Is There Marriage in Heaven?
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Introduction:
Introduction:
This morning our passage, really starting from chapter 11:27, is all happening on Tuesday of Jesus’ last week. And on this day the enemies of Jesus were in full motion, challenging His authority.
Jesus had met each of the challengers head-on and routed them. I believe the text clues us into the mind of Christ and what His focus was on; which was His soon death and Israel’s rejection. The very thought of Israel, in whom God had placed so much, was failing God and would put His Son to death…
Last week we saw the Pharisees and Herodians attempting to discredit Jesus by pitting Him either against the government or the people. However, Jesus met them and routed their attack.
This morning for a third time, the Lord would be confronted and challenged. And again it was a different group who tried to outargue and discredit our Savior. His challengers were the Sadducees, the religious and political liberals of the day.
Their liberal position caused two things: It caused them to stumble at the spiritual and supernatural. They ridiculed and scorned both. And because of that, in their minds, the teachings of Jesus were those of an unthinking and illogical man, teachings lacking philosophical analysis and natural proof.
In addition, it caused them to feel threatened and oppose Jesus. The people were flocking to Jesus and soaking up His teachings. This meant the Sadducees were losing their grip on the people. Their position and wealth were being jeopardized; they were compelled to attack and discredit Him before the people.
vv.18–23) The Question:
vv.18–23) The Question:
[18] The Gospels speak often of the Sadducees and the Pharisees, as Jesus consistently had conflict with them. Both groups comprised the ruling class of Jews in Israel. There are some similarities between the two; however, their differences are important to note.
Similarities:
Both were very religious sects within Judaism.
Both revered and honored Moses and the Pentateuch.
Both groups had a measure of political power. The Sanhedrin, the 70-member supreme court of Israel, had members from both the Sadducees and the Pharisees.
Differences:
Religiously, the Sadducees were more conservative in one doctrinal area: they insisted on a literal interpretation of the Scriptures. If they couldn’t find a command in the Tanakh (Hebrew Bible), they dismissed it as manmade.
Pharisees, on the other hand, gave oral tradition equal authority to the written Word of God.
The Sadducees rejected the belief in the resurrection of the dead:
23 The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him,
18 Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:
8 For Sadducees say that there is no resurrection—and no angel or spirit; but the Pharisees confess both.
The Pharisees did believe in a resurrection.
Because of their denial of the resurrections, Sadducees also denied there was life after death. Once a person died their soul perishes.
Pharisees believed in an afterlife and in an appropriate reward and punishment for individuals.
The Sadducees while educated, sophisticated, influential and wealthy. They did not believe in immortality, spirits, or angels.
[19] In dealing with the resurrection it is denied and scoffed at. Down throughout the centuries many liberal-minded people have laughed at the notion of the resurrection [1 Corinthians 15:12–58; 2 Peter 3:3–18]. Here is the Sadducees’ argument:
The used the Moses’ law as the basis of their argument (Deuteronomy 25:5–6). When a husband died without a son, the law said his brother was to marry his wife and bear a son. By law, the son was considered the first-born son of the deceased brother. This would assure two things:
The family name continued.
The property holdings were kept in the family. This was a law which had been given to help preserve the nation of Israel:
Example:
5 Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance.”
The Sadducees then suggested a logical situation which could have happened. There were seven brother. The first married and died before bearing children, and each of the other brothers obeyed the law, however, each died before bearing a child… then the women dead too.
The logical question was now asked, the question which in the Sadducees’ mind showed the absurdity of the resurrection. They asked, “Whose wife shall she be in eternity?”
Their questioning was mocking the resurrection. Yes, the situation was logical; however, the spirit was cold and coarse, egotistical and unbelieving, regrettable and revolting. The unbeliever’s spirit is often self incriminating and self-condemning.
The argument was believed to be irrefutable. They really believed it pointed out just how stupid the idea of another world, of a spiritual world, was simply the idea of men.
They were also thinking the spiritual world would be just like the physical world, it would be nothing more than a continuation of this world, both in its nature and in its relationships.
They believed when the body died, the soul died too. The Bible not only tell us the soul lives when the body dies, but also the soul will have a new body, a body fit for eternity—a resurrected body.
