“Close Only Counts in Horseshoes and Hand Grenades”

Series: “The Gospel Truth”

Text: Mark 12: 18-37

Introduction: (What?)

Some people will miss heaven by 18 inches, the distance between their head and their heart. There are times when you don’t know what you think you know or you haven’t acted on what you think you know. Jesus, having dealt with the chief priests, scribes and elders, was then confronted by the other religio-political group, the Sadducees. His answers to their hypothetical questions are also answers to many today.

Explanation (Why?)

1. The Danger of Biblical Illiteracy (vv18-27)

The Sadducees were a religo/political group that denied bodily resurrection, future judgment, the existence of angels or demons or spirits and affirmed human free will. Understanding that, look at the hypothetical question they put to Jesus.

“Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and questioned Him. ‘Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife behind but no child, that man should take the wife and raise up offspring for his brother. There were seven brothers. The first married a woman. and dying, left no offspring. The second also took her, and died, leaving no offspring. And the third likewise. None of the seven left offspring. Last of all the woman died too. In the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be, since the seven had married her?

Here were men who denied the resurrection asking a question about the resurrection. They believed that only the writings of Moses (the Pentateuch) was legitimate scripture. Since he didn’t mention resurrection, then in their minds it did not exist. They were basing their question on Genesis 38:8-10 which I won’t read now, but you can look it up when you get home. If is further explained in Deuteronomy 38:8-10 “When brothers live on the same property and one of them dies without a son, the wife of the dead man may not marry outside the family. Her brother-in-law is to take her as his wife, have sexual relations with her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law for her. The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so his name will not be blotted our from Israel.”

Sometimes when you are trying to witness to an unbeliever, they will try to throw up any smoke screen they can to get you off track and frustrate your attempt to share the gospel. Often they don’t even believe what they are citing to interrupt your witness. That was the case with the Sadducees. They really didn’t expect or even want an answer. They only wanted to trip Jesus up and maybe upset their rivals, the Pharisees, at the same time.

The answer that Jesus gave revealed that they didn’t even understand what they were saying because they didn’t know the meaning of the scriptures. “Jesus spoke to them, ‘Isn’t this the reason why you’re mistaken; you don’t know the Scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like the angels in heaven. And as for the dead being raised---haven’t you read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God said to him: ‘I Am the God of Abraham and 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.’” Ironically Jesus spoke to them of the very things they had mentioned but did not believe; resurrection and angels. He also pointed out that they did not understand the power of God. If you don’t know Scripture, then you cannot understand the power of God. There are people today, perhaps some who are in the room who believe that “cleanliness is next to Godliness” is scripture. It isn’t. We are living in a day of Biblical illiteracy, even among church goers.

Some folks stumble over Jesus saying that after the resurrection, people will be like angels. We will be like angels in that we will live like the angels in a new relationship that transcends marriage. Angels basically have two purposes; to worship and praise God and to obey His every command to the letter. In this respect we will be like angels. However, I will still be me and you will still be you. We will just live differently relationally. Marriage was established by God for two basic reasons; companionship (it is not good for man to be alone); and perpetuation of the human race (be fruitful and multiply and replenish the earth). Since there is no more death in heaven, there is no need for replenishment. Also because we will be united with all who have believed both before and after us, there is no need for a specific person to be our companion. We will, as John McArthur wrote, “they (the resurrected) will be spiritual, eternal beings who will not die.” Will we see our loved ones who have gone before us? Yes, just as we will see and recognize Abraham, Moses, Elijah, Daniel and all other believers. We will be one big happy family, united in purpose just as the angels are.

2. A Miss is a Miss (vv28-34}

What begins as another question designed to trip Jesus up, ends with both encouragement and warning from Jesus. The scribe wanted Jesus to choose between all the 613 laws of Judaism, which would alienate some people while pleasing others.

One of the scribes approached. When he heard them debating and saw that Jesus answered them well, he asked Him, ‘Which commandment is the most important of all?’”

