Gospel of Mark Study #42

“A Window Towards the Future”

Mark 13:1-8

Study #42 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

Most of us have a certain amount of fascination about the future. We want to know what is coming; we want to know what is going to happen so that we will be ready for it. But the reality is that no one can predict the future. People try but it is all a scam—wizards, horoscopes, Ouija boards, fortune tellers, tarot cards—none of them can tell you what is going to happen tomorrow, let alone years from now.

The only one who truly knows the future is God. That is because He stands outside of time and space and is not limited by either. Moreover, He is Sovereign and what He says will happen, and right on time. He is in the process of working out His plans and purposes, and He orchestrates events to fit within His grand and perfect plan. Most of the time we must wait and see what He is going to do but, in some cases, He has already revealed His plans through the Scriptures. The Bible is the infallible revelation of God concerning Himself, His creation (including us), and where it is all heading. The Bible starts in eternity past with the words, “In the beginning, God…” The Bible ends with a description of the future eternal state, the place we call “Heaven.” The gap between Genesis 1:1 and Revelation 22:21 describes how God is working out His will in time and space, especially regarding mankind, the jewel of His creation (cf. Psalm 8). 

TRANSITION:

However, in truth, much of the story is already past. Most of the things God said He was going to do have already been accomplished. Yet the Bible tells of some events still to come, some wonderful and awesome and terrible things still scheduled to happen.

Today we are moving into a passage of Scripture that describes events, most of which have not yet occurred. This passage and its parallel passages have been entitled, “The Olivet Discourse.” This sermon by Jesus is recorded in three of the Gospels: in Matthew 24-25, in Mark 13, and in Luke 21. This teaching has been misunderstood by many over the years. It has led to crazy movements and doctrinal debates. It has divided denominations and led to heated arguments and name-calling. However, none of that is going to happen here, and for at least two reasons: (1) We are going to carefully dissect the text and look at Jesus’ words in their context, something that many fail to do; and (2) We are going to keep our perspective and remind ourselves often that while we have a right to our opinions, this passage is still futuristic and we will only have absolute confirmation when we see the events unfold. Until then we are in the realm of speculation and best-guessing.

Having said that, I do believe that all of Scripture is comprehensible, including the Olivet Discourse. By that I mean that God did not put this text in the Bible to confuse us, but to enlighten us. I believe that by correctly applying the rules of biblical interpretation (i.e., hermeneutics) we can arrive at the correct conclusions. However, in the short time we have to examine this text I am not going to be able to do a very thorough job. That is my disclaimer. As we go through the passage, I will tell you what I believe it says but I do not have the last word on the subject, and you should not just swallow whatever I say. You need to examine the Scriptures for yourself like the Bereans of Acts 17 and ask God to enlighten you.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: As He was going out of the Temple, one of His disciples said to Him, “Teacher, behold what wonderful stones and what wonderful buildings!” 

• Jerusalem was a beautiful city in Jesus’ day. It was the jewel of the Middle East, and Herod’s Temple with its surrounding buildings was breath-taking. Josephus, the Jewish historian, wrote of it: “Now the outward face of the Temple in its front wanted nothing that was likely to surprise men’s minds or their eyes, for it was covered all over with plates of gold of great weight, and, at the first rising of the sun, reflected back a very fiery splendor, and made those who forced themselves to look upon it to turn their eyes away, just as they would have done at the sun’s own rays. But this Temple appeared to strangers, when they were at a distance, like a mountain covered with snow, for, as to those parts of it which were not gilt, they were exceeding white. Of its stones, some of them were forty-five cubits in length, five in height and six in breadth.” By the way, a cubit is approximately eighteen (18) inches, sometimes as much as 21 inches.
• Highly likely these were some of the stones that the disciples saw and mentioned. They were extremely impressed. I know just how they felt. This passage reminds me of walking around Washington, D.C. looking up all the time. Those great marble buildings are amazing!
• Without a doubt the disciples were thinking that those buildings would be there for a long time. Nothing says permanence like giant stone structures.

Verse 2: And Jesus said to him, “Do you see these great buildings? Not one stone will be left upon another which will not be torn down.” 

• This must have blown their minds! At first Jesus agreed with them—the buildings were truly remarkable—even He called them, “great.” They represented the best of man’s creative ability, his power, and his engineering savvy. That is what made the Lord’s second statement such a bellringer. Notice that He did not say that the buildings would one day fall on their own, through the process of natural aging and erosion. He said that these buildings would be systematically “torn down” to such a degree that no two stones would be left connected, and He was very emphatic about it. He used the Greek double negative to leave no doubt. That was a hard pill for the disciples to swallow. They could not even imagine such a thing. Nevertheless, that is exactly what happened less than 40 years later when in AD 70 the great Roman general, Titus Flavius Vespasianus, laid the city of Jerusalem in ruins, including its beautiful Temple. The soldiers literally took the Temple apart stone by stone to extract all the gold. All that was left was a giant rock pile, a huge mound of rubble. 

Verses 3-4: As He was sitting on the Mount of Olives opposite the Temple, Peter and James and John and Andrew were questioning Him privately, ⁴ “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” 

• From verse three you can see why this passage is called the Olivet Discourse. From where Jesus was sitting, He they could look directly west across the Kidron Valley to see the Temple Mount in all its shining magnificence. By the way, Olivet was thickly wooded in Jesus’ day, rich in the olives that gave it its name, although most of the trees were later cut down during Titus’ siege of the city.
• These questions were posed by only four of the disciples. They had probably been discussing Jesus’ words as they walked along together on their way to the Mount of Olives. However, the other disciples were undoubtedly there to hear Jesus’ discourse.
• The disciples’ question: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign when all these things are going to be fulfilled?” Matthew’s account sheds greater light on what their question really was. In Matt. 24:3 we hear the disciples say, “Tell us, when will these things be [i.e., the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple], and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” This verse is very important because without it we could mistakenly think that in the verses that follow Jesus was only talking about things that would happen in the apostles’ lifetime, when in fact most of these things still have not happened yet, nearly 2,000 years later. Also, from the disciples’ questions we might conclude that they were under the impression that these three events might happen simultaneously.
• Jesus’ answer reminds me of a scene painted by a great artist. On the same canvas, in the same picture, he paints the inside of the cottage and the table sitting under the window. Outside the window he paints the farmer’s fields. Behind them you can see the beautiful blue sky that goes way off into the distance. Jesus’ answer touched on the immediate, the destruction of the Temple. But it also dealt with events in the middle distance [i.e., the Tribulation], and finally the far distance [i.e., the end of the age].