For the unbeliever, a resurrected body to endure eternal torment in the lake of fire.
However, for the Christian…you will be given an eternal body to enjoy the Lord for all eternity.
“The chief end of man is to glorify God and to enjoy Him forever.”–WSC
Two point for you this morning:
In the questioning of Jesus we see a picture of what the Scriptures say about the natural man:
14 But the natural man does not receive the things of the Spirit of God, for they are foolishness to him; nor can he know them, because they are spiritually discerned.
Secondly, the resurrection and return of Jesus Christ have alway been questioned… and it will continue to be questioned.
12 Now if Christ is preached that He has been raised from the dead, how do some among you say that there is no resurrection of the dead?
35 But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”
3 knowing this first: that scoffers will come in the last days, walking according to their own lusts, 4 and saying, “Where is the promise of His coming? For since the fathers fell asleep, all things continue as they were from the beginning of creation.”
vv. 24–27) The Answer:
vv. 24–27) The Answer:
Family I cannot tell you how dangerous it is to be filled with pride because of your knowledge.
1 Now concerning things offered to idols: We know that we all have knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love edifies.
The Sadducees believed if there was a resurrection, it was just the same life lived forever. With the principle when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, Jesus showed in the age to come our lives will lives be lived on a completely different playing field. Build upon a different principle and in a dimension we cannot fathom.
Too many people make the same mistake as the Sadducees when it comes to their ideas about heaven. This even takes place in the church with well meaning Christians.
Thinking heaven as just a glorious version of earth. The Native Americans thought of heaven as the happy hunting ground. The ancient pagan Vikings though of heaven as Valhalla, where they fought as warriors all day and at the end of the day all the dead and wounded rose whole again, and celebrated all night at a banquet, drinking wine from the skulls of their enemies.
All of these ideas mistake heaven for simply a better earth. Heaven’s life is of a completely different order all together.
[24] The resurrection is based on the Scriptures and the power of God. Jesus declared this in a very pointedly to them and to all who followed this liberal position. Jesus points out two reasons they were wrong:
“You do not know the Scriptures.” The Scriptures are plain and clear. They leave no doubt there is a spiritual world and a resurrection into the spiritual world and dimension of being will take place.
25 For I know that my Redeemer lives,
And He shall stand at last on the earth;
26 And after my skin is destroyed, this I know,
That in my flesh I shall see God,
27 Whom I shall see for myself,
And my eyes shall behold, and not another.
How my heart yearns within me!
19 Your dead shall live;
Together with my dead body they shall arise.
Awake and sing, you who dwell in dust;
For your dew is like the dew of herbs,
And the earth shall cast out the dead.
2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake,
Some to everlasting life,
Some to shame and everlasting contempt.
28 Do not marvel at this; for the hour is coming in which all who are in the graves will hear His voice 29 and come forth—those who have done good, to the resurrection of life, and those who have done evil, to the resurrection of condemnation.
25 Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live.
15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
11 But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.
22 For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ all shall be made alive.
14 knowing that He who raised up the Lord Jesus will also raise us up with Jesus, and will present us with you.
You will overlook truth when you neglect either the Word of God or the power of God.
“You do not know the power of God.”
There are three reasons why a person does not know the power of God:
They are ignorant of God. Not knowing anything about God and hardly ever gives any thought to God and His power.
They do not believe in God or His power.
[Turn in your Bibles to]
20 For since the creation of the world His invisible attributes are clearly seen, being understood by the things that are made, even His eternal power and Godhead, so that they are without excuse, 21 because, although they knew God, they did not glorify Him as God, nor were thankful, but became futile in their thoughts, and their foolish hearts were darkened. 22 Professing to be wise, they became fools, 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into an image made like corruptible man—and birds and four-footed animals and creeping things.
24 Therefore God also gave them up to uncleanness, in the lusts of their hearts, to dishonor their bodies among themselves, 25 who exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is blessed forever. Amen.
26 For this reason God gave them up to vile passions. For even their women exchanged the natural use for what is against nature. 27 Likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust for one another, men with men committing what is shameful, and receiving in themselves the penalty of their error which was due.
28 And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting; 29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers, 30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents, 31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful; 32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them.
