Mark 12:24 (ESV) -- Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?

This passage is so insightful and helpful for us in many ways. Jesus is having an interaction with the Sadducees, a religious group that did not believe in the resurrection. They try to trick Jesus and give Him a scenario that appears to be a conundrum that will cause Jesus to stumble. They ask about a woman married to a man who dies, and then she marries his brother, and he dies, and this happens all the way down the entire family. They ask Jesus, “Whose wife will she be at the resurrection?” 

Our passage today captures Jesus’ response to them. He says, “Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God?” Wow. This answer is phenomenal and very instructive. First, Jesus tells them they’re wrong for such a question. Why are they wrong? Because they don’t know the Scriptures. There will be no marriage in Heaven. We won’t be married or given in marriage. So their question reveals they don’t know God’s Word. Second, they don’t know the power of God. What does this mean? It means they don’t understand the capacity and ability of God to sort out these sorts of things that boggle the mind of man. 

This passage comforts me in a lot of ways. There is no end to the number of questions we could ask God about how things are going to be one day in Heaven. 

“How will we not live in sadness and grief if we get to Heaven and notice family members didn’t make it?” Jesus’ answer suffices here. That question shows we don’t know the Scriptures nor the power of God. We know there will be no tears or sadness in Heaven. It also shows we don’t trust the power of God to sort this type of thing out. 

I could keep proposing questions. At the end of the day, there are countless things we don’t know. But what our questions often reveal is that we haven’t read the Scriptures and we don’t know the power of God. Read the Word, friends. Let His Word guide and shape your confidence when your mind forms questions you can’t sort out. God can sort it out. He will sort it out. Trust the power of God to handle these things.

Reflection & Journal:
- Why were these religious leaders trying to trip up Jesus?
- What does Jesus’ answer reflect about things we don’t understand?
- How can we remedy our lack of knowing the Word of God?

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