 We're in chapter 20 here in the gospel of Luke. We're going to look at verses 27 through 38 as we continue our verse by verse study here in Luke and we have arrived at a question that we're going to be looking at. It's called the question of a resurrection and we'll be seeing that here in verses 27 through 38. So let's begin reading together here in Luke chapter 20. I'll begin at verse 27. I'll read to verse 38 and we'll get into our study. Luke chapter 20 beginning at verse 27. Luke writes, then some of the Sadducees who denied that there is a resurrection came to him and asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having a wife and he dies without children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers and the first took a wife and died without children and the second took her as wife and he died childless. Then the third took her and in like manner the seven also and they left no children and died. Last of all, the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection whose wife does she become for all seven had her as wife? Jesus answered and said to them, The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are counted worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and our sons of God being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob, for he is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to him. And so Jesus has been asked a question as we begin our study here. It's a question that is intended to entrap him. Now a moment before, as we had been looking in this particular gospel, we had seen that Jesus had already had to answer a question that was similar in its intent because we had looked at how some Pharisees in union with a group of people called Herodians had approached him and had asked him a leading question with the intent of entraping him. And so after he had answered their question, we saw that they marveled at him, they became silent, and then they went their way. So what has happened here is this answer actually is provoked to group, a group called the Sadducees. And the Sadducees have now come to ask him a question. Matthew tells us that it's immediately really because in Matthew 22 verse 23 he writes the same day the Sadducees who say there's no resurrection came to him and asked him. And so the Herodians and Pharisees had failed in their attempt to entrap Jesus but it doesn't stop the Sadducees from attempting to ensnare him. When you look in the New Testament, you see various groups of people that are identified for us. As we looked last time we saw the Herodians, more or less a political group, we saw the Pharisees, a well-known religious group, and we're introduced to another group here, a group that are called Sadducees. This is a small group of people, but these were people who were wealthy and they were very influential. They were what would be called the aristocrats of Judaism and they were resented very greatly by the people there in Israel. And the reason that they were resented is, well, one, they were in control of temple concessions. They were the ones who ran the selling of the animals and the money-changing tables and all. And that's really how they had obtained most of their wealth and their influence. Secondly, they were resented because they were pro-Roman and they owed much of their influence to Rome. And Rome had used them to help control people. They even had their own police force that you see in Scripture that is referred to as the temple guard. We see them in John chapter 18, verse 3, when it says, Judas having received a band of men and officers from the chief priests and Pharisees came there with lanterns and torches and weapons. And so they were used by Rome to control the people and the people greatly resented them. And then finally, they were very religious in the sense that they were very rigid. They were rigid in their interpretation of Scripture. They were unlike the Pharisees because the Pharisees took the totality of the Old Testament, but these rejected. They rejected the oral and they rejected the written traditions pertaining to Scripture and they prided themselves during this day as being what would be called preservers of the true faith. These are the ones who gave primacy to the first five books of the Bible and they basically ignored the rest of the Old Testament because they in their mind thought that those were the books that were inspired by God. And because of that, because they said that they did not see Moses specifically mentioning resurrection, they said therefore the resurrection does not occur. Now there's only one thing that's going to unite these people, these Sadducees with the Pharisees and that's their mutual hostility towards Jesus Christ. Jesus was one who exposed a hypocrisy not only of the Pharisees but also of the Sadducees and that has caused them to join together. Remember in Matthew in chapter 15 verses 1 through 3 how it said some Pharisees and teachers of the law came to Jesus from Jerusalem and asked why do your disciples break the tradition of the elders? They don't wash their hands before they eat. And then Jesus replied why do you break the command of God for the sake of your tradition? And he dealt with them and labeled them hypocrites. As for the Sadducees when Jesus went in and cleansed the temple he was cleaning them out also. He drove them out during peak season during the time of the Passover and that got them very upset. That had succeeded in gaining their attention as well as their anger. And so they're coming now to the Lord Jesus Christ and they're approaching him and I want you to see how they do so. Notice how it says in verse 28 that they approach him and they say teacher. Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having a wife and he dies without children his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. And so like the previous group that we saw earlier they begin their conversation with the use of flattery. They call him teacher and as they do so they begin by appealing to Moses who was the supreme spokesperson for God. And so they ask him a question and the question that they ask is a question that is burning in their hearts in the sense of their using of it to entrap Jesus. But it's really a question that burns in the heart of every person who ever lives. It's a question that every religion actually tries to answer in one way or another. It's something that's embedded within the heart of every human being. The question can be found in Job chapter 14 verses 14 and 15 when it says if a man dies shall he live again. All the days of my hard service I will wait till my change comes. You shall call I will answer you. You shall desire the work of your hands. But the question is if a man dies shall he live again. That's the question of the resurrection. Now coming from their mouth obviously it's an insincere question because they don't believe in the resurrection. But the fact is this is a question that is asked by everybody. It's a question that people want answered. It's a question that people when they come to funerals very often will hope to hear an answer for. From the time I began doing funerals many years ago now I have always given funerals with the knowledge that there are people out there who need to hear the answer to the question if a man dies shall he live again. And they will come to church services to funeral services so that somebody might give them instruction related to life and afterlife. It's a great question. It's an ancient question. It's a question that religion tries to answer. But it's a question that these people really think they already have the answer for because they deny resurrection. Now the Pharisees on the other hand believe in resurrection but not the Sadducees. Now why did the Sadducees deny the resurrection? Well part of the reason would be because they had been infiltrated by Greek philosophy. You see 150 years or so before Christ there was a man by the name of Antiochus Epiphanes who had entered into the region of Israel and had basically subjugated it and as he did so he began to do what was called the Hellenization of Israel. He started bringing in Greek thinking and Greek philosophy. The Sadducees at that time became very influenced and infected with this worldly wisdom as it related to religion. And so they had actually incorporated the wisdom of the world with their religion. And so during the time of Christ they were well known to be those who did not believe in resurrection. It was very well known. I mean we saw it just a moment ago here in chapter 20 verse 27 when Luke just tells us flat out that they deny that there's a resurrection. On one occasion in Acts chapter 23 it's found in verses 6 through 9 the apostle Paul actually used their lack of belief in resurrection to be able to deal with the situation that he was in. And we see in Acts 23 verse 8 that when Luke is writing concerning the beliefs of the Sadducees he says to us that they do not believe in a resurrection neither do they believe in angels or spirits. And so these were people who would be tantamount to what we today call religious liberals. They're people who do not believe in the Word of God. They don't believe in the afterlife in the way that the Word of God declares in all. And that's why they came to Jesus. They're trying to entrap him. And so notice what they do. They ask their question. It's a prepared question. It's found in verse 28 when they say, teacher Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies having a wife and he dies without children his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. And so what they do is they speak concerning the writings of Moses and they're speaking about a man raising up offspring for his brother. This has been called Leveret Marriage. Now why would it be called Leveret Marriage? I actually wanted to know that so I looked it up. I know you don't care, but this is why. Leveret Marriage. The reason it's called Leveret Marriage is because Lever is the Latin for husband's brother. And so you find this concept, not in Latin obviously, but you find this concept found in the Old Testament. It's found in Deuteronomy chapter 25 in the Old Testament verses 5 and 6. And it reads, if brothers are living together and one of them dies without a son, his widow must not marry outside the family. Her husband's brother shall take her and marry her and fulfill the duty of a brother-in-law to her. The first son she bear shall carry on the name of the dead brother so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel. So Leveret Marriage was intended to keep tribal names, families, and inheritances intact. And so they're appealing to Moses' writing here. That's why they say Moses wrote to us. Now in verse 29 they now give their little scenario. There were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. The