Mark 12:18-27 Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob--Alive!

Mark 12:18-27  Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.  “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers.  The first one married and died without leaving any children.  The second one married the widow, but he also died, leaving no child.  It was the same with the third.  In fact, none of the seven left any children.  Last of all, the woman died too.  At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”  Jesus replied, “Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?  When the dead rise, they will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven.  Now about the dead rising — have you not read in the book of Moses, in the account of the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’?  He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.  You are badly mistaken!"

Jesus' statement: You are badly mistaken defines the quintessential difference between the Sadducees' understanding of the Patriarchs and what Jesus was teaching about them.  The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection.  The Patriarchs were historical figures: their lives were to be appreciated and understood in the context of their biological existence and significance to the people.  For them, the Jewish ethnicity and traditions were what was important about these fathers of their culture.  But Jesus said that they were badly mistaken because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were presently alive in the Spirit.  They were with the Father God, not dead in their graves, serving only as memories.  Believing this reality by faith is the difference between those who are dead and those who are alive spiritually.  The dead follow laws and traditions to govern their lives while the living follow the Spirit of God.  Jesus came to introduce life to the people, to tell them that eternal life is theirs if they will only believe in him as the Son of God, accepting that his works will deliver them from the judgment of death.  Jesus spoke of this many times as He walked and talked with his disciples and the crowds.  He did not come to play verbal games with the Pharisees and Sadducees.  He said, I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.  (John 10:10)  

Jesus did not mull over the question the Sadducees put before him about marriage, except to say, Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God?  Obviously,  Jesus implied that God's domain is different from this world of sin where people do not follow his ways.  We will be different in heaven, more like the angels.  As God is eternal, we will be eternal.  Marriage is a construct of our biological nature and earthly needs.  This biological existence will end: our spirits will never die.  The Sadducees' understanding of the spirit world was very limited, for they did not discern the deep mysteries of God.  Their lives revolved around the idea of getting the most out of this world while they were alive.  They dealt with ruling over the people and paying attention to outward things.  Jesus warned his disciples, Be careful.  Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees and Sadducees.  (Matthew 16:6)  Jesus knew their sin would contaminate what it touched.  They enjoyed sitting at the front tables at gatherings; they enjoyed people greeting them in the market place, giving them preferential treatment because of their position in life.  They enjoyed wearing robes that distinguished them from ordinary folks.  They enjoyed being placed on a pedestal in the eyes of the people.  But as with Christians who desire others to appreciate their activities here on Earth, those temporary praises for doing good works or for appearing very wise will be all the reward they will receive from living.  In other words, God will not recognize their good deeds with heavenly rewards, for they sought man's praises rather than God's praises.  They chose earthly, temporary, accolades instead of God's recognition for serving him as good and faithful servants.  

Christians love, worship, and serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.  As Jesus made clear on that day to all who heard his words, we serve the God of those who are alive with him right now.  The host of believers who have gone before are biologically dead, yet they presently reign with God as joint heirs with Christ our Lord.  When Jesus spoke of the faith of the centurion who asked him to heal his servant, Jesus describes the great meal in heaven, saying, I say to you that many will come from the east and the west, and will take their places at the feast with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven.  (Matthew 8:11)  Whenever, someone asks you what God you serve.  You should  say, I am serving the God revealed in the Old and the New Testaments.  You are serving the God of the living Patriarchs revealed through his Son, Jesus.  Why should you say that?  Why not just say, I serve the Christian God?  The reason you say you are serving the God of the whole Bible is that God has revealed himself in the total Word.  There is not a God of the Old Testament and then a God of the New Testament.  You are serving a living God who makes all people alive if they believe in him by faith.  Jesus told the Sadducees they were greatly mistaken because they did not believe in a God who makes living, eternal vessels out of human beings.  Of course, the Sadducees did not believe in heaven.  They did not believe in a world of the Spirit where God exists with his children.  Jesus said that world existed, and all can enter eternity's world through him.  Of course his claim of eternal life through him drove the Sadducees to madness.  How could Jesus claim He could make people eternal beings when no such condition or place existed for them?  But we Christians know by faith heaven does exist, and we are destined for our eternal home because of Jesus' works of righteousness, the price He paid for us.  We know we are righteous because He did away with our sinful lives, erasing our debt completely.  We live because He lives; we live because Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob live.  We do serve the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and we serve him with all we possess!  Today, we join that heavenly throng, singing praises to our everlasting King!    

Mark 12:13-17 Did Jesus Pay Taxes?

Mark 12:13-17  Later they sent some of the Pharisees and Herodians to Jesus to catch him in his words.  They came to him and said, “Teacher, we know you are a man of integrity.  You aren’t swayed by men, because you pay no attention to who they are; but you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth.  Is it right to pay taxes to Caesar or not?  Should we pay or shouldn’t we?”  But Jesus knew their hypocrisy.  “Why are you trying to trap me?” he asked.  “Bring me a denarius and let me look at it.”  They brought the coin, and he asked them, “Whose portrait is this?  And whose inscription?”  “Caesar’s,” they replied.  Then Jesus said to them, “Give to Caesar what is Caesar’s and to God what is God’s.”  And they were amazed at him.

