18 And Sadducees come to him, that say there is no resurrection; and they demanded of him saying, 19 Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if any one's brother die, and leave a wife behind, and leave no children, that his brother shall take his wife, and raise up seed to his brother. 20 There were seven brethren; and the first took a wife, and dying did not leave seed; 21 and the second took her and died, and neither did he leave seed; and the third likewise. 22 And the seven [took her and] did not leave seed. Last of all the woman also died. 23 In the resurrection, when they shall rise again, of which of them shall she be wife, for the seven had her as wife? 24 And Jesus answering said to them, Do not ye therefore err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God? 25 For when they rise from among [the] dead they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as angels [who are] in the heavens. 26 But concerning the dead that they rise, have ye not read in the book of Moses, in [the section of] the bush, how God spoke to him, saying, I [am] the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob? 27 He is not the God of [the] dead, but of [the] living. Ye therefore greatly err.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Mark 12:18-27
Commentary on Mark 12:18-27
(Read Mark 12:18-27)
A right knowledge of the Scripture, as the fountain whence all revealed religion now flows, and the foundation on which it is built, is the best preservative against error. Christ put aside the objection of the Sadducees, who were the scoffing infidels of that day, by setting the doctrine of the future state in a true light. The relation between husband and wife, though appointed in the earthly paradise, will not be known in the heavenly one. It is no wonder if we confuse ourselves with foolish errors, when we form our ideas of the world of spirits by the affairs of this world of sense. It is absurd to think that the living God should be the portion and happiness of a man if he is for ever dead; and therefore it is certain that Abraham's soul exists and acts, though now for a time separate from the body. Those that deny the resurrection greatly err, and ought to be told so. Let us seek to pass through this dying world, with a joyful hope of eternal happiness, and of a glorious resurrection.