The Sadducees So Sad You See.
The Sadducees are part of a wave of attacks that are brought against Jesus as the time of His crucifixion draws closer. Like the others, they fail.
The Sadducees Attack
As Jesus gets closer to his crucifixion, the religious leaders attack him in waves: Chief priests, elders, scribes, pharisees and Sadducees. Let’s read about it, starting in Mark 11, verse 27.
“As he was walking in the temple, the chief priests and the scribes and the elders came to him, and they said to him, ‘By what authority are you doing these things, or who gave you this authority to do them?’ Jesus said to them, ‘I will ask you one question; answer me, and I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Was the baptism of John from heaven or from man? Answer me.’ And they discussed it with one another, saying, ‘If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’ But shall we say, ‘From man’?’ — They were afraid of the people, for they all held that John really was a prophet. So, they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’ And Jesus said to them, ‘Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.’”
Mark 11:27-33
Jesus in the Temple
Jesus is in the Temple on the heights of Jerusalem. This is where Satan tried to tempt Jesus with the kingdoms of the world. The religious leaders ask a 2-part question that they think is guaranteed to stump Jesus:
1 – “By what authority are you doing these things.”
2 – “Who gave you this authority to do them?”
Jesus simply says twice, “Answer me.” Two words and Jesus stumps the stumpers. “So, they answered Jesus, ‘We do not know.’” And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.” (Mark 11:33) So wise and powerful.
Jesus is God
Jesus is God: Jesus has laid down claims and backed them up with his mighty acts: miracles only God could perform. He attacks the demon world and subdues it. He forgives sins. He claims to hold authority over the Torah and the temple. He calls God his Father. When he speaks about things where only God has authority, Jesus says he has that God-authority.
A Parable About a Vineyard
Jesus then tells a parable about men left in charge of an owner’s vineyard. When he sends people to check on their work, they beat and kill them, even the master’s own son. Jesus then asks:
“What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants and give the vineyard to others … And they were seeking to arrest him but feared the people, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them. So, they left him and went away.”
Mark 12:9, 12
Jesus has exposed the religious leaders’ violent plot to kill Him. Does Jesus respond with violence? Here is one man’s answer: “If you reject him, he answers you with tears; If you wound him, he bleeds out cleansing; If you kill him, he dies to redeem; If you bury him, he rises again to bring resurrection.” Jesus is love wide open.
A Woman Married Seven Times
The leaders then ask a question about a woman married 7 times: They ask,
“’In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong.”
Mark 12:23-25, 27
The Sadducees word their question about a woman widowed 7 times so that any view of the resurrection except their own will look ridiculous. They probably put on a big smile, – which is unusual, you know, because they didn’t smile much, being Sad-You-See. They only succeed in making themselves look like clowns.
Slow to Get the Point
Jesus’ enemies are slow to get the point. Pharisees – fizzled. Chief Priests – pathetic. Scribes – stumped. Demons – defeated. So … send in the Sadducees. They get stopped before they even get started.
They have two problems:
1. Ignorance of God’s Word.
2.Ignorance of God’s Power.
Jesus asks,
“Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God?”
How do you respond to the Gospel? It’s all about knowing the scriptures and the power of God.
“For the word of the cross, (scripture), is folly to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God.”
1 Corinthians 1:16
If you believe what the scriptures say about Jesus – he is “the Way, the Truth and the Life” — you can have the power of God for your life, forever.
Do you think it is possible that Jesus could be brighter than the sun? Contact us at HopeStreamRadio, or comment below.
Brian Stapley
Brian Stapley is the husband of Margaret and “Christian-proud” father of Tabitha, Ben, Jeremy and Joel. He has been director of the Boys JIM Club of America since 1981 and a “JIM Clubber” since 1958, the year he became a Christian. The mission statement of the JIM Club is, “Discipling boys to love Jesus deeply and express him vividly.”
He has been an educator since 1970, primarily as a high school English Teacher. (Don’t dangle your participles.) He has been in fellowship at Scottlea Gospel Chapel, St. Catharines, since 1976 and travels to preach about three dozen times a year, in Ontario and New York State. He is a ventriloquist, in company with Casey, Theodore, Dodo, Grumpa, and a menagerie of others. Also, a bit of a magician.
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More Blogs
The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Why Did Jesus Say “I am the Bread of Life.”
Images Courtesy of:
The Sadducees – James Tissot
Vineyard – Pexels
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