The Resurrection of Jesus

Intro

There are some pretty insane theological debates, some of them we can easily scoff at

Have you heard the saying, “how many angels can fit on the end of a pin”?

This was a scholarly debate in the middle ages about the nature of angels and how they interacted with humanity

There is theological debate over if Adam had a belly button

Perhaps the most common one we learned at Moody to much confusion:

Supralapsarianism

Infralapsarianism

These are about the logical order of God’s decrees, basically did God deem to first create the world, then the fall or did he deem the fall to happen first then create the world

As you can see, these are doctrines that have no hold on our daily lives, nor any real influence on how we treat people, or read our Bibles

So what does this have to do with our passage today?

It is a sobering reminder that we can often times get our theological priorities wrong, and get so caught up in the weeds that it leads to honestly a waste of time

Does it matter if Adam had a belly button?

Does it matter the logical order of God’s decrees in our salvation? Can we even know?

Does it matter how many angels can stand on the head of one pin?

Sometimes we think we know so much, that we need to go back to the basics to keep ourselves grounded

Sometimes, the easiest reading is the best reading, and although it might be difficult to believe, it doesn’t mean we shouldn’t

In fact, I often engage with people that are more liberal than I am on the theological spectrum

Many times they hold to things like Jonah or the Flood being metaphorical, yet they are totally ok with the entirety of our faith resting on Jesus rising from the dead, it seems a bit incongruous to my perspective

And in our story today we see a group of liberal religious leaders, the Sadducees that did not believe that God was in the business of the resurrection, and by some accounts only held to the books of Moses as purely authoritative

This is why they were so Sad you see!

The Theological Quandary (v.27-33)

So Jesus has been dealing with the Pharisees and Scribes, and quite frankly, Jesus agrees with much of their teachings, it is their hearts that are the problem

The Sadducees have even more at stake if Jesus does not back down, they compromise their faith and do all they can to not ruffle the feathers of Rome, since they love the power

In fact as much as we see them in the Gospels and Acts, they are gone by 70AD, they lost all power and any following at the destruction of the temple

By one of the commentaries account:

Luke: An Introduction and Commentary (2. The Seven Brothers (20:27–40))

They were the conservative, aristocratic, high-priestly party, worldly-minded and very ready to cooperate with the Romans, which, of course, enabled them to maintain their privileged position. Patriotic nationalists and pious people alike opposed them.

Now, you might note that it says that they are conservative, and they are in that they did not think the Law of Moses should be reinterpreted, but followed word by word

The Pharisees believed that the word had changed, so they wrote essay upon essay on how to add to the law, which was it’s own problem, but we can see several Pharisees come to follow Jesus

So the ‘Pharisees’ were liberal in their handling of the text, but conservative in their day to day activities, and viewed Rome as a evil, but didn’t work hand in hand with Rome very often

Although we do not know a lot about the Sadducees apart from Scripture, we do see an important insight here by Luke’s little blurb about them: they say there is no resurrection

They held the Torah in such high esteem that they felt the afterlife was something imported into the Jewish faith after time in Persia and Babylon

Yet, they were also the wealthiest people, and the most prominent people in the Jewish community, and this also meant they dominated the Sanhedrin, the ruling council of the Jewish people

Rome gave them some freedom, but Rome could also take it away, so they certainly wanted to do something about this hot rabbi named Jesus, who could make things very difficult for them!

Not to mention, when you are wealthy, comfortable, and power, what comfort does this doctrine of the resurrection bring?

It was to be a future dream for the poor masses to hold on to, but not those in the know!

I would like to just remind us here, that we not ought jump on the ‘terrible bad Sadducee’ train right now

You know I like to think that I do not love money very much, but I was talked to my best friend yesterday, and he is in the progress of selling a lot of his guitar stuff to downsize to an all in one unit

As we talked about it we realized that while we might not say that we love money, we do love the stuff that money can afford us, the new and shiny toys it affords us

It’s a reminder of not letting the love of money, or by extension, the love of things to become a key aspect of our lives

Hebrews 13:5 “5 Keep your life free from the love of money. Be satisfied with what you have, for he himself has said, I will never leave you or abandon you.”

James reminds us that the rich should grieve, mourn, and wail for the judgement that is coming for loving riches too much!

The only way we can avoid this is by doing what Hebrews 13 reminds us, to put our joy, our purpose, our very being into the one who will never leave us or forsake us: Jesus

So what is the question the non-resurrection believing Sadducees want to trick Jesus with?

