4/23/15- Jesus' belief in eternal life

26Now about the dead rising—have you not read in the Book of Moses, in the account of the burning bush, how God said to him, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’^d ? 27He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!” (Mark 12)

Thoughts: Jesus took the side of the Pharisees against the Saducees here.  The Saducees are like the skeptical Christians who do not believe in miracles or the power of God in daily life.  Jesus often debated with the Pharisees.  He called them "whitewashed walls" and "a brood of vipers."  He criticized them for being showy in their religion and for being legalistic to the point that the law lost its beauty (especially he criticized how they restricted the Sabbath).  Yet here he agreed that God is God of the living and not the dead alone.  It is interesting that Jesus did not condemn the Saducees but only disagreed with them.  They missed the power of God- which saddened Jesus (vs. 25).  God is still the God of Abraham and Isaac and Jacob and they still worship Him.  Jesus illustrated this even more in his parable of the rich man and Lazarus (Lk. 16).  The poor man was taken to Abraham's side.  The transfiguration also illustrated the living of Moses and Elijah.  It is clear that Jesus taught and believed that those who believed could live on.  

Prayer: Lord, help me  believe and trust in your hope and life.