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The Gospel of Luke Chapter 20:27-47 A Question of the Resurrection 20:27 Now some Sadducees (who contend that there is no resurrection) came to him.
Next it was the turn of the Sadducees to challenge the Lord Jesus Christ. Since they did not believe in the resurrection from the dead, they were—according to Paul—the most miserable of men (1 Cor. 15:16–21). 20:28–32 They asked him, "Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies leaving a wife but no children, that man must marry the widow and father children for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a woman and died without children. The second and then the third married her, and in this same way all seven died, leaving no children. Finally the woman died too.
Their question was not sincere—they were assured of their own opinions—they were simply trying to confound Jesus so that he would be shown up as an inferior teacher (compared to them!) They first of all quote the Law of Moses (Deut. 25:5–6) concerning Levirate marriage, and then create a ridiculous hypothetical situation where a man who had six brothers married a wife and died without leaving any children. One by one, according to the Law of Moses, each brother married the widow but each one died childless until, last of all, the woman died too. 20:33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her."
The Sadducees not only refused to believe in resurrection, they could only understand it in terms of the present creation. Their argument, as they saw it, proved that the idea of a resurrection— returning again to this life—was silly. Since the woman had been married to seven husbands, whose wife would she be in the event of such a resurrection taking place? 20:34–36 So Jesus said to them, "The people of this age marry and are given in marriage. But those who are regarded as worthy to share in that age and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. In fact, they can no longer die, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, since they are sons of the resurrection.
It is perhaps because they were so wise in their own opinions that Jesus’ reply is not only an explanation but quite a stinging rebuke. Indeed, Matthew’s version of this event begins a rebuke
Luke omits, as Jesus tells them ‘You are deceived, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God’ (Matt. 22:29). Their error was not only a failure to believe but a failure to understand the nature of the resurrection. Marriage had been established by God as the central institution of this present creation—without it, without man and woman being joined, none of us would be here. The creator made them male and female for the purposes of procreation (Gen. 1:27–28; 2:24). But we are not resurrected to the same plane of existence as we currently occupy. The institution of marriage will no longer be needed and it will no longer exist. No more children will be born. Having been raised from the dead, human beings will no longer be classified as male and female. Like the angels, they will be genderless, but unlike the angels they shall not be disembodied spirits. They shall have bodies; but Paul explains that the nature of the resurrection body is not the same as the nature of the body given to the sons and daughters of Adam. We shall be changed at the resurrection into the likeness of Jesus, our bodies being ‘glorified’ (1 Cor. 15:44–48; Rev. 21:4). They shall no longer be mortal (subject to death) but immortal (deathless) as Jesus says in verse 36, which are able to dwell in heaven (Phil. 3:20–21) as well as on earth (Rev. 5:10). This change will be accomplished by God’s power—the power that raised Christ from death to immortal life—in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye (1 Cor. 15:50–54). The relationships which characterized our earthly existence will be dissolved, and only those things which relate to our spiritual nature remain. In other words, if you have a husband or wife, then your love and relationship will continue after the resurrection, but it will be changed. You will no longer be husband and wife relationship, for as children of God our love in Christ which will abide forever. 20:37 But even Moses revealed that the dead are raised in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.
The Sadducees held Moses in high regard, and had quoted Moses to Jesus in their question. So now Jesus explains that Moses had taught about the resurrection. When God appeared to Moses at the burning bush he identified himself as being the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob (Exodus 3:6). 20:38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live before him."
Jesus’ words reveal not only that God is eternal, so that he is present with all the living at once, but also that human life continues beyond death. All are alive to the Eternal God whether in the body or out of it. Luke has already shown how Jesus taught that Abraham was—after his death—still very much alive in paradise (Luke 16:23), and will also show that Jesus himself expected to still be alive after his own death and before his resurrection (Luke 23:43). It was also the expectation of the early church that ‘if we live, we live to the Lord, or if we die, we die to the Lord.’ Paul believed that he too would be present with Christ, which is far better, immediately after his death—even though, as we can readily observe, the resurrection has not yet taken place. 20:39 Then some of the experts in the law answered, "Teacher, you have spoken well!"
At times, Jesus opponents the scribes and Pharisees could not help but be impressed by his teaching; on this occasion, they were pleased to see their arch-rivals the Sadducees put in their place, and so applauded Jesus for his answer. 20:40 For they did not dare any longer to ask him anything.
However, since Jesus had just revealed, in simple sentences, a thorough understanding of things which are hidden from the eyes of mortal men, they appreciated that they were dealing with someone who had a degree of revelation from God which was entirely beyond anything which they—through reading of scripture—possessed. For this reason, no one dared to question Jesus anymore.
Who is Lord? 20:41 But he said to them, "How is it that they say that the Christ is David's son?
Since the religious leaders had ceased asking him questions, Jesus poses one of his own. It was commonly believed—and the term is still frequently used by theologians today—that the Messiah was the Son of David; but Jesus questions this view. 20:42–44 For David himself says in the book of Psalms, 'The Lord said to my lord, "Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet." ' If David then calls him 'Lord,' how can he be his son?"
In Psalm 110:1 David described the Messiah as ‘my Lord’ and spoke of his being commissioned by God "the LORD" (capital letters – YHWH). Since the Messiah is David’s Lord, it is quite inappropriate to describe him as his son. This also raises the issue that Jesus, who understood himself as the Messiah, saw himself not only as greater than David, but as David’s Lord, a fact which could imply that Jesus is speaking of his own pre-existence (see his similar statement about Abraham in John 8:58). He also understood the manner of his exaltation by God to sit at his right hand (Mark 16:19) until the time when all God's enemies will be subdued under his feet, which interestingly is at the time of the resurrection (1 Cor. 15:24-28).
The Scribes' Hypocrisy 20:45–46 As all the people were listening, Jesus said to his disciples, "Beware of the experts in the law. They like walking around in long robes, and they love elaborate greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets.
Addressing His disciples in the hearing of all the people Jesus warned them about the hypocrisy of the scribes, the teachers of the law. They made a big show of themselves, wearing flowing robes which identified them as ‘holy men’, and they love to be greeted as such as they walked around the marketplaces. They similarly loved the honor accorded to them by a religious society—being given the best seats at synagogues and on feast days. 20:47 They devour widows' property, and as a show make long prayers. They will receive a more severe punishment."
Yet at the same time their hearts were not right with God. Their righteousness and godly piety were only outward show. Their long prayers were empty words, for in reality they cheated widows of their property (Isa. 10:2, Micah 2:2, and Titus 1:16), and so would be severely punished. © Derek Williams & Mathew Bartlett 2015 Bible Studies Online UK www.biblestudiesonline.org.uk You may copy, print or distribute our studies freely in any form, just so long as you make no charges. Sign up today for our FREE monthly Bible study magazine “Living Word” Scriptures taken from the NET Bible www.bible.org