Some Sadducees Try to Trick Jesus (Mk. 12:18-27; Lk. 20:27-40)

²³That same day some Sadducees* came to Jesus. (Sadducees believe that no person will rise from death.) The Sadducees asked Jesus a question. ²⁴They said, "Teacher, Moses told us that if a married man dies and he had no children, then his brother must marry the woman. Then they will have children for the dead brother.* ²⁵There were seven brothers among us. The first one married but died. He had no children. So his brother married the woman. ²⁶Then the second brother also died. The same thing happened to the third brother and all the other brothers. ²⁷The woman was last to die. ²⁸But all seven men had married her. So when people rise from death, whose wife will she be?" ²⁹Jesus answered, "You don't understand because you don't know what the Scriptures* say. And you don't know about the power of God. ³⁰At the time when people rise from death, there will be no marriage. People will not be married to each other. All people will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹Surely you have read what God said to you about the rising from death? ³²God said, 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.*'* [If God said he is their God, then] these men are not really dead. He is the God only of living people." ³³All the people heard this. They were amazed at Jesus' teaching.

Which Command Is the Most Important? (Mk. 12:28-34; Lk. 10:25-28)

³⁴The Pharisees* learned that Jesus told the Sadducees* things they could not argue with. So the Pharisees met together. ³⁵One Pharisee was an expert in the law [of Moses]. That Pharisee asked Jesus a question to test him. ³⁶The Pharisee said, "Teacher, which command in the law is the most important?" ³⁷Jesus answered, "'You must love the Lord your God. You must love him with all your heart, all your soul, and all your mind.'* ³⁸This is the first and most important command. ³⁹And the second command is like the first: 'You must love other people the same as you love yourself.'* ⁴⁰All of the law and the writings of the prophets* take their meaning from these two commands."

Jesus Asks the Pharisees a Question (Mk. 12:35-37; Lk. 20:41-44)

⁴¹So while the Pharisees* were together, Jesus asked them a question. ⁴²Jesus said, "What do you think about the Christ*? Whose son is he?" The Pharisees answered, "The Christ is the Son of David.*" ⁴³Then Jesus said to the Pharisees, "Then why did David call him 'Lord'? David was speaking by the power of the [Holy] Spirit.* David said, ⁴⁴'The Lord (God) said to my Lord (Christ): Sit by me at my right side, and I will put your enemies under your control.*' Psalm 110:1

⁴⁵David calls the Christ* 'Lord.' So how can he be David's son?" ⁴⁶None of the Pharisees could answer Jesus' question. And after that day no person was brave enough to ask Jesus any more questions [to try to trick him].

Sadducees A leading Jewish religious group. They accepted only the first five books of the Old Testament. They believed that people don't live again after death. if ... dead brother See Deut. 25:5 and Gen. 38:8. Scriptures Holy Writings--the Old Testament. Abraham, Isaac, Jacob Three of the most important Jewish leaders during the time of the Old Testament. 'I am ... Jacob' Quote from Ex. 3:6. Pharisees The Pharisees were a Jewish religious group that claimed to follow carefully all Jewish laws and customs. 'You must love ... mind' Quote from Deut. 6:5. 'You must ... yourself' Quote from Lev. 19:18. prophets People that spoke for God. Some of them wrote books that are part of the Old Testament. Christ The "anointed one" (Messiah) or chosen one of God. Son of David Name for the Christ {(Messiah)}. He was from the family of David, king of Israel about 1000 years B.C. Spirit, Holy Spirit Also called the Spirit of God, the Spirit of Christ, and the Comforter. Joined with God and Christ, he does God's work among people in the world. control Literally, "feet."