Answering Big Questions

In Matthew 22:23, we are picking up in the second of a set of three questions that Jesus was asked following his parables.

If you remember last time, the pharisees sent their disciples to Jesus to ask him a question about paying taxes to Caesar, whether it was lawful or not. Of course, Jesus answered that question with yes, pay to caesar what is caesar’s and to God what is God’s!

He used the “image” on the roman coin of that day to make a comparison between what is earthly and temporary, versus what is eternally significant. The government can require our money and time, and even our mortal lives, but everything belongs to God, and while the coin was in Caesar’s image, we are in God’s image. Our lives are to be a sacrifice to Him.

But that question was not the only question that Jesus was asked at this time. Matthew records three of them. It seems that Jesus was always being questioned. Many of the questions that Jesus recieved were honest and forthright, but many of them were only intended to trip him up or trap him.

Some of the questions we have seen just in Matthew are these:

Who is the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven?

How many times do I have to forgive someone?

By what authority do you do these signs and wonders?

Is it ok to divorce your wife for any reason?

If it is so hard to enter the Kingdom, who can be saved?

These are just a few, and just ones that we’ve covered in Matthew. And in fact, Jesus asked or answered hundreds of questions. And many of them are very difficult ones at that.

One of the astounding things about Jesus, which we will see even today, but that we’ve seen all along, is that he, unlike any other teacher of his day, taught with true authority.

Way back at the end of Matthew 7, when Jesus finished his longest recorded Sermon, the sermon on the Mount, the people’s reaction was just this.

Matthew 7:28–29 ESV

And when Jesus finished these sayings, the crowds were astonished at his teaching, for he was teaching them as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.

Jesus was not just an authority in His day, Jesus is the authority on the questions of life. His answers are found in his recorded words, but really all throughout the written Word of God.

What big questions do you have? Throughout history, people have essentially asked the same questions. Where do I come from? What am I here for? How can I find value and meaning? How do I know what is right and wrong?

All these questions are answered in Jesus and by Jesus, because He is the life-giver, the source and author of being.

Do you come to Jesus for the big questions of life? I hope you do.

We are going to look at a few of these big questions today, and I challenge you to come to God’s Word, come to Jesus with your questions.

Though His questioners tried to trip Him and trap Him, Jesus’ answers give life to those who listen. May we approach Him and His Word in order to find that life.

1. Missing God’s Power - Vs. 23-33

This first question that we come to may not seem like a big one at all. In fact, the question itself was quite silly. It wasn’t a question looking for an answer, it was a question looking to ridicule. But the answer Jesus gives goes aeons beyond the question itself, which is a wonderful thing.

Sometimes, we aren’t even sure what questions to ask. As the common saying is, “you can’t know what you don’t know.” But our Lord is merciful even in our ignorance, and even in our contempt sometimes.

These Sadducees came to Jesus with nothing but bad intentions, but Jesus still answers in a way that points them to life and salvation, even in their rebellion.

A little background to this, the Sadducees were the “aristocrats” in the temple and religious leadership of their day. While we sometimes speak of them as being in league with the pharisees, that was really quite rare. In fact, the only time we really see them “working together” is in this effort to do away with Jesus.

One of the important historical factors about the Sadducees, what separated them from the Pharisees, and what lies behind this question of theirs, is told to us in verse 23.

Matthew 22:23 ESV

The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,

The reason that the Sadducees didn’t believe in the resurrection, is because they didn’t believe that it was taught in the first 5 books of the Bible (Genesis - Deuteronomy). Those were the only 5 books that they really held as God’s word. Everything else was tainted in their minds, or was just human history or tradition.

That is important, because you will see them reference “Moses” in their question, and in Jesus’ answer, you will see Him answer from one of the books of Moses.

So what was their question?

Matthew 22:24–28 ESV

saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. So too the second and third, down to the seventh. After them all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

Now, that is a whirlwind of a question. The question goes back to the principle of “Levirate Marriage” in Deuuteronomy. Levirate marriage was a provision for a man, who married a wife but died before they could have children. In order to preserve the family name, the next brother of the dead man would marry the widow so they could raise up children. That was the principal that they were talking about here.

So what is the scenario?

Well, there is a family with 7 brothers. The oldest marries a wife, but dies before they have children. So in comes the levirate marriage law. The next brother then assumes his responsibility and marries the wife.

Well, this pattern happened again. And again. And again...

Until finally, they worked through all seven brothers, and that guy died and then finally the wife died.

