Mark 12 27

Mark 12:27 kjv

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Mark 12:27 nkjv

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken."

Mark 12:27 niv

He is not the God of the dead, but of the living. You are badly mistaken!"

Mark 12:27 esv

He is not God of the dead, but of the living. You are quite wrong."

Mark 12:27 nlt

So he is the God of the living, not the dead. You have made a serious error."

Mark 12 verses

Mark 12 27 Meaning

Mark 12:27 delivers Jesus’ definitive conclusion to the Sadducees' challenge regarding the resurrection. Jesus asserts that God is fundamentally a God of life, not death. His statement, "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living," affirms the continuous existence and future bodily resurrection of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob—thereby proving that death does not terminate God’s covenant relationship with His people. The sharp rebuke, "You are therefore greatly mistaken," highlights the Sadducees' profound theological error and their misunderstanding of God's character and power, particularly as revealed in the Torah they claimed to uphold.

Mark 12 27 Context

Mark 12:27 concludes Jesus' interaction with the Sadducees, who challenged Him in the Jerusalem Temple during His final week before His crucifixion. The chapter begins with the Parable of the Wicked Vinedressers (12:1-12), illustrating Israel's rejection of God's messengers and Son. This leads to religious leaders attempting to trap Jesus with questions: first, the Pharisees and Herodians with the taxation question (12:13-17), then the Sadducees with the resurrection question (12:18-27), and finally, a scribe with the greatest commandment (12:28-34).

The Sadducees' specific question in Mark 12:18-23 about a woman married to seven brothers who all die childless, using the Levitical law of levirate marriage (Dt 25:5-10), was designed to expose what they believed was the absurdity of resurrection. Their premise was that if resurrection were true, it would lead to a chaotic, impossible marital situation in the afterlife. They based their denial of the resurrection on their strict adherence to only the Pentateuch, believing that doctrines not explicitly found there were not binding. Jesus' response in verses 24-27 refutes their premise by pointing out their twofold error: ignorance of God's power and misunderstanding of the Scriptures. He explains that in the resurrection, people will not marry but be "like angels in heaven" (12:25). Then, He directly addresses their lack of understanding regarding the afterlife by citing God's words to Moses in Exodus 3:6, setting the stage for the definitive statement in verse 27.

Historically, the Sadducees were an aristocratic Jewish sect, politically powerful and often serving as priests in the Temple. They maintained a rigid interpretation of the written Torah and rejected post-biblical doctrines, oral tradition, the existence of angels, and, crucially, the resurrection of the dead. Jesus' pronouncement directly confronts and dismantles their theological framework on this pivotal point.

Mark 12 27 Word analysis

• He is not the God: In Greek, "Οὐκ ἔστιν Θεὸς" (ouk estin Theos).

  • Οὐκ (ouk): The emphatic negative "not," a strong denial.
  • ἔστιν (estin): The verb "is." Used in the present tense, it underscores the continuing reality of God's being the God of these patriarchs now. It implies a present relationship.
  • Θεὸς (Theos): "God." This refers to the sovereign, covenant-keeping God of Israel.
  • Significance: God's identity is intrinsically linked to life and ongoing relationship. For God to be Abraham's God implies Abraham is in some state of existence to have that relationship.

• of the dead: Greek: "νεκρῶν" (nekrōn).

  • νεκρῶν (nekrōn): Genitive plural of "dead ones." This refers to those who have physically died and are deceased.
  • Significance: God does not identify with a state of non-existence or ultimate dissolution. To be the God of someone implies that person continues to exist, allowing a relationship to endure beyond physical death.

• but of the living: Greek: "ἀλλὰ ζώντων" (alla zōntōn).

