Text: Mark 12:18-27, Title: You’re Way Off, Dude, Date/Place: NRBC, 11/2/08, PM
A. Opening illustration: Sunday School conversation that we were having about how we act and specifically what we say around really smart or really godly people…
B. Background to passage: This is the second of four questions (three that were asked to Jesus, and one that Jesus asked) in Mark 12. This one comes from the Sadducees who were one of the ruling parties in Jerusalem. They were mostly made up of the aristocracy and were theologically committed to no angels, no resurrection, no afterlife, and nothing but the Torah (so they were “sad you see”). Jesus is a little less evasive directly to their question, but still not giving a dissertation on eschatology. The truth is that they are simply trying to catch Him in a quandary, and can’t. The story that they tell is not original to them, but found the apocryphal book of Tobit. But in reality it is kinda like asking whether or not Adam had a belly button.
C. Main thought: In the text we will see one big problem and two correcting remarks from Jesus,
A. Big Problem (v. 24)
1. The word for mistaken is a little stronger than this translation. It could also be translated “fallen astray off the path of truth.” It means to be deceived, led astray, or err from truth. Jesus just said you are wrong. Remember that this tact is Jesus’ way of dealing with hypocrisy, not with real seekers. Jesus is fairly aggressive up front telling these religious leaders that they don’t know the scripture, and don’t know the power of God. Two aspects to the power of God: 1) the knowledge of God’s ability, and 2) the experience of God’s power upon your life.
2. John 5:38-40, Gen 18:14; Jer 32:17; Luk 1:37; Heb 3:10,
3. Illustration: One writer said, it was like tell the brokers that work on Wall Street that they don’t know anything about finance. Maybe that is not too far from true…tell about my error the other day with the bible trivia questions at the corn maze in TN, They then asked him to relate one of the parables to the membership committee. And a bit uncertain, he began… “Once upon a time a man went down from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell among thieves; and the thorns grew up and choked the man. And he went on and met the Queen of Sheba, and she gave that man, Sir, a thousand talents of silver, and a hundred changes of raiment. And he got in his chariot and drove furiously, and as he was driving along under a big tree, his hair got caught in a limb and left him hanging here! And he hung there many days and many nights. The ravens brought him food to eat and water to drink. And one night while he was hanging there asleep, his wife Delilah came along and cut off his hair, and he fell on stony ground. And it begin to rain, and rained forty days and forty nights. And he hid himself in a cave. Later he went on and met a man who said, “Come in and take supper with me.” But he said, “I can’t come in, for I have married a wife.” And the man went out into the highways and hedges and compelled him to come in! He then came to Jerusalem, and saw Queen Jezebel sitting high and lifted up in a window of the wall. When she saw him she laughed, and he said, “Throw her down out of there,” and they threw her down. And he said “Throw her down again,” and they threw her down seventy-times-seven. And the fragments which they picked up filled twelve baskets full! NOW, whose wife will she be in the day of the Judgment?” The majority of all born-again Christians read the Bible once or twice a week, or not at all. The survey found that only 18% of all Christians said they read the Word every day, while another 18% read the Bible between three and six days a week, 37% read it once or twice a week, and 23% said they do not read the Bible at all.
4. When you and I are witnessing and we can tell someone is just trying to trip us up, it is OK to be a little witty or aggressive. But to those who are truly seeking answers, we must be more tactful. What would you say, if you made a comment or asked a question, and Jesus told you that you are gone astray? And then proceeded to tell you that you didn’t know the scriptures or the power of God. Could this be true of our church? Or you as an individual? Could we as one of the most conservative, bible-centered denominations in the country have fallen into such a trap? What would Jesus say regarding your knowledge or commitment to knowledge of His Word? Have you ever experienced God’s power upon you? Do you really believe that God can do anything?
