Mark 12:19-43

18 Now that He has answered the hardest question of the Pharisees and Herodians, the Sadducees bring Him their best argument against the truth of resurrection. There is the constant tendency, even among the household of faith, to present practical difficulties in order to discredit the truth. And the answer is always the same. Those who do not believe God are deceived because they are not acquainted with the Scriptures or the power of God. The difficulties are of their own making. The marriage state is not carried over into the resurrection.

26-27 Compare Mat_22:31-33; Luk_20:37-38. See Exo_3:6.

26 According to the Sadducees, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will never be raised from the dead, hence will never live, and God is the God of the dead. The Lord does not affirm that they are alive, for then they would not be raised. His argument demands that they be dead, and that resurrection be a necessity to bring them back to life. There were those in the Corinthian ecclesia who followed the Sadducees on this very subject (1Co_15:12-28). They denied the resurrection of any: Paul proves the vivification of all. Not only will all be raised from the dead, but all will be given life beyond death at the consummation. Then it will be seen that God is indeed a God, not of the dead, but of the living. This could never be true if there were no resurrection. Far less could it prove the necessity of resurrection if there were no death.

28-34 Compare Mat_22:34-46.

28 We would expect the Lord to choose one of the "ten commandments". But not one of these compares with the one He selected. Mere negative precepts- thou shalt not -are not in the same class with this positive, lofty conception of conduct based on love. The second would displace all human legislation, were it possible to enforce it. But how much better is the grand truth that we rest on His love to us, not ours to Him! He loves us with all the ardor of His heart. This is unutterably better than the best precept.

29 Compare Deu_6:4-5.

31 See Lev_:19:18; Rom_13:8-10; Gal_5:14; Jam_2:8.

32 See Deu_4:39; Isa_41:6-14.

33 See 1Sa_15:22; Hos_6:6; Mic_6:6-8.

34 Compare Luk_20:39-40.

35 Compare Mat_22:41-45; Luk_20:41-44.

35 Now that the Lord has answered all His opposers, He propounds a question which they do not attempt to answer. The Messiah was the great central figure of prophecy. The scribes had many traditions about Him. Perhaps the best known title given Him was Messiah ben David, for the son of Jesse was the greatest national hero, and to him was given the kingdom covenant. But they utterly failed to see that He was also the Son of God, and was identical with the One David called his Lord. None of the theophanies, or manifestations of God, in ancient times could have been appearances of the one invisible God (Col_1:15; 1Ti_1:17). No one has ever seen God: the only begotten God... He unfolds Him (Joh_1:18). Jacob saw Elohim at Peniel face to face (Gen_32:30). Isaiah saw Jehovah Tsebahoth (Isa_6:5; Joh_12:41). These and others of like nature can be no other than the One Who is the Image of the invisible God (Col_1:15; 2Co_4:4). The God of the Scriptures is one God. He has His Spirit, which is identical with Him in personality. Otherwise Christ had two fathers, for He is the onlybegotten of the Father (Joh_1:14) and of the holy Spirit (Mat_1:18). Just as a man and his spirit are one, so God and His Spirit are one. The Son of God is a distinct personality, as David shows when he says "The Lord said to my Lord." Yet there is the closest unity, the same as exists between an idea and its verbal expression, a person and his statue or image. God can be known to human creatures only through His Word and His Image, Who is Christ, the Son of God.

36-37 See 2Sa_23:2; Psa_110:1.

38-40 Compare Mat_23:1-14; Luk_20:45-47.

38 While the scribes were degrading Christ to the level of a mere descendant of David, they were seeking to exalt themselves in the eyes of the people.

41-44 Compare Luk_21:1-4.

41 See 2Ki_12:9.

42 The magnitude of a gift to God is not measured by its size but by the remainder which is left. True giving is a venture of faith.