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Dramatic Pause: I need to stop right here and clarify a couple of things, including some terms that we will be using for the next several weeks.

• “Signs” = Wonders, attesting miracles, that are unmistakable evidences that certain prophecies are unfolding. (cf. John 20:30-31)
• “Return of Christ (Rapture)” = When Christ comes back to take His Church, His Bride to be with Him. He will come in the clouds and call believers, the living, and the dead, to return to Heaven with Him. It is a silent coming, with no signs preceding it. This is the next event on God’s timetable. Important: This is not what Jesus is talking about here in Mark 13.
• “The Tribulation” = A seven-year period following the Rapture during which the Antichrist will establish his regime, will persecute tribulation believers, and will try to destroy Israel.
• “The Antichrist” = Also called the Beast, the Man of Sin, etc. He will be a human ruler that is controlled and empowered directly by Satan, who wants to overthrow Christ’s authority on the earth.
• “Second Coming” = When Christ comes back in power and glory at the end of the Tribulation to judge the earth and to establish His millennial kingdom. It will be preceded by supernatural signs in the heavens and on earth as described in Revelation 4-19.
• “Day of the Lord” = The term used throughout the OT to describe the time when God will pour out His judgment on the nations. This will start at the midpoint of the Tribulation and will culminate at the Battle of Armageddon when Christ will return with His holy angels in power and glory to destroy the Antichrist and all those who war against Israel to destroy her.
• “The Millennium” = The 1,000-year reign of Jesus Christ upon the earth. He will govern the world from the City of Jerusalem. This follows the Tribulation and the Battle of Armageddon. Only believers, those who have trusted in Christ and survived the Tribulation, will go into the Millennium.

I also need to explain that I believe that most of this chapter describes events that are still in the future, that will occur during the seven years of Tribulation. I do not believe that any of this, except for the part about the destruction of the Temple, was about events that occurred during the apostles’ lifetime. Specifically, I believe that verses 5-8 describe events that will occur during the first 3½ years of the Tribulation, that verses 9-23 describe events that will happen during the second 3½ years of the Tribulation [also called the Great Tribulation], and that verses 24-27 briefly describe the events at the time of Christ’s Second Coming, including the Battle of Armageddon. The rest of the chapter, verses 28-37, is a warning to the Tribulation believers to be watchful, looking forward to the return of Jesus Christ “with power and glory.”

In other words, I do not believe that Mark 13 was directed either to the first century apostles or to us, but to those who will be alive during the Tribulation period, awaiting the Lord’s Second Coming when Christ will return to judge the earth and to set up His kingdom. In a sense it is a Guide to Survival for those who will be living in that future time.

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Verses 5-6: And Jesus began to say to them, “See to it that no one misleads you.  ⁶ Many will come in My name, saying, ‘I am He!’ and will mislead many.” 

• Jesus began His rather long and complicated answer to their questions by describing a phenomenon characteristic of their time as well as ours, and one that will also be prevalent in the future age. Even in Jesus’ day there were false messiahs who claimed to be the promised Christ. Each of them managed to trick a few people into following them, although none of them lasted long. Most were killed off by the Romans or just drifted off the scene. And right down to our day there are those who have claimed to be the Christ. One of them whose name is well known is Sun Yung Moon, the Korean founder of the Unification Church, known commonly as the “Moonies.” He claimed to be the Messiah and he led many astray, including Christians.
• Later we will talk about that one who in the future will manage to fool most of the world into believing that he is the Christ. The Bible calls him the Beast, or the Antichrist, and he will be the main character during the Great Tribulation.
• But let’s stop for a moment and look back again at the question the disciples posed to Jesus: “Tell us, when will these things be, and what will be the sign of Your coming, and of the end of the age?” They wanted to know several things.  First, based on Jesus’ shocking statement in 13:2 they wanted to know exactly when the Temple would be torn down. Notice that Jesus did not tell them, although several of them lived long enough to see it happen. Secondly, they wanted to know when Jesus was going to reveal His power and glory to the world, set up His earthly kingdom in Jerusalem, and overthrow the Romans. They thought that He was going to do that any day. What they failed to understand was that there would be a long gap between His first coming as the Suffering Savior and His coming again as the Conquering King. That still has not happened yet and in my estimation will not happen until after the Church is raptured and the Tribulation has run its course of 7 horrible years. Their third question had to do with the ultimate last things. In other words, “When are You going to pull the plug on this whole screwed up world and finally judge the wicked and reward Your faithful followers? When will be the end of the age?” 

Verse 7: “When you hear of wars and rumors of wars, do not be frightened; those things must take place; but that is not yet the end.” 

• In one sense, this word of encouragement is of value to Christians in any age. We are not to be like scared sheep that run this way and that in terror every time a wolf howls in the distance. Our confidence is in the Great Shepherd who watches over His sheep. The Bible says, “He has not given us a spirit of fear, but of power, and love and a sound mind.” 
• But there is something we need to consider: all Scripture is for our benefit and instruction, but not all Scripture is specifically addressed to us. In other words, when we interpret a passage, we must ask ourselves to whom it is specifically directed. In this case, the disciples who were sitting at His feet listening to this discourse are representative of believers who will one day find themselves living on the earth in the last days just before the Second Coming of Christ. Here Jesus is casting His eye down the long corridor of the future to the day when those Tribulation believers will find themselves in the clutches of the Antichrist in a time when God is pouring out His wrath upon the earth. At that point, the Church will have already been taken out of the picture. We will be with the Lord in Heaven. But those who come to faith in Christ after the Rapture of the Church will pay a heavy price for taking their stand for Christ. The Antichrist is going to try to kill every one of them and will succeed in many cases.

Verse 8: “For nation will rise up against nation, and kingdom against kingdom; there will be earthquakes in various places; there will also be famines. These things are merely the beginning of birth pangs.” 

