Your Marriage Won't Last...But This Will... - Luke 20:27-40

Luke 20:27. Some of the Sadducees who say there is no Resurrection came to Jesus with a question. Teacher, they said, Moses wrote for us. If a man's brother dies and leaves, his wife, but no children, the man must marry the Widow and raise up Offspring for his brother. Now, there were seven, brothers, the first married, a woman and die childless the second. And then, the third married her in the same way the seven died leaving. No children. Finally, the woman died to. Now, then at the resurrection, whose wife will she be? Since the seven were married to her, Jesus replied, the people of this age, Mary and are given in marriage but those who are considered worthy of taking part in the age to come and in the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage and they can no longer die. For, they are like the Angels, they're God's children since their children of the Resurrection. In the, in the account, to the burning bush. Even Moses showed that the dead rise for, he calls the Lord, the god of Abraham and the god of Isaac in the god of Jacob. He's not the god of the dead but I've been living for to him all our live. Some of the teachers of the law of responded. Well said teacher and no one dared to ask him. Any more questions. The word of God for the people of God. Thanks, be unto God. You maybe see you there.

The Scituate, you a little bit with where we are in Luke, Jesus is in the last week of his life before the crucifixion is every single day. Every moment passes. Jesus is getting closer and closer to the cross and asked Jesus does. So the opposing forces invoices particularly against him, get louder and louder. In the Gospel of Luke so far. We've seen Jesus, resisted or posed in a few different Realms of life. We seen them a post spiritually, regarding the Demonic forces tried to stumble him in and caused him to stop his ministry. As we saw week, tickly in the conversation that he had with some spies about taxes and the government submitting to the authority of the government. We saw people trying to trip him up and it's legal or civil manner. But today, we see Jesus facing opposition concerning Theology and Doctrine. Specifically, when you read the text, we see the Sadducees posing, a very, or a seemingly. Clever question about the correlation between the resurrection and marriage. But once again here in Jesus's response versus 34th following, we see the Jesus is the all-wise, all good, all-knowing King, who in a good way to not be shaken and cannot be stirred. 20 read. This passage marriage is certainly the hook that draws you in it. Certainly the saying that they did initially sets up the conversation but the focus of this text believe it or not is not on marriage. Because one thing I've repeated here, a couple of times is when you read a passage of scripture look for repeated phrases, repeated ideas repeated versus and you see as you read the text, the repeated topic, is that of life after death the afterlife, the Resurrection, the new life, what will happen after we die. Go through this Q&A encounter. What Jesus does here is reorient. Our minds reorient, their minds from, what is temporary to what is eternal? From what is temperate? What is eternal? And we see hear what the the title of messages. We see Jesus teaching here. That marriage is temporary. It's not a negative way but your marriage won't last. It is temporary but will last, what is permanent? What is primary in? Life is your identity, what? Identity identity, your identity as a child of God. To do your marriage might be temporary. Jesus is reminding us of our permanent identity as God's children. And if you are a child of God, that is what lasts forever, that it would last for eternity and Jesus is reminding us to build our lives. On what matters most is not saying marriage doesn't matter. He's not saying it's not important. Absolutely. Not you saying, this is what matters? Most this is what will matter throughout eternity, build your life upon it. So it arrived at that truth. Then walk through the text, we're going to look at Jesus number one for proving faulty. Assumptions, number to reinforcing our permanent identity, then lastly, Jesus revealing himself as the god of the living Sparkly Jesus, reproved faulty. Assumptions with a, vs27 the verse 35 with me. Are there off the bat some of the Sadducees. You say there is no Resurrection came to Jesus with a question. And the Gospel of Luke. This is the first occasion in which the Sadducees are mentioned. Explicitly like this. This is also, the only recorded instance in the gospels were Jesus. Has a one-on-one encounter with this group of people, you might be wondering. Well, then who were the Sadducees, and I've heard of the Pharisees before, but who are these Sajid Aziz? According to the historian Josephus, you've never heard of him. He was the Jewish historian in the first few centuries. But he, he noted that in the first century there were three kind of big bra groups of Jewish thought. One with the Pharisees one was the Sadducees, the other was a group called The essenes. So we've heard about this one, a lot for the Sadducees of that kind of other group. You wondering, what was the difference where it? What are you talkin about? Think