[Luke 20 Part 2] Jesus Teaches on the Resurrection: In part 2 of Luke 20, Jesus addresses several controversies of His day among the Pharisees and Sadducees. These groups argued over whether or not there was any resurrection, and if there was what it meant for certain problematic doctrines. Jesus answers these controversies and stuns His hearers with His wisdom and His understanding of the afterlife and the implications of eternity for us as individuals.
[Luke 20:26 KJV] 26 And they could not take hold of his words before the people: and they marvelled at his answer, and held their peace. 27 Then came to [him] certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, 28 Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 29 There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. 31 And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. 32 Last of all the woman died also. 33 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. 34 And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage: 35 But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage: 36 Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37 Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. 38 For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him. 39 Then certain of the scribes answering said, Master, thou hast well said. 40 And after that they durst not ask him any [question at all]. 41 And he said unto them, How say they that Christ is David’s son? 42 And David himself saith in the book of Psalms, The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, 43 Till I make thine enemies thy footstool. 44 David therefore calleth him Lord, how is he then his son? 45 Then in the audience of all the people he said unto his disciples, 46 Beware of the scribes, which desire to walk in long robes, and love greetings in the markets, and the highest seats in the synagogues, and the chief rooms at feasts; 47 Which devour widows’ houses, and for a shew make long prayers: the same shall receive greater damnation.
Jesus is approached by the Sadducees in v. 27 and asked about the subject of resurrection. The Sadducees were an elite priestly caste, claiming their legacy from the Old Testament priests of Zadok. They were literalists in their interpretation of the Torah. Because they didn’t see mention of the resurrection in the Torah, they did not believe in an afterlife, like their counterparts the Pharisees did. In asking Jesus about a hereafter, they were not seeking genuine wisdom or knowledge from Jesus; instead, they were continuing the attempt to snare Him with their words. The question at hand focuses on a theoretical account of seven brethren, each of whom married the same widow, each dying without children from the marriage. The problem is, in the resurrection (if in their eyes, there were to be a resurrection), which of the brothers would be the wife of the first brother.
Jesus is very gracious in His reply, merely pointing out that in the resurrection, there will be neither marriage or the giving in marriage. The presumption of theologians suggests that there may be no gender identity in eternity, but that men and women will be androgynous creatures without any specific correlation in appearance or function to their earthly masculinity or femininity. While this assumption might be made, it isn’t exactly what Jesus says. He states that the institution of marriage will not be in existence in eternity, not that we will cease to be either male or female. Paul states in 1 Cor. 13:12 that in heaven, we will be known as we are known. If then you are known on earth as a male, you it follows then the suggestion that you will be perceived that way in heaven, or conversely as a female, etc.
Jesus goes on to give us more insight into our existence in eternity in v. 35, stating that resurrection from the dead will be a matter of being accounted for or found worthy. This suggests that, to some degree, heaven will be a meritocracy. We tend to believe even in Christianity a very vague and general concept that anyone dying, for the most part, will get to heaven as long as their sinfulness is not extreme or obnoxious during our earth life. We have a general idea that there is a hell because you cannot believe in the bible in any fundamental way without admitting that hell is a possibility. Still, in most funeral services, there would be no mention of the deceased going there by even the most fundamental of our funeral service providers. How often is the remark made over an inveterate pagan now passed on that the preacher “preached him into heaven” even though they showed absolutely no interest in God or spiritual things their entire life. If we are to believe the words of Jesus and the writing of the scripture then we can only accept in the light of Jesus’ statement in v. 35 is obtaining to heaven is a matter of being accounted worthy, and the real possibility that many, perhaps most passing on in death will not enter there.
