Mark 12:26
But concerning the dead rising, have you not read about the burning bush in the Book of Moses, how God told him, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob'?
But concerning the dead being raised
This phrase addresses the core of the Sadducees' question to Jesus, which was about the resurrection. The Sadducees, a sect of Judaism at the time, denied the resurrection of the dead. The Greek word for "raised" is "ἐγείρω" (egeirō), which means to awaken or to lift up. This word is often used in the New Testament to describe the resurrection, emphasizing the power of God to bring life from death. Theologically, this phrase affirms the Christian belief in the resurrection, a cornerstone of faith that promises eternal life through Jesus Christ.

have you not read
This rhetorical question challenges the Sadducees' understanding of Scripture. The phrase implies that the answer to their question is already present in the Scriptures they claim to know. The Greek word for "read" is "ἀναγινώσκω" (anaginōskō), which means to know again or to recognize. This suggests that the Scriptures should be read with understanding and insight, not just superficially. It is a call to deeper engagement with God's Word.

about the burning bush
This refers to the well-known account in Exodus 3, where God appears to Moses in a burning bush. The burning bush is a symbol of God's presence and holiness. It is a reminder of God's covenant with His people and His faithfulness to His promises. The historical context of this event is significant, as it marks the beginning of God's deliverance of Israel from Egypt. It is a powerful image of God's ability to bring life and hope in seemingly impossible situations.

in the book of Moses
This phrase refers to the Pentateuch, the first five books of the Bible traditionally attributed to Moses. The mention of Moses underscores the authority and foundational nature of these texts in Jewish and Christian traditions. The Pentateuch contains the Law and the history of God's covenant with Israel, serving as a basis for understanding God's character and His plans for humanity.

how God told him
This highlights the direct communication between God and Moses. The phrase emphasizes the personal nature of God's revelation. The God of the Bible is not distant or impersonal; He speaks and reveals Himself to His people. This communication is foundational for understanding God's will and His relationship with humanity.

‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’
This declaration by God is profound. The use of "I am" (Greek "ἐγώ εἰμι," ego eimi) is significant, as it denotes God's eternal presence and unchanging nature. By identifying Himself as the God of the patriarchs, God affirms His covenantal faithfulness. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are key figures in the history of Israel, representing God's promises and the continuity of His plan. This statement implies that the patriarchs are alive to God, supporting the doctrine of the resurrection and the hope of eternal life. It reassures believers of God's ongoing relationship with His people, transcending death and time.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jesus Christ
The central figure in the New Testament, who is teaching and correcting the Sadducees in this passage.

2. Sadducees
A Jewish sect that denied the resurrection of the dead, which Jesus addresses in this passage.

3. Moses
A prophet and leader in Israel's history, through whom God delivered the Israelites from Egypt. The reference to the "book of Moses" points to the Pentateuch, specifically Exodus.

4. Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
The patriarchs of Israel, to whom God made significant promises. Their mention underscores the continuity of God's covenant.

5. The Burning Bush
An event where God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, as recorded in Exodus 3, signifying God's presence and eternal nature.
Teaching Points
Understanding the Resurrection
Jesus uses the Sadducees' own Scriptures to affirm the reality of the resurrection, showing that God is the God of the living, not the dead.

God's Eternal Nature
The phrase "I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob" highlights God's eternal presence and His ongoing relationship with His people.

Scriptural Authority
Jesus demonstrates the importance of knowing and understanding Scripture, as He corrects the Sadducees' misunderstanding by referencing the Word of God.

Faith in God's Promises
Believers are encouraged to trust in God's promises, including the hope of resurrection and eternal life, as exemplified by the patriarchs.

Engaging with Skepticism
Jesus' interaction with the Sadducees provides a model for engaging with those who question or deny core tenets of the faith, using Scripture as the foundation for truth.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does Jesus' reference to the burning bush in Exodus 3 help us understand the concept of resurrection?

2. In what ways does the eternal nature of God provide comfort and assurance to believers today?

3. How can we use Scripture to address misunderstandings or skepticism about key Christian doctrines in our own lives?

4. What can we learn from the faith of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob regarding trusting in God's promises?

