Daily Devotions

Mark

Mark 
Day 
Day 262

Because it was not possible that He should be held by it. "Acts 2:24b"

A HYPOTHETICAL PROBLEM

The Sadducees had to create a hypothetical scenario in order to present their question to Jesus.

“Now there were seven brothers.
The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring.
And the second took her, and he died, nor did he
leave any offspring. And the third likewise.
So the seventh had her and left no offspring.
Last of all the woman died also.
Therefore, in the resurrection, when they arise,
whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife.”
MARK 12:20-23

1. Reference to the Levirate Marriage
a) The Levirate Law was indeed provided for by Moses.

b) This was to ensure the following:-
i) The bloodline of the deceased would not end with death.
ii) The inheritance (of the land in particular) would be protected.
iii) Boaz married Ruth on the basis of the Levirate Law (Cf. Ruth)

c) The Sadducees were not particularly impressed with this law
i) They would have loved to debate Jesus on this topic.
ii) They believed in choice and free will (and this includes marriage).
iii) The basis of the beliefs of the Sadducees seemed to be “human logic”.

2. Reference to the Resurrection
a) Their reference to it did not indicate belief in it.
b) Quite the opposite- they were poking fun at the idea of the resurrection.

The Sadducees must have felt smug as they presented this hypothetical problem to Jesus. How could anyone come up with a solution to this nightmarish hypothesis posed? Jesus could not just simply dismiss their hypothetical problem as spurious. But Jesus did not have to steer around this hypothetical problem! He had an answer to their poser.