A first observation might be, “what is the deal with this woman?” I mean, If I were the 4th or 5th brother I would probably be a little concerned about something fishy in the water. What is in that woman’s bread recipe anyway?

Now these sadducees frame this as if it was a real situation “there were seven brothers among us...” But we can be a little skeptical about their truthfulness and intentions here. There was a Jewish legend between the time of the Old and New testaments where a very similar story happened, and its possible that this was a common story that they used to disprove the idea of resurrection.

Back to the question, though.

Matthew 22:28 ESV

In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”

Now we understand what’s going on here, these guys don’t really care about who’s wife this is going to be in the resurrection. They don’t even believe in the resurrection. The whole purpose of their question was to poke fun at the idea and make it seem like a ridiculous thing to believe.

Today we might call this a reductio ad absurdium - to take someone’s idea and play it out in such an exaggerated way that it makes it seem absurd and unbelievable. But this wasn’t a tactic of learning, it was a tactic of scoffing.

We do this when we don’t want to believe something, don’t we? We make it out to be absurd in our minds, to the point where we comfortable convince ourselves its nothing to worry about. That’s what these sadducees had done with the resurrection. And if Jesus defended the resurrection and tried to answer this question, then they could do it with him also.

That is one of the main challenges in our day as in theirs, to reduce the teachings and life of Jesus to absurdity so we can comfortably ignore it. But the problem is, we can’t comfortable ignore it. And Jesus tells us why.

Notice his response.

Matthew 22:29 ESV

But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

I can only imaging Jesus shaking his head as they sat back with a smug grin, thinking they have stumped him for sure. They were probably waiting for him to stumble over his words to make an answer, but in stead he just says - “you are wrong.”

In other words, You have this all wrong. You are asking all the wrong questions, coming at this from the wrong angle. They asked a question in order to get the answer, or lack of answer, that they wanted. But Jesus would go so far beyond them that they would have no response.

You have it all wrong, and why did they have it all wrong?

Because they didn’t know the scripture, or the power of God.

That is an amazing statement, because these guys were the ones who claimed they followed the only true scriptures! Yet, according to Jesus, the author of the scriptures, they missed everything!

I want to quickly look at Jesus answer, and then get back to that statement.

Notice, that Jesus first adresses their silly question by saying this. “In the resurrection, they are neither married nor given in marriage, but are like the angels in heaven.”

First, Jesus says, you are thinking about the resurrection and eternal life from a humanistic, worldly standpoint. The resurrection is not just a new and improved version of this world, it is a whole new world. New creation in full.

Our communion with one another, and with the Lord, will be such that even the highest form of relationship on earth - a marriage - will not compare to the love and joy that we share in that life. They had a small view of eternal life, and we do too sometimes.

I remember as a child, when we were preparing to go on a family vacation, and I had a dream the night before. And in my dream, the rapture happened and Jesus came and took us all to heaven. I don’t remember the details about heaven, I just remember being so disappointed that we missed our family vacation!

It reminds me of a quote by C.S. Lewis, who said this of our earthly perspective.

“We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are far too easily pleased.”

And so we are. And with these saducees, they were far too easily pleased or satisfied with this life. Now let me be clear, this life is of utmost importance. What we do with our time and resources matters. God has called us to glorify him and do good in this world. But our perspective cannot be simply that this is all there is, or that this is even the most important.

Colossians 3:1–2 ESV

If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.

Matthew 6:33 ESV

But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

The things of Christ, and His Kingdom are both earthly and other-wordly. They transcend from this experience to the fulness of life that is to come. We cannot ignore this life, or wish it away, but we cannot live as if this is all there is. And what Jesus says next confirms that.

Matthew 22:31–32 ESV

And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”

Jesus takes these Saducees right to the books of Moses and shows them that they had missed it all along. Over and over again, God is referred to as “The God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” And these are all recorded after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were dead.

Jesus teaches us that that does not just mean that God is the God of tradition, or of our dead ancestors, but that God is still the God of these patriarchs. He is their God because they live on.

God fulfills his promises to his people, not just be keeping them for the generations to come, but he resurrects his dead saints to new life with him, new creation, new existence. Our hope is not in this life only, because our God is not in this life only.

And this goes right back to Jesus statement in verse 29.

Matthew 22:29 ESV

But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.

These Sadducees had missed all this, because of two things.

They didn’t know the scriptures.

They didn’t know the power of God.

Now think about this carefully, because it is infinitely important to your life.