• The earth has always had wars and earthquakes and famines. This is nothing new. However, in the verses that follow you will see that Jesus is talking about supernatural signs, not merely natural disasters. These things are described in detail in Rev. 4-19. The events that will occur during the Great Tribulation will make the Plagues of Egypt look like a walk in the park by comparison.
• Jesus’ words here are not directed to the Jews who were sitting at His feet. Nor are they directed at you and me. If you are a child of God, you will be taken to be with Him “in the twinkling of an eye.” No, these words are specifically for the instruction and orientation of those who will be left behind, millions of whom will believe in Jesus Christ within days of the Rapture when their loved ones are caught away to be with the Lord. Many will come to faith in Christ through the power of the Scriptures and the knowledge that they have been left behind. But they will then find themselves the target of the wrath of Satan and the Antichrist.

CONCLUSION:

This is just our first of three (3) installments on this prophetic passage known as the Olivet Discourse. I apologize in advance for the fact that I do not have all the answers and may even manage to confuse you more than you were confused when we started out. Today and the next two studies are part of what is called, “eschatology,” or the study of last things. By its very nature it is somewhat perplexing and even a bit frightening when we begin talking about the judgments that God will pour out on mankind.

However, if you are a true child of God, you have nothing to fear. You will not go through the Tribulation. You will simply be caught up to meet the Lord in the air and it will happen in one glorious, breath-taking second. There will be no pain, no fear; just the amazing joy of seeing Jesus face-to-face.          

On the other hand, if you do not know Jesus today you have much to fear. When He comes, you will get left behind along with millions of other unbelievers. Christians that you know, and love will suddenly be gone, and you will be left to face the wrath of the Antichrist. You may or may not survive through the next seven years of Tribulation. Most will not. So, I beg you—if you are not sure of your relationship with Christ, talk with a Christian that you trust to tell you the truth and make sure that when that day comes you will be ready to meet the Lord Jesus.

Gospel of Mark Study #41

“Whose Son’s Son?”

Mark 12:35-44

Study #41 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

One of Ramel’s many hobbies is working on her family’s genealogy. She is like a detective, poking around in the past to learn everything she can about those relatives who have gone before. She and her sister, Deirdre, have been doing this together for quite a few years now, in part, as a follow-up to the work their mother did on their family tree. In fact, Ramel’s mom even co-authored a book on the history of the Powell family line, Powell being her mother’s maiden name.

Sometimes Ramel will be combing over old pictures and letters trying to figure out who is who. I will be looking over her shoulder saying, “Is that your mom in that picture?” and she will say, “No, that’s my mother’s aunt’s grandmother,” or “That’s my uncle’s mother’s sister.” I get totally lost in her explanations.

To me, anything past a first cousin is just “kinfolk” and I do not give a flying hoot about the ancient history of my family. I do not care to know the gory details of how we are all related. However, Ramel thoroughly enjoys figuring out all those family tree schematics. 

TRANSITION:

As we continue in our study of the Gospel of Mark, in our passage for today we are going to look at three separate little mini stories. In the first one, Jesus posed a theological conundrum to the scribes and Pharisees about how Messiah was related to King David (vs. 35-37). In the second one, He attacked the scribes with a scathing denunciation (vs. 38-40). Then thirdly, in a familiar story He taught about sacrifice and generosity, using the example of a poor widow’s contribution (vs. 41-44).

As I mentioned, the first of these three subjects involved a question that Jesus posed to the crowd that had gathered around Him. It involved a family tree and who was related to whom, and how. Let’s see if we can sort it out.

But first, let’s review for a moment. When we last looked at this passage we eavesdropped on a conversation between Jesus and a scribe who came to the Master with a sincere question about which is the most important of all the scriptural commandments. Jesus told him in Mark 12:29-31, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God is one LORD; ³⁰ and you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’  ³¹ The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.” This conversation between Jesus and the scribe probably took place somewhere in the courtyard in front of the Temple. It occurred on Tuesday of Passion Week, just three days before Jesus’ crucifixion. 

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 35: And Jesus answering began to say, as He taught in the temple, “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?”

• This is the first mini story that I mentioned. Matthew’s Gospel in 22:41 records that Jesus was still surrounded by Pharisees when He posed this question. They had finished quizzing Him and had given up the idea of trying to trick Him into saying something incriminating. However, they were still there gathered around Him. And Jesus was not ready to let them off easily, although they had just taken a verbal trouncing. So, before they could wander off, Jesus posed a question to them, and I am sure that He said it loud enough for everyone around Him to hear it. “How is it that the scribes say that the Christ is the son of David?” All of them knew the answer to that one. The Jews all believed that the Messiah would come from the royal line of King David. On that point they all agreed, because it was part of the promise that God had made to David many years previously. But Jesus did not leave it there.

Verse 36: David himself said in the Holy Spirit, ‘The LORD said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put Thine enemies beneath Thy feet.”’

• Here Jesus quoted from Psalm 110, a passage well known to all in His audience. In doing so He affirmed two important truths: (1) King David was indeed the author of the psalm; and (2) The psalm was written under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit of God, and therefore authoritative and trustworthy. Again, these were facts accepted by all those present. Moreover, this psalm was universally accepted by the Jews to be messianic in nature. By that I mean, they believed that David was referring in the psalm to the One who was to come, Ha Mashiach, the Messiah, the Christ, the Anointed King.
• Turn back to that passage and let’s look at it in its original context. Psalm 110:1. “The LORD [i.e., Yahweh] says to my Lord [i.e., Adonai]: ‘Sit at My right hand, until I make Thine enemies a footstool for Thy feet.’” David was the great hero of Jewish history, and their most beloved King. He was THE MAN! Yet here in his psalm David refers to the Messiah as “my Lord.”

Verse 37: “David himself calls Him [i.e., the Messiah] ‘Lord’; and so, in what sense is He his [i.e., David’s] son?” And the great crowd enjoyed listening to Him.

• This is the big question! In other words, “How can the Messiah be David’s son and his Lord at the same time?”
• This boggled the minds of the Jews who were there listening to Him, but the answer was standing right before their eyes! Jesus was a direct blood descendent of David through His mother, Mary, as well as a legal descendent of David through His father, Joseph. Moreover, He was the God/Man, God Incarnate who came to earth to die for our sins. He was Israel’s Messiah that David wrote about, and as such, was David’s LORD.
• This was yet another attempt on Jesus’ part to open the blind eyes of the Jews to see Him for who He really was. As Christians we understand this dual role. And the apostle Paul explains it beautifully in Romans 1:3-4. Paul, a bond-servant of Christ Jesus, called as an apostle, set apart for the Gospel of God, ² which He promised beforehand through His prophets in the holy Scriptures, ³ concerning His Son, who was born of a descendant of David according to the flesh, ⁴ who was declared the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead, according to the Spirit of holiness, Jesus Christ our Lord…” You see, Paul was talking about this very fact, that Jesus was both fully man and fully God, the Son of David, and the Son of God. To truly accept Christ, we must believe in Him as both.