In the above passage, we see the Pharisees and the Herodians trying to cause trouble for Jesus with the people and the authorities.  Of course, the Roman Empire expected their subjects to pay taxes to Caesar.  He ruled over his subjects with an iron hand: taxes were expected to fill the coffers of Caesar's government regularly.  No other course of action was safe in the Roman Empire.  The Pharisees did not like to pay taxes, but they did, for they knew the consequence of rebellion against the government.  The Herodians were part of the Empire, so taxes were an obligation they were willing to fulfill as well.  Some of the people in Israel rebelled by not paying taxes to Caesar.  These people were the Zealots.  Simon, one of Jesus' disciples was a Zealot.  Probably of all Jesus' disciples, he was the most vexed by the rule of the Romans in Israel.  The Zealots openly rebelled against the Roman Empire several times, causing them great persecution from the hands of Caesar.  Many groups living in Israel would have listened carefully to Jesus' answer on the question of paying taxes to Caesar.  But Jesus knew the religious leaders were not questioning him to find a solution to the tax problem: they wanted to trick him, just as they did every time they approached him.  But Jesus knew his foes, for He had branded them for who they were many times: Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites!  You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men’s bones and everything unclean.  (Matthew 23:27)  Yet in this instance, his response to their inquiry was so quick and clever that they were all amazed.  Probably, even Simon was satisfied with his answer to their question.  Caesar deserves only what Caesar deserves, nothing more or nothing less.    

The question for Christians today remains: What does Caesar deserve from our lives?  How should we live in this physical world, which has little to do in the practical sense with the eternal realities that we hold in our hearts?  How much of our daily lives should we commit to obligations and survival?  Certainly, we need to house ourselves, we need food, we need clothing, we need safety for ourselves and our loved ones, we need a few amenities for enjoyment, and so on.  But basically all that we see, hear, touch, and smell have little to do with our eternal existence.  In fact some of the things that we categorize as needs in our existence can actually get in the way of our spiritual selves, such as working excessively for the "essentials" we need in life.  This can take on the guise as always needing something more, bigger, and better, never really being satisfied with what God has provided for us.  A striving soul for this world's goods will often miss out on God's best for us.  We might think of ourselves being successful because of our material wealth, but in reality we might be starving the spiritual man or woman inside of us.  Rather than revealing a healthy and vital walk with our Lord, we are actually experiencing sickness and death as we grow more distant and cold in our relationship.  When John describes his vision of Jesus speaking to the church in Laodicea, the Lord says, I know your deeds, that you are neither cold nor hot.  I wish you were either one or the other!  So, because you are lukewarm — neither hot nor cold — I am about to spit you out of my mouth.  (Revelation 3:15-16)   What is Caesar's should always be held lightly in our journey through life.  What is God's should be the path we passionately follow in our everyday experiences.  Nothing else will satisfy our souls; nothing else will lead us to the Land of Promise.  

How then should a Christian live?  What does pertain to God?  The Bible remains our guide: Since, then, you have been raised with Christ, set your hearts on things above, where Christ is seated at the right hand of God.  Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.  For you died, and your life is now hidden with Christ in God.  When Christ, who is your life, appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.  (Colossians 3:1-4)  Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.  Bear with each other and forgive whatever grievances you may have against one another.  Forgive as the Lord forgave you.  And over all these virtues put on love, which binds them all together in perfect unity.  (Colossians 3:12-14)  This passage and many others should be posted on our mirrors and doorposts.  Christians should live with minds and souls fixed on serving and glorifying God as their reasonable service.  Believers should reflect God's attributes by clothing themselves with the fruit of his love: Now that you have purified yourselves by obeying the truth so that you have sincere love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from the heart.  (1 Peter 1:22)  Let the word of Christ dwell in you richly as you teach and admonish one another with all wisdom, and as you sing psalms, hymns and spiritual songs with gratitude in your hearts to God.  And whatever you do, whether in word or deed, do it all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the Father through him.  (Colossians 3:16-17)  All we do and think should strengthen our spiritual lives IN CHRIST JESUS.  He has given us life to live for him, to glorify him in the midst of this dark world.  If we fail to realize that, the world of Caesar takes control, and we journey through life, thinking about only of ourselves, our needs, our desires.  We go to bed at night with worldly cares weighing us down, missing the peace of God and caught up with striving.  God asks us to enter into his rest and not fail to enter in because of unbelief.  By faith through the power of the indwelling Holy Spirit, we must turn our minds constantly to Christ.  Rejoice in the Lord, as you run this race for Christ with endurance to the end.  Every other lifestyle bears no lasting fruit and ends in decay and death.  "I am the way, the truth, and the life," Christ says to you this day.  Abide in his house forever and you will know great peace and everlasting joy.  