Do you walk through life with an earthly, humanistic view of the world, with an outlook of naturalism? Do you think all the time, “whatever works, or whatever makes me happy is best, because this is all there is!”

If so, I urge you - do not miss the power of God. In stead of thinking, “This is all there is,” we can say “God has created all this, and if he has done this, there is so much more!”

Do not assume you have this life figured out, your mind wrapped around it and squared away - no, our life and learning is like studying a vast forest. As soon as we think we know something, we learn of something incredible that brings us back to the point of feeling like a little child. And that’s how it is when we live life with the mindset of God-centeredness.

Do not miss the power of God! Do not miss the fact that everything is by him, and to him, and for Him. Do not miss the fact that he can raise you up, even from death, to a new and complete re-creation.

And if we are not to miss the power of God, we have to ask this. How can we see it?

Jesus said, you do not know the power of God, and you do not know the scriptures.

If we are not careful, we can miss the power of God because we have the same earthly, naturalistic view of God’s Word. No, rather, God’s word is a treasure trove. It is His inspired, living letter to humans. It is His revelation. It is not just an old book full of wisdom, it is the Word of Life.

Hebrews 4:12 ESV

For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

Dear one, do not miss the power of God. Do not miss the scriptures. Seek to know God, and to know Him through Jesus Christ His Son, through the Word.

Whether you are listening to me now, or listening to Matt in Sunday School, or reading the Bible app on your phone, or see a verse of scripture that someone posted on facebook, at every place where you can interact with the scripture, say “this is God’s Word, it is alive and real and life-giving.”

And then, may we be like the crowd in verse 33.

Matthew 22:33 ESV

And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.

2. Getting the Big Picture - Vs. 34-40

And from that emphasis on the Word of God, we move to another question, which has everything to do with the Word of God.

The Sadducees, now silent, perhaps to consider their their own question and the answer that Jesus gave, are replaced by the Pharisees. It’s almost like a whack-a-mole game, they just keep popping up.

But in seriousness, they come back to Jesus and they bring another question from a “lawyer,” which is not a defense lawyer like we think about, but simply one of the experts of the law. Now they were all very well-versed in the law, but some of them gave the bulk of their time and attention to debating and conversation about interpreting the law of God.

And the question that he asked Jesus is a question that was asked often by these men. Which is the greatest commandment in the Law?

Now, we know that all sin is sin. There are no “big and little” sins in terms of standing before God. Being guilty before God is being guilty before God. But from a practical standpoint, we know that some things have more consequences than others. And equally, some laws are “bigger” than others.

For instance, the law to “not murder” was a whole lot more practically important than the law not to cook a young animal in his mother’s milk.

So they debated these things, which commands were “heavier” and “lighter.” And this lawyer gets right to the punch.

“Teacher” - or Rabbi, a title of respect. “Which is the great commandment in the Law?” Or, that is, the greatest.

Now the answer that Jesus gave is not the surprise here, nor is it that profound. What do I mean by that/

Well, Many of these lawyers came to the same or similar conclusion that Jesus did. The commandments to love the Lord and Love others were the “heaviest” of all the commandments. They affected Spiritual life and practical life.

But what was surprising, and the way Jesus took this from “a good answer” to “revelation” is this.

Matthew 22:40 ESV

On these two commandments depend all the Law and the Prophets.”

Jesus did not just make a “most important” statement, he made a “big picture” statement.

That is, if you do all the other commandments to the letter, but you missed love of God and loving your neighbor, then the rest of your system is useless.

This is what righteousness looks like practically. It is to love God, and love your neighbor as yourself.

We don’t typically need much help with loving ourselves. In fact, often we face the opposite dillema - we love ourselves so much that we become infatuated with ourselves, our appearance, our self-image, our problems, that we convince ourselves that we actually hate ourselves when really we’ve just put all our energy into the wrong engine.

No, we naturally look out for ourselves. But we are called, as righteous people, to love God supremely and love others sacrificially.

Everything in the Old Testament. Every law and commandment and principle is bound inseparably to these things.

The lawyers counted 613 commandments in the Old Testament, and then in the oral tradition and in the Mishnah and Talmud, thousands of other regulations were added to aid in keeping those laws.

And what Jesus does is boil them all down and says, “the whole purpose of every single law is to Love God and Love your neighbor.”

Now, you cannot properly love your neighbor without first loving God, and having his perspective. But you also prove that you do not love God when you despise your neighbor. Consider this

Ephesians 5:1–2 ESV

Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children. And walk in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.

