By: Dale Weckbacher
1 Corinthians 15:13
But if there is no
resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised.
(ESV)
The NFL playoffs have begun meaning
that Super Bowl Sunday is coming soon. In
the United States Super Bowl Sunday has become an unofficial holiday with its many
celebrations and parties. While it is good
to take time to have fun over a football game, for Christians there is another Sunday
coming that has a life-changing reason for celebration. This time of celebration is Easter Sunday or Resurrection
Sunday for it is a celebration of the resurrection of Christ that conquers sin
and death and gives us eternal life (John
3:16; Romans 5:8).
The term being saved is common in
the Christian vocabulary to the point we often use the terms with those outside
the faith without defining what we mean by being saved. For me, the term being saved brings pictures
of one throwing out a life preserver connected to a lifeline so one caught in
the torrent of a raging river is saved from drowning. For some, it may be a picture of one lending
a hand to someone who has fallen or is about to fall over a cliff. However, Romans
10:9-10 reminds us that to be saved from the death penalty of sin requires
one making a public profession of their belief in the death, burial, and
resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The text of Mark
12:18-27 records an encounter between Jesus and the Sadducees who do not
believe there is a resurrection. This
represents a serious flaw in their theology for not to believe in the resurrection
means leaving Jesus in the grave. This demeans
Jesus to just another prophet or teacher, and not the Messiah. The nature of this encounter with the
Sadducees, like Jesus’ previous encounter with the Pharisees over the payment
of taxes (Mark
12:13-17), an attempt to trap Jesus in His words by using a hypothetical
situation, so as to have reason to accuse Jesus of blasphemy.
Jesus once again does not simply
give an answer to their question but using scripture points out the error in
their theology. Jesus points out the Sadducees,
1) Lack
of knowledge of scripture (Mark
12:24) – This represents a major rebuke of the Sadducees for along with the
Pharisees, the Sadducees viewed themselves as the chosen guardians of
Scripture. This lack of knowledge of
Scripture has led to the erroneous theology that there is no resurrection. Not unlike the religious leaders of Jesus’
time, disciples in the church have a calling to guard the message of the Gospel
in the Bible and share it with others, making disciples (Mark
16:15; Matthew 28:19-20). As such
each believer has an obligation to know Scripture with the power of
interpretation from the Holy Spirit living within each believer, serving as
lighthouses of truth and ambassadors for Christ (Acts
1:8; 2 Corinthians 5:20; Matthew 5:16; 2 Timothy 2:14-19). Let us pray the Church understands the power
of the resurrection of Christ and ministers empowered by this power (Romans
8:11).
2) Acknowledges
the existence of a resurrection (Mark
12:25) – After acknowledging the lack of knowledge of Scripture on the part
of the Sadducees, Jesus answers their question.
Hs answer acknowledges the existence of resurrection by telling them
that after the resurrection from the dead there will be no need for marriage
for people will then be like the angels.
The Sadducee's lack of knowledge of Scripture is they believe those
resurrecting from the dead will be like they were before their death. Instead, those that resurrect from the dead
at the return of Christ will be changed and have glorified bodies that life for
eternity (1
Corinthians 15:50-58).
3) Acknowledges
that without a resurrection, God cannot be the God of the living (Mark
12:26-27) – The Israelites that lived in slavery in Egypt were familiar
with gods of the dead as the Egyptians believed their leaders could take their
possessions with them when they died and explains why they were buried with
them. If there were no resurrection from
the dead then God telling Moses at the burning bush that he was the God of
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob would have been proclaiming He was the god of the
dead, making Him no different then the gods of Egypt. Jesus reminds them of this making the
Sadducees think about how God is not like the gods of the world and the God of
the living. Therefore, the resurrection
is real and sets God apart from the other gods of the world.
Scripture does not elaborate on
whether the Sadducees changed their minds regarding their belief on the
resurrection, but what we do know is that Jesus would in a few days become the
first to resurrect from the dead. The
empty tomb stands as an example of the power of the resurrection. The good news for us still living is that the
same power that raised Christ from the dead lives in us, giving us the power to
minister in this world. For those reading
this that have not made a profession of faith in Jesus as their savior, I urge
you to pray with me and make this profession,
Dear Lord Jesus, I know I have sinned (Romans
3:23) and know that the penalty for my sin is death (Romans
6:23). I ask you to forgive me of my
sin and cleanse me as you promise in your Word (1
John 1:9). I believe you died, spent
three days in the grave, and resurrected from the dead and now declare you Lord
of my life.
You now have the same power that
raised Christ from the dead within you but must learn how to tap into this
power. To do this you must begin
studying the Bible, pray or talk to God, and find a church teaching the Bible
where you can learn how to study the Bible, pray, and tap into this incredible
resurrection power in your life. This
profession of faith also means you have eternal life and will be changed at the
resurrection so you can live a glorified life eternally with Christ. May God bless everyone reading this
post.
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