Matthew 22:23-33

Matthew 22:23-33

Three groups were asking questions. They were trying to trick Jesus into saying something that was wrong or they could have him killed. These groups were a combined group of religious leaders from the Council. They asked the first question (Mat_21:23-27); The next group were the Pharisees and Herodians combined (Mat_22:15-22); The last group were the Sadducees. We are talking about this group today.

Who are these people that are asking the questions?

The Sadducees: During the time of Christ and the New Testament era, the Sadducees were aristocrats. They tended to be wealthy and held powerful positions, including that of chief priests and high priest, and they held the majority of the 70 seats of the ruling council called the Sanhedrin. They believed only in the Pentateuch and they did not believe in resurrection.

The Pharisees: In contrast to the Sadducees, the Pharisees were mostly middle-class businessmen, and therefore were in contact with the common man. The Pharisees were held in much higher esteem by the common man than the Sadducees. Though they were a minority in the Sanhedrin but made most of the decision because the people could associate with them more than the elite Sadducees.
 
What is the Sanhedrin? The Great Sanhedrin was the supreme court of ancient Israel, made up of 70 men and the high priest. In the Second Temple period. Basically they were the religious governing leaders.

Mat 22:23 On that day some Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to Jesus and questioned Him, Mat 22:24 asking, "Teacher, Moses said, 'IF A MAN DIES HAVING NO CHILDREN, HIS BROTHER AS NEXT OF KIN SHALL MARRY HIS WIFE, AND RAISE UP CHILDREN FOR HIS BROTHER.' Mat 22:25 "Now there were seven brothers with us; and the first married and died, and having no children left his wife to his brother; Mat 22:26 so also the second, and the third, down to the seventh. Mat 22:27 "Last of all, the woman died. Mat 22:28 "In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her."

As stated above the Sadducees only believed in the Pentateuch, first five books of the bible. This question was derived from Deu_25:5-6.

Mat 22:29 But Jesus answered and said to them, "You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God. Mat 22:30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. Mat 22:31 "But regarding the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God: Mat 22:32 'I AM THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB'? He is not the God of the dead but of the living." Mat 22:33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

First off the Sadducees thought if we were resurrected we would be as we are now. Jesus clarified that by stating we would be like the angels and male female relations would not be there. He did not say we would not know each other just that we will not have a human body. They also could not shift from time based beings to eternal beings.

Jesus demonstrates the reality of the resurrection using only the Torah. If Abraham, Isaac and Jacob did not live on in resurrection, then God would say that He was the God of Abraham, instead of I am the God of Abraham. In other words they are not dead.

Agape

Dave          

 

 

ALL CAPS in the New Testament are used in the text to indicate Old Testament quotations or obvious references to Old Testament texts.  Variations of Old Testament wording are found in New Testament citations depending on whether the New Testament writer translated from a Hebrew text, used existing Greek or Aramaic translations, or paraphrased the material. It should be noted that modern rules for the indication of direct quotation were not used in biblical times; thus, the ancient writer would use exact quotations or references to quotation without specific indication of such.