It’s a theology quandary that was probably used oftentimes against the Pharisees (who were not really on Good terms with the Sadducees)

There is a couple that gets married, and the husband dies, leaving no kid, the next in line is supposed to marry the woman to bring a child

This is a story showing off what is known as Levirate Marriage

Some bible stories you might know that revolve around this are Ruth, and the story of Judah and Tamar in Genesis in Gen. 38

It is explicitly stated in Deuteronomy 25:5-10

Deuteronomy 25:5–10 CSB

5 “When brothers live on the same property and one of them dies without a son, the wife of the dead man may not marry a stranger outside the family. Her brother-in-law is to take her as his wife, have sexual relations with her, and perform the duty of a brother-in-law for her. 6 The first son she bears will carry on the name of the dead brother, so his name will not be blotted out from Israel. 7 But if the man doesn’t want to marry his sister-in-law, she is to go to the elders at the city gate and say, ‘My brother-in-law refuses to preserve his brother’s name in Israel. He isn’t willing to perform the duty of a brother-in-law for me.’ 8 The elders of his city will summon him and speak with him. If he persists and says, ‘I don’t want to marry her,’ 9 then his sister-in-law will go up to him in the sight of the elders, remove his sandal from his foot, and spit in his face. Then she will declare, ‘This is what is done to a man who will not build up his brother’s house.’ 10 And his family name in Israel will be ‘The house of the man whose sandal was removed.’

So the purpose was to make sure the families did not lose their inheritance in the land, and that the family name continued on

So with this in mind, the Sadducees give Jesus as story of 7 brothers that all attempt to bless this lady with a child, and none succeed

So then if the resurrection is true Jesus, when everyone is raised, who’s wife will she be, since she cannot be married to all of them!

They are undermining one part of Scripture by twisting another part!

They thought that the Law by showing this custom of levirate marriage rejects the doctrine of the resurrection by implication of things like this story they told

They thought a definitive answer was impossibility, and that the impossibility of an answer showed the resurrection was hogwash

It becomes clear that this is about the resurrection, as it is mentioned 6 different verses over and over again, and becomes the next part of the evidence that makes Jesus their top target to take down

So in reality the question for Jesus here is not simply about the resurrection, but the authority of Moses, the question makes Jesus answer the question, “Do you follow Moses”, and Jesus turns that upside on its head!

The Gospel of Luke 6.1.4. The Question of Moses’ Authority (20:27-40)

In a crucial sense, he turns the question away from obedience to Moses to one of understanding Moses. Who interprets Moses (and the Scriptures) faithfully?

Misunderstanding the Ages (v.34-36)

Jesus addresses two key misunderstandings of the Sadducees

First in these verses: resurrection life is different than our life currently

Many of the Jewish people that did believe in the resurrection thought it was the same as life now, but just without the sin, struggles, and death we face

So when the Jews thought of the resurrection, it would be a resuming of this life, so this particular woman would have a very difficult problem of having 7 husbands, who would she be married to?

They don’t understand the difference between this age and that age

We can see this reality in Jesus’ own resurrected body

The Bible Exposition Commentary Chapter Nineteen: Issues and Answers (Luke 20)

Our Lord’s resurrection body was the same as before His death and yet different! His friends recognized Him and even felt Him; He could eat food and yet He could also walk through closed doors, change His appearance, and vanish suddenly.

We will maintain our identities, and know each other, but there is no more death, which means marriage and procreation are no longer needed

Marriage flows out of the the original creation mandate given to Adam and Eve, and again to Noah- Be fruitful and multiply

We become like Angels in some ways, but we do not become angels! We share the same nature as the resurrected Jesus, and so will be higher than the angels

Jesus sets up a contrast of this age verses the next age

The sons of this age

They marry and consent to marriage

Those worthy of the next age, and granted resurrection

They do not marry, or consent to marriage, nor can they die anymore being like angels, and are sons of God and of the resurrection

The Sadducees had a category error in their thinking, assuming the age to come is just like this,

If it is, why even want to hope for a resurrection?

There is a category difference in those that will be part of the resurrection, and those that are about this world

There is a greek grammar in play here, in which it shifts all human relationships when viewed in the theology of the end times

You see, there is one person aligned with the needs of our present age, money, power, wealth, the same things advocated by the Sadducees

The other group of people view marriage as a great blessing, but not an eternal lasting existence, that life to come is so incredibly better than even the best times of this life

Ultimately, marriage is an earthly reality, not a heavenly one

In fact, this is probably some of the great promise of sanctified singleness

Those that are single in this room, you have a divine given gift, you have far more time on your hands than you ever will if you are married.

You answer to no one, and so why not utilize your time to build God’s kingdom?

When we get into a rough patch over marriage or singleness, we are crushing our limited time over a temporary relationship

We are transformed in heaven, we can’t die, and we as the bride of Christ are finally fit to live fully with him

In reality, human relationships are largely a matter of place and time, but when neither time nor geographic place matters, would it not make sense that relationships are significantly different?

Misunderstanding the Resurrection (v.37-40)

Jesus thens turns to the second problem, that Moses does teach about the resurrection, just not in a way you have thought about before

The Message of Luke c. Unbiblical Religion (20:27–40)

Jesus’s sharpest rebuke: ‘You are wrong, precisely because you do not know your Bible.

They also did not believe in angels, spirits or anything supernatural! They were missing a lot of blessings and information on how God worked!

Jesus tunrs to the Torah himself and to the book of Exodus (since the Bible was only divided into scrolls and not chapters and books during Jesus’ time

Exodus 3:6 CSB

6 Then he continued, “I am the God of your father, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Moses hid his face because he was afraid to look at God.

Exodus 3:15 CSB

15 God also said to Moses, “Say this to the Israelites: The Lord, the God of your ancestors, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is my name forever; this is how I am to be remembered in every generation.