about modern-day type of conversations about denominations or moves of in the Christian Life. For example, on one end of the spectrum, you have what's known as Reformed or maybe calvinistic types of thinking or types of theology or the other end of the spectrum, you have more charismatic or arminian types of theology. So there is some overlap, there is some Unity, some things they agree upon, but there are a lot of disagreements. Some of them are very big in the first century. There was some big disagreements between the Pharisees and the Sadducees in particular, And one of them as you saw in the text Neely every time the Sadducees are mentioned in the New Testament. There's that parenthetical phrase right beside them. The Sadducees who say there is no Resurrection. In other words, the Sadducees did not believe in the afterlife didn't believe in Heaven or Hell and Rewards or punishments after you died. It did not believe in the resurrection at the end of time, I believe that when you die you were. You die. You were in the ground. And you met for this slight little joke before, but the Sadducees were sad. You see? Because they didn't believe in the resurrection were heard that for help in Acts chapter 23 verse 8. There's another Spanish who these people are X 23. Verse 8, it tells us the Sadducees say there is no Resurrection. And that there are neither angels nor spirits of the Pharisees believe all these things. So in addition to denying the afterlife, they also denied the spiritual Brown. They didn't believe in angels, or demons. So, this might sound odd to us. Might think, well, if you're a Christian, or if you're in that context, is no Christians yet, make sure you don't. You have to believe in heaven and hell is that one of the central core doctrines of our Christian Life? But the sad truth is, you have to understand, they they have high exaltation of the Torah is what's called, which is the first five books of the Bible, the Old Testament Genesis Exodus, Leviticus Numbers, Deuteronomy steam, those books, above all, the rest of them. And if you read those five books, back-to-back, you might see there is no explicit verse that says Heaven and Hell. There's no explicit version that talks about the resurrection for say Jesus is about to demonstrate how they don't fully know the scriptures that they claim to know. So well many of these religious leaders had memorized. Those first five books of the Bible verbatim, they knew every single word they still not connected. The dots has as I ought to have But this is kind of their thinking. What day do they come out to Jesus bring before him a example in a question, which is quite extreme when you read it. It's not too hard to follow the movements of what's going on. When the right there, a 28 teacher. They said Moses Road fry said if a man's brother dies and leaves a wife but no children. The man must marry the Widow and raise up Offspring for his brother. So the contacts. There's one man, the man marries a wife, married woman, the man has six other brothers, soda, seven, guys, total the first guy dies. So, then according to Jewish custom, which is actually found in Deuteronomy chapter 25 verses 5 and 6, if you want to go look at it but they're referring to you. Moses wrote for us. Man's brother dies, Deuteronomy 25, the first one died. The second brother is been commanded to go. Marry that wife who's a widow? And keep in mind, they don't have children because if they had you, if that couple had children, they step on the children to take care of the Widow to God's heart. God's desire is a provision in protection of his people. If we do right on and on it goes to 345, the keep going, keep going, keep remarrying. This Widow. Don't have any children in the entire process. Finally, the woman dies verse 32. Now then at the resurrection, whose wife will she be since the seven were married to her, The two major assumptions backed packed into this question. I don't know if you picked up on them or not. Number one, the resurrection will happen. That's an assumption, a big one, and it's kind of interesting what the Sadducees, right there a 27. They say it's not going to happen, but for the sake of argument, for the sake of winning this argument, they grants that it's going to happen. Just shows their duplicitous heart as the previous passage was talking about. So yeah, but we only thing that could we want to trip you up Jesus. So that's one assumption. The second one, is that marriage as we know it is going to continue in the life to come. That is a very, very big. So, what does Jesus do? How does he respond? How was he going to answer this conundrum? Whose wife will keep it or whose husband was? She pick in terms of the first husband's wife? Is it? The second who is the true husband of this woman And for us to be, this might bring up just questions about your divorce and remarriage, whose husband and wife is going to be the case like to come. But Jesus yet again, reproved the leaders faulty assumptions in versus 34 and 35, the people of this age, marry their given in marriage or 35, but those who are considered worthy of taking part in the ages to come and then the resurrection from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. They can no longer die for. They are like the angels.

