The Ressurection

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Call To Worship

Say: Let us now begin to worship the Father the Son, the Holy Spirit, Our Call to worship Comes to us from Reading

Deuteronomy 4:1 ESV

1 “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you.

Introduction

So last week they tried to trip Jesus up over his nature as a king, attacking him with the question of government. Now they are coming after him in his office of Prophet. Going after his understanding of the word.

Now Jesus the mediator between man and God, the Prophet, priest, and king. While he is in the city of Jerusalem during Holy Week these are the avenues that Satan is attacking him on. Pressing him directly on these fronts~!

Jesus is the greater David, and now he is revealing to to us in this text this morning that he is the greater Moses. Remember Moses said this.

Deuteronomy 18:15 ESV

15 “The Lord your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you, from your brothers—it is to him you shall listen—

So Just like Moses, Jesus shares what only a Prophet could know about death and Resurrection. He is the God of the word and so knows it perfectly.

We are going to look at two things this morning. 1) How to defend your faith like Jesus, 2) the Hope we have in the Resurrection to come,

Text

Mark 12:18–27 ESV

18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife, but leaves no child, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 20 There were seven brothers; the first took a wife, and when he died left no offspring. 21 And the second took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. 22 And the seven left no offspring. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Observations/Background

When we look at the text this morning this is happening in the midst of Holy Week Every enemy of Christ is coming after him, trying to pin him down and defame him. The Pharisees, the Herodians and now the Sadducees are coming after him.

The Sadducees were the elite class. They were as close to as modern day secularist, un-believing elite we have in our country. These were the aristocrats, they were connected by birth, they rejected all of the Bible except the books of Moses.

In light of their rejection of most of the scriptures they didn’t believe in resurrection, angels, and many other spiritual topics.

It is noted in the scriptures that while the Pharisee did share the beliefs with Jesus and we see that some did come to faith! Nicodemus, Paul the two most famous. The scriptures never reveal to us the conversion of Sadducees to the faith.

You might remember the Children Sunday school song (sadduceess are so sad) Why are they sad because they reject the truths of the Bible!

In this first interaction with Jesus you can see in (v18) what the Jews thought of them.

This group of people has left no written records that we have found so far. They seem to be wiped out in the Roman Response to the Jewish Rebellion in 70 AD. This is as Jesus predicted.

They ask a question about levirate marriage, which is about if a man has no heirs

Mark Original Meaning

With relish, the Sadducees spring the punch line, designed to ridicule belief in the resurrection, “At the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?” (12:23). Behind this spoof lies a crass assumption that resurrection life will be no different from life as we experience it on earth—except, in this case, more chaotic.

These men had really assumed they knew the word but Jesus shows them otherwise

It goes like this

Mark Original Meaning

a. You are in error [planao].

b. You do not know the Scriptures.

c. You do not know the power of God.

c.′ [The power of God] raises the dead and they become like angels.

b.′ [Scripture is cited] In the bush passage, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is God of the living.

a.′ You are badly mistaken [planao].

This structure Jesus uses is helpful for us Let’s break it down.

Application note: How to share a techqunique

Let’s look at Jesus on how he interacts with someone who is asking a question about our faith. Now this question was asked in bad faith. Mark 12:19-23 is just a gotcha question. You’ve got to develop the ears to detect a gotcha question. (furniture question)

That was in bad faith, but I gave a serious answer.

Step 1) You need to be able to provide a defence for what you believe

1 Peter 3:15 ESV

15 but in your hearts honor Christ the Lord as holy, always being prepared to make a defense to anyone who asks you for a reason for the hope that is in you; yet do it with gentleness and respect,

When you learn what you believe you’re honoring the Lord, the NKJV uses Sanctifies. You need to have a working understanding of what you believe. Now I’m not saying everyone needs to be a pastor. In fact must people shouldn’t be! What we need are Christian everything that can articulate what you believe and then turn it around and apply it to your life were you are.

What the church needs is more then anything is every man and women to be a qualified layman.

We need older men and women teaching the younger as is taught in Titus. That doesn’t mean you can’t have a passion for something in the Bible! Do!

Learning the word is honoring to God, you reading the Bible with your family, coming to church hearing the preaching and Sunday school teaching, honors God.

Charles Spurgeon Said this

Master those books you have. Read them thoroughly. Bathe in them until they saturate you. Read and re-read them...digest them...a student will find that his mental constitution is more affected by one book thoroughly mastered than by 20 books he has merely skimmed.

Are you mastering the word? Keep it in your heart.

Step 2) Listen to what is being really said, know the person you’re interacting with

This is the most difficult step! You can see Mark gives us an insight here at the beginning Mark 12:18

Mark 12:18 ESV

18 And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,

Jesus knew who he was dealing with. Last week when dealing the Pharisees and Herodians he did the same thing!

Mark 12:13 ESV

13 And they sent to him some of the Pharisees and some of the Herodians, to trap him in his talk.

Often who you’re ineracting with you know already to some degree. Use that information to help you share with that person.

This is the Big one. LISTEN! I’m guilty of this, we all are. Sometimes we are to busy planning our response as opposed to be thoughtful and thinking about what is actually be said!

Proverbs 15:1–2 ESV

1 A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 2 The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly.

A quick on thoughtless response can pour out folly! Really listen to this (Read section again)

Jesus Identifies what really is the issue, their wrong belief and addresses that!

Step 3) Address the question clearly and Succinctly.

Don’t beat around the bush, don’t miss the forest for trees.

Jesus having identified the problem gets right to it. He teaches, he corrects, he shares.

This is a great way to answer/handle any problem by the way.

Find out the sticking point, deal with it, move forward.

