Mark Reading Plan – W12D3
Week 12 | Day 3 | Mark 12:18-27
Check out all the previous readings here.
Pray
As you come to the reading today, write down all the things that are troubling you, giving them to God. Then ask God to open your eyes and your ears to his Word
Bible Reading (read these verses three times slowly)
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 raise up offspring 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 burning 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!”
Reflection & Questions
The Sadducees come with a riddle that they think disproves the resurrection of the dead. If someone had been married multiple times, who would they be married to in heaven?
Jesus shows the riddle’s wrong assumptions, but more importantly, that their problem is far bigger than a riddle. Jesus tells them straight: They don’t know the scriptures or the power of God.
It is key for followers of Jesus to be students of God’s word. To learn about God is being fully saturated in His word. This is also how followers will protect themselves from error in a world full of false teachers.
They must also know the power of God. Our God isn’t a weak God nor is He inactive. He is powerful and always working on behalf of His children. This power is supremely shown in the resurrection of Jesus and His believers.
The warning here is clear. Know the Bible. And fully trust in God’s power!
- How much do you saturate yourself in the Bible? What steps could you take to grow in your understanding of the Bible?
- Do you believe in God’s power? How do you know?
Pray
Thank God for his Word and his strength for us who believe.
Worship Song
You could worship our Jesus through this song today:
Bible Reading
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 raise up offspring 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 burning 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!”
Reflection and Questions
Woah woah woah, what are we talking about here? Married people, dead people rising from the grave, are we talking about zombies being married??
As cool (or scary) of a movie as that might be, that’s not what Jesus is talking about here. The religious leaders are, as always, trying to trick Jesus, and get Him to agree that the dead won’t ever resurrect when God decides to take us all to heaven. But, like always, Jesus is not tricked at all. Jesus tells them that not only is their question totally wrong, but they have a bigger problem – They don’t understand the scriptures OR the power of God!
There’s two big things that we need to learn from this passage.
1: It is key for followers of Jesus to learn about, read, and study God’s word – the Bible. This is also how followers will protect themselves from learning things that are wrong in a world that teaches us the wrong things.
2: We also need to know the power of God. Our God isn’t a weak God, and that’s good news! He is powerful and always working for His children, us. This power is shown in the resurrection of Jesus and His believers.
Jesus makes it pretty clear – know the Bible, and trust in God’s power!
- How often do you read the Bible? Make a plan to start reading it more!
Prayer
Say a prayer asking for God’s help in remembering His power, and thank Him for giving us the Bible to learn more about Him.
Bible Reading
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 raise up offspring 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 burning 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!”
Devo Focus
“Are you not in error because you do not know the Scriptures of the power of God?” Vs. 24
Devo
Today’s scripture demonstrates the importance of reading, learning, and understanding the Bible. If you aren’t in the Word, you’re missing access to God’s great power!
The Sadducees come with a riddle that they think disproves the resurrection of the dead. If someone had been married multiple times, who would they be married to in heaven?
Jesus shows the riddle’s wrong assumptions, but more importantly, that their problem is far bigger than a riddle. Jesus tells them straight: They don’t know the scriptures or the power of God.
It is key for followers of Jesus to be students of God’s word. To learn about God is being fully saturated in His word. This is also how followers will protect themselves from error in a world full of false teachers.
They must also know the power of God. Our God isn’t a weak God nor is He inactive. He is powerful and always working on behalf of His children. This power is supremely shown in the resurrection of Jesus and His believers.
The warning here is clear. Know the Bible. And fully trust in God’s power!
- How much do you saturate yourself in the Bible? What steps could you take to grow in your understanding of the Bible? Do you believe in God’s power? How do you know?
Prayer
Thank God for his Word and his strength for us who believe
