Luke 20:27-47

Some of the Sadducees (a religious group that denies there is a resurrection of the dead) came to ask Jesus this question: “Teacher, the law of Moses teaches that if a man dies before he has children, his brother should marry the widow and raise up children for his brother’s family line. Now suppose there was a family with seven brothers, and the oldest married and died without children. Then his brother married the widow, and he too died with no children. And it continued to happen, one brother after another brother, until each of the seven had married the widow and died childless. Then finally, the widow died too. So here’s our dilemma: Whose wife will the woman be when she’s resurrected from the dead? Which of the brothers will be her husband, since all seven were once married to her?” Jesus replied, “Marriage is meant for this world only. Those who are worthy of the resurrection from the dead into glory become immortal, like the angels, who never die nor marry. When the dead come to life again, they will be children of God—the children of the resurrection. Even Moses taught the resurrection of the dead when he wrote of the Lord God who was at the burning bush and said ‘I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.’ Don’t you agree that God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living? For in his eyes, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are alive forevermore. He is the God who raises the dead.” The experts of the law chimed in, “Yes, Teacher, you speak the truth beautifully.” From then on, the religious Sadducees never dared ask Jesus a question again. Jesus then posed this question to the people: “How can the experts of the law say that Messiah is David’s son? Haven’t you read in the Psalms where David himself wrote: The Lord YAHWEH said to my Lord, ‘Sit near me in the place of authority until I subdue all your enemies under Your feet!’ ” Jesus explained, “If David calls this one ‘my Lord,’ how can he be his son?” Within earshot of all the people, Jesus warned his disciples, “Don’t follow the example of these pretentious experts of the law! They love to parade around in their religious garments so that people honor them wherever they go. They like to sit right up front in every meeting and push their way to the head table at every banquet. And for an offering they will pray long religious prayers at the homes of widows, cheating them out of their very livelihood. Beware of them all, because one day the Judge will strip them of honor, and judge them severely.”