second took her as wife, he died childless. The third took her, man by the time the third took her, I'd be scared if I was a fourth. I have to be honest with you. But the third took her, and in like manner, the seven also, they left no children and died. Last of all, the woman died also. And here's their question, therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become for all seven had her as wife? Now this is a question that they probably asked many times. They've often used it undoubtedly to confuse the Pharisees. And so as they ask this question, it's a prepared question, and they're waiting to confound Jesus too. So when they say in verse 33, in the resurrection, whose wife does she become, all seven had her as wife, the point they're making is this. If all eight appear in the resurrection in exactly the same condition and circumstances in which they had died, how could their marriage relationships possibly be reconciled? And so they think they have Jesus here. They think they have him on what would be called a horns of a dilemma. And so as they're standing there waiting for the master to respond, notice how Jesus responds, verse 34, Jesus answered and said to them, the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are counted worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage, nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and our sons of God being sons of the resurrection. And so Jesus begins to give the answer. Now what I want to do is I want to develop this with you by reading to you out of Matthew chapter 22, because Matthew records the same situation, but he gives us insight that I want to develop with you. Matthew chapter 22, verse 29. Matthew says in Matthew 22, verse 29, Jesus answered and said to them, now listen, you are mistaken. You do greatly error. You are mistaken not knowing the scriptures nor the power of God. That's how Jesus begins his response. You are mistaken. The word mistaken in the original language in Greek means to go astray. It speaks of wandering. It speaks to being deceived. You are deceived. You've wandered off. You've gone astray. You have wandered from the true course. And so when he begins his answer, after they ask that question by simply saying you are mistaken, he gives us two reasons why they're mistaken. These are two things we can learn about and learn from today in the 21st century. How do you become greatly mistaken concerning resurrection? How is it possible for me to actually miss the point? How can I be wandering away from the truth? What do I need to do in order to be found in that category? Well, one, I want you to notice, he makes it clear. First, the way that you can become greatly mistaken or wander off the course is by not knowing the scriptures. That's what he says here. He says, you are greatly mistaken not knowing the scriptures. So the first way for me to go off course is not to have the word of God embedded in my heart. They had made the mistake of combining Greek philosophy with the religious faith. And by combining the pure water of the word of God with a polluted stream, they went off course. And that's what takes place. There are believers who go to college. They start taking philosophy classes. They don't know the scriptures very well. And they begin to study the subjects under learned teachers. They begin to do a lot of study reading. They start doing a lot of writing. They write papers. They have debates. They discuss issues. They begin to speak concerning various thinkers that have lived in the past. And they eventually realize that they know Socrates better than they know Jesus. They don't spend the amount of time in the Word of God that they do in reading some of the things that Plato wrote. And because of that, they begin to be more aware of the things that the pagans believe and don't understand what scripture says. As a result of that, if they go through two and three and sometimes four years and then into their master's program, they're not spending as much time in the Word of God dividing it, writing about it, reading about it, and doing the things that they ought to. Before you know it, they begin to say, I think Jesus said something like this once, and it sounds very much like Aristotle said that. And before you know it, you're combining these things and you become greatly in error. That's how it works. That's how it worked in my life. When I was going to college, I went to a Bible college, yes, my first year. But I spent years in secular college. And I can tell you that when I started taking some of the classes that I took, I was a social science major. So I was taking behavioral science and various things that related to marriage and the family and theories of human development and things of that nature. I began to take things that I read from some of the secular writers and combining them with things that I thought Jesus taught. And as a result of that, I began to mix the philosophy of the world with the pure water of the Word of God. And I began to go astray in my thinking. And so it's not hard to do that at all. And that's exactly what had happened. They made the mistake of combining the world's philosophy with God's Word. And as a result of that, they created a hybrid religious faith. And they went off course. The Psalmist in Psalm 1 says to us, and I'd like to read to you the Psalm, Psalm 1 verses 1 through 6. The Psalmist begins the Psalms