Verses 38-40: And in His teaching He was saying: “Beware of the scribes who like to walk around in long robes, and like respectful greetings in the marketplaces, ³⁹ and chief seats in the synagogues, and places of honor at banquets.  ⁴⁰ They are the ones who devour widows’ houses, and for appearance’s sake offer long prayers; these will receive greater condemnation.”

• This is where we take up the second mini story in this passage. Notice that the scribes and Pharisees were still there in the crowd listening to Him. That is important when you realize that Jesus confronted their sins in person. He did not wait for them to leave to begin talking about them. He denounced their sinful attitudes and behaviors while they were standing there. He told the people to “BEWARE” of the scribes. It shows that He was not a bit afraid of them, like most people were.
• When I read this passage, I see a downward progression in the accusations that Jesus makes against the scribes and Pharisees:

1.       “They like to walk around in long robes” (vs. 38) – The “long robes” that Jesus mentioned were the long flowing robes that wealthy people and dignitaries wore. They were designed to draw attention and garner respect and awe.

2.      “They like respectful greetings in the marketplaces” (vs. 38) – Matthew adds that the scribes and Pharisees liked to be addressed in public as, “Rabbi.” It made them feel good—stroked their egos to receive the respect and adulation of men. The word rabbi derives from the Hebrew root word that means “great.” Literally meaning “great one,” the title of Rabbi carried the idea of, “revered.” As in our day being called “Reverend” appealed to the pride of the scribes.

3.      “They like the chief seats in the synagogue” (vs. 39) – Those were the seats up on the raised dais in the front of the meeting room, close to the cabinet where the ancient scrolls were kept. From there they would sit facing the congregation where everyone in the room could see them clearly. In our modern church context, it means that they wanted to sit up front on the stage in the big chairs between the pulpit and the choir.

4.      “They like the places of honor at banquets” (vs. 39) – The same attitude held true even when they went to social functions. They wanted the seats of honor, of prominence, where they would be admired and idolized by people.

5.      “They devour widows’ houses” (vs. 40) – Jesus accused them of going into widows’ homes under false pretenses to win the confidence of the old ladies, manipulating them for the purpose of cheating them out of their very homes and incomes. This was a most despicable kind of dishonesty practiced against the most vulnerable people. This practice reminds me of Catholic priests going door to door in the parish collecting money and scaring people half to death.

6.      “They offer long prayers only for appearance’s sake” (vs. 40) – Jesus said that their piety was a sham, just a cover-up for their thievery. Just because a person can pray long, beautiful, flowery prayers does not mean that they are spiritual and truly in touch with God.

• Now look at the last phrase of verse 40: “These will receive greater condemnation.” This goes along with the biblical principle that says, “To whom much in given, much will be required.” These religious people who claimed to speak for God and to have a deep understanding of His Word, would suffer greater scrutiny and greater punishment on Judgment Day.

Verse 41: And He sat down opposite the treasury and began observing how the multitude were putting money into the treasury; and many rich people were putting in large sums.

• This is the third mini story in this text. Apparently, after a long period of talking and teaching the crowd finally dispersed. Jesus finally got a few minutes to Himself to sit down and rest. Inside the Temple area known as “the Court of the Women” there were thirteen metal-covered wooden chests called, in Hebrew, shopheroth (“trumpets”) that served as collection sites for the alms that people would give to help take care of the poor. They were nicknamed “trumpets” because of the top part where you would drop in your money. It was trumpet-shaped and made of metal and mounted on top of the chest. It was designed to make it easy to put money in but nearly impossible to steal it back out—a crooked trumpet-shaped pipe going from larger at the top to smaller at the bottom. A pretentious, self-righteous man, who wanted to attract the notice of those around him, would throw in a handful of coins with some force into these trumpet-resembling receptacles. The coins rattled and clanged as they passed down through the metal tube. People referred to the practice as, “sounding the trumpet.” This is what Jesus was talking about back in Matthew 6:1-2 where He said: “Beware of practicing your righteousness before men to be noticed by them; otherwise, you have no reward with your Father who is in Heaven. When therefore you give alms, do not sound a trumpet before you, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may be honored by men. Truly I say to you, they have their reward in full.” The Pharisees who were still standing there listening, no doubt felt the full weight of Jesus’ reproof.

Verse 42: A poor widow came and put in two small copper coins, which amount to a cent.

• As Jesus was sitting there just “people-watching” a poor widow woman came up to the box and dropped in her offering. She put in two tiny little copper coins called “lepta” (singular is lepton). The word itself means thin or skinny. The lepton, also known as a mite, was a small, thin Roman coin, the smallest and least valuable of Roman coins. Two lepta equaled a quadron, and there were 64 quadrons to a denarius (Augustan Values). So, 2 mites were equal to approximately 1/64^th of a day’s wage for a working man doing hard labor. In that day you could buy one small bread roll with that much money.

Verses 43-44: And calling His disciples to Him, He said to them, “Truly I say to you, this poor widow put in more than all the contributors to the treasury; ⁴⁴ for they all put in out of their surplus, but she, out of her poverty, put in all she owned, all she had to live on.”

