And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,
English Standard Version (ESV)
It's easy to miss that the Sadducees based their whole tricky question on a law that was designed to ensure continuation within families, showing they fundamentally misunderstood the very Scripture they were using. They twisted a divine ordinance for life and legacy into an argument against the resurrected life that God promises.
And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying,
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just after Jesus had silenced the Pharisees and Herodians, a different group, the Sadducees, stepped forward. This sect, known for their denial of any resurrection or even angelic beings, presented Jesus with a tricky hypothetical situation based on Mosaic Law to try and trap him. They posed a question about a woman who, according to the levirate marriage custom, had been married to seven brothers, asking whose wife she would be in the afterlife.
Imagine a group known for their wealth and influence, but also for their outright denial of core beliefs. That was the Sadducees.
The Sadducees were a prominent sect in Jewish society, often associated with the wealthy and the priestly class. Unlike the Pharisees, they rejected the oral traditions and, crucially for this encounter, denied the resurrection of the dead.
Why Deny Resurrection?
The Sadducees didn't just ask a question; they designed a scenario, a trap, meant to expose the supposed absurdity of Jesus' teachings.
The Sadducees presented Jesus with a hypothetical situation based on the Law of Moses (specifically, the requirement for a man to marry his deceased brother's childless widow to continue his family line).
Ask a follow-up
The Scenario:
The Goal:
Jesus didn't just solve their riddle; He exposed the root of their error and revealed a truth far grander than they imagined.
Jesus' response pivots from their flawed logic to the fundamental nature of God and His Word.
The Error Revealed:
Jesus directly states their problem: 'Is it not for this cause that ye err, that ye know not the Scriptures, nor the power of God?'
The Resurrection Reality:
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.
c. 200 BC - AD 70
Rise and Influence of the Sadducees
The Sadducees were a prominent Jewish sect, often associated with the wealthy priestly aristocracy. They held a conservative theological stance, accepting only the Torah (the first five books of Moses) and rejecting the oral traditions and the concept of resurrection, angels, or spirits.
c. 30 AD
Jesus' Ministry and Growing Opposition
Jesus' teachings and miracles gained a large following, challenging the religious and political establishment. This drew the attention and opposition of various Jewish sects, including the Sadducees, who were disturbed by the implications of His message.
c. 30 AD— this verse
Sadducees Challenge Jesus on Resurrection
The Sadducees, disturbed by Jesus' growing popularity and His teachings that contradicted their doctrines, confronted Him. They posed a hypothetical legal scenario based on the Mosaic Law concerning levirate marriage to try and trap Him into an apparent contradiction regarding the resurrection.
c. 30 AD
Jesus Refutes Sadducees with Scripture
Jesus skillfully answered the Sadducees' question by appealing to the authority of Moses himself, demonstrating from the passage about the burning bush that God is the God of the living, thus affirming the resurrection.
AD 70
Destruction of the Second Temple
The destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem by the Romans marked a significant turning point for Jewish society and its religious leadership. The Sadducees, whose power was closely tied to the Temple, largely disappeared as a distinct group after this event.
This passage, also found in Matthew, presents the same encounter with the Sadducees and Jesus' refutation of their denial of the resurrection, offering a parallel account of this pivotal theological exchange.
Luke 20:27-40Luke's Gospel records this same confrontation, highlighting Jesus' use of the Old Testament Law to prove the resurrection, providing a complementary perspective on the Sadducees' challenge and Jesus' powerful response.
1 Corinthians 15:12-19Paul directly addresses the importance of the resurrection of the dead, arguing that without it, Christian faith is futile. This passage resonates with the Sadducees' denial by emphasizing the foundational nature of the resurrection for believers.
Exodus 3:6This is the very Scripture passage (God speaking from the burning bush) that Jesus uses to dismantle the Sadducees' argument. It's the foundational proof text for the resurrection in this context.
Hebrews 11:1This verse defines faith as 'the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.' It provides a broader theological framework for understanding belief in unseen realities like the resurrection, which the Sadducees denied.
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…
It's easy to miss that the Sadducees based their whole tricky question on a law that was designed to ensure continuation within families, showing they fundamentally misunderstood the very Scripture they were using. They twisted a divine ordinance for life and legacy into an argument against the resurrected life that God promises.
Just after Jesus had silenced the Pharisees and Herodians, a different group, the Sadducees, stepped forward. This sect, known for their denial of any resurrection or even angelic beings, presented Jesus with a tricky hypothetical situation based on Mosaic Law to try and trap him. They posed a question about a woman who, according to the levirate marriage custom, had been married to seven brothers, asking whose wife she would be in the afterlife.
Just after Jesus had silenced the Pharisees and Herodians, a different group, the Sadducees, stepped forward. This sect, known for their denial of any resurrection or even angelic beings, presented Jesus with a tricky hypothetical situation based on Mosaic Law to try and trap him. They posed a question about a woman who, according to the levirate marriage custom, had been married to seven brothers, asking whose wife she would be in the afterlife.
"And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question, saying," — It's easy to miss that the Sadducees based their whole tricky question on a law that was designed to ensure continuation within families, showing they fundamentally misunderstood the very Scripture…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026