For them, the resurrection of the dead was absurd. So they tried to trick Jesus into proving their point.
They spun a scenario about seven brothers. The first brother died, and his widow married the next brother. He also died, the widow married the next brother, he died, the next brother married the widow...well, you see the pattern. Anyhow, they laid out their verbal trap: "In the resurrection, when they rise again, whose wife will she be? For the seven had her as wife" (Mark 12:23 ESV).
Jesus' enemies were probably mentally high-fiving one another for their brilliance. Not only would they demonstrate how ridiculous the resurrection is, but they'd put one over on Jesus. Yeah!
But Jesus out maneuvers them effortlessly. "Here's why you're wrong," He said. Rather than answer their question (and buy into their silly scenario), He swept all their artifice away. Their problem, He said, is they knew neither the Scriptures nor the power of God Himself (v. 24). And with a final smack-down, Jesus quotes the Scripture: I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob (v. 26, from Exodus 3:1-4). His point: "resurrection" flows from the very nature of the Almighty--the God of life! (v. 27)
I admire Jesus' intelligence and moral insight. He is the most brilliant, and purest, One who has ever lived.