In other words, your marriage temporary. Your marriage won't last. Immediately say something like that. You read something like that experience you may or may not have had regarding your own marriage, a joyful. And fruitful. It might have been, you might be wondering at this point, you're telling me marriage isn't going to be a thing in the future. I cannot imagine that I've been married to my spouse for 5 10, 20, 30. 50 years. I would not know what to do without my spouse. I want to be with him forever. How is it? Good news that there's no marriage. It was contacted. This earthly idea that we have is that good news. If there's no marriage in the resurrection, I'm just simply say this, but the focus of the sermon is not on marriage, unpacking this receipt but that is a valid response, valid response and I want to briefly addressed first of all you have to back up a little bit and really consider. What is the purpose of marriage? Why did God make it in Genesis chapter 1 into? Why do they make it in the first place? The big question is different, dimensions are what you can answer that. but according to Ephesians chapter 5, the primary reason that the Lord made marriage is to serve as an illustration to serve as a tiny little picture of Christ marriage to his bride, the church I love what one author said. He said, God did not create marriage as an end unto itself. It exists. Not to tell its own story but to tell the story of Jesus's marriage to the church, We find that explicitly Tru infusion 5:32. The Apostle Paul writes. This is a profound mystery referring to the union between a man and a woman leaving and cleaving. The father mother being united to the wife. Two becoming one flesh. This is a profound mystery, but I am ultimately talking about Christ and the church that is what marriage is primarily about of reflection. A tiny little picture of Christ love for the church. So today, if you are happily married or were happily married, at one point, the wrong assumption that you, and I might clean to is this? If I'm not married in the new life in the afterlife, I will never again experience The Joy or fulfillment. I'm getting from my spouse today.

I remind you that your life that you were made for something far greater than any human being could ever offer you. Classic vacuum, the hole in your heart is so great. So deep, only one person can truly fill it and that is the Lord himself. This is true with every aspect of life. I need. You might have a long work day. I need some sleep. I need a good six hours at night 8 hours, whatever it might be, that's good. That's a good gift from God. But the true rest, that your soul needs can only be found in his presence. You know, I'm hungry today. I did. I want some lunch. Some of you might think of that right now. I want some lunch. The food that you need is a good gift. Absolutely. But it is only a tiny little foretaste a reminder, the true Brad. The true water that your soul needs is found in God, you know, I need a spouse. I want the spouse. I need that marriage. That companionship River my feet. That's a good gift from God, but the true fulfillment that your sold desperately longed for is only found in Christ himself.

