Dead or Alive?

What happens after death? What happens between death and the return of Christ? Where are our loved ones? Let’s understand that God is the God of the living because to him all are alive. Let’s discuss the Sadducees, an ancient marriage custom and resurrection questions in Luke 20:27-38.

Sadducees

Luke 20:27 Now there came to Him some of the Sadducees (who say that there is no resurrection)

In Israel a religious party was also political. Sadducees were conservatives preserving Temple worship. The more liberal Pharisees believed people could worship God anywhere. The Sadducees also did not believe in a resurrection. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not often in agreement but they were united in opposition to Jesus.

Trick Resurrection Question

Luke 20:28-33 and they questioned Him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers; and the first took a wife and died childless; 30 and the second 31 and the third married her; and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. 32 Finally the woman died also. 33 In the resurrection therefore, which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”

In ancient times marriage was more practical than purely romantic. Ancient societies gave agricultural inheritance through the males. Females would usually be joint-owners with their husband. Where ancient culture was unfair, Israel created exceptions. Levirate marriage was where a man married his deceased brother’s wife to ensure the family inheritance.

This is the background to the question. Whose wife will she be in the resurrection? It was designed to trick Jesus about the resurrection, something the Sadducees did not believe in. Important beliefs in Christianity are repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1-3).

An ancient Ugaritic and Hittite levirite custom was also normal in Israel. After seven marriages, whose wife will she be? Was it meant to poke fun, disproving the resurrection? Jesus did not answer the question but pointed out how ridiculous it was because there is no marriage in the resurrection.

Resurrection Questions

Luke 20:34-36 Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; 36 for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.

People ask if the giants of old were hybrid children of angels and women. Jesus quite clearly states, at the resurrection people do not marry or give in marriage, but are like angels. People are called sons or children of God too, but this verse adds immortality to that description.

Are we disappointed that there will be no sex or earthly family life? Remember that eternity will be far and above any earthly experience. Will we recognize our current earthly families? Though Jesus did not directly address that question, he did say that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would be recognizable.

Dead or Alive?

Luke 20:37-38 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.”

We read in that account that God said “I am [not WAS] the God of your father—the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (Exodus 3:6; Matthew 22:32; Mark 12:26). We learn much more about the resurrection in 1 Corinthians 15:35-58.

Like some today, the Sadducees did not believe all of scripture. They focused mainly on the five books of Moses, which do not seem to directly mention the resurrection. Jesus showed them that even Moses understood the resurrection when describing the Lord as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Jesus spoke regarding the patriarchs that, God is the God of the living not the dead. The original Greek says “all live to him.” God is the God of the living implies something more than just a future life. It implies that our lives today are already touched by eternity.

Is the departed spirit asleep until Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15)? What about the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) or Stephen’s prayer “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59)? Is resurrection instantaneous after death where believers receive a spiritual body (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)?

Is the spirit absent from the body and consciously present with the Lord in heaven (Philippians 1:19-26) but awaiting a body at the return of Christ (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)? All die and by God’s grace we can enter his joyful presence forever (Luke 20:27-38).

God is the God of the living because to him all are alive. Therefore, let us stand firm. Let nothing move us. Always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.

New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Readings

Haggai 1:15b-2:9

After having been devastated by persecution, or falling away from the truth, or generational change, or urban decline, many churches are in need of encouragement to rebuild. May this encouragement to be zealous in rebuilding the Temple, encourage us to be strong in rebuilding our local churches.

Psalm 145:1-5, 17-21

In a world that praises materialism and corruption, may we stay strong in praising God above all else. May we praise God with as much or more enthusiasm than fans show to men in colorful athletic gear chasing a little air-filled leather bladder across a cow paddock.

2 Thessalonians 2:1-5, 13-17

What an encouragement regarding our merciful God! Our prayers are not answered due to legalistic observance, but because of truth, reverential fear, our love for Him. Let us not be deceived by arrogant people who try to lead us astray.

Luke 20:27-38 in Rhyme

Now there came to Him some Sadducees
Who say that there’s no resurrection
They posed questions for His expertise
A man reaches life’s expiration

He dies childless and Moses taught us
His brother should marry the widow
To raise children for his brother up
Now then seven brothers did ditto

The second and the third married her
And in the same way all seven died
Childless, her death did also occur
Whose is she a resurrection bride

She had been married to all seven
Jesus said marriage is for this age
It’s different in the resurrection
No giving or taking in marriage

For they can’t even die anymore
Because like angels, they’re sons of God
Sons of the resurrection what’s more
The dead are raised, Moses spread abroad

Describing the burning bush he said
Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob’s God
He’s God of the living not the dead
For all live to Him, so said our Lord

God of the living

Intro

What happens after death? What happens between death and the return of Christ? Where are our loved ones?

Goal

I want us to understand that God is the God of the living because to him all are alive.

Sermon Plan

We will start by reading Luke 20:27-38, then discuss the Sadducees, an ancient marriage custom and resurrection questions.

Sadducees

Who were the Sadducees? Under King David temple liturgy was organized by a high priest named Zadok. Possibly under that Zadok or a later name-sake, a group formed to support temple worship. Their name Sadducees refers to Zadok. In Israel there was no separation of church and state, so any such religious party was also a political party and Jesus’ comments about them were also political criticisms. Sadducees were conservatives believing that preserving temple worship would perpetuate God’s blessing. After the destruction of the temple in 70 AD, they lost followers and disappeared. They opposed the more liberal Pharisees who believed that people could worship God anywhere. The Sadducees also did not believe in a resurrection as this discussion shows. The Pharisees and Sadducees were not often in agreement but they were united in opposition to Jesus.

