Mark 12:18 - Printer Friendly

ESV: And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,

NIV: Then the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question.

NASB: Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) *came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying,

CSB: Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and questioned him:

NLT: Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees — religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. They posed this question:

KJV: Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,

NKJV: Then some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him; and they asked Him, saying:

The Sadducees are one sect of Judaism, like the Pharisees, Essenes, and Zealots. They believe in an extremely literal interpretation of the Old Testament and deny the existence of the spirit, judgment after death, or the afterlife. This clearly affects their lifestyle. The chief and high priests are Sadducees, as is much of the Jewish aristocracy. The Sadducees tend to be Hellenists: they welcome Greek culture. Meanwhile, the Pharisees stick to the manmade traditions of the Jewish scribes. Without a resurrection and afterlife with God to look forward to, it's reasonable the Sadducees would seek authority and wealth on earth.

Jesus hasn't been on the Sadducees' radar too much yet. Until this point, most of Jesus' controversy comes through His rejection of extra-biblical laws of the scribes and Pharisees (Mark 2:18–28; 7:7–13). Like the Herodians, the Sadducees' sole concern is Jesus' effect on the Roman rulers. If He, like others before Him, incite the people to rebellion, the Romans may send in an army to regain control. At the least, this will disrupt the Sadducees' position, and at the worst destroy Jerusalem. The Sadducees' fear will come true in AD 70, but not by Jesus' hand.

Despite divergent theologies, the Jewish ruling council, the Sanhedrin, includes members of both the Sadducees and the Pharisees. Paul uses their distinctions to good effect when he is put on trial. He declares that he has been trained as a Pharisee and shares their beliefs on the resurrection. The Sadducees and Pharisees get into such an argument over his words that the trial is halted and the Roman guard must rescue Paul from the melee (Acts 23:6–10).

Mark 12:18–27 describes the Pharisees' and Herodians' futile attack on Jesus' base of support. Earlier, they posed a political question, trying to force Him to choose between the Roman rulers and the Zealots (Mark 12:13–17). It didn't work. Now, the Sadducees pose a theological question that seems to present a choice between their own woodenly literal interpretation of Scripture and the Pharisees' broader beliefs. These religious leaders fail to understand that Jesus doesn't need to align with any of them. If He's on any side, it's God's. This riddle is also found in Matthew 22:23–33 and Luke 20:27–40.

This chapter contains lessons taught by Jesus in various circumstances. He explains the eventual destruction of traditional Judaism, the relationship between secular and sacred obligations, the nature of the resurrection, and the most important of God's commandments. Jesus also expounds on Messianic statements in the Old Testament. Jesus also condemns the glory-seeking shallowness of the scribes, and extolls the virtues of sincere, faith-based giving.

Days before, Jesus has entered Jerusalem, hailed as a hero by the people (Mark 11:1–11). While teaching in the temple courtyard, Jesus shows superior understanding of Scripture over the chief priests, scribes, and elders (Mark 12:27–33), the Pharisees and Herodians (Mark 12:13), the Sadducees (Mark 12:18), and the scribes again (Mark 12:35, 38). Sadly, even in the instance where a scribe does understand Scripture, that is no guarantee he will follow it to its logical conclusion: Jesus (Mark 12:28–34). In contrast, a humble widow exemplifies the faithfulness and piety the leaders lack (Mark 12:41–44). Jesus leaves the temple for the last time to teach the disciples on the Mount of Olives (Mark 13). In Mark 14, He prepares for the crucifixion.

The Gospel of Mark emphasizes both Jesus' servanthood and His role as the promised Messiah: the Son of God. This is done through a concise, action-packed style. Mark provides relatively few details, instead focusing on actions and simple statements. This relates to the Gospel's authorship, which is believed to be based on the memories of the apostle Peter. These include many of Jesus' miracles, in contrast to other Gospels which include many more of Jesus' teachings and parables. Mark also makes frequent mention of Jesus' ministry being misunderstood by others.