There problem was they really didn’t believe what they said they believed! The believe Moses but really they didn’t. Moses share that God is the God of these men

Mark 12:26–27 ESV

26 And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? 27 He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”

Jesus held them to what they said. He directly dealt with them and put the ball back into their court.

In the case of the furniture not lasting forever how I should have responded is, that God isn’t in the business of giving eternal life to chairs, But Jesus is in the business of giving eternal life to people.

God cares more about your soul then your stuff. All your stuff will burn, and without belief so will you, but Jesus has a way for you. Some of you in this room are so focused on these silly questions when it gets down to it what do you believe about God? What do you believe about his son?

Point 2 What/When/Who Is Resurrection

So when Jesus addresses these men he deals with the Resurrection. He doesn’t get much into the topic here, because he was dealing with bad faith actors, but he does reveal some information here that we didn’t have until that moment!

What is Resurrection

So it goes without saying that Resurrection is a foundational belief to our Christian faith.

Hebrews 6:1–2 ESV

1 Therefore let us leave the elementary doctrine of Christ and go on to maturity, not laying again a foundation of repentance from dead works and of faith toward God, 2 and of instruction about washings, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment.

Without Resurrection our faith is worthless 1 Cor. 15:12-19

1 Corinthians 15:12–19 ESV

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain. 15 We are even found to be misrepresenting God, because we testified about God that he raised Christ, whom he did not raise if it is true that the dead are not raised. 16 For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised. 17 And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins. 18 Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. 19 If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied.

The Second London says this

Confessing the Faith: The 1689 Baptist Confession for the 21st Century XXXI. The State of Humanity after Death and the Resurrection of the Dead

31:2 At the last day, those saints who are found alive will not sleep but will be changed.5 All the dead will be raised up with the very same bodies, not different ones,6 though they will have different qualities. Their bodies will be united again to their souls forever.7

31:3 The bodies of the unjust will be raised by the power of Christ to dishonor. By His Spirit the bodies of the just will be raised to honor and will be made like Christ’s own glorious body.8

This is a super natural thing we believe.

This is our ancient hope

Job, an contempary of the Patriachs, says this Job 19:25-27

Job 19:25–27 ESV

25 For I know that my Redeemer lives, and at the last he will stand upon the earth. 26 And after my skin has been thus destroyed, yet in my flesh I shall see God, 27 whom I shall see for myself, and my eyes shall behold, and not another. My heart faints within me!

You will see him with your body. Yes the one you have now, but perfected, resurrected. Your own eyes taking him in, your own hands feeling his side.

Application:

Proper view of the human body. This body you have will be made new, you will be given a ressurection body, so this body rightr now you have is valuable. Paul records 1 Cor. 6:13-15

1 Corinthians 6:13–15 (ESV)

13 ....The body is not meant for sexual immorality, but for the Lord, and the Lord for the body. 14 And God raised the Lord and will also raise us up by his power. 15 Do you not know that your bodies are members of Christ? Shall I then take the members of Christ and make them members of a prostitute? Never!

So with the body you have now, today you must use it for Holy purposes.

There are two ditches we don’t want to fall into. The Medieval and ancient idea that this body is temporary vehicale. This idea is scene in Roman church were chastity is the extreme ideal, creating two classes of believers the. It’s great for married people to partake in the blessings of marriage! The idea that the body and the desires that are God made are lessor is really a pagan idea.

This is reacting to the equal other problem, the dominate one of our day. Obsessed with pleasure. the number one thing killing modern Americans is disease that is born from wealth! We do not have a healthy relationship with our riches.

So the best option is to remember all that we are belongs to Christ, so does your body, so take care of it to live a life of Holy Living, to the best of your ability. This body will be made new, but until that happens use it for Holiness. That means use it for blessing God and those you love!

I have done some light marriage counseling here and there and I often tell men, look good for your wife. Even let her pick out your clothes, the smart ones get it. She likes what shes looking at, then shes looking at you. I have yet to find a lady who doesn’t like some muscles.

Ladies adorn yourself with inner beauty first, and what you’ll find is that will flow into everything else! Put beauty in with the word and it will flow out, you will want to respect your husband, you will want to see him do well, put bad and ugly in and you won’t

Men a note we are called to wash our wives in the word, adron her in the beauty of his word, and she will be more and more beautiful to you!

When it the Resurrection

This is the very last thing in the side of history before the next begins

The new Body will be given at his coming the last enemy which is death will be destroyed 1 Cor. 15:26

1 Corinthians 15:26 ESV

26 The last enemy to be destroyed is death.

Then everything will be subjected to him!

1 Corinthians 15:28 ESV

28 When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to him who put all things in subjection under him, that God may be all in all.

He will raise both the believer and the sinner unto judgment John 5:28-29

John 5:28–29 ESV

28 Do not marvel at this, for an hour is coming when all who are in the tombs will hear his voice 29 and come out, those who have done good to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil to the resurrection of judgment.

God does this to demonstrate his power!

After that the new bodies will be given to both the living and the dead

1 Corinthians 15:52 ESV

52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed.

So you and I will be tranformed, because the current bodies we have, because of sin cannot enter heaven, but because of our union with Christ we will be given renewed bodies

1 Corinthians 15:50–53 ESV

50 I tell you this, brothers: flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God, nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable. 51 Behold! I tell you a mystery. We shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed, 52 in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet. For the trumpet will sound, and the dead will be raised imperishable, and we shall be changed. 53 For this perishable body must put on the imperishable, and this mortal body must put on immortality.

Who

Everyone will experience this ressurection, but only those that believe will recvie new bodies. You ahve heard the evidenece about Jesus, what he has done and will do. What will you do with it?

(Give the gospel)

Benediction

Say: As we close our service of worship dear brother and sister please stand for our benediction and receive by faith this blessing from God

Ephesians 6:10–11 ESV

10 Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. 11 Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil.