As Jesus silenced the Sadducees concerning the resurrection of the dead, He also gave us His beliefs concerning the importance of biblical doctrine, God’s plan for the future, and the certainty and nature of life after death.
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What Did Jesus Believe?
Luke 20:27-44
I want you to consider three areas of belief this morning – Bible doctrine, God’s plan for the future, and life after death. People today are all over the map when it comes to their beliefs on these three subjects. It seems that everyone has got an opinion on these things, and these opinions vary widely. However, what I’m interested in this morning is not what people believe about these subjects, but what Jesus believed about them. If Jesus Christ is the divine Son of God, then whatever He believed about these subjects is the truth.
When God instructed the children of Israel concerning the Passover, He told them that they were to select a lamb on the 10th day of the 1st month of the year. Then, for the next four days, they were to inspect the lamb and make sure it was free from any defects that would render it unfit to be sacrificed. If, during those four days, they found any spots, blemishes, or diseases in the lamb, they would have to reject it, and find another to sacrifice. Well, 1 Corinthians 5:7 tells us that Christ is our Passover lamb. After Jesus triumphantly entered Jerusalem on Sunday, for the next four days the religious leaders inspected Him, seeking to find some flaw or defect in His character or beliefs. All of Luke 20 is basically one grilling interrogation of Christ after the other. The religious leaders are seeking to get Jesus to say something that will trap Him. They hate Him, and want Him dead, and so are seeking to get Him to say something that will incriminate Himself.
Their first attack is to ask Him, “By what authority are you doing these things (cleansing the temple)”? After Jesus blocked that punch, they come back again with spies who ask Him, “Is it lawful for us to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” Of course, they do not sincerely want to know the answer to that question. They know that if Jesus says, “Yes it is lawful to pay taxes to Caesar”, then He will lose His tremendous following, because they all believed that the Messiah would never be Pro-Rome. If He says, “No, it is not lawful to pay taxes to Caesar”, the Herodians would run to the Romans, who would arrest Him for sedition. However, Jesus brilliantly asks them whose likeness and inscription is on the denarius they use to pay the tax? When they answer that it is Caesar’s, He says, “Then render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God, the things that are God’s.”
Now, the Sadducees, come to Him with a question of their own. It is important to know a little about the Sadducees. The Sadducees were one of the Jewish sects in the first century. They were the wealthy, priestly, aristocratic party in Israel. They controlled the priesthood, and had charge of the temple. They only accepted the first five books of Moses as inspired. Therefore, their Bible consisted only of Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Basically unless Moses had written it, they did not believe it was inspired Scripture. The Sadducees did not believe in life after death, angels, or spirits (Acts 23:8). Because the Sadducees did not believe in life after death, they rejected any idea of Heaven or Hell. They were the non-supernaturalists of their day. They were the religious liberals of their day.
Now, these Sadducees come to Jesus with the goal of stumping Him. They wanted to make Jesus look ridiculous and stupid, so they came with a far fetched theoretical situation. Since they believed in the inspiritation of the five books of Moses, they refer to Deuteronomy 25:5-6, “When brothers live together and one of them dies and has no son, the wife of the deceased shall not be married outside the family to a strange man. Her husband’s brother shall go in to her and take her to himself as wife and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. It shall be that the firstborn whom she bears shall assume the name of his dead brother, so that his name will not be blotted out from Israel.” In a nation like Israel, it was very important for each home to have an heir, so that the family name and inheritance and land would continue. If a man died without having a son, his name would be blotted out from Israel. So, in order to prevent that from happening, God’s Law in Deuteronomy 25 stipulated that his brother should marry the widow. When she had a son, then her deceased husband’s name would be given to the son, and the son would inherit the father’s inheritance and land. That might seem a little strange to us in our modern age, but it is only fairly recently that people married because of romantic feelings. In most of the history of the world, people married for all kinds of reasons, and romantic feelings were usually not on the top of their list.
Well, these Sadducees spin their story of an Israelite woman who lost her husband. Then her husband’s brother married her, but he also died. In fact, she ended up marrying all seven of his brothers, but they all died, without giving her a son. Now, you have to wonder, just what she was putting in their coffee in the morning! This was a very dangerous woman. After the first two or three brothers married her and died, you have to wonder how anxious the other brothers were to marry her!
According to their preposterous story, finally the woman died also. Now these Sadducees have Jesus right where they want Him. They are going to ask a question which will make Him and His beliefs look absolutely ridiculous. “In the resurrection (which they didn’t even believe in), which one’s wife will she be? For all seven had married her.”
Now, it is at this point, that Jesus responds, and begins to teach the Sadducees. You know, I’m so glad the Sadducees asked this question, because it gave Jesus an opportunity to teach, and we are forever the richer for His instruction here. As Jesus responds, we are going to see His beliefs on three important subjects: Biblical Doctrine – The Future – Life After Death.
