Questions About The Resurrection

Sadducees are kind of like liberal Theologians today. They didn’t believe that their would be a resurrection, they didn’t believe in angels, they didn’t believe in spirits.

With that being said the only reason that they are asking Jesus this is to try to back Him into a corner with a question concerning Levirate marriage.

Expound on Levirate marriage

This is why I like how Matt 22:29 points out that they don’t even understand scripture. Much less the power of God.

So Jesus gives a little lesson on heaven.

v.34

Sons of This Age

The people here and now. They marry as part of life.

Why we marry:

Companionship

love, a friend, ect.

Security

The husband provides and offers security.

The wife offers security and stability in taking care of the house.

Then Jesus switches to speaking of the age to come.

v.35

Considered Worthy

Not those who are worthy, but considered worthy.

An clear distinction.

The worth that isn’t inherent value.

God is the only one is has true inherent worth.

Revelation 4:11

Revelation 4:11 ESV

11 “Worthy are you, our Lord and God, to receive glory and honor and power, for you created all things, and by your will they existed and were created.”

We are considered worthy because our worth is a attributed worth, it isn’t something that we inherently possess.

Baseball cards, are they worth anything inherently in themselves? No. The value is if someone attributes worth to them because of rarity or a rookie card. Not becasue they are inherently valuable.

Our value is because of the work that God is doing in us!

2 Thess 1:11

2 Thessalonians 1:11 ESV

11 To this end we always pray for you, that our God may make you worthy of his calling and may fulfill every resolve for good and every work of faith by his power,

The prayer of Paul was that God would make them worthy.

We do not have inherent worth, but God is working in us.

Why? God loves us and finds value in us.

Because of this we are encouraged to walk in a way worthy.

Col 1:10

Colossians 1:10 ESV

10 so as to walk in a manner worthy of the Lord, fully pleasing to him: bearing fruit in every good work and increasing in the knowledge of God;

Because our worth isn’t inherent. Because He attributes value to us and considers us worthy.

Walk and live in a way to honor him.

v.35

We attain to the resurrection, not because of our worthiness based on our works.

It is all of Christ.

Marriage

There isn’t a need for marriage anymore.

Companionship:

The love and joy that you have with your spouse. The relationship that you have will have fulfillment in Jesus.

There is a chance that without sin, we will have a close relationship with everyone.

You will still be able to see, recognize your spouse.

Security:

God will be our security. The one who provides for us in every way.

Lack of Death:

This ties into security.

If a woman’s husband dies the Levirate marriage was to protect her from being on the streets.

The lack of death shows that the need for that protection is gone.

The Resurrection

We find the Sadduccees questioning Jesus, not believing in the resurrection of the dead.

Today there are people who question not just the notion of eternal life. But also the thought of Jesus rising from the dead.

In our faith this is a very important topic to look at, the resurrection.

1 Cor 15:12-14

1 Corinthians 15:12–14 ESV

12 Now if Christ is proclaimed as raised from the dead, how can some of you say that there is no resurrection of the dead? 13 But if there is no resurrection of the dead, then not even Christ has been raised. 14 And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain.

Our faith is in vain if their is no resurrection.

Why do we do what we do, why do we live the way we live.

It should be becasue we believe in the resurrection.

God of the Living

The Sadduccees deny the resurrection so Jesus points them to the passage in the Torah which demonstrates that their is life after death.

Exodus 3:4-6

I AM the God of your father.

Not the statement I was the God of Abraham.

This is a statement of being.

God is saying, Abraham is still alive. Though not on this earth and not in His body…yet who he is lives on.

This is what Jesus means in v.38. He is not the God of the dead, but the living.

Do you believe in the resurrection?

Sorry, I meant does the way you live show you believe in the resurrection?

Some people are good at playing the long game, some focus on the here and now.

Are you focusing on the really really long game....eternity?

There are crazy things going on in this world. But do we set our sights on Jesus.

Do you realize that death, is inevitable.

What are you doing to set yourself up for the life that is to come. For the life that will never end.

We need to recognize that we cannot be good enough, we need to believe and place our trust in the one who is worthy. Then we bear fruit in keeping with the word of God, living to honor the one who calls us worthy.