07/04/11

The Sadducees of today

Mark 12:18 - Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,


In the Bible we read of the Sadducees only during the time of Jesus. They were a section of Jews who we see did not have Jesus in their good books. Like the Pharisees they too hated Jesus.

The name Sadducees means 'the just' and originates from their founder Sadoc who lived before the coming of Jesus as man.

They were more like the new race Christians we know of today for unlike the Pharisee they did not believe in traditions and anything outside the scriptural text. All this sounds very good yet we see Jesus and the Sadducees did not get along well. If we look at the questions put to Jesus by both, the topic which the Pharisees mostly concentrated on was traditions, while the Sadducees were more scriptural. They solely depended on scriptures yet we find Jesus made then look foolish every time they opened their mouth before Him. The problem with them was they were void of the understanding of spiritual things. They were corrupt in their understanding of Heaven, spiritual man and of God.

In today's date after the Church has been coming out of the Pharisees era where tradition ruled the Church, we sadly see it moved into the era of Sadducees where it totally depended on scriptures but lack understanding of spiritual things. It is sad today there are numerous Christians (including Church leaders) who do not have basic understand of things like what man is, or what women is and what the difference between them. The do not know the difference between God the Son, Son of God and Son of Man, between Lord, Christ and Jesus even though they all refer to the same being. They do not understand why Adam who was referred as son of God, was not after sin came into him, also why the Angels are referred to Sons of God. Tell a Christian Heaven is only for sons of God and the women will panic, it is this reason of misunderstanding why we see more of men at the hem of Church leadership than women.

Most Christians have a corrupt understanding of Heaven and what salvation is. They lack basic understand of resurrection which is the prime season of our faith. This matter was not so severe when the Church broke out from Catholic Church where traditions ruled. The founders of the various denominations were much clear in their understanding but the corruption seeped in latter with concepts like rapture, Jesus as man becoming a world ruler etc...

The new race Christians are confused in their thinking just like the Sadducees contradicted their own thinking for they thought when the body dies the spirit also dies, so for them all rewards and punishments were here on earth, but yet they also believed in Heaven and in God.

We Christians have got our jigsaw pieces wrong in many places for some places where a piece was not fitting we seem to have physically trimmed it so as to fit it and thus the picture is a confused one.

Without the Spirit of God, understanding scriptures is not possible to man. This is the reason Jesus instructed us to first give the Gospel and after baptizing people in the God the Father, the Son and the Spirit then teach them the Word. The order of Father, Son and Spirit is not because of their hierarchy but because of Who reveals Who. It is the Father Who reveals the Son and the Son Who reveals the Spirit. Thus a person who does know God will not know the Son and one who does not know the Son will never know the Spirit of God.

The Gospel or Good News of Salvation through Jesus Christ is just like a trailer of a movie and the Word of God is the movie. To understand the Word we need the Spirit of Truth and it is only when we accept Jesus Christ, are we promised the Spirit of Truth.


[ Prayer Starter ]
Lord, although man was given the Instructions to their salvations yet the understanding was kept far from them. They were like clay pots yet not seasoned so as to hold precious things. Now that we have received your Spirit of Truth through Jesus Christ, You are opening our minds to the hidden treasures of your Kingdom. Lord, we pray that your Church which came out from the Pharisees may also come out from the Sadducees. And knowing your Kingdom may let the world witness your glory in Her...

This prayer we make in Jesus' Name, Amen.


[ Reference Scripturesr ]
Mark 12:18-27
18 Then come unto him the Sadducees, which say there is no resurrection; and they asked him, saying,
19 Master, Moses wrote unto us, If a man's brother die, and leave his wife behind him, and leave no children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
20 Now there were seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and dying left no seed.
21 And the second took her, and died, neither left he any seed: and the third likewise.
22 And the seven had her, and left no seed: last of all the woman died also.
23 In the resurrection therefore, when they shall rise, whose wife shall she be of them? for the seven had her to wife.
24 And Jesus answering said unto them, Do ye not therefore err, because ye know not the scriptures, neither the power of God?
25 For when they shall rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage; but are as the angels which are in heaven.
26 And as touching the dead, that they rise: have ye not read in the book of Moses, how in the bush God spake unto 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 the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Matthew 16:11-12
11 How is it that ye do not understand that I spake it not to you concerning bread, that ye should beware of the leaven of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees?
12 Then understood they how that he bade them not beware of the leaven of bread, but of the doctrine of the Pharisees and of the Sadducees.

Acts 4:1-4
1 And as they spake unto the people, the priests, and the captain of the temple, and the Sadducees, came upon them,
2 Being grieved that they taught the people, and preached through Jesus the resurrection from the dead.
3 And they laid hands on them, and put them in hold unto the next day: for it was now eventide.
4 Howbeit many of them which heard the word believed; and the number of the men was about five thousand.

Acts 23:7-8
7 And when he had so said, there arose a dissension between the Pharisees and the Sadducees: and the multitude was divided.
8 For the Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor spirit: but the Pharisees confess both.

The Word of God was given free to us, therefore we should also share it freely with others.
(All rights are with God)