We were so utterly burdened beyond our strength that we despaired of life itself. Indeed, we felt that we had received the sentence of death. But that was to make us rely not on ourselves but on God who raises the dead. —2 Corinthians 1:8-9
Unlike the Pharisees, who added many layers of oral tradition to the law, the Sadducees claimed to adhere only to the books of Moses. This seemingly conservative approach to the Scriptures led them to the theological point that they are most famous for: seeing no clear Biblical evidence for the immortality of the soul nor for a bodily resurrection. As Jesus points out in Mark 12, they understood “neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.” We are reminded that Jesus came to defeat death. This morning, we’ll confess that “listening to His voice, new life the dead receive” (O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing) and that His name will “refresh my soul in death” (How Sweet The Name Of Jesus Sounds). We will look both to Jesus’ resurrection (“Thou wilt not leave My soul forever with the dead,” Preserve Me Lord In Time Of Need—Psalm 16) and our own (“When from Death I’m free, I’ll sing on,” What Wondrous Love Is This). Because “He lives and doth within me dwell,” we are assured that “the dead’s alive and the lost is found” (I Know That My Redeemer Lives). As we sing these hymns, several of which are associated with the coming Easter season, we can rejoice that the Sadducees were wrong: we serve a God who raises the dead. —Henry C. Haffner
Key Words: Resurrection, Marriage, Death, Life, Power of God
Keystone Verse: Is this not the reason you are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God? (Mark 12:24)