Luke 20:27-47, “Sadducees Ask Jesus Question About Marriage
In The Afterlife / Jesus Asks Scribes How David Could Call Messiah, ‘Lord’ ?”
By
1.
INTRO:
1.1.In our last study, we looked at verses 1-26 of chapter 20.
1.1.1. We saw first of all that the Pharisees directly confronted Jesus asking
Him by what authority He was doing the things He was doing. Jesus’ wisdom was yet again displayed as His
answer to their question confounded them.
1.1.2. Next, Jesus spoke a parable against the Pharisees about some ungrateful
and treacherous vine growers whom a man placed in charge of his vineyard.
1.1.3. Lastly, a man who was sent as a plant by the Pharisees sought to trap
Jesus by asking Him whether or not it was lawful to pay taxes to Caesar or not.
1.2.
In our study today, we are
going to look at verses 27-47 of chapter 20.
1.2.1. In our study today, we will see that Jesus is still having
confrontations with all of the religious leaders and parties in
1.2.2. We will see in this study that the party of the Sadducees try to trap
Jesus with a question regarding marriage in the afterlife propounding to Him a
hypothetical situation wherein a woman married a man and then he died having no
children. The Law of Moses provided in
this case for a woman not to lose her inheritance of land if the man’s brother
agreed to take the woman as his wife and raise up children to his brother
(Deut. 25:5). The woman in this hypothetical
case was married to seven brothers after each brother died in succession and
took the woman as his wife, yet never produced offspring through her. The Sadducees’ question was, which one of her
husbands would have her for his wife in the resurrection?
1.2.3. We need to preface this discussion by noting the fact that the
Sadducees consisted of the wealthy ruling religious party in
1.2.4. These Sadducees thought that they had Jesus backed into a corner
because of their question. In their
minds they thought that such a case as they had propounded and all of its
intricacies proved that belief in an afterlife was illogical. However, they were about to meet up with the
wisdom of Jesus when He answers their question in such a way that they can say
nothing to further their argument or the fact of there not being an afterlife.
1.2.5. The party of the Sadducees disappeared after
1.2.6. Next, Jesus Himself will go on the offensive and ask the scribes a
question about the Messiah which also leaves them speechless. Jesus asks them how if the Messiah is to be a
son, or descendant, of David, that David could have written of the Messiah
calling him, “Lord” ?
1.2.7. Finally, Jesus will warn His disciples not to be like the Pharisees in
their hypocrisy and caring most in life about what others thought about them.
2. VS 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 should marry 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.” - Some Sadducees ask Jesus a
hypothetical question regarding marriage in the afterlife
2.1.
The Sadducees in Jesus’ time
were a small but influential party due to their wealth. It is more often the case for people who have
great wealth in this life to be secular in their beliefs. The New Testament tells us that riches are
deceptive, and Jesus has already told us that, “It is easier for a camel to
pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the
2.2.
The nature of the Sadducees
question was already described in the introduction to this study. But, it is important for us to realize that
in the Sadducees asking Jesus this question concerning marriage in the
afterlife, the Sadducees were not so much trying to trap Jesus with their
question so that they might be able to have Him put to death, as was the case
with the previous questions in the chapter which came from the Pharisees. The Sadducees apparently were asking Jesus
this question in order to try to convince Him and the people present on this
day of their unorthodox and heretical beliefs.
2.3.
It is amazing how many
people are like the Sadducees and find excuses for their unbelief by conceiving
of hypothetical situations that would disprove the existence of God or the
authority of the scriptures, and because they themselves cannot answer their
questions they convince themselves that there couldn’t be a God or that the
Bible must not be true. All of their
arguments however are birthed from ignorance of the scriptures and are the
building of straw men that they tear down (this is where you first describe
your opponents logic in inadequate terms and then proceed to disprove their
logic). Their questions have not been
posed honestly and with a heart willing to follow where the truth leads them
and so in essence these arguments are just poor and unjustifiable excuses for
their sin of unbelief.
2.3.1. Some examples I remember hearing growing up that kids I knew used for
not believing in God or the Bible:
2.3.1.1. One friend said that He just couldn’t believe in the God of the Bible
because He couldn’t conceive of a gray haired old man sitting upon a
throne. This is a ridiculous argument
because in the scriptures God is never presented in this fashion. He is written of as being present in every
part of the universe first of all, plus all of the representations of the Lord
in the scriptures reveal Him enthroned in glory, majesty and unapproachable
light.
