A Hope That Lasts | Mark 12:18-27
Is there life after death? I went to ChatGPT (AI) for the answer. It said, “ultimately the question of whether there is life after death is a matter of personal belief and interpretation, and different people may come to different conclusions based on their own experiences and worldview.” Throughout history and in every culture, there is a curiosity and hope for an afterlife. A recent study found that 80% of Americans believe in an afterlife and 9% were unsure. It has been said, “whether or not the resurrection is true, we should want it to be true.” Steve Jobs’ biographer Walter Isaacson shared: I remember sitting in his backyard in his garden one day and he started talking about God. He said, “Sometimes I believe in God, sometimes I don’t. But ever since I’ve had cancer, I’ve been thinking about it more. And I find myself believing a bit more. Maybe it’s because I want to believe in an afterlife. That when you die, it doesn’t just all disappear. I just can’t accept that the body just turns off one day and then it’s all over. You’re gone forever and then one day the sun of our solar system goes out and that’s the end of human history. There’s got to be more to it than that.” Christianity has always believed in life after death based upon the teaching of scripture and the power of God demonstrated through an empty tomb and a resurrected Jesus. The hope of a right relationship with God and heaven all hinge on whether or not, Jesus is alive. The good news is that according to the Bible, it is true; Jesus conquered our greatest fears and is ALIVE. Do you believe this?
Tensions were high in Jerusalem with different religious and political factions coming to interrogate Jesus ever since He rode into town on a donkey. Their goal was to expose Him as a fraud and to get rid of Him permanently. But every attempt is met with mind-blowing wisdom from Jesus that leaves his questioners exposed as hypocrites. When asked about the afterlife, what Jesus says is critical to us today if Jesus is who He says He is and if Jesus Himself rose from the dead. The good news of Jesus’ resurrection should move us from hostility towards him to finding our only hope in Him.