HAPPY, YOU SEE

February 24

Bible Reading: Mark 12

Mark 12:18, “And Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection. And they asked him a question…”

The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection (Mark 12:18).  That was why they were “sad, you see.”  Sorry, I know, you’ve probably heard that one before.  But it is the truth.  It is a sad religion indeed that offers no heavenly hope.

The Sadducees were made up of aristocrats.  They held power in the Sanhedrin.  The desire to preserve their wealth and power motivated them to do all they could to keep their nation peaceable and thereby avoid trouble with the Romans.  They denied the resurrection.  D. A. Hagner commented on this: “It is immediately obvious how this denial intensified an already this-worldly perspective which the Sadducees had by virtue of their position.  If a man must be content with the present life alone, he is bound to capitalize on any present advantages he may enjoy.  And this appears, in fact, to have been the practical philosophy of the Sadducees.  It may be added that the Messianic hope played no role in the Sadducean perspective.”

Much of what is peddled as Christianity today is of the same nature.  There is a lot of “earthbound” preaching and teaching that goes on.  Religious liberalism focuses on improving society.  The health, wealth, and prosperity gospel is concerned with how to improve one’s lot in this life.  Self-help messages speak about “how to be a better you.”  The Reconstructionist movement emphasizes the need to work to restore our country.  Much religious effort is spent, in the name of Christianity, in a “this-worldly” in focus.  While many in these movements would not deny a future resurrection, they show little concern for it.  And while the visible church concerns itself with earthly affairs, the gospel is set aside, dust-covered, and irrelevant.  The gospel is a heaven-sent message that speaks of a heaven-sent Savior who saves sinners from hell to heaven.  There is no question that Jesus works to improve the earthly estate of the born-again, but the ultimate focus of His saving work is heavenward.

It was earthly concerns that contributed to the Sadducean antagonism towards the Lord Jesus.  He was a threat.  So, they asked Him a question.  An unlikely scenario was suggested.  A wife had seven consecutive husbands.  Whose wife then, in the resurrection, would she be? (Mark 12:23).  Jesus’ answer: “You do not understand the Scriptures, or the power of God…For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (Mark 12:25).  The Scriptures declare the resurrection.  God’s power is demonstrated in the resurrection.  We are raised to a radically transformed environment.

The believer in Christ is to be a heavenly minded person.  The church in Corinth was confronted with false teachers who likewise denied the resurrection (1 Corinthians 15:15-19).  But Paul affirmed both the truth and the importance of it.  Christ has been raised!  We, as believers, shall be too (1 Corinthians 15:20-22).  False teachers “set their minds on earthly things,” but “our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ; who will transform the body of our humble state into conformity with the body of His glory, by the exertion of the power that He has even to subject all things to Himself” (Philippians 3:2-21).

Happy indeed is the believer in Christ who has his sights set on “the blessed hope” (Titus 2:13)!  No journey will meet with a finer end than the heavenly one (2 Timothy 4:18).  No home will be better furnished, than the one that God has prepared (2 Corinthians 5:1).  No sight will be more glorious (1 John 3:2; 2 Thessalonians 1:10), no reunion more joyous (2 Thessalonians 4:17), no occupation more rewarding (Revelation 5:13-14)—than that which we will experience in His presence.  Happy, you see, is the believer who has his mind set on such things!

He who died for our sins and rose from the dead is coming again.  He is our reason for hope!

One day the grave could conceal Him no longer,
One day the stone rolled away from the door;
Then He arose, over death He had conquered,
Now is ascended, my Lord ever more!

Living, He loved me; dying, He saved me;
Buried, He carried my sins far away;
Rising, He justified freely, forever;
One day He’s coming: O glorious day!

Unknown's avatar

Author: looking2jesus13

Jerry L. Conklin was born and raised in Hillsboro, Oregon. After graduating from high school, he enlisted in the United States Navy and served for six years in the Navy’s Nuclear Power Program. He was assigned to the USS *Omaha* (SSN-692), a nuclear-powered fast-attack submarine, where he served as a reactor-plant electrical operator. His military service took him to ports and locations throughout the world and provided extensive technical training, leadership experience, and an enduring appreciation for those who serve in the Armed Forces. Following his Navy service, Jerry earned a bachelor’s degree in Nuclear Technology from Thomas Edison State University. He worked at the Trojan Nuclear Plant near Rainier, Oregon, first as a reactor operator and later as a training specialist. After sensing God’s call to pastoral ministry, he left the nuclear-power industry and earned a master’s degree in theology from Western Conservative Baptist Seminary in Portland, Oregon. Jerry served for twenty-seven and a half years as senior pastor of Lewis and Clark Bible Church in Astoria, Oregon. During those years, he preached and taught the Scriptures, provided pastoral counseling, performed weddings and memorial services, trained church leaders, and served individuals and families throughout the community. He also served as a fire department chaplain and participated in a variety of community ministries. After retiring from full-time pastoral ministry, Jerry and his wife, Laura, moved to Heppner, Oregon. There he served for approximately four years as a chaplain with Pioneer Memorial Home Health and Hospice, providing spiritual and emotional support to more than 150 patients and their families. In 2023, the Oregon Association for Home Care honored him as its Chaplain of the Year. Jerry also helped establish South Morrow County Seniors Matter, a nonprofit organization created to address the needs of older adults following the COVID-19 pandemic. As chairman, he worked with community leaders and volunteers to develop a weekly senior meal program, a monthly veterans’ lunch, and other activities and services. The organization served hundreds of seniors, mobilized more than 200 volunteers, and received statewide and national recognition. In 2025, Jerry was named Heppner’s Man of the Year, and his community service was later recognized by United States Senator Jeff Merkley. International missions have also been an important part of Jerry’s ministry. He has made ten trips to Uganda, where he has taught at pastors’ conferences, preached in churches, participated in Bible-school graduations, distributed Bibles and Christian materials, and encouraged local pastors and ministry leaders. He developed the discipleship booklet *First Steps with Jesus* to help new believers understand and grow in their faith. Jerry is the author of numerous books, Bible studies, devotionals, and teaching resources, including works centered on prayer, Christian hope, spiritual growth, and the person of Jesus Christ. His decades of preaching and teaching reflect his commitment to presenting biblical truth clearly, practically, and faithfully. Jerry and Laura were married for nearly forty-two years and raised four children. They were also blessed with three grandchildren. Laura passed away in August 2025 following an eight-and-a-half-year battle with cancer. Jerry currently lives in Hillsboro, where he helps care for his elderly father. He continues to preach, teach, write, and serve others through pastoral and community ministry.

Leave a comment