Mark 12:27 (KJV)

Passage

He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Nearby Context

Mark 12:25 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.

Mark 12:26 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?

Mark 12:27 He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living: ye therefore do greatly err.

Mark 12:28 And one of the scribes came, and having heard them reasoning together, and perceiving that he had answered them well, asked him, Which is the first commandment of all?

Mark 12:29 And Jesus answered him, The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel; The Lord our God is one Lord:

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "dead", "living", "therefore", and "greatly". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "dead" and "living", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 26's "And as touching the dead that they..." into verse 28's "And one of the scribes came and...", so "dead" and "living" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "dead" and "living" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.