• Jesus found the woman’s sacrificial gift to be amazing, so much so that He called His disciples to share the news with them. What was startling was not the size of her gift, but the fact that she gave all she had. She held nothing back for herself. She was a poor person, but in her gift for the support of the poor she gave her last two coins. Most of us would perhaps have saved one and given one, thinking to ourselves, “But I am poor too, and I cannot afford to give it all away.” However, this lady gave all she had.
• Jesus said that she had given more than all the other contributors because while their gifts were larger, they gave out of their wealth, their surplus. She, on the other hand, gave out of her deep poverty. In that act she showed her faith in God, believing that He would meet her needs.
• In 2 Corinthians 8:1-5 the apostle Paul writes about the Christians of Macedonia and their amazing generosity in contributing to the needs of their fellow Christians living in famine-stricken Judea. He writes: “Now I want you to know, dear brothers and sisters, what God in His kindness has done through the churches in Macedonia.  ² They are being tested by many troubles, and they are very poor. But they are also filled with abundant joy, which has overflowed in rich generosity.  ³ For I can testify that they gave not only what they could afford, but far more. And they did it of their own free will.  ⁴ They begged us again and again for the privilege of sharing in the gift for the believers in Jerusalem.  ⁵ They even did more than we had hoped, for their first action was to give themselves to the Lord and to us, just as God wanted them to do.” (NLT) 

CONCLUSION:

From the first mini story I conclude that a person cannot be saved unless he understands who Jesus really is. A defective view of the character of Christ will keep a person from having saving faith in Him. Jesus is God in the flesh, and thus able to be our sinless Savior. 

From the second mini story I conclude that looking good to people and being deeply religious does not cut any ice with God. He is not the least bit impressed with people who profess to know Him but who do not bear His image. Religion will not get anyone to Heaven, ever.          

From the third mini story, the story of the “Widow’s Mite,” I conclude that God measures our gifts to Him not based on how much we give, but on how much we hold back for ourselves. God does not need our money, but He wants our hearts, our faith in Him, and our willingness to put Him to the test. The Widow’s Mite was worth more than all the other gifts put together.

Gospel of Mark Study #40

“Horseshoes and Hand Grenades”

Mark 12:28-34

Study #40 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

There is an old saying—perhaps you have heard it or used it yourself: “Close only counts in horseshoes and hand grenades.” What does that mean? In horseshoes even if neither player makes a ringer, the player whose shoe lands closest to the peg wins the point. Close counts in horseshoes. And when tossing a grenade all you must do is get it somewhere near the enemy and it is still going to do great damage. On the other hand, with a rifle or pistol you must actually hit your target. Close doesn’t cut it. With a grenade, however, close still counts.

TRANSITION:

However, in most other things in life close does not count. For example, in business if you lose an account to a competitor, close does not count. Getting the account is what counts. Almost winning the game does not count. Winning is what counts! 

And in religious terms, “almost persuaded” does not count. A person who is close to trusting in Christ for salvation but puts it off and dies without taking that definitive step loses everything. Close does not count when we are talking about a person’s eternal salvation.

One of the saddest stories in the Bible is found in Acts chapter 26. Paul was called before King Agrippa to defend himself against the charges laid against him—charges of being an enemy of Rome and of stirring up political unrest. The charges were completely bogus. They were lodged by his religious enemies to try and get him into trouble, and their plan worked. So, Paul stood before the King and shared his testimony of how he had met the risen Christ on the road to Damascus and how Jesus had changed his life. He gave such a stirring message that even the King was emotionally moved by Paul’s story. In fact, in verses 24-29 we read: While Paul was saying this in his defense, Festus [the governor] said in a loud voice, “Paul, you are out of your mind! Your great learning is driving you mad.” ²⁵ But Paul said, “I am not out of my mind, most excellent Festus, but I utter words of sober truth. ²⁶ For the king knows about these matters, and I speak to him also with confidence, since I am persuaded that none of these things escape his notice; for this has not been done in a corner. ²⁷ King Agrippa, do you believe the Prophets? I know that you do.” ²⁸ Agrippa replied to Paul, “In a short time you will persuade me to become a Christian.” ²⁹ And Paul said, “I would wish to God, that whether in a short or long time, not only you, but also all who hear me this day, might become such as I am [i.e., a Christian], except for these chains.”

This conversation between Paul and King Agrippa gave rise to an old hymn. It is entitled, “Almost Persuaded.” Here are the words.

“Almost persuaded” now to believe; “almost persuaded” Christ to receive.

Seems now some soul will say, “Go, Spirit, go Thy way.

Some more convenient day on Thee I’ll call.”

 

“Almost persuaded,” come, come today; “almost persuaded,” turn not away.

Jesus invites you here, angels are lingering near.

Prayers rise from hearts so dear, O wanderer, come.

 

“Almost persuaded,” harvest is past! “Almost persuaded,” doom comes at last!

“Almost” cannot avail, “Almost” is but to fail!

Sad, sad, that bitter wail, “Almost,” but lost!

In our text for today in Mark 12:28-34 we have a similar case—a young man who had a great deal of religious knowledge and theological insight. However, with all of that he was still lost. He was “almost persuaded” but had not stepped across the line to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ as his personal Savior and Lord.

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 28: One of the scribes came and heard them arguing, and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”

·       Let’s review for a minute. If you think back over our last several studies here in the Gospel of Mark you will remember that Jesus has had conversations with several groups of people, all of whom were trying to entrap Him into saying something they could use to discredit Him and bring accusation against Him before the Sanhedrin. In 11:27 - 12:12 Jesus was approached by a group of chief priests, scribes, and elders who demanded to know the source of His authority to do the things He did. This ended in a long, heated conversation and with the religious leaders slinking off vowing to kill Jesus the first chance they got. But they had not given up on trying to ensnare Him in His words. They sent some Pharisees and Herodians in 12:13-17. They tried to get Jesus to say something that would get Him in trouble with the Romans by bringing up the question of the poll tax, and whether Jews should have to pay it. After Jesus gave His brilliant answer, verse 17 says that His enemies went away amazed. But then a third team showed up for this tag-team attack on Jesus. We read about it in Mark 12:18-27. This time it was a group of Sadducees who had a bunch of theological questions to bounce off Him: questions about marriage, and resurrection, and angels, stuff they did not believe or even care about. They just wanted to pick a fight with Jesus, but He turned the tables on them, and they were the ones who came out looking ignorant.

·       This is where we step back into the story. Look at verse 28 again: One of the scribes came and heard them arguing [i.e., Jesus and the Sadducees], and recognizing that He had answered them well, asked Him, “What commandment is the foremost of all?”

·       We do not know anything about this man. It is likely that he was a Pharisee, however, because he seemed to take pleasure in seeing Jesus get the best of the Sadducees. So, hearing Jesus field the Sadducees’ questions and deal intelligently with every one of them, this young scribe decided to pose his own question to Jesus. To paraphrase: “Of all the biblical commandments, which one is the most important?” How refreshing! Finally, someone coming to Jesus without an ulterior motive, with a sincere question because he really wanted an answer, rather than just to stir up discord and arguments.

