OIA Mark 12.18-27

Observations
• Who: Jesus, Sadducees (this is the only time the Sadducees are mentioned in Mark), others in the temple
• When: Wednesday of Jesus’ last week.
• Where: Jerusalem, the Temple courts.
• What: Continuing series of questions and answers in the Temple courts.
• Connections: confusion about the resurrection among the 12; Transfiguration appearance of Moses;
• Contrasts: God’s word/leaders misinterpretation; God’s power/human impotence.
• Responses to Jesus: silly questions.

Interpretation
• Jesus has been teaching about resurrection since 8.31. The transfiguration was also part of teaching about the resurrection: the 3 saw Moses and Elijah, both ‘dead’ for hundreds of years. Here in the question of the Sadducees Mark records Jesus’ final teaching about the resurrection just before Jesus actually demonstrates the resurrection himself!
• The Sadducees are mentioned are mentioned 5 times in Acts. So this inclusion is in some ways a link between the conflicts of Jesus’ life and the conflicts the Peter, John, and Paul experienced in their gospel ministry.
• Why are the Sadducees so confused? Jesus says it is due to scriptural ignorance and spiritual impotence.
o In terms of scripture they have missed the forest for the trees mistaking Moses’ guidelines for protecting marginalized widows as a proof text for their own pet theological mistake.
o In terms of spiritual impotence they have stripped God of his divine power.
• The I AM text Jesus quotes addresses both these mistakes. I AM is God’s affirmation of his unlimited authority and power to be who and what he is when and where he chooses. And Jesus turns his entire argument on the tense of the verb ‘to be’. Jesus has an extremely high view of the faithfulness of scripture!

Application
God’s power is not limited by our theological misperceptions.
Scripture is the basis for all theological understanding. By grasping doggedly to a particular interpretation we may miss the broader design of God.