But the other dimension of it is, right? That's if you're married, that's a big assumption. We might have, if you're single One wrong assumption that. We might hold on to Is sometimes in Conservative Christian circles, it can be easy, I think wrongly so they can be easy for conservative people that make marriage, the end of life, that you need to be married to be happy. That's just simply not true. When you read the Bible and the exaltation, the promise that Jesus in particular brings upon seeing when used for his glory. I love what one author said about singleness. He said, if marriage shows the shape or the image of the Gospel, singleness shows the sufficiency of the Gospel. Beautiful, beautiful statement, if marriage shows the shape or the image of the husband and wife, it's a picture of Christ and the church. If marriage shows that singleness displays and showcases the sufficiency of the Gospel, meaning you can have an extreme. The fullest was fulfilled most joyful life if you were single. If you find your identity in Christ, case in point Christ himself fully man, fully human was never married. Most of the Apostle, Paul a man who used his singleness for the good of the church and the glory of God around the world. So church for United a, whatever your marital status is. Marriage is temporary. It is a good gift, I meant to bring one, but marriage is a mirror wallet photo. Something you pull out you look at what's nice, it's a nice picture, my grandkids or my children or my, my spouse is traveling, it's a wallet photo, it Compares. Nothing to being in the presence of your spouse. That is what it's like for you. And I regarding Earthly marriage before the picture in the reality of what it's going to be. Like when we are in the presence of God when our hearts are truly filled. So Jesus here. Hear approves or faulty assumptions. But we go on. If Mary just temporary. Jesus. Secondly reinforces, what's primary? What's permanent? Citizen verse 36. They can no longer die, people in the resurrection, in the, in the new life, they can no longer die. For they are like the angels Do you notice right there? Take note of the wording. It doesn't say we've become Angels says we're like the angels in that in the end of contacts here in that we won't die Angels Are Spiritual there. They they are Everlasting or not Eternal because God created them. But their souls aren't going to perish and likewise we will not die the afterlife. The death will be no more. That's the kind of the big point. They can no longer die. They are like the Angels death will be no more the devastation in the destruction, that death brings upon us, the sorrow, the heartache, all of that is going to be gone. Revelation 21 verses three to four very well-known verse beautiful one for our souls to clean to does look God's dwelling. Place is now among the people and he was about with him, they will be his people and God himself will be with them and be their God, he will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or Mourning or crying or pain for the old Order of Things has passed away. I'm making all things new. Sweat, comes to the resurrected life, the afterlife, the new life. Yes, I understand it's not merely about the absence of pain and suffering. Sometimes we like to think that or you know we have that that back ache or that sickness or poor vision whatever might be any might think I want that to be gone. I want the bad parts of my life to be gone. That's true that the resurrected life is about experiencing the fullness of joy that God has prepared for us as psalm 16 talks about. Here's what I'm getting at the fullness of joy, listen closely the fullest of Christ, the fullness of joy that he offers to us is only available for those who are his children. It's only available for those who are his children and if you are a child of God, that is the deepest way the strongest Way by which you can experience his pleasure and its goodness, think of it like this. Are you last October? I think it was, we went to the Biltmore in Asheville or yeah. I think it's in Asheville, North Carolina. And Biltmore Estate. If you aren't familiar with it, it's just this massive, Mansion, big house in estate. And while we were there at the bottom, there are some servants quarters where people it's, it was a job or full-time job. They were allowed to live there. That was their housing, but they cook food. I cleaned the big house and whatnot took care of the grounds. So service there, Hey I picked that and it hears us if you were a servant or Butler whatever you want to turn you on to use and you serve in a loving Rich Godly person's home, Capital sinks in conjunction with both hands just for the sake of this example. You stole that person's home, you get to experience some of those blessings you get to have the leftovers in the kitchen. You get the gist, eat all of them up. You get to have your own little private room on your own little twin bed there. You get to experience the warmth of the home and they're in the cold of the winter that you can't experience some blessings of the owner. Ending scripture, we are liking to being servants. We are servants slaves of Christ as Paul. Usually identified himself, as Could you go a step further? If you are a friend of this owner, the blessings, the pleasure of the experience of the privacy in, which you can enter into more of the pleasure expanse, because you were then invited to sit at the table, you were then allowed to go play billiards in the guest room as if you've been there, you know what I'm talking about? You can go in and see the private firearms collection and try them out as a friend. You get a little more access to the riches the sooner. But if you are a child, if you are a son or daughter of this person it's you just maxed out in terms of the access you have to the riches in the blessings of this home of this family because you have this person's name and it's not as though you were just a child in this context, you are the favorite Child and you have all I need. You just get all the great attention and showering a blessing that the parents can give up on you. That is what it's like for you. And I to be a child of God, we have the most intimate access to the blessings to God himself. As Romans if you want some. Holy homework call before read, Romans chapter 8, in Ephesians chapter 1, Romans 8 verse 17 where it talks about adoption in in our status as children of God. Does this. Now if we are children, then we are heirs Heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ. Everything that Christ will inherit all the riches, all the Perfection, all the glory that Christ will inherit. It tells us we are echoaires, we are right alongside of him, in terms of what we will get from God. But it's yet to understand in scripture Heaven and the resurrected life. It's not about merely getting a gold crown or walking on a Gold Street. The Treasure of Heaven Is God himself. Because it says, if we were children we are heirs Heirs of what Heirs of who rather Romans 8:17 Heirs of God, we inherit God himself know, it might be weird to think about but remember our hearts were made for his presents. Our hearts were made for fellowship with him, and that is where we will experience it in his presence as children of God. today's world when it comes to the topic of identity, Have you thought about that before? The topic of identity? Sometimes it's on the news too much. I think. But where do we find our identity today? I'm married. I'm single. I'm a parent, grandparent. I'm white. I'm black, I'm Asian non-hispanic. I mail, I'm female. I'm a student but working professional. I'm retired, golfer on a climber. I'm a gardener my musician. I'm a movie lover or a Republican and a Democrat independent libertarian. You fill in the blank that you go on and on and on it goes that's what we rebuild our identity in these titles. But the point is this, there's only one title. It was truly last, an eternity and that is as a child of God, it's the only things that will last. You have to answer me, right? I did not say it's the only thing that matters. But the only thing that will last being a male or female that's good, being married or single. That's good being work at your being a student working. That's all good, but the only thing that will last is being a child of God, Are you building your life up on that identity? Are you building your life upon that identity? The last way, Jesus reveals himself as a god of the living. Go to text verse 3738. The accounts of the burning bush. Stop right there and just quickly point out some of y'all before for guarding reading the Bible Rising scripture. You might say, yeah, I know that verse but I'm not really good on chapter number 4, chapter verse numbers and maybe a weakness in your Christian life because if I understand the chapters and verses we have in our Bibles were added it until the twelve hundred into the 1500s 1200 through the chapters. The full chapter verse that we have wasn't finished until 2:15. So back in the day, in Jesus's time Jesus himself he did not say in Exodus chapter 3 verse 6. He said in the accounts of the burning bush so it's okay if that's your knowledge of scripture as we've had this morning in the account of Noah and the Ark. That's okay. So The accounts of the burning bush, which reference for us today, just for sake of turning their Fastlane quickly. It is Exodus chapter 3 verse 6 but in that account even Moses showed that the deadrise recalls, the Lord, the god of Abraham, the god of Isaac, the god of Jacob.