Verses 29-30: Jesus answered, “The foremost is, ‘Hear, O Israel! The LORD our God is one LORD: ³⁰ And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind, and with all your strength.’”

·       Where did this answer come from? Jesus did not resort to the traditions of the scribes for His answer. Instead, He lifted it directly from the written Law, quoting from Deuteronomy 6:4-5. He refers the young scribe to the “Shema,” the creed that is recited daily by devout Jews and that reminds them that Yahweh is One, Singular, and without equal, and is to be loved with all man’s powers and capacities. This is the foundation and summary of man’s total duty to God.

Verse 31: “The second is this, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ There is no other commandment greater than these.”

·       Then Jesus goes on to tell the young scribe of the second most important commandment. Here Jesus quotes verbatim from the Greek version of Leviticus 19:18 (i.e., the Septuagint, aka the LXX, the first Greek version of the OT) to give the foundation and summary of man’s obligation to man; namely, that we are to love others with the same degree of intensity with which we love and care for ourselves.

·       Jesus then makes the statement that these two commandments are the foundation for all the teachings in the Law and the Prophets—we are to love God with every fiber of our being, and we are to love other people as much as we love ourselves. 

Verse 32: The scribe said to Him, “Right, Teacher; you have truly stated that He is One, and there is no one else besides Him.”

·       So now it is time for the young scribe to weigh in on the conversation. But rather than disagree with Jesus, or try to make Him look ignorant, this scribe agrees with Jesus and shows respect for Him and His answers.

·       Moreover, his comments show an orthodox understanding of God and his belief that God deserves all our adoration and worship. 

Verse 33: “…and to love Him with all the heart and with all the understanding and with all the strength, and to love one’s neighbor as himself, is much more than all burnt offerings and sacrifices.”

·       The man goes on here to say something very profound, a truth that escaped many of the religious leaders in Israel. He pointed out that for us to obey these two commandments that Jesus had summarized is more important to God than any number of sacrifices and burnt offerings, or demonstrations of religious zeal. God is not the least bit impressed with religious rituals, false piety, religious sincerity, or man-devised sacrifices (e.g., remember Cain’s unacceptable sacrifice).

·       This young scribe’s answer flows out of God’s own words to Judah and Jerusalem through His prophet, Isaiah, as recorded in Isaiah 1:11-20. “What makes you think I want all your sacrifices?” says the Lord. “I am sick of your burnt offerings of rams and the fat of fattened cattle. I get no pleasure from the blood of bulls and lambs and goats. ¹² When you come to worship Me, who asked you to parade through My courts with all your ceremony? ¹³ Stop bringing Me your meaningless gifts; the incense of your offerings disgusts Me! As for your celebrations of the new moon and the Sabbath and your special days for fasting—they are all sinful and false. I want no more of your pious meetings. ¹⁴ I hate your new moon celebrations and your annual festivals. They are a burden to me. I cannot stand them! ¹⁵ When you lift up your hands in prayer, I will not look. Though you offer many prayers, I will not listen, for your hands are covered with the blood of innocent victims. ¹⁶ Wash yourselves and be clean! Get your sins out of My sight. Give up your evil ways. ¹⁷ Learn to do good. Seek justice. Help the oppressed. Defend the cause of orphans. Fight for the rights of widows. ¹⁸ “Come now, let’s settle this,” says the Lord. “Though your sins are like scarlet, I will make them as white as snow. Though they are red like crimson, I will make them as white as wool. ¹⁹ If you will only obey Me, you will have plenty to eat. ²⁰ But if you turn away and refuse to listen, you will be devoured by the sword of your enemies. I, the Lord, have spoken!” 

Verse 34: When Jesus saw that he had answered intelligently, He said to him, “You are not far from the Kingdom of God.” After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.

·       “After that, no one would venture to ask Him any more questions.” Why? They saw that it would do no good to try and trick Jesus into saying something incriminating, that it was a waste of time and effort because He was too smart to get tricked that way.

·       But what was it about this young man that impressed Jesus? People were always trying to put one over on Jesus, but this young man was different. He had a different heart, a different attitude. He was curious about Jesus. He was willing to stop and listen to what the Master had to say. He seriously thought through the truths that Jesus shared with him. He did not close his mind and heart to the words of the Savior. He showed that he was willing to genuinely consider the claims of Christ. That is what made him different, and that is what Jesus saw in him. He was moving in the right direction, on the path that would lead him to faith in Christ and eternal life. 

CONCLUSION:

Sadly, we do not know the rest of the story about this man. We do not know if he ever came to the point of believing on the Lord Jesus Christ and giving his life to Him. We do not know if we will see him in Heaven or if he was just one of the many people who heard the words of Jesus without acting upon them. I hope that his story turns out like that of Nicodemus who later on became a true believer and Jesus follower. 

Ramel had an aunt who died quite a few years ago. We found out afterward that her husband and her daughters did not believe she was ever truly saved, even though she talked about God all the time, went to church every Sunday, read her Bible and prayed, and even witnessed to people, telling them that they needed to repent and get saved. We were shocked to hear her own family say that they were almost positive that she never really knew Jesus personally. How sad! How tragic to be so close to the Kingdom of God but still miss it. 

If you are not sure of your own salvation talk to God about it. Ask Him to forgive you and make you His child. If you are not sure about the salvation of your family members and loved ones, pray for them, and ask God to reveal Himself to them in an unmistakable way and draw them to Himself. We must never take our salvation for granted. We must never just assume that those around us are truly saved either, because on Judgment Day, close will not count!

Gospel of Mark Study #39

“3 IEDs on the Road to Calvary”

Mark 12:12-27

Study #39 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

During the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan we heard story after story of American and coalition troops injured or killed by roadside bombs. They call these, I.E.D.s, which stands for Improvised Explosive Devices. For example, a convoy would be traveling from one place to another. They come to some spot in the road where, unbeknownst to them, the enemy has placed some sort of home-made bomb. These take many different forms. Some are detonated by vibration, some by pressure, and some by remote-control. These devices are easy to make and cheap to build, requiring a minimum of technical know-how and only the most rudimentary detonating system. Many of them are set off using an old cell phone, or a child’s remote-controlled car transmitter, the kind of thing you can buy at any electronics store. As the convoy passes, someone observing from behind cover, sets off the blast at just the right moment to do the most damage, leaving soldiers dead or severely injured.