How do we imitate God? By walking in love. What kind of love? Sacrificial love. We love beause we’ve first been loved with the perfect love of God in Jesus. And from that, we imitate him and love others.

Ephesians 5:3–4 ESV

But sexual immorality and all impurity or covetousness must not even be named among you, as is proper among saints. Let there be no filthiness nor foolish talk nor crude joking, which are out of place, but instead let there be thanksgiving.

Now what is that? Well, in some sense, it is law. These are the “do nots.” But what do they hang on? What do they stem from? Love. Love that is from God, like God, and goes up as a fragrant offering to God.

Doesn’t Jesus just make this so clear? It is astonishing, but so helpful. Because you can spend your entire life hoping that you’ve been good enough and kept God’s standards so that you will be accepted, or you can bow and be engulfed in the love of God in such a way that you are transformed, in mind and soul and outlook, and you know you are following Him because you love Him and love your neighbor.

This is the big picture. And this is so critical. Do you ask, at every juncture of life, when you are seeking to follow God, “Lord, do I love you in this? Am I doing this out of love for you, because you first loved me?”

And in every interaction, every decision that involves others, do we ask, “Lord, how does love of neighbor help me make this decision? How would my mind be different if I truly loved my neighbor as myself?”

3. Knowing the Main Person - vs. 41-46

And of course, all of this really boils back down to one thing, rather, one person. And that person is Jesus Himself.

Jesus is the main character of the Word of God. Jesus displays and brings to us the power of God. Jesus displays the love of God and shows us how to love one another. And Jesus is the deliverer that we all need, because none of us is capable of loving God and neighbor perfectly.

As we come to verse 41, we see it is finally Jesus’ turn to ask a question.

He looks at the the Pharisees who he just gave that amazing answer to and says, “So, while you guys are just standing here… I’ve got a question for you.”

Matthew 22:42 ESV

saying, “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said to him, “The son of David.”

There is the opportune question. What do you think about the Christ? What do you think about the Messiah.

You know, that is still the question. In the last few weeks of this Matthew series, we have seen Jesus deliver some fairly harsh words to the Jewish leaders. Prophesying of their temple and city being destroyed. Telling them that the Kingdom was being given to others who produce the fruit that God was looking for. And that falling away really came down to this question, and Jesus gives them an opportunity to answer it.

“What do you think of the Christ?”

I would ask you that question right now. What do you think of the Christ? Who do you think He is? You might say, well Jesus, of course. But are you coming to Jesus as the source of life and blessing in salvation?

“Whose son is he?”

That question would have produced but one answer from the Jewish people - David’s son, of course! Matthew even starts his Gospel record like that, Jesus the son of Abraham, son of David.

The Messiah was always believed to be a son of David, who would sit on his throne and deliver God’s people. But would he just be another king? What would the Messiah be like?

Well, Jesus tells them by quoting from Psalm 110.

He says, “If he is just a descendant of David, then how is it that David speaks about him so highly? How is it that David calls him Lord?”

Jesus is saying, David was writing this psalm by the inspiration of the Spirit, a Psalm that they agreed spoke about the Messiah, and he says that the Messiah would be His Lord. That is, someone greater!

How could that be, if he was merely a son? In their culture, it was understood that the sons were always a bit “lesser” than the fathers. But this son was to be greater! How could that be?

That could be, because this Son of David would be a true son indeed, born through the lineage of David, born to his Mother Mary, but this son would also be the Son of God.

“If David calls him Lord, how can he be just his son?”

Jesus challenged them on their view of the Messiah, and He is also telling us just who he is.

Psalm 110 goes on to be the most often quoted passage from the Old Testament in all the New Testament. It is directly quoted or alluded to over 25 times.

Hebrews 1:13 ESV

And to which of the angels has he ever said, “Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet”?

Romans 1:1–4 ESV

Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus, called to be an apostle, set apart for the gospel of God, which he promised beforehand through his prophets in the holy Scriptures, concerning his Son, who was descended from David according to the flesh and was declared to be the Son of God in power according to the Spirit of holiness by his resurrection from the dead, Jesus Christ our Lord,

What do you think about the Christ? Jesus says. You might think he is just going to be another king - He is a King, but He is God’s Son.

Jesus, God’s Son, the resurrected King who brought God’s love and grace down to us. He is Lord and Messiah, truly God and truly man. What do you think of Him?

Do you know His Power and His Word?

If you do, is your life filled with the pursuit of loving Him, and loving your neighbors?

And if not, what do you think of Him? Will you follow Him? Will you give your life to Him? How you answer makes all the difference.