Trick levirate question

In ancient times marriage meant survival and was often more a business arrangement than romantic. Ancient law gave agricultural inheritance through the males. This was because females would usually marry and thus be partners in their husband’s farmland. Israel inherited this practice but made exceptions where the general rule created an unfair situation. The necessity for a male heir created the levirate marriage, where a man married his deceased brother’s wife so as to ensure the family inheritance. This is the background to the trick question the Sadducees asked Jesus. Whose wife would she be in the resurrection? The question was not sincere but designed to trick Jesus about the resurrection, something the Sadducees did not believe in. Important beliefs in Christianity are repentance, faith, baptisms, laying on of hands, resurrection, and eternal judgment (Hebrews 6:1-3).

The mocking marriage puzzle

The Sadducees’ questioned Jesus perhaps with mocking humor: Moses perpetuated a Ugaritic and Hittite custom that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, he must marry the widow and raise up offspring to inherit his brother’s land. Now there were seven brothers. The first one married a horrible woman and rather than live with her he died in self-defense, childless. The second and then the third married her, and in the same way each of the seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died too. Now then, at the resurrection whose wife will she be, since the seven were married to her? Was it meant to humorously disprove the resurrection? Jesus did not answer the question but pointed out how ridiculous it was because there is no marriage in the resurrection.

Resurrection questions

How will life be for eternity? Our passage gives us a few hints. How will we look at the resurrection? Luke reveals that we will be very different from how we are now. There will be no childbearing or human-style family life. Will we recognize our earthly families? Though Jesus did not directly address that question, he did say that Abraham, Isaac and Jacob would be recognizable. So, it is reasonable to assume that we would know family members who are also there. It is also reasonable to speculate that current close bonds of love between family members on earth would naturally continue. What about body and spirit? Whatever happens in the meantime, whether or not body and spirit are separated for a time, completeness of resurrection will mean body and soul together for eternity.

Abraham, dead or alive?

In our text Jesus spoke of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and that God is the God of the living. Some Bibles explain this as “to him all are alive” but others say something closer to a literal translation of the original Greek like “all live to him.” As we humans perceive things, people are either dead or alive, but obviously God perceives the reality of things beyond our physical ability to know. Does this mean that Abraham is literally alive now in heaven or just that God counts him as being alive because he will be in the future or that after death a timeless eternity has already begun? There are people who believe different sides of that discussion. But does it really matter since eternity is something beyond our understanding anyway and in that eternity all are alive?

They can no longer die

What does it mean that those who are accounted worthy to partake of that age, and are resurrected from the dead can no longer die? The Sadducees were not so different from us, in that they tried to obtain eternal life through their children by perpetuating family lineage or family names. It is a worldly version of eternal life. Even today, some conversations tend to sideline those who cannot have children or have the gift of celibacy and so choose to remain single. Marriage is indeed honorable, but so is celibacy. We do not then, need to be married and have children to be assured of everlasting life with God. When we reorient our thinking away from the values of this world to those of the next, then we begin to see things as God does.

Unrestricted love

Many people have attempted to find cheap immortality by experiencing unrestricted sexual love. Our world continues to suffer the consequences of breaking sexual taboos. Sexual restrictions are for this life and create a safety zone which perpetuates family units and healthy societies. Yet in the resurrection there will be no need for restrictions on love, because marriage and sexual love will no longer exist. To those who have suffered horrible sexual experiences this may be good news. It is also good news to those who have had wonderful marriages with lifelong joy. The joys of human sexuality are only a pale foretaste in comparison to the eternal pleasures of the resurrection. There will be no such boundaries to our relationships in God’s presence forever because in the resurrection there will no monogamous marital relationships, just unrestricted love.

God of the living

Presumed dead but alive seems to be a theme regarding the patriarchs and matriarchs of antiquity in the Gospel message according to Luke. Many Sadducees were wealthy priests who did not believe in the resurrection. Luke quoted Jesus as saying that God is the God of the living. Phrases similar to God being the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are repeated often in the Old Testament. Yet were they not all dead? If so, then God would be called the God of the dead. So, they must be alive to God, even though we call them dead. The parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) also shows Abraham as alive. God is the God of the living implies something more than just a future life. It implies that our lives today are already blessed with eternity.

Between death and resurrection

Is the soul as well as the body asleep until Christ’s return (1 Corinthians 15)? How could that square with the parable of Lazarus and the rich man (Luke 16:19-31) or Stephen’s prayer “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit” (Acts 7:59)? Are passages referring to death as a sleep literal or figurative? Is purgatory the place of judgment (Hebrews 9:27) and where atonement may be made for the dead (2 Maccabees 12:43-45)? Is resurrection instantaneous after death where believers receive a spiritual body (2 Corinthians 5:1-10)? Is the spirit absent from the body and consciously present with the Lord in heaven (Philippians 1:19-26) but awaiting a body at the return of Christ (Philippians 3:20-21; 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17)? All die and by God’s grace we can enter his joyful presence forever (Luke 20:27-38).

Outro/Take Home

God is the God of the living because to him all are alive. Therefore, let us stand firm. Let nothing move us. Always give ourselves fully to the work of the Lord, because we know that our labor in the Lord is not in vain.