It is difficult, if not impossible to spot these killing devices because they are designed to blend into the background. There is no sign, “Beware of bombs!” There is no red flag to show where they have been planted. It takes special skills to detect them before somebody steps on one and gets his legs blown off. 

TRANSITION:

In our text for today in Mark 12, Jesus came across three bombs in the road as He made His way toward the cross. They were provided by the devil working through people, people who hated Jesus and wanted to see him DEAD! Let’s look at these “3 I.E.D.s On the Road to Calvary.” 

NOTES on the Text:

Today we’re in Mark 12:12-27. The first I.E.D. was physical in nature and is identified in verse 12, which was also the last verse of our text from last week. If successful it would have resulted in physical harm to Jesus. The second I.E.D. is described in verses 13-17 and is in the form of a political question designed to ensnare Jesus and get him into trouble with the Romans or with the Zealots. The third I.E.D. took the form of a theological conundrum, which Jesus’ enemies hoped would make Him look foolish and unsophisticated and cause him to lose his following among the common folks. Let’s examine these roadside bombs one by one. 

Verse 12: And they were seeking to seize Him, and yet they feared the people, for they understood that He spoke the parable against them. And so, they left Him and went away. 

• This first I.E.D. was a physical threat to His person. The religious leaders wanted to “seize Him,” meaning arrest Him, drag Him off somewhere and beat Him half to death. In fact, they tried to grab Him on several occasions, but He always slipped out of their hands.
• This time they backed down, realizing that Jesus had too many supporters around Him, and they knew that their plan could backfire against them. 

Verse 13: Then they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Him in order to trap Him in a statement [lit. “to catch him in his words”].    

• This is the second I.E.D. in the road. You will remember our study from a couple of weeks ago when in 11:27-33 Jesus posed a question to the Scribes and Pharisees about where John the Baptist got his authority to call people to repentance and to baptize converts. — ²⁷ They came again to Jerusalem. And as He was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to Him, ²⁸ and began saying to Him, “By what authority are You doing these things, or who gave You this authority to do these things?”  ²⁹ And Jesus said to them, “I will ask you one question, and you answer Me, and then I will tell you by what authority I do these things.  ³⁰ “Was the baptism of John from Heaven, or from men? Answer Me.”  ³¹ They began reasoning among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From Heaven,’ He will say, ‘Then why did you not believe him?’  ³² “But shall we say, ‘From men’?” –they were afraid of the people, for everyone considered John to have been a real prophet.  ³³ Answering Jesus, they said, “We do not know.” And Jesus said to them, “Nor will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”  
• Notice that He asked the question in such a way that they felt unable to answer it either way without incriminating themselves. That must have really bugged them. They were trying to catch Him in a word-trap, and they ended up being the ones to get caught. So… now they are taking another run at it. They are going to try once again to ensnare Jesus by getting Him to say something that will either get Him into trouble with the Romans and their supporters, or with the radical zealots who hated the Romans.
• Notice that the text clearly indicates that the last bunch sent in these people. It is like watching tag-team wrestling. And who are the people that showed up for this second road-side bombing attempt? Pharisees and Herodians. You know what Pharisees are but what are Herodians? Unlike the Pharisees and Sadducees, the Herodians were not a tight-knit religious group but a loose political one made up of all kinds of people. Basically, they were supporters of the Herod family, and believed that the Herods were their best hope as rulers who could act as a buffer between Israel and the Romans. In other words, the Pharisees disliked Herod, hated the Romans, and opposed all Roman taxation. The Herodians, on the other hand, liked the Herods, worked with the Romans, and supported the Roman tax. The only reason you would ever get these two groups to work together was as co-conspirators to bring down Jesus. Strange bedfellows indeed!

Verses 14-15: They came and said to Him, “Teacher, we know that You are truthful and defer to no one; for You are not partial to any but teach the way of God in truth. Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?  ¹⁵ Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said to them, “Why are you testing Me? Bring Me a denarius to look at.” 

• They started out by shamelessly buttering up Jesus to get Him to lower His defenses. That did not work. He saw right through it. Finally, they got to the question, the I.E.D. they hoped would blow Jesus off the road. “Is it lawful to pay a poll-tax to Caesar, or not?  ¹⁵ Shall we pay, or shall we not pay?” This was not a legitimate question because they had no choice in the matter—they had to pay it! They knew it and Jesus knew it, and He named their question for what it was, “hypocrisy.” Besides, they were not interested in learning from Him or even in having a legitimate dialogue. They just wanted to find something with which to accuse Him.
• This poll-tax was a widely hated thing in Israel. It was a head tax, paid directly into the Roman treasury, which everyone had to pay just for the privilege of existing. The cost was one denarius per year (equal to one day’s wages) to be paid personally by all males aged 14 to 65. Husbands also had to pay the tax for their wives.
• Notice that Jesus did not even have any money with Him. He had to borrow a coin to use for His object lesson. This is a good reminder that Jesus never worried about money. You see, money is never a problem for God. He can provide the finances in a thousand different ways. He is only concerned with our hearts and our attitude toward wealth, not with the money itself. One of my favorite NT stories is found in Matthew 17:24-27. It’s about a different time and a different tax: After Jesus and his disciples arrived in Capernaum, the collectors of the two-drachma tax [i.e., the annual temple tax] came to Peter and asked, “Doesn’t your teacher pay the temple tax?”  ²⁵ “Yes, He does,” he replied.  When Peter came into the house, Jesus was the first to speak. “What do you think, Simon?” He asked.  “From whom do the kings of the earth collect duty and taxes—from their own sons or from others?”  ²⁶ “From others,” Peter answered.  “Then the sons are exempt,” Jesus said to him.  ²⁷ “But so that we may not offend them, go to the lake, and throw out your line. Take the first fish you catch; open its mouth and you will find a four-drachma coin. Take it and give it to them for My tax and yours.” 
• Think about this for a moment. In the first place He was not even obligated to pay the tax because He was the King of all kings and Lord of all lords. His point was that as the Son of God He was not obligated to pay a tax on the House of God, the Temple. However, to avoid offending, He said, He would pay the tax. Then He sent Peter to go out and catch a fish. But He did not tell Peter where to go on the lake. How did He know which fish Peter would catch, if any? And how did He know that that particular fish would have a coin in its mouth? And how did He know that the money would be the exact amount needed to pay the tax? This is an amazing example of the fact that Jesus knows everything there is to know. He is truly God Incarnate.