2.3.1.2. I have heard of some stumbling in their unbelief over the hypothetical
question of if there is a God and He is omnipotent (all powerful), as the
scriptures reveal Him to be, could He create a rock that was so heavy that He is
not strong enough to lift it?
2.3.1.3. I have even heard people question the existence of God because of
completely silly things like how many angels could stand on the point of
needle, etc. ?
2.4.
People ought to recognize
the fact that their understanding of reality and the nature of God and the
universe is very limited and that their minds cannot conceive of many things
concerning God and His ways. When we who
are Christians get to heaven we will be blown away with the things that we come
to learn about our God. For eternity we
will be learning about our God, He is that big, awesome, and majestic.
2.4.1. Isaiah 11:1-9 speaks about that period of time in the future after the
7 year Tribulation of the book of Revelation when the Lord sets up His Millennial
Kingdom upon the earth, and notice in verse 9 how that the knowledge of the
Lord will cover the earth at that time, “1 Then
a shoot will spring from the stem of Jesse, And a branch from his roots will
bear fruit. 2 The Spirit of the Lord
will rest on Him, The spirit of wisdom and understanding, The spirit of counsel
and strength, The spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. 3 And He will delight
in the fear of the Lord, And He
will not judge by what His eyes see, Nor make a decision by what His ears hear;
4 But with righteousness He will judge the poor, And decide with
fairness for the afflicted of the earth; And He will strike the earth with the
rod of His mouth, And with the breath of His lips He will slay the wicked. 5
Also righteousness will be the belt about His loins, And faithfulness the
belt about His waist. 6 And the wolf will dwell with the lamb, And
the leopard will lie down with the young goat, And the calf and the young lion
and the fatling together; And a little boy will lead them. 7 Also
the cow and the bear will graze, Their young will lie down together, And the
lion will eat straw like the ox. 8 The nursing child will play by
the hole of the cobra, And the weaned child will put his hand on the viper’s
den. 9 They will not hurt or destroy in all My holy mountain, For the earth will be full of the knowledge
of the Lord As the waters cover
the sea.”
2.5.
I believe that some people
deny that that there will be a resurrection because they don’t believe that the
Lord has the power to resurrect, however this is a very poor argument. If God created everything from scratch He
must have the ability to recreate someone who once lived upon the earth. Even in the scientific world today we know
that a scientist can take someone’s DNA and create a clone of them. The Lord has the ability to do this in the
snap of a finger while restoring the person’s soul or spirit to them.
2.6.
Jesus’ answer to the
Sadducees for this question reveals that they are making two mistakes:
2.6.1. They didn’t understand the true nature of the
afterlife that all believers will
have in heaven. The scriptures promise
all of us as Christians that we will have glorified bodies of the type of
nature that Christ has and thus their will be no need or desire in us for marriage
as we know it in this life. Jesus says
of those who will be with the Lord in eternity, ‘they are
like angels’ and ‘they
cannot even die anymore.’ In effect, Life will be much different than
it is now.
2.6.2. They either didn’t read or understand the scriptures, for the scriptures clearly teach that there is an afterlife.
2.6.2.1. The belief in the afterlife is seen all throughout the Old Testament
and held by all of the patriarchs of the Old Testament. We see the afterlife portrayed in many
places, including:
2.6.2.1.1.
In Heb. 11:8-10, we read
that when Abraham was called out of Ur to go to a city that the Lord would show
him that he went out looking for a city, however the city that he was looking
for was not really an earthly city but one whose founder and architect is God,
“8 By faith Abraham, when he was called,
obeyed by going out to a place which he was to receive for an inheritance; and
he went out, not knowing where he was going. 9 By faith he lived as
an alien in the land of promise, as in a foreign land, dwelling in tents
with Isaac and Jacob, fellow heirs of the same promise; 10 for he
was looking for the city which has foundations, whose architect and builder is
God.”
2.6.2.1.2.
In Heb. 11:17:19, in that
story where the Lord tested Abraham by telling him to offer up his only
begotten son, we read that Abraham did this in faith knowing that God was able
to raise the boy up from the dead, “17 By faith
Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the
promises was offering up his only begotten son; 18 it was
he to whom it was said, “In Isaac your descendants shall be called.”
19 He considered that God is able to raise people even from
the dead, from which he also received him back as a type.”
2.6.2.1.3.