1. Jesus’ Belief About Biblical Doctrine
The Sadducees were bringing this question to Jesus, because they were trying to denounce the idea of life after death and the resurrection of the dead. This was a doctrinal dispute. How did Jesus handle it? Well, how do most evangelical Christians handle doctrinal disputes today? Most Christians view doctrine in a negative way. They look on those who hold strongly to doctrine as divisive. They tend to see them as arrogant, believing that they are right and everyone else is wrong. We like to point out that all of the denominations that have arisen over the years have come about because of doctrinal disputes. Therefore, we have swung too far to the other side, and said, “What matters is not doctrine, but life! It’s not what you believe, but how you live that is really important! They will know us by our love, not by our doctrine!”
Now, is that what Jesus believed? When these Sadducees tried to make Him look foolish for believing in life after death, did He say, “What is really important men, is that we love one another. Look, we are all Jews, and all believe in Jehovah. Let’s not get hung up on petty little doctrinal disagreements. You don’t believe there will be a resurrection, while we do believe in a resurrection. Let’s not let that get between us. None of us can know for sure. Let’s just get together on things we can agree on, and love one another.”
No, Jesus forcefully refuted the error of the Sadducees. In fact, in Matthew 22:29, Jesus began His response by saying, “You are mistaken, not understanding the Scriptures nor the power of God.” Wow! “You don’t understand the Scriptures, and you don’t understand the power of God!” Not exactly a diplomatic answer, would you say? Jesus was more concerned about the truth, than He was about keeping the peace. Jesus didn’t say, “Hey guys, listen, I respect your opinions. It really doesn’t matter what you believe, as long as you are sincere.”
Folks, we live in a dangerous age. In our age, truth is relative, and tolerance is the chief virtue. Our generation, by and large, has rejected the idea of absolute truth. Instead, we believe that everyone’s views are valid. Nobody is wrong we are told. We must all accept everyone’s views, because they are all right. We don’t believe that anything is absolutely right or absolutely wrong any more. That’s why we live in an age where the culture has accepted homosexuality and same-sex marriage. It is because we really believe truth is relative. The only problem is that nobody else is playing that game. Those working in science or engineering or technology do not believe that truth is relative. It is only when it comes to religion and ethics that we declare that truth is relative.
My friends, truth matters! It matters whether you believe in the resurrection or not. Some opinions that people hold are right, and others are wrong. It is not true that everyone’s opinion is right. Jesus and the Sadducees were not both right. Jesus was right, and the Sadducees were wrong. It is not true that homosexual behavior is right. It is not true that abortion is right. It is not true that murder and rape are right. It is not true that fornication, adultery, lying, cheating, and swindling are right. The Bible gives objective truth to these issues.
One modern proponent of relative truth has said, “We live on a rock that orbits a third-class star in a universe where there is no ultimate truth. Morality is entirely socially contrived. Why can’t you people just let us chose who we want to spend our lives being a partner with?” Now, if this guy’s premises are true, his argument is irrefutable. If it is true that there is no objective truth, there is no God, there is no judgment and no afterlife, then why shouldn’t we just make up our ethical rules as we go along, and let everyone be happy by doing what they want to do? The problem is that his premises are wrong. There is a God. There is objective truth. There is a judgment, and there is afterlife, either in Heaven or Hell. It matters what you believe. Not all beliefs are created equal. Some are right, and others are wrong.
Now, I realize that I probably appear to others as a kind of dinosaur when it comes to these issues, but so be it. Truth is truth. Truth matters. Friends, you need to study to show yourselves approved. You need to know your Bibles, so that you will know what objective truth is. Don’t allow yourselves to be carried along by the current of popular opinion. Rather than having your convictions formed by popular culture, we need our convictions formed by a careful study of the Word of God.
2. Jesus’ Belief About The Future
Now, when I talk about the future, I am referring to what theologians call “eschatology.” Eschatology refers to the study of last things. Some people refer to this as prophecy. Others refer to it as end times. In this passage of Scripture, we get some insight into what Jesus believed about God’s plan for the future.
How so? Look at verse 34-36, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.” Now, here Jesus refers to two different ages – this age, and that age. Jesus referred to this back in Luke 18:30 when he said that there was no one who has left house or wife or brothers or parents or children for the sake of the kingdom of God, who will not receive many times as much at this time and in the age to come, eternal life. There it is again – “this time” and “the age to come.”
In Matthew 12:32 Jesus said, “Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man, it shall be forgiven him; but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit, it shall not be forgiven him, either in this age or in the age to come.”
Paul said in Ephesians 1:21, that God set Jesus “far above all rule and authority and power and dominion, and every name that is named, not only in this age but also in the age to come.”