Remember the Sadducees aren't marriage, isn't the main? Thing that they're asking about, it's the Gateway into accusing and attacking Jesus on the resurrection. The big idea is to Resurrection. The resurrection is permanent, it is fixed, it is true, it's going to happen and to them. The resurrection doesn't exist in the Old Testament doesn't exist in the first five books of the Bible by Jesus shows. You see even in the book of Exodus that y'all cherish you only steam even their Moses shows that the deadrise even there there's evidence of the afterlife. Because God reveals himself as the god of Abraham. I am the god of Abraham. I am the god of Isaac, I am the god of Jacob. Active present tense past tense because this might be a semi bad example. You might communicate that point. You don't understand the language there. Hillsborough Baptist Church. I can say today, I am the pastor of Hillsborough, Baptist Church. I'm grateful to be here. It's a privilege, but by God's grace on the pastor here. If the building the entire facility, let's say we all burn down. All the ashes is all cleared away. Let's say all of y'all moved away across the country. Let's say the financial status of the church, just completely dissolve. Everything is completely wiped out and gone. I could not say, I am the pastor cuz we're Baptist Church. I could say I was the pastor cuz the implication is doesn't exist anymore. So here, Forgot to say. I am the god of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. The implication is there still living didn't say. I was the god. He said I am the god. Now, what is the point of all of this? Miss Thailand and wrap this up.

The Lord made many promises Abraham and Isaac to Jacob, I will bless you. I will give you many descendants. I will give you this land to live in. I'm going to bless you. So you can be a blessing to the nation's many promises to them. but if somebody is dead, how can you live out that promise you? You kept your promise is done in that contacts but here since they are still alive, since they're still living to some degree, but they don't have their physical bodies, they're in heaven, but sister still living. The Lord can still be faithful to the promises that he had made. To the point for you. And I today is the promises of God that he has spoken to us. They will last. They will continue. They will happen because as nasty and a strong and powerful as death. Is it cannot stop the promises of God. God is still living, he is still alive and active but also because of the Resurrection you and I will still be alive and active everything that God has promised to us will come to fruition because he is the god of the living. Too. Jesus here. He's not only established. The resurrection is true in his phone and it's going to happen but he's also pointing to an alluding to the goodness of the Resurrection. How is it a good thing? Why is it good for us? Because it's as gone. And I love what one commentator said, he said as God actively sustains, a relationship with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and even Moses is not actively sustain the relationship with these people. So today, God will sustain an active faithful relationship with you. Nothing can stop his promises. The church in conclusion. Your marriage is temporary. It's not bad news to gift, enjoy it invested in its participating but it is temporary. What is permanent? What is foundational? And that is as being children of God. That's what last that's what's permanent if it's simple. Are you building your life on that identity? Is that where you find? Your, hope your joy, your meaning, your purpose, your fulfillment in life, being his child in living as his child.

We all need to do that more and more. We all have many assumptions rather be about marriage or Heaven or Hell, or life, whatever it might be. We all have many assumptions that need to be corrected by the truth of Christ. And when God corrects us is always towards the good towards the better towards the more pleasure than enjoyable. It's our responsibility to humbly submit ourselves to him sale or do you know it's best? I don't fall in love. Just be honest with you. I don't fully get the whole marriage component of it, right? I'm not trying to act like I do. I'm just telling you what's there in scripture and Lord, I don't fully get it, but I know your ways, your word, your will is best help me to walk in accordance with it. Help me to trust you to walk a day-by-day cherishing. The gifts, you've given me but investing in building my life upon the most important identity and that is as being your son or your daughter. Church rejoice in that truth. Build your life on that truth. The lifelong Endeavor. And I'm here to remind you today. Keep On Truckin, Keep On Truckin, build your life upon your things. He's a child of God.

The church. Let's pray. Then we'll close with the doxology.

Our Father.

In this world that is ever-changing this culture. That is always seems like it's shifting from one day to the next.

Comes to our own personal emotions our own thoughts. Everything is always changing. It seems

We ask holy spirit, that you will, please anchor or Souls. And the truth and the permanent fix reality of who you are and who you called us to be. Thank you that you've given us the privilege of being your children. Thank you for adopting us into your family. We ask that you help us to. Live in such a way that that is our primary identity. Good as we derive our ultimate hope, meaning and fulfillment from being your child. Maybe then live out the rest of our identities. The rest of our roles with faithfulness with joy, with gratitude, We look forward to the day when we will be in your presence or our deepest desires will be filled. The Lord is your word. Also declares we will also be there with our loved ones. We asked you a piece of stainless help us to be faithful until that day comes. What? A glorious beautiful day. That will be. When are Jesus, we will see. Thank you for that privilege. Hold Us. Close until we see you. It's in your name that we pray. Amen.

Amen.