Read Matthew 22:23-33. Part 2
Wow, He Sure Shut You Up!
To recap what is happening, the Sadducees, who do not believe in the Resurrection of the Dead, came and questioned Jesus in hopes of silencing him with a question that they figured could not be answered. As I mentioned in Part 1, Jesus answered their question.
However, Jesus did not stop there. He then addressed the issue about the Resurrection of the Dead. He knew they didn’t believe in the Resurrection of the Dead and he wanted to set things straight with them. Jesus said to them, “Have you not read which was spoken to you by God saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He’s not the God of the dead but of the living.”
And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.
Vs 34 tells us that Jesus silenced the Sadducees.
Jesus used Scripture, which the Sadducees really didn’t understand, to reveal the truth of the Resurrection of the Dead. As a result, they were silenced. It backfired. Instead of silencing Jesus and making him look foolish, they were silenced, and the multitude were impressed with Jesus.
Back in my college days, I was asked to be the best man at a wedding. The couple getting married were Christians. At the rehearsal dinner I sat across the table from a man who is telling all kinds of dirty jokes. People were laughing but I never laughed. He kept looking at me, probably because I wasn’t laughing. Then out of the blue he asked me this question: “What are you?” I said, “I’m a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ.” As soon as I said that, all the chatter in the room became silent. He just looked at me not knowing what to say. Finally a woman said to the man, “Wow Bob, he sure shut you up.” And for the next half hour, all this man talked about was his Brokenness in Christ.
Jesus was not afraid to address issues with the truth of the Gospel. When God puts somebody in our path, lean on his Holy Spirit to speak truth through you. You never know what door of opportunity will come out of it.
We are surrounded by people everyday who are living a life that does not coincide with the Scriptures. When we compromise with them, we reinforce in their heart and mind that their lifestyle is okay. We need to stand for the truth, in love.
Dear lord, help us all be faithful. Help us all to understand the Scriptures and live it in love. Strengthen us to stand up for what is right in your eyes rather than compromise with the world. Help us care about the souls of those around us. Use us For Your Glory in Jesus name.
