Mark 12:18
And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,
English Standard Version (ESV)
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This moment isn't just about Sadducees challenging Jesus; it's about why they're challenging him and the surprising strategy Jesus uses. They come precisely because Jesus' teaching on resurrection directly threatened their core beliefs, and instead of just refuting them, Jesus deliberately uses their own scripture—the Law of Moses—to dismantle their argument.
Having just silenced the Pharisees and Herodians with his clever responses, Jesus now faces a new group: the Sadducees. This sect, known for their wealth and influence but also for their denial of any resurrection or future spiritual life, approaches him with a hypothetical scenario designed to make the doctrine of resurrection seem absurd and contradictory to the Law of Moses. They present a story based on the levirate marriage law to challenge Jesus' beliefs about life after death.
Ever felt like you're the only one who believes in something others dismiss? The Sadducees were a real-life example of that.
The Sadducees were a prominent group in Jewish society, often associated with the wealthy and the religious elite. Their defining belief, as mentioned here, was that there is no resurrection.
This wasn't just a minor disagreement; it struck at the heart of Jewish hope for a future life and God's ultimate justice. They didn't believe in angels or spirits either, focusing only on the tangible and the present. Their question to Jesus wasn't out of genuine curiosity, but a calculated attempt to trap Him by using a passage from Moses – a figure they respected – to make the idea of a resurrection sound absurd and illogical. They aimed to discredit Jesus by forcing Him into a corner where He’d either deny Moses or embrace an idea they deemed ridiculous.
When faced with tricky questions designed to trip you up, how do you respond? Jesus didn't just answer; He revealed a deeper truth.
Jesus' response to the Sadducees is brilliant. He doesn't get flustered by their hypothetical scenario. Instead, He points out the root of their error: 'You err because you know not the Scriptures nor the power of God.'
He calls them out on two key failures:
Understand the original words
Saddoukaios · Greek Noun
A priestly and aristocratic sect within Judaism that denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and the oral traditions held by the Pharisees.
anastasis · Greek Noun
The rising again from the dead; the return to bodily life after death. It is a fundamental Christian hope centered on the resurrection of Jesus Christ.
The Sadducees' challenge to Jesus about the resurrection reveals their theological distinctiveness and their desire to trap him. Their rejection of the resurrection, a core tenet of emerging Christianity, placed them in direct opposition to Jesus and his followers.
c. 150 BC
Formation of the Sadducees
The Sadducee movement emerges, likely founded by Sadoc, a disciple of Antigonus of Soko. They distinguish themselves by rejecting oral traditions and the concept of the resurrection.
c. 63 BC
Roman Influence in Judea
Rome exerts increasing control over Judea, influencing local politics and religious factions. The Sadducees, often associated with the aristocracy and priesthood, tend to cooperate with Roman authorities.
c. AD 25-30
Jesus' Ministry Begins
Jesus begins his public ministry, attracting large crowds and challenging established religious authorities, including the Sadducees.
c. AD 30— this verse
Jesus Confronts the Sadducees
During Jesus' final week in Jerusalem, the Sadducees, a prominent religious sect who deny the resurrection, confront him with a hypothetical question about marriage in the afterlife.
This passage presents the same encounter with the Sadducees, offering a parallel account that highlights Jesus's skillful use of Scripture to dismantle their argument against the resurrection.
Luke 20:27-40Luke's version of this confrontation further emphasizes Jesus's reliance on the Old Testament, specifically the Pentateuch (the Law of Moses), to prove the resurrection and the ongoing relationship God has with His people.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19Paul directly addresses the importance of the resurrection, arguing that without it, Christian faith is futile, underscoring the foundational nature of this doctrine that the Sadducees denied.
Exodus 3:6This is the foundational text Jesus uses in His argument, where God declares Himself 'the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' This declaration powerfully demonstrates God's enduring relationship with those who have passed on, implying their continued existence.
Daniel 12:2This Old Testament prophet speaks of a future resurrection, with some rising to everlasting life and others to everlasting contempt, providing an earlier scriptural basis for the concept of resurrection that the Sadducees rejected.
barnesMark 12:18: "Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,"
See this passage fully explained in the notes at Matthew 22:23-33 .
expositorsMark 12:18-27: "Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,"
CHAPTER 12:18-27 (Mark 12:18-27)CHRIST AND THE SADDUCCEES "And there come unto Him Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection: and they asked Him, saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave a wife behind him, and leave no child, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. There were seven brethren: and the first too…
This moment isn't just about Sadducees challenging Jesus; it's about why they're challenging him and the surprising strategy Jesus uses. They come precisely because Jesus' teaching on resurrection directly threatened their core beliefs, and instead of just refuting them, Jesus deliberately uses their own scripture—the Law of Moses—to dismantle their argument.
Having just silenced the Pharisees and Herodians with his clever responses, Jesus now faces a new group: the Sadducees. This sect, known for their wealth and influence but also for their denial of any resurrection or future spiritual life, approaches him with a hypothetical scenario designed to make the doctrine of resurrection seem absurd and contradictory to the Law of Moses. They present a story based on the levirate marriage law to challenge Jesus' beliefs about life after death.
Having just silenced the Pharisees and Herodians with his clever responses, Jesus now faces a new group: the Sadducees. This sect, known for their wealth and influence but also for their denial of any resurrection or future spiritual life, approaches him with a hypothetical scenario designed to make the doctrine of resurrection seem absurd and contradictory to the Law of Moses. They present a story based on the levirate marriage law to challenge Jesus' beliefs about life after death.
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Ask a follow-up
Ask Sola things like:
Live chat about Mark 12:18 is available in the Sola app.
What happens to our relationships after we die? The Sadducees thought it would be a messy complication, but Jesus saw something else entirely.
The core of the Sadducees’ question revolved around marriage and family ties. They imagined a resurrected life as a mere continuation of this one, leading to an impossible situation with the woman married to seven brothers. They saw resurrection through the lens of earthly institutions.
Jesus corrects this by explaining that in the resurrection, people 'neither marry nor are given in marriage; they are like the angels in heaven.' This isn't to say our heavenly existence will be devoid of love or connection. Rather, it means the institution of marriage, as it functions to perpetuate life on earth, will no longer be necessary. Our relationships will be transformed, freed from the limitations and purposes of our current physical existence. The focus shifts from procreation and earthly continuity to an eternal fellowship with God and each other, as beings no longer bound by death.
c. AD 30
Jesus' Resurrection
Following Jesus' crucifixion, his followers proclaim his resurrection from the dead, a core belief directly contradicting the Sadducees' doctrine and a central point of conflict.
c. AD 40-60
Early Church Growth and Conflict
The early Christian church spreads, facing ongoing opposition from various Jewish groups, including the Sadducees, who viewed the resurrection claims as heretical.
"And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying," — This moment isn't just about Sadducees challenging Jesus; it's about why they're challenging him and the surprising strategy Jesus uses. They come precisely because Jesus' teaching on resurrection…