by saying, Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stands in the path of sinners, nor sits in the seed of the scornful. But his delight is in the law of the Lord, and in his law he meditates day and night. He shall be like a tree planted by the rivers of water that brings forth its fruit in its season, whose leaf also shall not wither. Whatever he does shall prosper. The ungodly are not so, but are like the chaff which the wind drives away. Therefore the ungodly shall not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the congregation of the righteous, for the Lord knows the way of the righteous, but the way of the ungodly shall perish. So he says, Blessed is the man who doesn't walk in the counsel of the ungodly. And if he walks in the Word of the Lord, if he meditates on it both day and night, then he's like a tree planted by the rivers of living water. Many years ago I had an opportunity, and my first opportunity to go to Dachile, and I was there in one of the cities there. And we were taking a walk, and we were walking by a river bed, and there were these enormous eucalyptus trees. I mean these trees were very, very large, and they were very lush, and the leaves were just flowing out into the water, but they were many, many feet high, and there were just rows of them all over this particular river bank, and I couldn't help but begin to think of this particular psalm here. Be like a tree planted by the rivers of water, and their leaf doesn't wither. Why is that? Because their roots are in that river, and so they're taking as much water and moisture that they need, and it continues keeping them fruitful. That's how it works. But when we stop drinking deeply of the Word of God, and we begin to take in the philosophy of the world, when we stop honoring God's Word, then we, like Jesus is speaking to these Sadducees, can be greatly in error. We can make a great mistake because we don't know the Scriptures, and when we begin to combine the world's philosophy with what the Word of God has to say, then ultimately we're simply going to be confused. What happens is confusion, and then error will result. The Psalmist in Psalm 19, verses 7 and 8 says it like this. He says, the law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul. The testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple. The statutes of the Lord are right, rejoicing the heart. The commandment of the Lord is pure, enlightening the eyes. So it's God's Word. Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way, the Psalmist says, by taking heed thereto, according to thy Word. Thy Word have I hid in my heart that I might not sin against you. And so it's in the taking of the Word of God that safeguards you from the error of the world. That's why when Paul was writing to a young pastor by the name of Timothy, it's found in 1 Timothy chapter 6, verses 20 and 21, that's why he began to close his letter. He actually closes letter by saying, oh Timothy, guard what was committed to your trust. Avoiding the profane and idle babblings and contradictions of what is falsely called knowledge by professing it, some have strayed concerning the faith. And so what happens is when you begin to pursue that which is called knowledge, and he says falsely called knowledge, when you begin to do that, you end up in error. You need to avoid the trap. I had a fellow probably about over 20 years ago now, a psychologist who called me up and not for an appointment. He wanted to talk to me about Raul. But anyway, he called me up and he said, I'd like to meet you. He said, I just opened my office. I'm a Christian and I do counseling and all and I'd like you to use me as a referral. And so I went to meet him and I went to his office and sat down and he began to share with me his background. He began to share with me quite a number of things and all. And I told him this, this is many years ago, but I said, you know, I have a real difficulty with what you're asking me to do. I said, I don't refer my people to psychologists to be honest with you. Well, what do you refer them to? I said, to the Word of God in the Spirit, to the love of the fellowship of Christ, to the things that God has given to us. I said, you know, one of the problems I have, if you don't mind, I told them. If you don't mind me telling you what I have a problem with, he says, no, that's why I'm a psychologist. No, I said, I said, I do have a problem with this. I said, my problem is I'm certain that you know more about your secular theorists in psychology than you do the Word of God. I'm sure that you spend more time studying Freud than you did Jesus. And then that causes me a problem because I'm not going to send my people to you so that you can give them the wisdom of the world when in reality they need the wisdom that comes from above, that comes from God himself. And that's how they're going to be healed. And that's what I want to see happen with my people. And that's why I will not refer them to you. And one of the courses I was taking, I was taking a master's course in Azusa Pacific many years ago now. And one of the courses had to do with psychological counseling. And I remember being seated in that class when the professor was lecturing and it was now time for questions. And I asked this question of him. I said, I'd like to ask you a simple question. And he said, okay, I said, in all of your studies related to psychological theory