5. How does the hope of resurrection influence our daily lives and interactions with others?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 3
The original account of the burning bush where God reveals Himself to Moses, affirming His eternal covenant with the patriarchs.

Matthew 22 and Luke 20
Parallel accounts of this interaction between Jesus and the Sadducees, providing additional context and details.

Hebrews 11
Discusses the faith of the patriarchs, emphasizing their belief in God's promises, including the hope of resurrection.

Acts 7
Stephen's speech references the patriarchs and God's promises, reinforcing the theme of resurrection and eternal life.
A Type of the ResurrectionS. Cocks.Mark 12:18-27
Christ's Proof of ImmortalityR. GloverMark 12:18-27
Congenial Occupation in HeavenW. Birch.Mark 12:18-27
Employment in HeavenW. Birch.Mark 12:18-27
Heaven Will Reveal ItselfChristian AgeMark 12:18-27
Immortality and LoveH. W. Beecher.Mark 12:18-27
Individual Relation to GodDean Church.Mark 12:18-27
Leisure in HeavenW. Birch.Mark 12:18-27
Like the AngelsPres. Dwight.Mark 12:18-27
Materialism and the ResurrectionThomas Binney.Mark 12:18-27
More in Scripture than as First AppearsJ. H. Newman.Mark 12:18-27
Our Knowledge of the Future State ImperfectChristian World PulpitMark 12:18-27
Progressive Knowledge of the BibleNorman Macleod, D. D.Mark 12:18-27
Question of the Sadducees Touching the ResurrectionJ.J. Given Mark 12:18-27
Sadducean ErrorE. Johnson Mark 12:18-27
The Error of the SadduceesF. Wagstaff.Mark 12:18-27
The Puzzle of the SadduceesA.F. Muir Mark 12:18-27
The ResurrectionS. S. Teacher.Mark 12:18-27
The Resurrection from the DeadR. Green Mark 12:18-27
People
David, Herodians, Isaac, Jacob, Jesus
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Account, Book, Burning, Bush, Dead, Fact, Haven't, Isaac, Jacob, Passage, Raised, Regarding, Rise, Rising, Saying, Section, Spake, Spoke, Thorn-tree, Touching
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Mark 12:26

     1348   covenant, with Abraham
     1406   burning bush
     5232   book

Mark 12:18-27

     5681   family, nature of
     7555   Sadducees

Mark 12:24-27

     2045   Christ, knowledge of
     9314   resurrection, of the dead

Mark 12:24-31

     2363   Christ, preaching and teaching

Mark 12:26-27

     1245   God of the fathers
     2333   Christ, attitude to OT
     5948   shrewdness

Library
God's Last Arrow
'Having yet therefore one son, his well-beloved, he sent him also last unto them.'--Mark xii. 6. Reference to Isaiah v. There are differences in detail here which need not trouble us. Isaiah's parable is a review of the theocratic history of Israel, and clearly the messengers are the prophets; here Christ speaks of Himself and His own mission to Israel, and goes on to tell of His death as already accomplished. I. The Son who follows and surpasses the servants. (a) Our Lord here places Himself in
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Dishonest Tenants
'And He began to speak unto them by parables. A certain man planted a vineyard, and set an hedge about it, and digged a place for the winefat, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into a far country. 2. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruit of the vineyard. 3. And they caught him, and beat him, and sent him away empty. 4. And again he sent unto them another servant; and at him they cast stones, and wounded
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Not Far and not In
'Thou art not far from the kingdom of God.'--Mark xii. 34, 'A bruised reed He will not break, and the smoking flax He will not quench.' Here is Christ's recognition of the low beginnings of goodness and faith. This is a special case of a man who appears to have fully discerned the spirituality and inwardness of law, and to have felt that the one bond between God and man was love. He needed only to have followed out the former thought to have been smitten by the conviction of his own sinfulness, and
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

The Marvels of Holy Scripture, --Moral and Physical. --Jael's Deed Defended. --Miracles vindicated.
Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the Scriptures, neither the power of God. ON a certain occasion, the Son of Man was asked what was thought a hard question by those who, in His day, professed "the negative Theology [588] ." There was a moral and there was physical marvel to be solved. Both difficulties were met by a single sentence. The Sadducean judgment had gone astray from the Truth, (planasthe our Saviour said,) from a twofold cause: (1) The men did not understand those very Scriptures
John William Burgon—Inspiration and Interpretation