In Heb. 11:13-16, we read of
all of those great men and women of the faith in the Old Testament times that
they embraced the hope of eternal life, “13 All these
died in faith, without receiving the promises, but having seen them and having
welcomed them from a distance, and having confessed that they were strangers
and exiles on the earth. 14 For those who say such things make it
clear that they are seeking a country of their own. 15 And indeed if
they had been thinking of that country from which they went out, they
would have had opportunity to return. 16 But as it is, they desire a
better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed to
be called their God; for He has prepared a city for them.”
2.6.2.1.4.
In Job 19:25-26, Job wrote
that after this life He would see His redeemer standing on this earth, “25 For I
know that my Redeemer lives, And He shall stand at last on the earth; 26
And after my skin is destroyed, this I know, That in my flesh I
shall see God”
2.6.2.1.5.
In 2 Kings 2:11, Elijah was
transported from this life by God straight up to heaven in a chariot of fire, “11 As they
were going along and talking, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire
and horses of fire which separated the two of them. And Elijah went up by a
whirlwind to heaven.”
2.6.2.1.6.
In Dan. 12:1-3, Daniel wrote
about the fact that there would be a resurrection both for the righteous and
the unrighteous, “1 “Now at that time Michael, the great
prince who stands guard over the sons of your people, will arise. And
there will be a time of distress such as never occurred since there was a
nation until that time; and at that time your people, everyone who is found
written in the book, will be rescued. 2 “Many of those who sleep in
the dust of the ground will awake, these to everlasting life, but the others to
disgrace and everlasting contempt. 3 “Those who have insight
will shine brightly like the brightness of the expanse of heaven, and those who
lead the many to righteousness, like the stars forever and ever.”
2.7.
Finally, to confound the
Sadducees and their false beliefs in the afterlife (which the scripture clearly
teaches us about), Jesus simply refers to the Lord’s words to Moses when He
spoke to him from the burning bush. The
Lord stated to Moses at that time that He is the God of Abraham, Isaac, and
Jacob, and Jesus tells these Sadducees that the Lord would not have referred to
Himself in this way if Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were not presently alive and
with Him. Jesus tells these Sadducees, ‘He is not
the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.’
2.7.1. If there was no life after death, then the Lord would have told Moses
that He used to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! The Lord says that He is “the I am”
not “the I was.”
2.7.2. Jesus says here that ‘all live to Him.’ The souls of unbelievers are now remaining in
Hades awaiting the Great White Throne Judgment in Rev. 19, and those who are
God’s people are now presently with the Lord.
As was previously stated, God is able to and one day will resurrect the
dead, or return each person’s spirit to his/her recreated earthly body.
2.8.
Notice that the scribes
standing here listening to Jesus’ answer to the question of the Sadducees tell
Jesus afterwards that He has spoken well.
The Pharisees and Sadducees often vigorously argued with each other concerning
the interpretation of the scriptures as well as the application of law in civil
cases and so in this instance when Jesus argued against the beliefs of the
Sadducees the hate that the scribes and Pharisees felt for Jesus was
temporarily superseded by their despising of the Sadducees, and they tell Jesus
He did a good job in answering.
3. VS 20:41-44 - “41
Then He said to them, “How is it that they say the Christ is
David’s son? 42 “For David himself says in the book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at My right hand, 43 Until I make
Your enemies a footstool for Your feet.” ’ 44 “Therefore
David calls Him ‘Lord,’ and how is He his son?”” – Jesus asks
some scribes why David in Psalm 110:1 would have written about his descendant,
the Messiah, and referred to him as his ‘Lord’ ?
3.1.
Having successfully thwarted
every trap and confrontation brought by all of the religious leaders and
parties in Israel, Jesus now goes on the offensive asking His own question of
them.
3.2.
Jesus doesn’t answer this
question that He poses to the scribes, nor does He tell them why He is asking
the question in the first place.
However, Jesus’ question confounds these scribes and they are not able
to answer Him anything. They know that
in their culture that a man never gave such honor to a son or a descendant such
as calling him, “Lord,” however inexplicable to them David wrote about his
descendant, the Messiah, referring to him as his ‘Lord.’
3.3.
The point of Jesus’ question
though is obvious. The scribes and
Pharisees did not understand from the scriptures a very important
characteristic of the coming Messiah.
They understood that the Messiah would be a man, and a physical
descendant of king David. However, they did
not understand the other half of the truth, the fact that Jesus was also God. They didn’t understand that the Messiah was
to be 100% man as well as 100% God, the mysterious union of two different
natures within Jesus. Jesus’ point in
asking this question is to get the scribes and Pharisees to hopefully realize
that the Messiah they look for is a divine being also, God the Son the third
person of the Trinity from all eternity.
