Mark 12:18-27 - Missing the Point; Death is not Final

Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:

 

Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother.

 

Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.

  

And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise.

  

So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also.

 

Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.

 

Jesus answered and said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor 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 concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?

 

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken. 

Death is Not the End
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The Sadducees were trying to trip up Jesus with a trick question. To them, who did not believe in the resurrection, the case they were presenting to Jesus was proof enough that there was no resurrection. But, Jesus, as usual, shows up His enemies.  It's not that there will be no resurrection; rather, in the after life, their will be no marriage.  Jesus cuts right to the heart of the matter. The problem is the Sadducees did not know the Scriptures nor the power of God.  Now, they may beg to differ, since they were Sadducees and would be considered "experts" in the Torah. But it's one thing to know the contents of the Bible; it's quite another to live its contents.

The Sadducees missed the point completely. And their hearts weren't open to Jesus correction so, no doubt, they continued in their error. God is the God of the Living! It sounds to me that the part in the Creed which says "I believe....in the Communion of Saints" falls into this category.  Abraham is not dead. Isaac is not dead. Jacob is not dead. Neither are the Saints. Surely, they can intercede for me.

Wherever God is, there is life. Let me not miss the point of the Scriptures like the Sadducees did. Let me be open to Jesus' correction. And, may, this day, the Saints in heaven intercede for me. Amen.