The Reality of Resurrection

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MARK

THE REALITY OF RESURRECTION

 

Mark 12:18-27

 18 Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 19 "Teacher," they said, "Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother. 20 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married and died without leaving any children. 21 The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child. It was the same with the third. 22 In fact, none of the seven left any children. Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?" 24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 Now about the dead rising — have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'? 27 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!" 

NIV

Here come the Sadducees with a question they do not even believe would happen because their question is based on a resurrection, which they do not believe in. It is interesting that they thought they could trap Jesus and at the same time show how smart they think they are regarding the Law of Moses. However, Jesus gets right to the point right away telling them they are in error because they do not know the scriptures and they do not know the power of God, which it would seem he is telling them there is a resurrection and God is going to prove it with Jesus. He does not say if the dead rise, he makes sure to say when the dead rise so that they are being told they are in error about everything. Death is only the gateway into eternal life for Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob all died in the flesh, however, Jesus makes sure to let them and all of us know that all three of those men are alive, living an eternal life in the presence of God. Some would say this is our great hope, but it is not a hope, it is a reality. It is strange how the Mormons conduct sealing ceremonies, even after one of them has died, having someone stand in proxy for the dead partner so that a married couple remains married in the afterlife when Jesus makes it clear that is not the case. It is sad in some sense that the one person here on earth that we love so very much and spend most of our lives with sharing everything together will not be married in that sense when getting to heaven. Certainly, we will know each other as we will with all the others that we know here on this earth, but there is no marriage other than all of us being the bride of Christ. Nevertheless, we all will be together in the presence of our Lord, and in that there is a great joy. This idea of us being like angels is rather interesting as well, not in the sense of having wings which some have portrayed angels, but that we will be able to do that which angels do, travel at the speed of thought, or whatever. It does appear, at least as far as we have observed that angels have an identity, a name and the ones we have been given have been what seems to be male names. Nevertheless, that may reveal we still will have our genders if that matters. The main point is that there is a resurrection, it is a reality, and we all will be together, all the same, all with Jesus. What else matters?