurrection He said to them in Luke 24:44, "These are my words that I spoke to you while I was still with you, that everything written about me in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms must be fulfilled." The Law, the prophets, and the writings, then entire Old Testament (at the time, all the Word of God written!) was authoritative, and all of it pointed to Jesus and found its fulfillment in Him. We have all 66 books. Complete. The entire canon given by God to the Church. We need to read it! All of it, consistently, systematically, longing for the pure milk of the Word.

       The Sadducees didn’t know the Scriptures, I think part of that is that they didn’t recognize the totality of what is Scripture. But Jesus doesn’t attempt to convince them of that truth, He doesn’t appeal to the Psalms or the Prophets. Rather, He starts with common ground, what they did acknowledge, that is, the Law of Moses. Jesus is making the point that even though you don’t acknowledge the whole counsel of God, including the Scriptures where the resurrection is explicitly taught, it is none the less implicit even in the writings of Moses.

       “…nor the power of God…” Knowing the power God comes with a personal and experiential relationship with God. The attempt to test Jesus with this intentionally absurd illustration of seven successive brothers marrying a woman, shows their limited human understanding of God’s plan. They are assuming that the resurrection life that Jesus taught about was merely a continuation of life as it now is in this fallen world. Yes, there will surely be continuity, but there will also be marvelous transformation! Paul is quoting from the prophet Isaiah when He said,

But, as it is written, "What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him"-  ¹⁰ these things God has revealed to us through the Spirit. For the Spirit searches everything, even the depths of God… (I Cor 2:9,10; cf. Isa 64:4)

Verse 9 (quoting in part from Isaiah) tells us that God’s plans for us are more and greater than we can imagine. V.10 gives Paul’s commentary: “…these things God has revealed to us…” The prophets had revelation with respect to the future resurrection life that God has for those who know Him. The apostles, from their post-cross/resurrection perspective, were given still greater insight and revelation. Still, we know in part. We see in a glass, dimly. What we do know is that God has a future that is even more beautiful, more delightful, more joyful, than anything we have known or will know in this life. One writer said that “God is most glorified when we find our greatest pleasure in Him.” We can only imagine what He has in store for us!

       “…for when they rise from the dead they neither marry nor are given in marriage…”  For those of us who are happily married, and can’t imagine that relationship being different in eternity, this can be a difficult teaching! When God created Adam and Eve they were the only humans. They were given a mandate to multiply and fill the earth. They were told to exercise dominion in the world. God’s good creation was plunged into chaos by the Fall. Everything was corrupted, including the relationship between the man and the woman. Even so, when Jesus chose a relationship that could illustrate His relationship with the church, He chose the marriage relationship. The church is the Bride of Christ. We are not just going to resurrect and live a life that is simply an improved version of the life we now have. That we could easily imagine! The Bible says, “…eye has not seen, nor ear heard, neither has it entered into the heart of man, the things that God has prepared…” We can read what he tells us, we can only imagine what it might be like, but when we experience the life for which we were created I believe it will be more and better than anything we imagined!

      “…but are like the angels in heaven…” Don’t get this wrong, Jesus was not saying that we get turned into angels! We don’t grow a set of wings. Angels are angels, humans are humans. But as angels don’t procreate, filling the heavens, we will no longer need to “be fruitful and multiply and fill the earth…”  Some might think, “Wait a minute, if I can’t be married in heaven I don’t think I can be happy!” Consider the most joyful, meaningful, moments you now experience and realize that doesn’t compare to what God has in mind for us! We can trust Him! But will we know each other? Strauss said, “…we can assume that all relationships in God’s presence will be profoundly deeper than anything we experience in this life… our relationships with our spouses and families will no doubt be more intimate, not less, in eternity…” (Mark, 537).  After hearing a talk about eternal life someone came up to the speaker (Spurgeon?) and said that he was afraid that he would not know his wife in eternity. The preacher replied, “Do you think for a moment that you will be even more stupid after the resurrection than now?” Believers in Christ are promised a future resurrection and fullness of life in the presence of the King.

III. The Divine Power to keep His promises (26-27).

²⁶ And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, 'I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?  ²⁷ He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong."

       Rather than appealing to Isaiah or the Psalms, Jesus essentially says that the Torah, which you Sadducees affirm, assumes a future resurrection! He references Moses, and as the Jew typically would do He refers to something in the context that would allow them to identify the passage He had in mind. Remember there were no chapter and verse divisions! The “passage about the bush” would immediately be recognized: God’s appearance to Moses in the burning bush (Ex 3, see especially v.6).

       In view of the I AM statements we see in John, I believe it was the pre-incarnate Christ who spoke to Moses from the bush and said, “…I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…” He didn’t say that He was their God, but that He is their God, even though they had died long before.  He had made promises to the patriarchs, and those promises are irrevocable. As one writer said, “God’s covenant-promise to save His people would not be of any significance if it were overcome and shattered by death…” Nothing can separate us from the love of Christ (cf. Rom 8:35-39)! And so, He says to the Sadducees, “You are badly mistaken…” i.e., “You are way off course!” (v.27).

What is God saying to me in this passage? Believers in Christ are promised a future resurrection and fullness of life in the presence of the King.

What would God have me to do in response to this passage? Has our future hope been shaped by Greek philosophy, or by Scripture? Do we get our theology  from Hollywood, or from the Bible?  Do we think about going to “heaven” someday, but forget about the hope of the resurrection, the promise of an earthly kingdom (with the King present!), and the promise that this corruptible will put on incorruption, this mortal, immortality?! I can only imagine! How then shall we live? With hope! At the end of Paul’s great chapter on the resurrection, he says in I Corinthians 15:58,

 “Therefore, my beloved brothers, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labor is not in vain.”

AMEN!