Luke 20:33

Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.

Luke 20:33 (KJV)

Context

This verse records the Sadducees’ concluding question in their attempt to trap Jesus about the resurrection. The Sadducees, a Jewish sect that denied the resurrection, present a hypothetical case based on the levirate marriage law from Moses (Deuteronomy 25:5-10). In their scenario, a woman marries seven brothers in succession, each dying without leaving children, and finally the woman also dies.

Meaning

The Sadducees’ question reveals a fundamental error: they were reasoning about the resurrection state using earthly categories. They assumed that the resurrection would be a mere continuation of earthly life, with the same relationships and social structures. Their question was designed to make the doctrine of the resurrection seem absurd or contradictory.

Jesus’ response, which follows in Luke 20:34-38, corrects their misunderstanding. 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.

Biblical connections

The parallel accounts in Matthew 22:23-33 and Mark 12:18-27 record the same confrontation. In Matthew 22:29, Jesus states that the Sadducees erred because they knew neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. This highlights that their question was not merely a legal puzzle but a failure to understand God’s power to transform existence.

Application

This passage 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.

Reflection

The Sadducees’ question challenges us to examine our own assumptions about the afterlife. Do we limit God’s power by imagining the resurrection as merely a continuation of this life? Jesus invites us to trust that the life to come will be a transformed existence, where we will be fully united with God and with one another in ways that surpass our present understanding.