3.4.
The right hand of God is the
place of honor and when it is written in the scriptures (including Psalm 110:1)
that Jesus sits at the right hand of God this indicates that Jesus is
ruling. Psalm 110:1 teaches us then that
Jesus will rule from heaven until that period of time when the Lord subdues all
of His enemies upon the earth, and then Jesus shall establish His Millennial
Reign upon the earth.
4. VS 20:45-47 - “45
And while all the people were listening, He said to the disciples, 46
“Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love
respectful greetings in the market places, and chief seats in the synagogues
and places of honor at banquets, 47 who devour widows’ houses, and
for appearance’s sake offer long prayers. These will receive greater
condemnation.”” - Jesus warns His disciples not to be like the
Pharisees in their hypocrisy
4.1.
Again we see Jesus
criticizing the Pharisees in public, something that added fuel to the fire of
the Pharisees’ hate of Jesus. Knowing
that the Pharisees were plotting to put Him to death and that very soon He
would be arrested, tortured, and put to death by them Jesus did not give into
His fears and compromise the things that the Lord was telling Him to do and
say. Rather, Jesus fearlessly condemned
and exposed the horrible sins of the Pharisees, those who were supposed to be
the leaders in
4.2.
It has been said that there is
nothing that God hates more than a hypocrite who pretends to be one thing when
in fact he is something else, especially when he pretends to be righteous and
doing God’s will when nothing is further from the truth. In the gospels Jesus’ most stinging rebukes
were against the hypocrisy of the Pharisees.
4.3.
The hottest places in hell
shall be reserved for the hypocrites, for Jesus says that they shall ‘receive
greater condemnation.’
4.4.
In our study in Luke we have
already seen Jesus expose these sins of the Pharisees:
4.4.1. They ‘like to walk around in long robes.’
4.4.1.1. The long robes made the Pharisees look dignified in the people’s eyes,
and what they cared most about in life is not what God thought about their
lives but what others thought of them.
4.4.2. They ‘love respectful greetings in the market places.’
4.4.2.1. In the market places I have read that in Jesus’ day the people were
required to give a long and respectful greeting of a religious leader.
4.4.2.2. Again, the leaders cherished most in life being looked up to by others
and these long and drawn out respectful greetings fed their pride.
4.4.3. They love the ‘chief seats in the synagogues and places of honor at
banquets.’
4.4.3.1. We have already seen in Luke that in Jesus’ day there were seats both
in the synagogue as well as at banquets that were reserved for the most honored
guests. When attending these events the
Pharisees would get there early and try to sit down in the most honored spots,
whether or not they deserved this type of honor or not.
4.4.3.2. In His Sermon On The Mount, Jesus told His disciples that when they
attended these types of events to sit in a lower spot of honor and then the
host will possibly come and move you up and you will be honored, however never
sit in a place of great honor because it is very embarrassing to be removed by
the host to a lower place of honor.
4.4.4. They ‘devour widow’s houses’ yet in hypocrisy ‘offer long
prayers.’
4.4.4.1. This statement most likely indicates that the Pharisees would become
guardians of a widow’s estate however they were really planning on taking away
their property. However, to make it
appear that they were being motivated by benevolence they would offer long
prayers over a widow’s house under their guardianship.
5. CONCLUSIONS:
5.1.
As we consider this study today
and how it might apply to our lives, we first of all need to see both Jesus’
wisdom which can never be refuted (what we majored on last week) but also the
fact that Jesus’ answers to Sadducees, scribes, and Pharisees reveal that His
is faithful and true. Jesus is always “straight
as an arrow” in how He responds, and in standing for the truth. Jesus’ spoke the truth and thus we have a
Bible today and a gospel message that can be preached by where we can be
saved. Oh, how the Lord deserves all of
our worship and praise for His being uncompromising, righteous, faithful, and
true, and for keeping His focus upon the great purpose for which He came, that
we might be able to have our sins forgiven and inherit eternal life.
5.2.
Many times we Christians are
guilty of the irony of trusting the Lord with our eternal soul and salvation
and yet we cannot trust Him with the little details and needs we have in our
life. However, if Jesus was righteous,
faithful, and true in all of the things that He did in procuring our salvation,
will He even be more so with our lives when we come to Him and seek His help,
strength, and will?
5.3.
If Jesus loved you enough to
persevere all of the way to Calvary’s cross, does He not love you now enough to
meet you in every one of your needs and prayers? This is what He promised us that He will do,
answer all of our prayers that we pray according to His will and by faith.