Jesus' Methods of Exposing Hypocrisy
Mark 12:18-27 really stood out to me in my Bible study today.
In this Passage, the Sadducees, another group of Law of God experts, came to Jesus in an attempt to entrap Him in His teachings.
These Sadducees, who do not believe in a resurrection of the dead, concocted an elaborate example. They told of seven men who followed the Law of Moses. These men all married the wife of an oldest brother who left no children when he died, in an attempt to have children with the woman, thus leaving a family name. One after the other, all the men died, still leaving the woman childless. Eventually, the woman died also. So, they asked Jesus, whose wife would she be in the resurrection? After all, she had been married to all seven brothers.
Oh, I so love Jesus' response. He did not just answer their question. His first statement - question, really - was, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?" (from Mark 12:24).
Did He hit the nail of the head! He asked the experts in the Law of God if they could possible be mistaken because they do not understand the Scripture they claim to know nor do they understand the power of God.
He goes on to explain that in the resurrection, there is no marriage. We are as the angels. In Verse 26, He asks another question, "... have you not read in the book of Moses...?" How is it that these experts had not read in the the book of Moses that this is how it is? Fair enough of a question.
Then He ends with a bold statement, "He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken" (Mark 12:27).
Jesus did not just answer their question. He questioned their expertise based upon their own knowledge rather than upon the power of God.
What a lesson for Christians today!
In this Passage, the Sadducees, another group of Law of God experts, came to Jesus in an attempt to entrap Him in His teachings.
These Sadducees, who do not believe in a resurrection of the dead, concocted an elaborate example. They told of seven men who followed the Law of Moses. These men all married the wife of an oldest brother who left no children when he died, in an attempt to have children with the woman, thus leaving a family name. One after the other, all the men died, still leaving the woman childless. Eventually, the woman died also. So, they asked Jesus, whose wife would she be in the resurrection? After all, she had been married to all seven brothers.
Oh, I so love Jesus' response. He did not just answer their question. His first statement - question, really - was, "Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God?" (from Mark 12:24).
Did He hit the nail of the head! He asked the experts in the Law of God if they could possible be mistaken because they do not understand the Scripture they claim to know nor do they understand the power of God.
He goes on to explain that in the resurrection, there is no marriage. We are as the angels. In Verse 26, He asks another question, "... have you not read in the book of Moses...?" How is it that these experts had not read in the the book of Moses that this is how it is? Fair enough of a question.
Then He ends with a bold statement, "He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken" (Mark 12:27).
Jesus did not just answer their question. He questioned their expertise based upon their own knowledge rather than upon the power of God.
What a lesson for Christians today!
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