Luke 20:33
Context:This verse is part of a passage where the Sadducees, a religious sect in Jesus’ time, pose a hypothetical question to Jesus about marriage in the afterlife.
The Sadducees did not believe in the resurrection of the dead, and they attempted to challenge Jesus with a question that seemed to contradict the concept of resurrection.
Understanding the Verse:To understand this verse in its context, let’s examine the broader passage, starting from Luke 20:27:
“Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, 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. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And 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 of them is she? for seven had her to wife.”
The Sadducees present a scenario where a woman marries seven brothers successively, each brother dying without having children with her. Then they ask Jesus, “In the resurrection, whose wife will she be, since all seven had her as a wife?”
Jesus’ Response:In Jesus’ response, which follows in Luke 20:34-38, He explains that in the resurrection, people will be like angels and will not marry or be given in marriage. He clarifies that those who are considered worthy of attaining the resurrection of the dead will be sons of God, being children of the resurrection.
Primary Message:The primary message in this passage is that the Sadducees’ question was based on their limited understanding of the resurrection and the nature of the afterlife. Jesus corrects their misconception by explaining that in the resurrection, people will experience a transformed existence, no longer bound by earthly relationships such as marriage.
Nature of Resurrection:This passage also teaches us about the nature of resurrection and eternal life. Jesus affirms the reality of resurrection and indicates that the resurrected life will be different from our earthly life. It emphasizes the spiritual and eternal aspects of our existence, where the focus will not be on earthly relationships but on our relationship with God.
