That is a question that I have been asked often by those who are close to dying or thinking about heaven or have just experienced the death of a spouse. We will answer that question in just a few minutes.
We are back in Mark’s gospel this morning and looking at the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. On Sunday, He rode into Jerusalem on the donkey at the praise of the people. On Monday, He come back into Jerusalem and cursed the fig tree and cleansed temple. On Tuesday, He came back into Jerusalem and taught the sign...
That is a question that I have been asked often by those who are close to dying or thinking about heaven or have just experienced the death of a spouse. We will answer that question in just a few minutes.
We are back in Mark’s gospel this morning and looking at the last week of Jesus’ life on earth. On Sunday, He rode into Jerusalem on the donkey at the praise of the people. On Monday, He come back into Jerusalem and cursed the fig tree and cleansed temple. On Tuesday, He came back into Jerusalem and taught the significance of cursing the fig tree to His disciples.
In the recent Sunday’s, we have seen Jesus speak about His ministry and the relationship between Him and John the Baptist. Last week, He answered the question of the Pharisees and Herodians about paying taxes.
Today, we are probably still on Tuesday, and we will see Jesus answering more questions from those trying to discredit His ministry in a sermon called, “Will There Be Marriage in Heaven?”
- The Liberal Aristocrats, Mark 12:18
18 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead.
Who were the Sadducees? One commentary called them the urban, wealthy, and sophisticated class of Jerusalem. They wielded great political and religious influence as part of the Jewish religious leaders of the day, but they had their own unique attributes.
They were conservative in that they didn’t believe in the oral law or traditions of the Pharisees. However, they were liberal in that they didn’t believe in a resurrection or angels or spirits. We know this from Dr. Luke in Acts 23:8.
Acts 23:8, 8 For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
Because of their beliefs and because they were pro-Roman, they were at odds with the Pharisees again and again. However, remember that the enemy of my enemy is my friend. Therefore, like the Pharisees in this instance, they attempted to trap Jesus with His words and discredit His ministry, and their question or scenario unfolded in verses 19-23.
- A Ludicrous Argument, Mark 12:19-23
19 “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife without children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name. 20 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 21 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died without children. Then the third brother married her. 22 This continued with all seven of them, and still there were no children. Last of all, the woman also died. 23 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her.”
Beginning in verse 19, the Sadducees posed the proverbial straw man scenario to Jesus in an effort to prove their belief or argument of no resurrection. There example is based loosely on Deuteronomy 25, which is why they attributed it Moses.
The story included a married couple who didn’t have children for whatever reason. Then, tragedy strikes, and the husband dies leaving the wife alone and without anyone to care for her.
The custom of the day and part of the Old Testament Law was what was known as levirate marriage. This term comes from the Latin word “levirate” which means husband’s brother, and the Sadducees correctly referenced Moses commendation of it from Deuteronomy 25:5-6.
Deuteronomy 25:5-6, 5 “If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. 6 And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.
We see this practice in the book of Ruth, and its purpose was to protect and provide for the family, and the Sadducees could have asked their question of Jesus using just two husbands in an example. However, in attempt to show their disdain for the resurrection and its absurdity, they used seven husbands. This was a ludicrous argument.
In their minds, Jesus only had two options in answering. If He answered that the wife belonged to all of them, He would be condoning adultery. If He answered otherwise, in their minds, He would be teaching that there was no such thing as the resurrection.
- Life After Death, Mark 12:24-27
24 Jesus replied, “Your mistake is that you don’t know the Scriptures, and you don’t know the power of God. 25 For when the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage. In this respect they will be like the angels in heaven. 26 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—haven’t you ever read about this in the writings of Moses, in the story of the burning bush? Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, God said to Moses, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ 27 So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error.”
As He did with others, He challenged the Sadducees’ understanding of Scripture. They should have known better, but they didn’t.
Beginning in verse 25, Jesus pointed out two of their errors in thinking. First, Jesus said there would be no marriage(s) in heaven. Why? One of the main purposes of marriage is reproduction. However, in heaven, there is no need for reproduction because life in heaven is eternal life. Therefore, you will know you spouse and children and others in heaven, but the only marriage will be between Christ and His Bride, the Church.
In that same verse, Jesus said that in heaven, we will be LIKE angels. Notice He didn’t say we will be angels. He said we will be LIKE angels. How so?
Like angels, we will have glorified bodies. Like angels, we will not reproduce. Like angels, we will live eternally, and like angels, we will be fully and completely dedicated to our relationship with God.
In verse 26, Jesus specifically addressed the resurrection of the dead. Again, Jesus challenged their knowledge of Scripture with a verse from Exodus 3:6. The Sadducees should have known this since they only believed and were supposed to be experts in the Pentateuch or first five books of the OT.
Exodus 3:6, 6 I am the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.”
In verse 27, Jesus added that God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
What was so special about what He said? Exodus 3 is about 500 years after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob died. Yet, God said, “I AM the God of…” He used present tense and not past tense to say that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive in heaven because of the resurrection of the dead.
Paul said in 2 Corinthians 5:8 that to be absent from the body is to be present with the Lord. Therefore, once these OT Patriarchs died or any believer dies, he or she is immediately resurrected to heaven.
Conclusions/Applications (5)
So what does all this mean?
First, like the Sadducees, we will make mistakes and errors in judgement when we don’t know the Scriptures. If you don’t know what the Bible says about marriage, you will make unnecessary mistakes in yours. If you don’t know what the Bible says about parenting, you will make unnecessary mistakes with your children. If you don’t know what the Bible says about money. You will make unnecessary mistakes managing yours. Read your Bible. Be in Sunday School and Church. Don’t neglect the opportunities the Lord gives you so readily.
Second, because of God’s power, there will be a resurrection of the dead that means life in heaven for eternity. By the way, it’s this same power that can save your marriage and redeem your lost child and provide for you financially when your situation seems hopeless.
Third, there will be relationships in heaven but not marriage. Because Believers will be immortal and have no need to reproduce, there will be no marriage but the family of faith that includes brothers and sisters in Christ. See Matthew 12:50.
50 For whoever does the will of My Father in heaven is My brother and sister and mother.
Fourth, there will be angels in heaven. Remember, we will be LIKE them but not the same as them.
Fifth, one way we will be like angels is having a glorified body. What does that mean? The only thing I’m sure about is that it won’t be susceptible to sickness and disease and death. It will be immortal.
Invitation
There is only way to know for certain that you will be resurrected to heaven and not hell never to die again.
John 11:25, 25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.”
