GOD OF THE LIVING

Passage: Luke 20:27-40

Key verse: 38

NIV

The Resurrection and Marriage(A)

27 Some of the Sadducees,(B) who say there is no resurrection,(C) came to Jesus with a question. 28 “Teacher,” they said, “Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, the man must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.(D) 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died childless. 30 The second 31 and then the third married her, and in the same way the seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her?”

34 Jesus replied, “The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. 35 But those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come(E) and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage, 36 and they can no longer die; for they are like the angels. They are God’s children,(F) since they are children of the resurrection. 37 But in the account of the burning bush, even Moses showed that the dead rise, for he calls the Lord ‘the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[a](G) 38 He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.”

39 Some of the teachers of the law responded, “Well said, teacher!” 40 And no one dared to ask him any more questions.(H)

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 20:37 Exodus 3:6
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection

27 There came to him (A)some Sadducees, (B)those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us (C)that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man[a] must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34 And Jesus said to them, (D)“The sons of this age (E)marry and (F)are given in marriage, 35 but those who are (G)considered worthy to attain to (H)that age and to the resurrection from the dead (I)neither marry (J)nor are given in marriage, 36 for (K)they cannot die anymore, because they are (L)equal to angels and (M)are (N)sons of God, being (O)sons[b] of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, (P)even Moses showed, in (Q)the passage about the bush, where he calls (R)the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all (S)live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes (T)answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For (U)they no longer dared to ask him any question.

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Footnotes
  1. Luke 20:28 Greek his brother
  2. Luke 20:36 Greek huioi; see Preface
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

1. Marriage in heaven? (27-36)

The Sadducees did not believe in resurrection from the dead, in heaven or in hell; they were materialists. In order to prove their position, they asked Jesus about a hypothetical woman who married a succession of seven brothers. Whose wife would she be, should there really be a resurrection of the dead? They wanted to make Jesus' teaching about resurrection look absurd, but they only succeeded in revealing their own spiritual ignorance; they were under the power of death and despair. In heaven there is no death and no need for marriage; the resurrected body is a spiritual body, like that of the risen Jesus. God's people will spend eternity glorifying and enjoying God.

2. God of the living (37-40)

God's word to Moses in Exodus 3:6 reveals that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob are alive with God. This confirms our hope that though we die physically, we will live eternally with God. God is alive. He does not preside over a place full of death. Those who dwell with him are alive, not dead.

Prayer: Lord, you are my inheritance and my hope. Let me dwell with you forever.

One Word: Hope in the God of the living