  • ἀλλὰ (alla): A strong adversative conjunction, "but," highlighting a direct contrast and a corrective truth.
  • ζώντων (zōntōn): Genitive plural of "living ones," referring to those who are currently alive, possessing life.
  • Significance: This is the core of Jesus' argument. God is a God who sustains life and relationship. The patriarchs, though physically dead, are alive in God's sight and in covenant with Him, awaiting their future resurrection. Their spirits exist and are not annihilated.

• You are therefore: Greek: "ὑμεῖς" (hymeis).

  • ὑμεῖς (hymeis): The nominative plural pronoun "you (all)." The emphatic placement directs the accusation directly and corporately at the Sadducees.
  • Significance: This points the finger of blame squarely at the Sadducees for their theological error.

• greatly mistaken: Greek: "πολὺ πλανᾶσθε" (polu planasthe).

  • πολὺ (polu): An adverb meaning "much" or "greatly," emphasizing the magnitude of their error. It's not a slight misunderstanding but a significant wandering from truth.
  • πλανᾶσθε (planasthe): Second person plural, present passive/middle indicative of planáō, meaning "to wander, to stray, to be led astray, to be deceived, to err." The passive/middle voice could imply they are "being led astray" or "have led themselves astray."
  • Significance: This is a severe condemnation. Jesus isn't merely correcting a minor point but indicting them for a fundamental, profound, and dangerous error that stems from their ignorance of Scripture and God's power (as stated in Mark 12:24 and Mt 22:29). It implies a failure to grasp the very nature of God's relationship with humanity and His purposes. Their denial of the resurrection was not merely a scholarly dispute but a critical departure from divine truth.

Mark 12 27 Bonus section

The argument Jesus uses is deeply rooted in rabbinic interpretive methods of His time, drawing out profound truths from seemingly simple Scriptural declarations. While the Sadducees sought to use the Mosaic Law to deny resurrection, Jesus employed it to confirm it, demonstrating His superior understanding and authority in interpreting the very texts they revered. This highlights that correct theological understanding requires not just reading the Scripture, but interpreting it with insight into God's character and power.

This passage also subtly prefigures Jesus' own triumph over death. As the One who identifies God as "of the living," Jesus Himself would conquer death and rise, solidifying the promise that His followers too would share in His resurrection life. The Sadducees' limited understanding failed to comprehend the full scope of God's ongoing covenant and ultimate victory over the grave, a victory centrally accomplished through Christ.

Mark 12 27 Commentary

Mark 12:27 serves as the powerful culmination of Jesus' refutation of the Sadducees' anti-resurrection argument. His statement, "He is not the God of the dead, but of the living," concisely encapsulates profound theological truths.

Firstly, it affirms the continuous, vital relationship between God and His people beyond physical death. When God declared "I AM the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" (Ex 3:6) to Moses, He was speaking in the present tense, centuries after their physical deaths. This present tense implies their continued existence and relationship with Him. God's very identity is bound to a living covenant with those who are in His fellowship. He is not merely a God who was connected to them in the past but is their God in an ongoing sense. This relationship presupposes their survival beyond the grave.

Secondly, the verse indirectly points to God's attribute as the source and sustainer of life. Death, in this context, refers to a state of absolute non-being or annihilation, which is contrary to God's nature and covenant. God's power is not limited by death, nor does His covenant become null and void when a person dies. Instead, He preserves the spirits of the righteous, awaiting their bodily resurrection, a testament to His faithfulness and omnipotence.

Lastly, Jesus' concluding remark, "You are therefore greatly mistaken," highlights the Sadducees' severe theological blindness. Their error was not due to a lack of biblical text (as they esteemed the Pentateuch) but a fundamental misinterpretation stemming from their limited view of God's power and character. They imposed human limitations and understandings onto the divine, particularly regarding the spiritual nature of the afterlife and God's ability to transcend human experience of death. Their rejection of the resurrection meant they misunderstood not only the hope for humanity but also the very heart of God's redemptive plan. The truth Jesus presented was that God is perpetually active in life and holds victory over death, an essential component of the Gospel itself.