Read Luke 20:27-40
I Hope I Didn’t Look Foolish!
The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the Dead like the Pharisees did. So they asked Jesus a question about the resurrection, using a ludicrous example, in hopes of making Jesus look foolish for saying there is a resurrection. They used the Leviticus passage where Moses said that if a brother marries and dies with no child, then the next brother is to marry her and have an offspring with her. So the Sadducees said there were seven brothers and the first one married and died leaving no child. The next brother married the widow, and later he died and was childless. This happened seven times and all seven husbands died leaving the widow childless. Then later she died.
The Sadducees asked the question, “Jesus, at the resurrection who would be married to the woman since none had a child with her?” Jesus knew their intent was to make him look foolish by asking a question that seemed illogical to answer, thus disproving the resurrection.
So Jesus answered two questions!
1. Who would be married to her at the resurrection? Jesus said no one would be married for there is no marriage in heaven like there is on Earth. In essence we are married to Christ for in heaven our allegiance will be to the Lord. Not to a spouse.
2. Jesus answered the question not asked but implied. The Sadducees only believed in the first five books of the Bible, the Torah. So Jesus uses the Torah to prove there is a resurrection when he referred to Exodus 3 where Moses was at the burning bush. Moses called the Lord the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, meaning God is the God of the Living not the Dead. For these three men had died but they must be alive if Moses called the Lord still their God.
This passage only reinforces to me the importance of reading, studying, and even memorizing scripture. We can counter the attack of our culture who live a truth not found in Scripture, by sharing truth with our words and even with our lives. Let this be a challenge to invest into God’s word faithfully and with passion so we can learn and grow and teach others the Truth!
