The Sadducees’ Question Matthew 22:23-33

Introduction Jesus was teaching in the temple during the last week of His earthly ministry Different groups of Jews came to Him with questions After Jesus had answered the Pharisees question about paying tribute to Caesar, the Sadducees came to Him Their question shows that their motive was not to learn the truth but to promote their own belief and teaching I want to study their question and Jesus’ answer in the lesson this morning

The Sadducees One of the two major sects or religious parties of the Jews Though they were fewer in number than the Pharisees, they held positions of power and influence among the Jews They denied the resurrection of the dead- v. 23 They also denied the existence of angels and spirits- Acts 23:8 They were just as corrupt as the Pharisees- Mt. 3:7 These are the Jews that came to Jesus with a question about the resurrection of the dead

Their Question-1 It dealt with a teaching in the Law of Moses that has been called the Levirate law It said that when a man who had no son died, his brother was to marry his widow and their firstborn son would carry on the name of the man’s dead brother- Deut. 25:5-6 If the brother refused he was to be publicly dishonored-vv The marriage of Boaz and Ruth is similar to a levirate marriage, though Boaz was not her brother-in-law- Ruth 3:13

Their Question-2 In their question a woman had married seven brothers who all died without having a son, and finally she died They asked, “Therefore, in the resurrection whose wife of the seven she be? For they all had her.”- v. 28 No doubt, they thought that the situation in their question proved that there could not be a resurrection of the dead For there would be strife rather than peace among those who are raised

Jesus’ Answer-1 He did not hesitate nor study to come up with an answer He first said, You are mistaken;- v. 29 Jesus gave two reasons for their error and a third is implied 1.They were ignorant of the scriptures They could have and should have known what the scriptures taught about life beyond the grave Daniel prophesied about it- Dan. 12:2 Other scriptures also suggested that truth- II Sam. 12:23

Jesus’ Answer-2 People today should know what God’s word teaches on many subjects, but they behave as if they do not Some are ignorant because the scriptures do not agree with what they want to believe or do The Sadducees had ruled out the resurrection by their own reasoning and theories Many people today are rejecting the plain teachings of God’s word for their own reasoning and preferences

Jesus’ Answer-3 Those who do so will walk in an error that leads to destruction- Prov. 14:12 2.Jesus said they did not know the power of God The scriptures reveal the power of God By the power of His word, He created the worlds- Heb. 11:3 And by His power God created man out of the dust of the ground- Gen. 2:7

Jesus’ Answer-4 It is not incredible that One who has the power to create man also has the power to impart an eternal spirit and give him a new body- Eccl. 12:7 By denying the resurrection, the Sadducees denied God’s power Skeptics today deny all the miracles recorded in the scriptures and so deny God’s power also God can and will do all that He has said He would do and all that He has promised to do

Jesus’ Answer-5 3.Jesus said that things are going to be different in the resurrection- v. 30 A truth that many are willingly ignorant of today He said that there will be no marriage then Marriage is for life in a physical body In the resurrection the saved will have an eternal spiritual body like the angels, and marriage will not be needed- I Cor. 15:44

Jesus’ Answer-6 Jesus used a necessary inference in answering the Sadducees In doing so, He showed that this is an appropriate way of understanding the meaning of the scriptures God said to Moses, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob?”- Ex. 3:6 Since God is the God of the living, they must have been alive when God spoke to Moses All the faithful dead are in the Lord’s care and will live with Him forever after the resurrection

In Conclusion The people were astonished by Jesus’ teaching- v. 33 His word contains the answer to all the questions that we face Human reasoning is just as fallible and dangerous today as that of the Sadducees in the first century We must study the Bible to know and to understand God’s word and His will for us And be sure that we are relying on the answers it provides Have you submitted your life to Christ?