The point of Jesus’ answer was this

God speaking to Moses, in the passage in which he reveals his covenantal name, that not even Abraham knew, he says he was still the God of the long dead patriarchs of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob

It is stupid to think that God would broadcast a covenant relationship with persons who had simply ceased to exist at death

Therefore, the patriarchs must still be alive

Therefore, Jesus reiterates that for God, all of them are alive, showing the resurrection truth of Moses

So to us they are dead, but not to God, Death cannot break their or our relationship with God!

This is why the Christian can say “Where, O Death, is your sting?”

This answer makes even the Sadducees silent, realizing they cannot answer him

In fact, the Scribes, who are on the side of the Pharisees, chime in with “Great answer!!!!”

Yet, Jesus still had more to say, he put them on the defense with a question of his own

Misunderstanding David’s Son (v.41-44)

It seems that Jesus is asking both the Scribes and Sadducees this question about the Messiah being the Son of David

In essence Jesus points to the Son of David, a commonly known Messianic Title

But also shows what David himself says in Psalms 110, the Lord says to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies your footstool

The question raised by Jesus is that David calls him Lord, how can the Messiah be his son?

There is a lot going on in this passage

First most of Jesus’ listeners would of thought son of David would be in line with a political conquering king who was a descendent of David, after all David was a great and accomplished military commander

Second, the son of David is pulled from 2 Samuel 7, where God gives David his blessing and covenant of future Messiah, and Jesus then adds the Ps. 110:1 into the conversation, showing some tension in the text

The Gospel of Luke 6.1.5. The Question of the Messiah’s Authority (20:41-44)

In Jesus’ reading of the psalm, David himself prophesies that Yahweh speaks to the Messiah who, David says, is “my Lord.” Since normal conventions would have the son showing honor to his father rather than vice versa, it would be problematic to portray David, who thus honors the Messiah, as the father of the Messiah.

So how does one deal with the problem of the son of David, being greater than David?

The Messiah must be even greater than David, there is a greater category, as the Son of David is also the Son of God

This is shown by his name being called “Lord” and being placed in the right hand of Power of God, and this happens to Jesus after his resurrection and ascension

The first Lord is YHWH, the other Lord is Adonai, both greater than David, who calls them both ‘Lord’

His enemies will be put under his feet, and he placed in authority

This is a revealing of Jesus’ divine identity, the son of David had come and was among them!

Application

What does this odd text of marriage and quoting Psalms have to do with us today in our lives?

First, I think a simple understanding is that Jesus upholds the sanctity of the Bible, and it’s authoritative nature over our lives

Before we ‘use the Bible’ like the Sadducees, we need to submit ourselves to Scripture

Look at how Jesus used the Bible in light of the Sadducees

His parable was but an illustration of a biblical text.

He stands on Scripture even when it’s being attacked.

He gives attention to the details of the Bible for meaning.

He trusts the Bible’s accuracy and authority even when others are mocking it.

He believes the whole Bible—the law of Moses, the prophets like Isaiah, and David’s psalms—is sufficient for life and doctrine.

He believes Moses really did write the first five books, Isaiah really did write Isaiah, and David really did write some psalms.

Scripture must guide our thoughts, and every aspect of our lives, rather than letting our culture and our struggles inform Scripture

We must also prayerfully ask the Spirit to convict and guide us of wrong and improper doctrines we might bee believing like the Pharisees!

So this week, when you are praying in your devotional time, pray something like this:

Gracious Lord, like Nicodemus, I come to the word with many questions. Like the Pharisees, Scribes, and Sadducees, I can be captivated by correctness, intent on right answers. As I turn to your word, Spirit of God, do not let my desire for information dominate my need for transformation. Let me hear the word and be moved to greater faith and obedience. Amen

Second, the truth of the resurrection

You and I have hope for tomorrow, and even with the greatest evil happen to us, we have hope that every wrong will be made right, and death no longer reigns in the New Heaven and Earth

While we might get caught up in the whole marriage thing, (and I call dibs on Tabitha being my gf!), the emphasis is on the nature of our resurrected bodies!

There is no sin, no death, all as it was in the garden, that is the peace we are granted, and the hope we can yearn for

So Christian when this life becomes to hard, evil seems to prevail, injustice reigning, we can have hope in the future!

Let us live our lives so that there is shame when Jesus returns once more, let us flee the sin that corrupts us, and throw ourselves upon the power of the resurrected Christ, both our savior now, and our future hope forevermore!

Closing

Revelation 22:12–17 CSB

12 “Look, I am coming soon, and my reward is with me to repay each person according to his work. 13 I am the Alpha and the Omega, the first and the last, the beginning and the end. 14 “Blessed are those who wash their robes, so that they may have the right to the tree of life and may enter the city by the gates. 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood. 16 “I, Jesus, have sent my angel to attest these things to you for the churches. I am the root and descendant of David, the bright morning star.” 17 Both the Spirit and the bride say, “Come!” Let anyone who hears, say, “Come!” Let the one who is thirsty come. Let the one who desires take the water of life freely.