Verses 16-17: They brought one and He said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” And they said to Him, “Caesar’s.”  ¹⁷ And Jesus said to them, “Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.” And they were amazed at Him. 

• I can just see Him holding up the coin in His fingers for everyone to look at. He shouted, “Whose image is stamped on this coin? And whose motto?” At that time, the image was of Tiberius, the reigning Caesar. On the “heads” side of the coin circling around the image were the words, “Of Tiberius Caesar, the divine Augustus, son of Augustus.” The “tails” side of the coin had the inscription: “Pontifex maximus,” meaning that the emperor was the high priest of the Roman nation.
• For this to make sense you need to understand something about the ancient view of coinage. Three important principles (taken from William Barclay’s commentary on Mark):

1.       Coinage was a sign of power. It was one of the first things a king did after conquering another nation—he issued coins to demonstrate his kingship and power.

2.      Where the coin was valid the king’s power held good. His power was measurable by the area in which the coins were valid currency.

3.      Because a coin had the king’s head and inscription on it, in one sense it was considered the personal property of the king.

• Everyone knew the answer to Jesus’ question: “Caesar’s!” they all shouted. At that Jesus said: “Then give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar but give unto God what belongs to Him.” His point was that by using the coinage of Tiberius they were recognizing his political power in Israel and by paying the tax they were only giving back what was rightfully his. The second part is true as well: the world and all that is in it belongs to God by right of creation and He has stamped His own image on every man, woman, and child. Therefore, we are His by divine right and we need to pay God what is due Him; namely, to offer our lives back to Him in loving and faithful service.
• This response by Jesus left the Pharisees and the Herodians standing there with their mouths hanging open. They had nothing more to say.

Verses 18-23: Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, ¹⁹ “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother.  ²⁰ There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died leaving no children.  ²¹ The second one married her and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; ²² and so all seven left no children. Last of all, the woman died also.  ²³ In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” 

• This is the third I.E.D. buried in the road in the hopes that Jesus would step on it. This time the threat was not physical or political, but theological. Notice that this time the trap is set by a group of Sadducees. These guys were in a sense the classical liberals of their day. They were aristocratic and wealthy. They included most of the priests and all the high priests. And naturally, wanting to hold onto their wealth and power they were usually collaborators with the Romans because that was the only sure way to retain their comforts and their privileges. They were religious but they had come to believe that they had moved on beyond the simplistic doctrines and teachings of the more fundamentalist Pharisees. The Sadducees, for example, did not believe in any sort of resurrection from the dead. Therefore, they had jettisoned any belief in an afterlife, whether in Heaven or Hell. They also rejected the notion of spirits of any kind, including angels, good or evil. Moreover, the only part of the Scriptures to which they gave credence was the Pentateuch. They did not have much use for the rest of their Bible, and they cared nothing for the traditions and oral teachings that were so important to the Pharisees.
• Knowing that Jesus believed in the resurrection and life after death, these Sadducees saw this as a weakness in his theological armor and attacked Him on these points. The possibility of a resurrection was only assumed by them as the basis for their argument. It was merely a hypothetical for them. The purpose of their question was to attempt to prove the impossibility of a resurrection by reducing it to absurdity. 

Verses 24-25: Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?  ²⁵ For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in Heaven.” 

• This sentence is a tad confusing to us because it is a question posed in the form of a double negative. Turn it around and put it in the positive and it makes perfect sense: “The reason you are mistaken is that you do not understand the Scriptures, or the power of God.” Jesus was using a culturally acceptable way of making a statement. He was not opening the conversation for debate. He was telling these Sadducees that they were all wet and did not know the first thing about interpreting the Bible!
• Who should know more about the day-to-day goings on Heaven than the Son of God, the One who created the worlds and cast them out into space, the One who created the angels in the first place?
• Jesus is attacking the Sadducees’ argument on several levels:

1.       The question of the resurrection, which the Sadducees did not believe in, but is clearly taught in Scripture. Every person will eventually be raised—either to eternal reward or to eternal damnation.

2.      The question of what happens to people when they die and what they can expect in the afterlife, because everyone will spend eternity in one of two places—Heaven or Hell.

3.      The question of angels and their procreative practices. Sadducees did not believe in angels even though their existence is clearly taught in the Scriptures. Jesus said that angels do not procreate and when we get to Heaven, neither will we. That is part of this earthly life. It will not be a part of our life in eternity. Jesus said that we will neither marry nor be given in marriage. 

Verses 26-27: “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  ²⁷ “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.” 

• Here Jesus is referring to Exodus 3:6, a verse that all these Sadducees knew by heart. His point is that in that text God speaks in the present tense, implying that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were alive, which in fact was the case. “I AM their God,” not “I WAS their God.” At the site of the burning bush God told Moses that He had an on-going fellowship with the three patriarchs. They all three died physically but were made alive spiritually and were spending eternity with God. 

CONCLUSION:

The devil is subtle and clever but not very original. He has been pulling the same old tricks repeatedly since the beginning because they still work! He twists the truth, he manipulates the truth, he waters down the truth, and he denies the truth. However, he cannot change the truth and he cannot do away with the truth. Satan, working through sincere religious people tried his dead-level best to blow Jesus up with a roadside I.E.D. to get Him off the rails so that He would not accomplish His mission. 

He will do the same thing to you and me. He will use people, or politics, or theological rabbit trails to blow our legs off and keep us from accomplishing our mission for God. It did not work with Jesus because He kept His eye on the prize. He knew Scripture and used it to rebuke and instruct those who tried to put roadblocks in His way. You and I need to do the same thing. We need to know the Word, rely on the Spirit, and stay on Mission. We must not become weary, discouraged, or complacent. We must never give up, because “greater is He who is in us than he who is in the world.”

Jesus did not let anything distract Him or deflect Him from the job He came to do. He set His eyes on the cross and kept going. We need to do the same thing—day by day, step by step. 

FEEDBACK:

There is much to chew on in these verses but what is the “take away?” What is the practical lesson for us/for you? What is the Spirit saying to God’s people today from this text?