Jesus answered him from the Pentateuch, which the Jews held as the epitome of truth. “Jesus answered, ‘The most important is Listen O Israel! The LORD our God, the LORD is one. Love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength. The second is Love your neighbor as yourself. There is no other command greater than these.’” The first command is quoted from Deuteronomy 6:4-5 which the Jews call the Shema which means “hear”. This passage was quoted morning and evening in prayer. The second command Jesus quoted from Leviticus 19:18. Because these commands came from what the scribe deemed to be Scripture, there was no way that he could disagree, therefore he responded. “Then the scribe said to Him, ‘You are right teacher. You have correctly said that He is one, and there is no one else except Him. And to love Him with all your heart, with all your understanding and with with all your strength and to love your neighbor as yourself, is far more important than all the burnt offerings and sacrifices.’”

Jesus connected with the scribe where he was. He didn’t just arbitrarily throw out an answer, but rather chose an answer that the scribe could understand and agree with. When we engage an unbeliever in conversation, it is important to meet them on common ground and then lead them to a new and deeper understanding. So often our witnessing is more like hiding behind a wall and lobbing hand grenades of scripture over the wall toward the unbeliever. Jesus’s example, both here and in His John 4:1 encounter with the woman at the well is to meet the unbeliever where they are and then gently move the conversation toward truth. After the scribe complimented Jesus on his answer, Jesus responded with both an encouraging word and a latent warning. “When Jesus saw that he answered wisely, He said to him, ‘You are not far from the kingdom of God.’” Such an answer left the scribe in a place where further understanding of the gospel was possible. Campus Crusade, now called “Cru”, has a saying which perhaps came from this encounter. They say to one who is witnessing, “Don’t bruise the fruit.” That means, don’t cut the unbeliever off in such a way that they become more hardened to the gospel. Leave the door open so that subsequent conversations either with you or others will bear fruit.

We aren’t told if the scribe ever surrendered to Jesus. If he didn’t, then he missed the purpose of the scriptures. A saying that you perhaps heard growing up is, “A miss is as good as a mile.” Remember, close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.

3. Do You Know My Jesus? (vv 3-37)

There are many who identify Jesus as a great moral teacher, but not as Messiah and the only way to God. C. S. Lewis wrote, “I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him [that is, Christ]: ‘I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept His claim to be God.’ That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic–on a level with the man who says he is a poached egg–or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God: or else a madman or something worse…. You can shut Him up for a fool, you can spit at Him and kill Him as a demon; or you can fall at His feet and call Him Lord and God. But let us not come up with any patronizing nonsense about His being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.” –C.S. Lewis in Mere Christianity

Jesus was and is the only begotten Son of God. He is “the way, the truth and the life” and no one comes to God except through Him. (John 14:6.) He is the “first born among many brothers and sisters” (Romans 8:29)

In the words of Dr. S.M. Lockridge,

“The Bible says my King is a seven-way king..

He's the King of the Jews; that's a racial king..

He's the King of Israel; that's a national King..

He's the King of Righteousness.

He's the King of the Ages..

He's the King of Heaven.

He's the King of Glory.

He's the King of Kings, and He's the Lord of Lords. I wonder, do you know Him?

“While Jesus was teaching in the temple, He asked, ‘How can the scribes say that the Messiah is the son of David? David himself says by the Holy Spirit,’ ‘The LORD declared to my LORD, Sit at my right hand until I put your enemies under your feet.’ David himself calls Him LORD; how then can he be his son? And the large crowd was listening to Him with delight.” The scribes, Pharisees, Sadducees, high priests and elders all misunderstood the reality of who Jesus was and is. I wonder how many, both inside and outside the church are confused as to the real identity of Jesus? As Jesus asked His disciples, “Who do you say that I am?” He is asking us today.

Application: (How should I respond to this message?)

Is Jesus your King? Have you surrendered to Him? I’ve noticed that human nature almost dictates that our surrender to Jesus must be a daily occurence. It is very easy for us to rescind our surrender if we’re not careful. Every time we disobey Him we are rescinding our surrender. That is not to say that our salvation is not eternally secured when we initially surrender to Him. However, if He is to be our LORD and King, we must daily surrender to His commands or find ourselves opposing Him. In the LORD’s prayer is the phrase, “Your kingdom come, Your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.” In heaven God’s will is supreme. It is done immediately, without questions calling for an explanation.

What is Jesus commanding your to do that you have ignored or put off? Today would be a good day to renew your surrender and obey His commands. Remember, close only counts in hand grenades and horseshoes.