Obedience to God the Way to Faith in Christ.
"When Jesus saw that he answered discreetly, He said unto him, Thou art not far from the kingdom of God."--Mark xii. 34. The answer of the scribe, which our blessed Lord here commends, was occasioned by Christ's setting before him the two great commandments of the Law. When He had declared the love of God and of man to comprehend our whole duty, the scribe said, "Master, Thou hast said the truth: for there is one God; and there is none other but He: and to love Him with all the heart, and with
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

The Unity of the Divine Being
"There is one God." Mark 12:32. 1. And as there is one God, so there is one religion and one happiness for all men. God never intended there should be any more; and it is not possible there should. Indeed, in another sense, as the Apostle observes, "there are gods many, and lords many." All the heathen nations had their gods; and many, whole shoals of them. And generally, the more polished they were, the more gods they heaped up to themselves. But to us, to all that are favoured with the Christian
John Wesley—Sermons on Several Occasions

For the Candid and Thoughtful
It strikes me that this scribe was half-hearted in the work of tempting our Lord, even at the first. I should imagine him to have been a very superior man amongst his fellows, a man of greater light and discernment than the rest, and of greater ability in statement and discussion. Possibly for this cause his brother scribes selected him, and put him forward to ask the testing questions. Now, it will sometimes happen that a man is thrust forward by others to do what he would never have thought of
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 26: 1880

The First and Great Commandment
It is "the first commandment," again, not only for antiquity, but for dignity. This command, which deals with God the Almighty must ever take precedence of every other. Other commandments deal with man and man, but this with man and his Creator. Other commands of a ceremonial kind, when disobeyed, may involve but slight consequences upon the person who may happen to offend, but this disobeyed provokes the wrath of God, and brings his ire at once upon the sinner's head. He that stealeth committeth
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 3: 1857

Observing the Offerings and Widow's Mites.
(in the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^B Mark XII. 41-44; ^C Luke XXI. 1-4. ^b 41 And he sat down over against the treasury [It is said that in the court of the women there were cloisters or porticos, and under the shelter of these were placed thirteen chests with trumpet-shaped mouths into which offerings might be dropped. The money cast in was for the benefit of the Temple. An inscription on each chest showed to which one of the thirteen special items of cost or expenditure the contents would
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

A Serious Persuasive to Such a Method of Spending Our Days as is Represented in the Former Chapter.
1, 2. Christians fix their views too low, and indulge too indolent a disposition, which makes it more necessary to urge such a life as that under consideration.--3. It is therefore enforced, from its being apparently reasonable, considering ourselves as the creatures of God, and as redeemed by the blond of Christ.--4. From its evident tendency to conduce to our comfort in life.--5. From the influence it will have to promote our usefulness to others.--6. From its efficacy to make afflictions lighter.--7.
Philip Doddridge—The Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul

The Cross as a Social Principle
Social Redemption is Wrought by Vicarious Suffering DAILY READINGS First Day: The Prophetic Succession And he began to speak unto them in parables. A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge about it, and digged a pit for the winepress, and built a tower, and let it out to husbandmen, and went into another country. And at the season he sent to the husbandmen a servant, that he might receive from the husbandmen of the fruits of the vineyard. And they took him, and beat him, and sent him away empty.
Walter Rauschenbusch—The Social Principles of Jesus

Whether to the Words, "Thou Shalt Love the Lord Thy God with Thy Whole Heart," it was Fitting to Add "And with Thy Whole Soul, and with Thy Whole Strength"?
Objection 1: It would seem that it was unfitting to the words, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God, with thy whole heart," to add, "and with thy whole soul, and with thy whole strength" (Dt. 6:5). For heart does not mean here a part of the body, since to love God is not a bodily action: and therefore heart is to be taken here in a spiritual sense. Now the heart understood spiritually is either the soul itself or part of the soul. Therefore it is superfluous to mention both heart and soul. Objection
Saint Thomas Aquinas—Summa Theologica

