JAN 20

Matthew 22:23-33
Memorise Matthew 22:29
“…Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God.”

We have a clear example here of those who ignored part of the Bible and erred greatly. The Sadducees were wrong on two counts. First, Jesus rebuked them for not knowing the Scriptures - for they were ignorant of the fact that God is the God of the living and not the dead. Secondly, the Sadducees erred because they do not know the power of God. He is able to resurrect bodies from dust of the ground. His power is infinite. The story that the Sadducees presented before our Lord was that of a woman whose husbands died one after another so that she was said to have married seven brothers. In Old Testament times, it was the custom for a widow to marry the brother of the deceased to raise children for the brother who had died. The question the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection (as they wrongly believe that the soul is annihilated), presented to Jesus was, “Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven?” They thought that Jesus would be unable to answer their “tough” question.

However, Jesus was able to explain clearly their error. Jesus revealed to them something they did not know. Jesus revealed that in the resurrection, in heaven above, there is no marriage. Life in heaven is not like life now on earth. Furthermore, Jesus told them that God is the God of the living and so Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are still alive in heaven. One day, their bodies which were buried on earth, will rise to meet with the Lord in the air (1 Thessalonians 4:16).

We cannot afford to ignore any part of the Bible if we are to fully understand any doctrine. That is how cults are formed. They deny and ignore parts of the Bible. We accept and learn from the whole counsel of God in the Bible. Dear teen, do you have the tendency to pick and choose certain portions of the Bible to believe and reject? That is dangerous. The only approach is to accept the whole Bible. We admit that our finite minds cannot understand fully an infinite God. We humbly submit that we have sinful desires and motives. But we have faith that all His ways are righteous and all His works are holy. That is faith that pleases God.

Thought: To ignore a part of the Bible would be to ignore God as He speaks to us!
Prayer: Gracious heavenly Father, help me to obey Thy commandments for therein do I delight.