Jesus Questioned About the Resurrection

GOLDEN TEXT: “For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.” —Luke 20:38

LUKE 20:27-38

THE Sadducees, “which deny that there is any resurrection,” doubtless thought that they had presented Jesus with an unanswerable question when, concerning the woman who had seven husbands, they asked, whose wife shall she be in the resurrection? From the standpoint of human reasoning this would seem to present serious complications, but not so when the divine purpose concerning the human race is taken into consideration.

When our first parents were created they were commanded by the Creator to multiply and fill the earth. (Gen. 1:27,28) They disobeyed the law of God and brought upon themselves the penalty of death. But through Jesus, the Redeemer, provision was made to restore the dead and dying world to life, so Paul wrote that by man came death, and that by man—Christ Jesus—the resurrection of the dead is made possible.—I Cor. 15:21,22

The resurrection feature of the divine plan does not occur until Christ’s second visit to earth, and is accomplished throughout the thousand years of his kingdom. By this time a sufficient number of humans shall have been born to properly fill the earth, so the purpose of marriage and the bringing forth of children will have been accomplished. Thus, as Jesus explained to the Sadducees; when awakened from the sleep of death the people will face new conditions in this respect, so will neither marry nor be given in marriage.

So far as marriage is concerned, resurrected humans will be like the angels, who do not marry and reproduce their kind. They will be like the angels also in the fact that if then obedient to the laws of Christ’s kingdom they will not die, or again go into death. Human marriage and propagation will cease, for the earth will by then be fully populated. It is concerning the human race at that time that the Revelator wrote, “There shall be no more death.”—Rev. 21:4

The Sadducees were unbelievers also in the sense that the books of Moses were the only ones of the Old Testament which they accepted as speaking with divine authority. Jesus knew this, and it was probably for this reason that he selected a quotation from the Second Book of Moses to prove to them that there would be a resurrection of the dead, even though the word resurrection is not used in the quotation which he gave them.

Jesus’ quotation was from a statement which God made to Moses at the “burning bush”—“The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” (vs. 37) In quoting this, Jesus explained that Jehovah is not a God of the dead, but of the living. (vs. 38) Many have missed the real point of Jesus’ argument in this connection, claiming that this statement proves that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are not really dead, that although they seemed to die they are really more alive now than before they died.

This is a distortion of the facts. Jesus was proving that there would be a resurrection of the dead, which meant that from the divine standpoint the ancient patriarchs had not perished, that they had merely fallen asleep in death, to be awakened in the resurrection. With respect to God’s people during the present age, Paul wrote that unless there be a resurrection of the dead “then they which are fallen asleep in Christ are perished.”—I Cor. 15:18

Jesus further explained that “all live” unto God, even though they fall asleep in death. In confirmation of this, we find the Bible over and over again referring to those who have died as being asleep. Jesus said of the brother of Martha and Mary, “Our friend Lazarus sleepeth.” (John 11:11) David wrote of the “sleep of death.”—Ps. 13:3

Those who are asleep are unconscious, and there is an expectancy of their awakening. So it is with those who are asleep in death. Because they will be awakened by divine power, they are said to live unto God. Jesus said to the Sadducees, “Ye do err, not knowing the Scriptures, nor the power of God.” (Matt. 22:29) This is true with respect to many. They deny the reality of death, and fail to understand the teachings of the Bible with respect to the resurrection of the dead.

This, in turn, is also a failure to take into consideration the almighty power of God to restore the dead to life. Millions, who believe that there is something about man which does not die when the body dies, seem unable to believe that God is able to restore life. But this latter is the hope of life beyond the grave which is held out to us by the promises of God.

QUESTIONS

Explain why it will not be necessary for the propagation of the human race to continue.

Explain how Jesus’ quotation from Moses proves the resurrection.

Explain how all live unto God.

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