Matthew 22:23-33 Mark 12:18-27 Luke 20:27-40

Matthew 22:23-33 23 On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, 24 asking, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.’ 25 “Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; 26 so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. 27 “Last of all, the woman died. 28 “In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.” 29 But Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 “For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 31 “But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: 32 ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living.” 33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

Mark 12:18-27 18 Some Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection) came to Jesus, and began questioning Him, saying, 19 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN’S BROTHER DIES and leaves behind a wife AND LEAVES NO CHILD, HIS BROTHER SHOULD MARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. 20 “There were seven brothers; and the first took a wife, and died leaving no children. 21 “The second one married her, and died leaving behind no children; and the third likewise; 22 and so all seven left no children. Last of all the woman died also. 23 “In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” 24 Jesus said to them, “Is this not the reason you are mistaken, that you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God? 25 “For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. 26 “But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, and the God of Jacob’? 27 “He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; you are greatly mistaken.”

Luke 20:27-40 27 Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection), 28 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that IF A MAN’S BROTHER DIES, having a wife, AND HE IS CHILDLESS, HIS BROTHER SHOULDMARRY THE WIFE AND RAISE UP CHILDREN TO HIS BROTHER. 29 “Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 “Finally the woman died also. 33 “In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.” 34 Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 “But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB. 38 “Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.” 39 Some of the scribes answered and said, “Teacher, You have spoken well.” 40 For they did not have courage to question Him any longer about anything.

It seems that it is now the Sadducees turn to try to trap Jesus with a question.  The Pharisees had not done very well, but that did not discourage these determined leaders.  The key difference between these two groups is that the Sadducees do not believe in the resurrection from the dead.  It is hard to understand how any religion would function apart from an eternal hope.  Clearly, they were looking to have power on earth through their religion and were not concerned with the eternal.  Unfortunately, many people continue to live like this today.  Many think this life is all there is.  Many who do believe in resurrection seem to live as if there were none.  Jesus makes it very clear that there is a resurrection and that it should be the center of our hope.

A CONFRONTATION ABOUT RESURRECTION: The big question the Sadducees wanted to have answered was connected to the Law of Moses that required a brother to marry his sister-in-law if his brother died.  They dreamed up a scenario worthy of a Hollywood plot.  Maybe the film could be called “One Bride for Seven Brothers.”  Perhaps it should have been a horror film with a title like “Widow Assassin.”   However these brothers died was not of concern to the Sadducees.  They were wondering whose wife she would end up being in the resurrection.  In their mind it would be very awkward for these brothers to all have the same wife for eternity.  It seems like a strange question to base a disbelief in resurrection upon.  I think the most important lesson we can learn from this line of questioning is that when our religion turns into a quest for power; we are prone to the ridiculous.  Lust for power will often lead us down the path of stupidity because power can be blinding.  We must constantly check our hearts for pride and make sure that we don’t allow religious influence to blind our hearts to the importance of the eternal.

A CLARIFICATION ABOUT RESURRECTION: Jesus quickly discounts their rational.  He simply informs them that their understanding about how we will be in our resurrection bodies is far different than they imagine.  We have a hard time imagining an existence that is different from our current reality.  Marriage and family are such central parts of our lives on earth that we have a hard time imagining an eternity without marriage.  Today, marriage is such a central part of our lives.  When we are single, we dream of getting married.  Once we are married, we have a hard time imagining life without marriage.  Our greatest emotional, social and physical sources of intimacy and joy are experience in marriage.  We may find ourselves questioning how we could ever enjoy an eternity apart from marriage?  These questions and feelings are positive indicators of a healthy marriage.  However, they should alert us to a flawed understanding about heaven.  I don’t pretend to understand a lot about heaven.  The subject fascinates me, and I have read much about it.  What I will say is that since there is no marriage in heaven, the joys and intimacies of heaven must far exceed anything we currently experience.  Our love and joy in marriage today should be seen as a mere appetizer for the glorious eternity God has planned for us.  The Sadducees lack of understanding about eternity left them confused and hopeless.  A correct understanding of the resurrection should leave us homesick for heaven and more excited the a six-year-old on Christmas morning.  The joys of heaven will far outshine the joys of marriage.

A CONFIRMATION ABOUT RESURRECTION: Having corrected the Sadducees misconceptions about marriage in heaven, Jesus confirms the truth of the resurrection.  He does so my quoting God’s statement to Moses at the burning bush.  When God tells Moses: “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.”  The present tense in this verse indicates that in the days of Moses, these three men are still alive even though they all died many years ago.  God is God of the living not the dead.  As beings created in God’s image, we are eternal in the sense that we will neve cease to exist.  Our bodies die but they will be resurrected.  Even during the time between our death and resurrection, believers are alive in the presence of God.  The truth of the resurrection should fill the life of every believer with hope and joy.  The Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection, this is why they were sad-you-see.  Jesus corrected wrong doctrine with Scripture.

APPLICATION: Don’t allow what God intended to be an intimate relationship with Him become a quest for power that makes us blind to or ignorant of the truth.  Enjoy our marriages today as they help us to understand more of the intimacy of our eternal relationships we will experience in heaven.  Look forward to the glories of heaven in a way that warms your soul and fills your heart with hope.  Believe whole heartedly in the resurrection as it is our source of unconditional joy in the midst of a chaotic and often painful world.