The Gospel of Mark: Resurrection

Some Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, leaving a wife but no child, the manshall marry the widow and raise up children for his brother. There were seven brothers; the first married and, when he died, left no children; and the second married the widow and died, leaving no children; and the third likewise; none of the seven left children. Last of all the woman herself died. In the resurrection whose wife will she be? For the seven had married her.”

Jesus said to them, “Is not this the reason you are wrong, that 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. And as for the dead being raised, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the story about the bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is God not of the dead, but of the living; you are quite wrong.” ~ Mark 12:18-27


What does resurrection mean to you?

We tend to think of it in terms of a fantastic event that happened to Jesus 2000 years ago.

But resurrection isn't just for Jesus.

Resurrection is for all of life.

Pharisees and Sadducees debated "the" resurrection. It was known as something that would (or wouldn't, in the Sadducees belief) happen to humankind.

Jesus reminds the Sadducees that God is a God of life. Resurrection then is in our very DNA.

We see it as Winter gives way to the new verdant growth of Spring. We see it when a caterpillar's tissue is basically disintegrated in the cocoon to enable it's resurrection as a butterfly.

There are signs of resurrection in biology and physics.

New life began on earth from the remnants of the earth populated by dinosaurs.

We see it when a forest has to be burned so seedlings can thrive, or when the composing remnants of dead plants bring about life for new plants.

Resurrection is the way of life. For all of life. 

Even yours. Even mine. We pray this when we say the words of the Apostles' Creed: I believe in the resurrection of the dead.

Because God is not a God of the dead, but of the living.



Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen


Engagement Questions:


What does it mean to you when we say we believe in a resurrection of the dead in the Apostles' Creed? Have you imagined your own resurrection?

 

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