and the healing of the human soul, what has secular psychology added to the understanding of bringing healing into a person's broken life that scripture hasn't already given to us? What has secular psychology added to the healing of a broken human soul that scripture hasn't already revealed to us? And he thought for a moment and he said, nothing. And my second question, why am I taking your class? That's the truth. Why am I taking your class? Why do I need your class? If I already have the answer in scripture, why do I have to take your class to get a degree? I'd like to know. He said it's just part of the requirements, but there really is no reason. Listen, be very careful that you don't mix the wisdom of the world with the word of God. When wisdom speaks, it comes from scripture. And when Jesus was speaking here, he made it very clear. He said, you do greatly air, neither knowing scriptures. Then he secondly went on nor the power of God. You see, the word of God gives hope for resurrection. In the book of Job, for example, chapter 19, verses 25 through 27, we read, I know that my Redeemer lives and that in the end, he will stand upon the earth. And after my skin has been destroyed, yet in my flesh I will see God. I myself will see him with my own eyes. I, and not another, how my heart yearns within me. The Psalmist in Psalm 17 verse 15 said, As for me, I will behold your face in righteousness. I shall be satisfied when I awake with your likeness. Psalm 49 15 says, God will redeem my soul from the power of the grave. He shall receive me. Isaiah 26 19, your dead shall live, together with my dead body shall they arise. Awaken, sing, you who dwell in dust, for your dew is as the dew of herbs, and the earth shall cast out the dead. Daniel chapter 12 verses 2 and 3, many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth shall awaken. Some to everlasting life, some to shame and everlasting contempt. And those who are wise shall shine as a brightness of the firmament. Those who turn many to righteousness as the stars forever and ever. You see, that's the heart of evangelism. That's the heart of the evangelists turning many to righteousness. Why? Because there's a final judgment. Because people will be resurrected. They'll stand before the God of the earth, the judge of the earth. And so we who have a heart for the lost are those who are encouraging and communicating to people that this life that you're living in right now, isn't all there is. There's something beyond this life. And one day we all stand before the judge, the one who made heaven and earth. And therefore you need to stand in the robes of righteousness that are given to you by Jesus Christ. Because if you don't and you attempt to stand in your own robe of righteousness, then you're going to be cast out. And so that's the whole heart of it, you see. And that's the whole thing about resurrection, is the reality of the fact that the righteous are going to awaken in the likeness of Christ. We're going to have relationship with God through faith in Jesus Christ for eternity. But there are others who awaken to shame and contempt because these are people who will be resurrected and enter into judgment and eternal loss. And that's the heart of the evangelist. It's that desire to see people right. It's that desire that caused me as a young man to take the gospel from the time God gave it to me and to start sharing it with people. To tell my sister Madeline, to tell my sister Rebecca, to tell my mom, my dad, my brother, to tell them the love of Jesus Christ, to tell my friends, to tell those I knew, to tell those that I was in the military with, to tell those who I was going to school with who didn't know the Lord, to take the time in class to share the gospel whenever given that opportunity. Why? Because, because you believe, because you believe there's a life, because you believe there's a resurrection and this comes not from your imagination, it isn't wishful thinking, it comes from Scripture. The Word of God makes it clear that we're going to awaken. And I want to awaken in the likeness of Jesus and it takes place when I commit myself to Him. That's the heart of the evangelist. So they ignored the Word of God, but also they ignored His power. How can the dead rise? Well, in Jeremiah 32.17 Jeremiah says, Lord God, behold, you have made the heaven and the earth by your great power and stretched outstretched arm. There is nothing too hard for you. In Luke 1.37 with God nothing shall be impossible. And the question is asked in Acts 26.8, why should it be thought a thing incredible with you that God should raise the dead? Why is that so hard for you to grasp? It's because you don't know the scriptures and you don't know the power of God because God is the one who is going to bring people back. That's how it works. And so that's the thing that should motivate all of us as we serve the Lord is the awareness that we all will stand before the throne of God. We who are believers receive from Him the rewards for the things done in service to Him, but others are going to end up being judged. And so Jesus is speaking to them concerning this and He's trying to make it as clear as possible that they need to understand what is taking place. Now notice, continuing on how it says, and I'll read again in verse 34 of Luke chapter 20, the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are counted worthy to attain that age