B. Correction: afterlife (v. 25)
1. Jesus addresses briefly the two issues with the Sadducees. Again, they were not really looking for answers, as much as they were wanting to trap Jesus, so he corrected them to instruct those that may be watching, and to help us. He states that in the resurrection people will be like angels in the sense that they do not marry or give in marriage. Therefore the question about whose wife will belong to whom in the resurrection is not one that will even have to be answered.
2. 1 Cor 2:9, Ps 31:19,
3. Illustration: read some of the hymns from the old hymnals, “From your departed husband” An elderly couple passed away and found themselves at the pearly gates. Peter was there to welcome them. First he showed them their mansion. The man overwhelmed by the sheer luxury of it all asked, "How much does this place cost per night?" Peter replied, "Sir, this is Heaven, it doesn’t cost anything." Then Peter took them to the dining room where table upon table was piled high with the most delicious foods you could imagine. Again overwhelmed by the glory of it all the man asked, "How much for the meals?" Peter said, "You forget, this is Heaven, it’s free." Peter then took them out back where they saw a fantastically beautiful golf course. As the man stood there open-mouthed Peter said, "Now before you ask, there are no greens fees, this is Heaven, everything is free." The man looked at his wife and said, "You and your confounded bran muffins, I could have been here 10 years ago!"
4. Don’t carry Jesus’ analogy about eternity and marriage and angels further than it demands. We don’t become angels, get wings, become messengers from God to men, or float on clouds. Nor is heaven a place where we are simply going to have a great big family reunion, and talk about old times. But if you listen to much southern gospel hymnology that is what you might think. We tend to think to think of heaven as an extended life on earth, only better. But this you can trust in (before you go worrying about where your husband will be in heaven) the greatest things you experience here on earth will be infinitely surpassed by greater things and experiences in heave. And there will be no sadness or crying or mourning or missing anyone or anything there. John’s language was the best he could do.
C. Correction: theology (v. 26-27)
1. Then Jesus moves to correct their aberrant theology about a resurrection in general with a biblical thought from Exodus which they acknowledged as an inspired book. He asked them to recall the burning bush incident at the beginning of Moses’ ministry. And then he quoted God’s introduction of Himself. Jesus notes that God says that He continues to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Case closed: Jesus wins! God cannot continue to be the God of people that do not exist. And in the rest of scripture, which we believe to also be the inspired, infallible Word of God it is also clear.
2. Exodus 3:6, Pro 10:17, Pro 12:1, 13:18, 15:10, Jer 5:3,
3. Illustration: after my foreshadowing of Mark 13 the other night in combination with the membership class comments that I made about my heretical end times views, one church member has been studying it out, three times now in our discipleship triads will have pondered deep thoughts about the Word: whether the branches cast into the fire are going to hell, whether or not Satan can give you thoughts, how prayer influences God in and through providence, I had a very animated professor at Bible college by the name of Dr. Emert. He taught us about the danger of blaspheming God’s Son by claiming that He is anything less than God. He told how for some the earth opened, for some fire fell from Heaven, and for some floods came. He told us that he had one response when false cults come to proclaim their heresy. "I have just paid off my house and enjoy it very much. If you are going to continue to spout evil doctrine that will anger the God of the universe, at least get off of my porch!
4. Now this is one of those scriptural answers that would have required some thought. But Jesus had been giving it thought. And he corrected their view of God, not heaven. Are we teachable enough to have our view of God corrected? Do we take the time to think deeply about God? In small group discipleship is the best place to drink deeply of the word and mull over difficult truths. Are you involved in something that will aid you in rethinking thoughts about God or theology or church or practice? It has to be small enough to promote intimacy on a spiritual level. You have to be real. Self-examination is commended to us in scripture. Also we are commanded to defend our faith, and demonstrate good theology to witness.
A. Closing illustration: Once when Mark Twain was lecturing in Utah, a Mormon acquaintance argued with him on the subject of polygamy. After a long and rather heated debate, the Mormon finally said, “Can you find for me a single passage of Scripture which forbids polygamy?” “Certainly,” replied Twain. “‘No man can serve two masters.’”