Mark 12:1-12 Work In Jesus' Vineyard

Mark 12:1-12  He then began to speak to them in parables: “A man planted a vineyard.  He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower.  Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.  At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.  But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.  Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.  He sent still another, and that one they killed.  He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.  “He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’  “But the tenants said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let’s kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.’  So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard. “What then will the owner of the vineyard do?  He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.  Haven’t you read this scripture: “‘The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes’?”  Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them.  But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away. 

In the above passage, the word "capstone" in some translations has been interpreted as "head of the corner" or "cornerstone."  Neither interpretation, capstone or cornerstone, alters the message Jesus was driving home in this parable because either word gives us an image of who Christ is to the church of the living God.  A capstone is the final stone placed in a structure that has an arch in it: it holds the building together.  This stone represents a very important, essential, defining part of the structure.  In spiritual terms, the capstone illustrates a finished work or a complete work.  A cornerstone is the first stone that is placed in position when building a structure.  The cornerstone basically determines the quality, size, and integrity of the entire structure.  Whatever follows the placing of the cornerstone reflects upon the positioning of this important stone.   Whether capstone or cornerstone, these stones are essential in the edifice, and the hearers of Jesus' words would have known to reject the capstone would be to reject the whole building.  And if God built up a new building from that which they people rejected, then they were indeed in grave circumstances.  For Jesus to infer such a thing about the spiritual leaders evoked the same response from them as it did when He cleared out the temple courts and they began looking for a way to kill him, for they feared him, because the whole crowd was amazed at his teaching.  (Mark 11:18)  Jesus knew they had rejected the prophets before him and now they had rejected him   

In this parable, Jesus reflects upon the history of the Jews: how they rejected the warnings and teachings of the prophets and holy men who were sent to them by God.  God loved his people so much He wanted to change the hearts of the Israelites when they hardened their hearts and worshipped other gods, turning to wicked and sinful ways.  But instead of hearing and receiving the words of those God sent to them, they rejected the holy ones sent by God either by persecution or death.  Stephen says in his last proclamation to the Jewish people: You stiff-necked people, with uncircumcised hearts and ears!  You are just like your fathers: You always resist the Holy Spirit!  Was there ever a prophet your fathers did not persecute?  They even killed those who predicted the coming of the Righteous One.  And now you have betrayed and murdered him — you who have received the law that was put into effect through angels but have not obeyed it.  (Acts 7:51-53)  Jesus was saddened by the history of his people.  At one point He calls the Pharisees and teachers of the law hypocrites and a brood of vipers because they say they would not have participated in the shedding of the blood of the prophets with their forefathers, yet they persecute him and will pursue from town to town, flog, and kill those who come to them in the name of Jesus.  Yet, Jesus ends by saying, O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing.  Look, your house is left to you desolate.  (Matthew 23:37-38)  Even though from the time of Abraham, God had been intimately involved with the Israelites, performing miracles and wonders before their very eyes, they rejected his will and his authority over their lives.  Jesus reveals in the vineyard parable that God will now give away his fertile garden of blessings to others because of his people's unwillingness to provide him with the fruit of the vineyard.

Throughout Jesus' ministry, we see him doing the will of the Father.  He is a fruitful Son, and He calls people to himself to go out and to bear fruit for God's kingdom, fruit that will last.  Just as God told Adam and Eve in the beginning: Be fruitful, and multiply (Genesis 1:27), we are to multiply as the church of God, bringing in new believers, who will in turn bring in new converts themselves.  One of the reasons the religious leaders fought Jesus so hard was they feared his movement would grow and take over their position of authority in the community.  They feared losing power, respect, and the financial means to survive.  If crowds came to hear Jesus, and He could perform miracles, who knew what this might lead to?  Now Jesus  inferred that they were not merely rejecting a man who had certain powers of persuasion and the ability to help the sick recover, but his parable suggested He was from God.  If they rejected him, they rejected God.  This made the religious leaders all the more angry and fearful.  This Jesus wanted to set himself up as someone sent from God.  Today, we do not have to wonder who Jesus is.  We do not have to look at the signs or try to analyze the parables to figure out whether or not Jesus was sent from God as the Savior of mankind.  The signs are all in, the message is clear.  The building is complete and the capstone has long been set securely into place.  We have a King: His name is Jesus, the Bright and Morning Star.  He left heaven to die on a cruel cross to pay the price for our sins.  We assume that most of you reading our breakfast know the Lord as your Redeemer and Soon Coming King.  You have been born again and asked him to take control of your lives.  You walk with the Lord and allow the Holy Spirit to guide your steps.  Today we challenge you to hear his voice and to follow his lead in every situation.  There is ground to till in the vineyard.  There are plants in need of planting.  There is fruit to harvest for the Master of the vineyard.  The Lord tells us, "I have work for you to do."  He is saying the same to each of you.