and the resurrection from the dead neither married nor are given in marriage, nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and our sons of God being sons of the resurrection. But even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised when He called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, for He's not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him. So what is He saying? He's saying, marriage is ordained by God but is only intended for earthly relationships. When Marie, my wife, and I were dating and she had committed her heart to Christ and and we had begun dating and now we're engaged to be married. As a new Christian, I still remember this very well, she asked me the question, am I going to be married to you in heaven? And I looked at her and I said, no, why? Why would you want that? You know my girl started to cry. She actually cried. I couldn't believe it. I remember this to this day. I remember looking at her going and I said, what are you crying about? She says, because I want to be married to you in heaven. I didn't know what to say. I was amazed that somebody liked me enough to want to spend 20 minutes with me, let alone eternity, you know. But I said, you know, honey, I said, no, the Bible makes it very clear that marriage is not necessary in heaven. You see, in heaven there's no birth necessary because there's no death there. And Jesus makes it very clear that we are like angels in heaven. In other words, there's no addition to their number. We will be spiritual in nature and we will be eternal. And so these are the things, this is the condition that we will find ourselves in heaven. I suspect, and this is just a suspicion of mine. I don't know that this is accurate or true and perhaps would be even wise not to say, but I've discovered, and some of you who've been married for a long time probably are discovering the same thing. That is, the longer that I'm married to my precious, to my wife, the more I simply enjoy her as a person. Just being with her, in fellowship with her, talking to her, spending time with her, laughing with her, just enjoying life with her. And I can see, I can see how heaven is just going to be a continuation of the more joyful and the times of just extreme blessedness that we have now, just a continuation on, in the purest sense of the word, in the purest sense of the word. And so when Jesus is speaking to these, he's making it clear, listen, you're asking me a question about something that really isn't established for eternity. Marriage is a relationship that is only necessary on the earth. It isn't necessary in heaven. And so the woman and these seven men that you say that she married, when they're together in heaven, are not going to have a marital relationship whatsoever. That doesn't exist in heaven. So your answer to that question is that one, there's no marriage in heaven, but he also goes on to make it very clear that Moses made that clear. Notice verse 37, he said, even Moses showed in the burning bush passage that the dead are raised, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. For he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him. And so he knew that any scriptures except from the book of Moses would not convince them. And so he quotes Moses. These are people who only listen to what he had to say, or at least they pretended to. And so he's saying, listen, after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were long dead, God was still their Lord every bit as much as when they were alive. And the reason is, because he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive. And so he makes it very clear that they're misreading and seeing that they relied on the writings of Moses, Jesus quotes Moses, and makes it very clear that God is the God of the living. Now there was a man, he was a 19th century missionary, his name was John Peyton. And he was going to the South Seas and he met opposition to leaving his home in Scotland and going to preach, because the people in the islands that he was going to be preaching to were cannibals. So a well-meaning church member moaned to him the cannibals, you're going to be eaten by cannibals. Without hesitation Peyton replied, I confess to you that if I can live and die serving my Lord Jesus Christ, it makes no difference to me whether I am eaten by cannibals or by worms. For in that great day of resurrection my body will rise as fair as yours in the likeness of our risen Redeemer. I'm not worried about being eaten by cannibals, because ultimately I awaken in his likeness. This is the hope of the believer. This is what we have. This is what gives me hope. This is what gave me hope when I've buried so many of my relatives, my grandmother, my uncles, and my father, and so many that I've loved is this knowledge of the resurrection that one day we shall awaken in the likeness of Jesus Christ. Sadly, the Sadducees had denied the reality of resurrection, but Jesus Christ taught it very plainly because Scripture teaches it. It's a promise to those who love Him. We are born again through faith in Jesus Christ, through the Holy Spirit being poured out into our lives. And as God saves us, we have an awareness of eternity that we are going to be spending with Him. Enjoy and pleasure on all of these things that are at His right hand. And it's sad to say that the Sadducees didn't have that hope, but we do. We do because of Jesus Christ.