Mark 12:27 "He is not the God of the
dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err."
Jesus is still addressing the Sadducees with this statement. We saw earlier that He told them they erred because they knew not the Scriptures. He is reinforcing that statement with this one. "God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living."
These men had the assumption that nothing they asked Jesus was true. They did not believe in the resurrection. They did not believe in life after death. They did not believe in heaven. They did not believe in hell. They were eating, drinking, being merry, and trying to trap Jesus because they did not think anything happened after their final breath on earth.
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. What did Jesus mean by that. Let me remind you of a few statements of fact made by Jesus. When Lazarus died, Martha went to Jesus and said, "If you had been here, our brother would not have died." Jesus' answer to her was this: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:26) Jesus spoke in another place, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." (John 5:25) In both places, Jesus announced that His children are alive, not just in this world, but for all eternity. In Christ Jesus, we are alive. He is our God and we are alive forevermore.
How should this knowledge affect us? First, I find great peace in knowing that this world is not my forever home. My citizenship is in heaven. When I pass from this world, there is a place reserved in heaven for me. God is my God. I also find joy in this great truth of life. No valley is eternal. By that I mean, whatever situation we are enduring now is temporary. Because Jesus rose from the grave and His Spirit lives in me, I can endure every trial and hardship of this life. There is a key word in the 23rd Psalm that we often read right over without thinking. "Yea though I walk THROUGH the valley...." There is a beginning and there is an end to every trial. Why? Because we belong to the God of the living and in Him we are alive.
Find peace in the statement given to the Sadducees who were sad you see. Find peace, joy, and strength in the fact that we serve the living God and we are alive in Christ Jesus.
Jesus is still addressing the Sadducees with this statement. We saw earlier that He told them they erred because they knew not the Scriptures. He is reinforcing that statement with this one. "God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living."
These men had the assumption that nothing they asked Jesus was true. They did not believe in the resurrection. They did not believe in life after death. They did not believe in heaven. They did not believe in hell. They were eating, drinking, being merry, and trying to trap Jesus because they did not think anything happened after their final breath on earth.
God is not the God of the dead, but of the living. What did Jesus mean by that. Let me remind you of a few statements of fact made by Jesus. When Lazarus died, Martha went to Jesus and said, "If you had been here, our brother would not have died." Jesus' answer to her was this: "And whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die. Believest thou this?" (John 11:26) Jesus spoke in another place, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, The hour is coming, and now is, when the dead shall hear the voice of the Son of God: and they that hear shall live." (John 5:25) In both places, Jesus announced that His children are alive, not just in this world, but for all eternity. In Christ Jesus, we are alive. He is our God and we are alive forevermore.
How should this knowledge affect us? First, I find great peace in knowing that this world is not my forever home. My citizenship is in heaven. When I pass from this world, there is a place reserved in heaven for me. God is my God. I also find joy in this great truth of life. No valley is eternal. By that I mean, whatever situation we are enduring now is temporary. Because Jesus rose from the grave and His Spirit lives in me, I can endure every trial and hardship of this life. There is a key word in the 23rd Psalm that we often read right over without thinking. "Yea though I walk THROUGH the valley...." There is a beginning and there is an end to every trial. Why? Because we belong to the God of the living and in Him we are alive.
Find peace in the statement given to the Sadducees who were sad you see. Find peace, joy, and strength in the fact that we serve the living God and we are alive in Christ Jesus.