The Tribute Money
"And they send unto Him certain of the Pharisees and of the Herodians, that they might catch Him in talk. And when they were come, they say unto Him, Master, we know that Thou art true, and carest not for any one: for Thou regardest not the person of men, but of a truth teachest the way of God: Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not? Shall we give, or shall we not give? But He, knowing their hypocrisy, said unto them, Why tempt ye Me? bring Me a penny, that I may see it. And they brought
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Christ and the Sadduccees
"And there come unto Him Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection: and they asked Him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed; and the second took her, and died, leaving no seed behind him; and the third likewise: and the seven left no seed. Last of all the woman also
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Discerning Scribe
"And one of the scribes came, and heard them questioning together, and knowing that He had answered them well, asked Him, What commandment is the first of all? Jesus answered, The first is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God, the Lord is one: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength. The second is this, Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. There is none other commandment greater than these. And the scribe said
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

David's Lord
"And Jesus answered and said, as He taught in the temple, How say the scribes that the Christ is the Son of David? David himself said in the Holy Spirit,-- The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit Thou on My right hand, Till I make Thine enemies the footstool of Thy feet. David himself calleth Him Lord; and whence is He his son? And the common people heard Him gladly. And in His teaching He said, Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and to have salutations in the marketplaces, and chief
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

The Widow's Mite
"And He sat down over against the treasury, and beheld how the multitude cast money into the treasury: and many that were rich cast in much. And there came a poor widow, and she cast in two mites, which make a farthing. And He called unto Him His disciples, and said unto them, Verily I say unto you, This poor widow cast in more than all they which are casting into the treasury; for they all did cast in of their superfluity; but she of her want did cast in all that she had, even all her living." MARK
G. A. Chadwick—The Gospel of St. Mark

Talks with Bohler
I asked P. Bohler again whether I ought not to refrain from teaching others. He said, "No; do not hide in the earth the talent God hath given you." Accordingly, on Tuesday, 25, I spoke clearly and fully at Blendon to Mr. Delamotte's family of the nature and fruits of faith. Mr. Broughton and my brother were there. Mr. Broughton's great objection was he could never think that I had not faith, who had done and suffered such things. My brother was very angry and told me I did not know what mischief
John Wesley—The Journal of John Wesley

The Room was Like and Oven
Sunday, 8.--We were at the minster [21] in the morning and at our parish church in the afternoon. The same gentleman preached at both; but though I saw him at the church, I did not know I had ever seen him before. In the morning he was all life and motion; in the afternoon he was as quiet as a post. At five in the evening, the rain constrained me to preach in the oven again. The patience of the congregation surprised me. They seemed not to feel the extreme heat or to be offended at the close application
John Wesley—The Journal of John Wesley

The Morality of the Gospel.
Is stating the morality of the Gospel as an argument of its truth, I am willing to admit two points; first, that the teaching of morality was not the primary design of the mission; secondly, that morality, neither in the Gospel, nor in any other book, can be a subject, properly speaking, of discovery. If I were to describe in a very few words the scope of Christianity as a revelation, [49] I should say that it was to influence the conduct of human life, by establishing the proof of a future state
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

Prophecy.
PROPHECY. Isaiah iii. 13; liii. "Behold, my servant shall deal prudently; he shall be exalted and extolled, and be very high. As many were astonished at thee; his visage was so marred more than any man, and his form more than the sons of men: so shall he sprinkle many nations; the kings shall shut their mouths at him: for that which had not been told them shall they see; and that which they had not heard shall they consider. Who hath believed our report? and to whom is the arm of the Lord revealed?
William Paley—Evidences of Christianity

In Reply to the Questions as to his Authority, Jesus Gives the Third Great Group of Parables.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) Subdivision C. Parable of the Wicked Husbandmen. ^A Matt. XXI. 33-46; ^B Mark XII. 1-12; ^C Luke XX. 9-19. ^b 1 And he began to speak unto them ^c the people [not the rulers] ^b in parables. { ^c this parable:} ^a 33 Hear another parable: There was a man that was a householder [this party represents God], who planted a vineyard [this represents the Hebrew nationality], and set a hedge about it, and digged a ^b pit for the ^a winepress in it
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

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