The God Of The Living - Mark 12:18-27 Series

22 …Last of all, the woman died too. 23 At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?"

That is not an honest question. It was a mocking question. Why 7 brothers? Why the crazy story? Why not just ask, “What happens when a widow remarries—which guy is her husband at the resurrection?” That’s a much more relevant question, since lots of people have a second or third spouse. But they aren’t trying to come up with a common problem; they’re trying to make the doctrine of resurrection sound stupid. It would create impossible problems in eternity. It’s unworkable.

And not just unworkable, but also undesirable. None of the six brothers marry the woman out of love. They were never interested in her, they might not have even liked her. They only married her because the law required it. Which was a bummer, because in that culture, it was a curse to be stuck with a barren wife. And this woman is as barren as they come—0 for 7. And a barren wife who seems to have a knack for killing off husbands is even worse. So their question is, out of the seven, which poor guy gets saddled with this cursed woman for all eternity? The doctrine of resurrection is unworkable, undesirable, and just plain dumb.

This argument is their ace in the hole. No doubt they used it to stump a lot of Pharisees because the Pharisees believed people would be raised in the same condition they died. They even debated about whether you’d have the same clothes on that you were buried in. They thought everything would be pretty much the same—you’d have the same weaknesses, same blemishes, same clothes, same family situation, same wife. So for them, this argument really would be a problem. What about people who have been married multiple times? Are they just doomed to really awkward family photos all through eternity?

Jesus’ Answer

So that’s their question. And I’m sure these wealthy, powerful aristocrats were used to people being intimidated and cowed by their presence, especially country bumpkins from places like Nazareth. Let’s see how nervous Jesus sounds.

A Strong Rebuke

24 Jesus replied, "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

That’s how he begins. Skip down to v.27 and see his final words.

27 … You are badly mistaken!"

It’s the same Greek word both times. So, thesis statement: “You’re wrong.” Conclusion: “You’re really wrong.” Jesus stands before these rich, powerful, dangerous men and says, “The only thing I can’t figure out is whether your errors come more because of your ignorance of Scripture or your ignorance about God.”

24 "Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?

The word translated “error” literally means “to wander” (planeo—we get our word “planet” from it because planets are the stars in the sky that seem to wander). He’s saying, “You’ve gone astray. You’ve wandered, badly. You’ve wandered so far from the truth I can hardly see you from here. The problem isn’t with the doctrine of resurrection. The only problem is your colossal ignorance.”