JESUS WAS BEING ASKED A SERIES OF QUESTIONS IN AN ATTEMPT TO RIDICULE HIM BEFORE THE MULTITUDES

1. The Priests asked about authority, the Pharisees of money, & Sadducees of the Resurrection-
2. They all were good questions- but asked foolishly to snare Jesus - asked not to learn, but to scorn
3. The world today also has its favorite questions- and once you become known as a Christian you will have all the trick ones thrown at you- You're not omniscient -say so! 

I.- THE HYPOCRITICAL QUESTION  Mark 12:18, Luke 20:27

Every generation develops its own supply of trick questions- with no answers?

A.- WHO WERE THE SECT OF THE SADDUCEES TO COME AND PLAGUE JESUS?  The Modernists!

1. These were a small, rich, powerful group of priests- rationalists, modernists, liberals-
2. They did not believe in a spiritual life, angels, nor in the resurrection or eternal life.
3. They were libertines- lustful, greedy, very worldly- and they fit their belief to their lives

B.- THEY HAD THEIR FAVORITE QUESTIONS TO USE AGAINST THE PHARISEES - AND USED ONE AGAINST CHRIST

1. They quoted Moses- Deut 25:5 -the law for family property continuity- no family be lost!
2. They went about seeking to impress people with their wisdom by impossible questions -
3. They were not seeking an answer, but seeking to embarrass Jesus with a "Let's Pretend" Problem

C.- THE HYPOCRISY OF THEIR QUESTION SHOWED THE WICKEDNESS OF THEIR HEARTS -

1. They did not believe in the resurrection- their only concern was to snare, trap, embarrass
2. They would not have hesitated to have had 7 wives, or a woman with 7 men.-
3. But they represent the "Esau" crowd,- some in every group that want worldly pleasures 1st.

Taking their assumptions in the illustration- they had a perfect trap- but!

II. JESUS GAVE THEM A DIRECT ANSWER!

Many times our great and disturbing questions have a simple answer- if we only believed Jesus

A.- IN MARK 12:24 JESUS TOLD THEM PLAINLY - YE ERR, NOT KNOWING THE SCRIPTURE NOR THE POWER OF GOD!

1. It is not very smart to tell a person they are wrong- err- strong, grievous, purposeful wrong
2. They did not know the Scripture- only a few favorite verses- & read their own meaning in it.
3. They did not know the Power of God- they had no faith in God- only in their own rationalism

B.- THEY REASONED FROM THIS WORLD Luke 20:34 - BUT THINGS ARE DIFFERENT IN THE NEXT WORLD

1. Children of this world marry & give in marriage- Many normal parts of life end in this world
2. Not everyone is worthy of the next world-v.35 What makes worthy?  Salvation in Jesus
3. To become a child of God- John 1:12- Are you a child of God by new birth? - The only way

C.- THE NEXT WORLD IS DIFFERENT, AND MEN CANNOT EQUATE PRESENT EXISTENCE WITH IT.

1. In the next world- do not marry- this world needs procreation to replenish it! -Next Not?
2. In the next world men do not die any more- replacements are not needed- eternal life!
3. but not same kind of life- are equal to or like- the Angels -Ministers of God, not self

Because they did not believe in spiritual beings- they had no concept of what Jesus told them

III.- GOD IS THE GOD OF THE LIVING! Matt 22:32,33

They had failed to read their Scriptures,- Luke the Doctor - shows more reasoning, Matt the Script.

A.- THE THEME OF ETERNAL LIFE AND THE RESURRECTION RUNS THROUGHOUT SCRIPTURE -Matt 22:31

1. The most ancient book in the Bible- Job- 13:15, 19:25-27, Sadducees said it was poetry
2. But in the Books of the law- "I Am-the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob- told to Moses!
3. By the laws of literature and reason- they must be alive somewhere- God of living!

B.- DEATH IS BUT A DOOR INTO ETERNITY, AND A NEW KIND OF LIFE FOR THE REDEEMED OF THE LORD

1. Our earthly tabernacle is exchanged for a glorious one- II Cor 5:1-8 - Spiritual one now
2. Then when the Rapture comes- a glorified physical one- I Cor 15:52- Transformed, glorified
3. The final blessing of God- New heavens & New Earth- Rev. 21:4- no tears, death, pain, sorrow

C.- BUT TO BE A PART OF ETERNAL HEAVEN, A PERSON MUST BE A SON OF GOD - COUNTED WORTHY

1. There is only one way a person can be counted worthy- by the blood or Christ- John 3:16
2. The new nature is given of God- but is weak now- the flesh too much with us! -Strangle it
3. The more we put on the "New Man" - now the more we fit into God's plan Col 3:1,2,3,-12-

IT DOES NO GOOD TO ARGUE WITH THE SADDUCEES, AND BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION, UNLESS YOU LIVE IT!

1. You can take no joy about believing in resurrection unless you are saved- John 5:29
2. The Resurrection is the beginning of Wondrous life- the position is up to you now!  Faithful
3. If we never take a trip without preparation on earth- what about this grandest one of all?