Lastly, they believe yet their belief in God and His power is weak. They cannot comprehend or picture much happening beyond the physical world and the power of natural laws.
Are you one of those three this morning? Ignorant? Denier? Or do you believe God is too weak?
Your actions will prove what you truly believe.
Family the idea of a spiritual world is perplexing to us, natural men. Just imagine! While we are sitting here surrounded by all we see:
There is another world, an unseen spiritual dimension of being, which actually exists.
There is a spirit, the real life within your bodies, which is destined to exist forever.
There are demons waging war against you.
And yes Bigfoot is a fairy, a demonic elemental spirit.
The world is not just stuff family. There is a spiritual reality.
There is to be a resurrection of all the dead bodies which have been lying and decaying in the graves for ages and ages. The bodies of believers will be perfected and glorified to live and work again—forever and ever.
Two things will keep you from error:
Knowing the Scriptures.
Trusting the power of God.
[25] The resurrection is different from any earthly experience. We cannot take our present relationships and just figure they will be the same in heaven. On earth, human relationships are largely a matter of time and place—men can be a son, then an adult, then a husband, then a father, and so on. In heaven, it all changes.
Again, the Sadducees’ thought the resurrection was just a continuation of what is now. They could not conceive God would change the qualities of life and give men a totally new environment in which to live.
Marriage, as we know it, will not be experienced the same way in heaven.
Jesus states two things clearly:
Future life and relationships will exceed earthly relationships, even the bod of marital relationships. The strong union and bond of marriage will not be less, it will be greater and stronger.
Future life and relationships will be equal to what the angels experience. Note Jesus admitted to the existence of angels, refuting their disbelief and liberal-mindedness.
[Side-note] Some believe we will be like the angels, and they mean sterile unable to have babies. I’m of the opinion the Sons of God in Genesis are exactly that… angels and fornicated with the daughters of men creating demigods who were worshipped as gods. The Nephilim, but we will save that topic for another day.
Don’t focus on heaven being where you go once you die, but where you go once you finally live.
Knowing the resurrection of the dead is true doesn’t immediately answer all of our questions doesn it?
There are mysteries which remain, however they don’t take away from the basic truth of the resurrection and the glorious reality of heaven!
[26] In our last two verses of our passage Jesus assured the skeptical Sadducees there would be, indeed, a resurrection of the dead, they would rise, and this was demonstrated by Scripture.
The resurrection is ultimately a living relationship which cannot be broken.
Two major points which show this are:
God is the God of past saints, believers who have died. God is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Jesus means at least two things with this point.
God’s relationships are active relationships, never inactive. God says, “I am the God of…” never, “I was the God of…” The relationship continues with His people.
God’s relationships are good and rewarding. The patriarchs of old were promised rewards, personal rewards (Hebrews 11:13–16). There has to be a resurrection if our relationship with God is good and rewarding. To die and be left dead as a decayed corpse is not good or rewarding.
God is the God of the living, not of the dead.
7 For none of us lives to himself, and no one dies to himself. 8 For if we live, we live to the Lord; and if we die, we die to the Lord. Therefore, whether we live or die, we are the Lord’s. 9 For to this end Christ died and rose and lived again, that He might be Lord of both the dead and the living.
What a glorious truth: since God is, God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.
8 Why should it be thought incredible by you that God raises the dead?
15 I have hope in God, which they themselves also accept, that there will be a resurrection of the dead, both of the just and the unjust.
Application:
Application:
Maintain your earthly marriage with a heavenly perspective.
Heaven is more than merely having a fancy home, a healthy and improved body, and a family reunion.
The basic pleasures of heaven will transcend the greatest pleasures of earth.
You have greatly misunderstood heaven if you view Jesus as the ticket and not the treasure.
God will not deprive you of any meaningful relationship, experience, or need in heaven.
The most important marriage in heaven is not between you and your spouse, but you and your savior.
Instead of focusing on if you will be married in heaven, perhaps some of you should resolve the issue if you will be present in heaven.[Gospel]
Accountable
Bad News
Good News
Response
24 “The Lord bless you and keep you;
25 The Lord make His face shine upon you,
And be gracious to you;
26 The Lord lift up His countenance upon you,
And give you peace.” ’
