Context, Mark 12:18-27
vs. 24 KJV : And Jesus answering said unto them. Do ye not therefore err, because ye know ot the scriptures, neither the power of God?
Jesus schools the knowledgeable Sadducees of the meaning of Old Testament Scripture. I assume he is referring to Deuteronomy.
He explains that those in Heaven will not marry and will not be given in marriage, is this in the Bible somewhere else? and the why does he explain in vs. 26 about touching the dead, that they rise, and about God speaking from the bush and how he is the God of the living.
If you have some understanding or insight on this passage I'd love to hear it.
So you've been taught men's false doctrine called 'soul sleep' huh?
The idea that when our flesh body dies that we then sleep in the casket in the ground, waiting on Jesus' coming and the resurrection, that comes from the orthodox Jew's Old Testament traditional beliefs. They don't study New Testament, so they are behind in understanding what actually happens at flesh death.
The orthodox Jews believe that in Genesis 2:7, the 'soul' can only manifest with a flesh body. So basically, that is to say that when our flesh dies and goes back to the earth where it came from, our soul has no way to manifest, and we must wait for the resurrection when God will put both back together. Ezekiel 37 shows a literal picture of this putting flesh back together, but like I said, that is not the New Testament view, that is what the Old Testament Jews believed (and still believe today). God simply did not reveal the detail about it in the Old Testament like He did in the New Testament.
In Matthew 10:28, Lord Jesus said to not fear those who can kill our flesh body, but not our soul. That right there is His admission that our 'soul' part continues on to The Father in the heavenly.
But this was indeed hinted at also in the Old Testament Scriptures, it's just not often heeded.
Eccl 12:5-7
5 Also when they shall be afraid of that which is high, and fears shall be in the way, and the almond tree shall flourish, and the grasshopper shall be a burden, and desire shall fail: because man goeth to his long home, and the mourners go about the streets:
6 Or ever the silver cord be loosed, or the golden bowl be broken, or the pitcher be broken at the fountain, or the wheel broken at the cistern.
7 Then shall the dust return to the earth as it was: and the spirit shall return unto God who gave it.
KJV
John 3:6
6 That which is born of the flesh is flesh; and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.
KJV
Lord Jesus was actually teaching the same idea there, the flesh is one type of operation, and the spirit is another type operation. Per Matthew 10:28, we know our 'soul' continues after flesh death, so this means our 'spirit' does also, and that our spirit and soul are connected in going back to God.
The orthodox Jews don't believe this, they depend on flesh. Most of them don't really understand the idea of the heavenly dimension, some of them even wrongly thinking that the heavenly is still part of this material universe. It is not. It is a whole other dimension altogether. It is invisible, hidden behind a veil, and only those God allows can see it (like Paul in 2 Corinthians 12, or Isaiah in Isaiah 6, etc.).
Therefore, when Lord Jesus said that God is The GOD of the living, and not of the dead, He was pointing to the "spirits in prison" type of thing in 1 Peter 3 & 4.
1 Peter 4:5-6
5 Who shall give account to Him That is ready to judge the quick and the dead.
6 For, for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according to God in the spirit.
KJV
This is why we should not worry about our beloved brethren that have already died in Christ, because they are with Jesus right now, just like Jesus showed about the poor beggar Lazarus in Abraham's bosom in Luke 16.