Clearly, there are only two ages in the Bible – this age, and the age to come. Those two ages exhaust all time. There is no other age. Now, what divides those two ages? What event brings the present age to a close, and introduces the age to come? Look in our text. Verse 35 says, “but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead…” That age is parallel to the resurrection from the dead. The event that divides this age from the age to come is the resurrection from the dead. Well, when does that take place? Listen to 1 Thessalonians 4:16-17, “For the Lord Himself will descend from heaven with a shout, with the voice of the archangel and with the trumpet of God, and the dead in Christ will rise first..” When will the dead in Christ rise? When the Lord descends from heaven. Verse 15 says it is at the coming of the Lord.
Matthew 25:31-46, gives us a very simple and clear picture of the future. Verse 31 says, “But when the Son of Man comes in His glory, and all the angels with Him, then He will sit on His glorious throne. All the nations will be gathered before Him; and He will separate them from one another, as the shepherd separates the sheep from the goats; and He will put the sheep on His right, and the goats on the left.” The passage goes on to say that He receives His sheep into an eternal kingdom, while banishing the goats to an eternal hell. So, what takes place when Jesus comes back? This age ends, and the age to come begins. He resurrects all men, and judges all men, and assigns all men to either heaven or hell.
Now, why is all this important Brian? It is important because if take these clear straight-forward passages at face value, we end up with an understanding of the future that is different from much that is taught today. Ever since I was saved in 1979, I was taught a particular view of the end times. I was taught that Christ would return one day, and then reign on earth for a thousand years from Jerusalem. During this “millennium” there would be people living in resurrected bodies like Jesus, and others who would live in mere mortal bodies. At the end of the 1,000 years, Satan would stir up people to attack Christ and His people, but that fire would come down from heaven to devour them.
Now, in 1992, I began to question that whole system of eschatology. I did a fresh study of the Bible. Rather than looking at the more complicated and obscure passages in Daniel and Revelation, I went to the plain straight-forward passages in the New Testament to see if I might understand the future better. As I studied, it became clear to me, that the Bible portrays the future very simply. I had been taught a very complex view of the future. I was told there would be a “secret rapture”, and then seven years of tribulation on the earth. At the end of the seven years, I was told that Jesus would return to establish His earthly kingdom for 1,000 years. After the 1,000 years, I was told that He would judge the wicked and cast them into hell, and then the eternal state would begin. I was shown large charts detailing the 7 seals, and the 7 trumpets, and the 7 bowls, and what all of them were meant to portray. After studying the clear statements in the New Testament for myself, I drew some basic conclusions.
- Jesus Christ will return.
- When Jesus returns, He will raise all men from the dead.
- Then Jesus will assign all men their eternal destinies.
Now, there are basically two different views on God’s plan for the future. There is the Premillennial view, and non-Premillennial views. The Premillennial view says that after Jesus returns, He will set up an earthly kingdom for 1,000 years.
Now, let’s examine that view to see if it squares with what Jesus believed in Luke 20. If there is an earthly millennial kingdom, it would have to be in either this age or the age to come, because those are the only ages there will ever be. An earthly millennium can’t be in this age, because this age ends when Christ comes back, and the earthly millennium is said to take place after Jesus returns. So, it is very clear that the millennium propounded by the Premillennialists can’t be in this age. Well, what about the age to come? Maybe the earthly millennium will be in the age to come. No, it can’t be there either, because when Jesus returns, He raises all men, judges all men, and casts all unsaved people into eternal hell. The Premillennial view of the future states that there will be unsaved people living on the earth during the 1,000 years that will be deceived by Satan and attack Christ and His people. Well, that can’t be, because all unsaved people have been cast into hell at the second coming of Christ. There are no unsaved people around after Christ returns. Therefore, an earthly millennium can not exist in the age to come either.
Well, if an earthly millennium cannot exist in this age or the age to come, where does it exist? No where! My conviction is that the Bible does not teach an earthly millennium after Christ returns. The Bible teaches that He has a kingdom right now, and will continue reigning over that kingdom until He returns in glory.
It seems to me that Jesus did not believe in a future earthly millennium. He believed that He would return one day, raise all the dead, judge all men, and assign all men their eternal destinies, and then the eternal state would commence.
3. Jesus’ Belief About Life After Death
- It Will Be Different From This Life (20:34-36). You see, the error the Sadducees made was in thinking that life in the age to come would be exactly the same as life in this age. Jesus says that it will not be the same. He says that “the sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; for they cannot even die anymore, because they are like angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”
Now, let’s break down that statement, and try to understand it on a deeper level. How will we be like the angels?
No Marriage. First, Jesus teaches that there will be no marriage in heaven. That makes sense because Ephesians 5:32 says that marriage is a picture of Christ and the Church. In the age to come, we will no longer need the picture, because we will be experiencing the reality. Angels do not marry. Angels do not procreate. All the angels were created by God at a single time. Angels do not give birth to other angels. In heaven, we will be like the angels, in that we will not be married or having children.
No Death. Angels do not die, unlike us mortals. Jesus says that in the resurrection we cannot even die anymore. Since no one dies in heaven, there is no need to procreate to repopulate heaven. When all God’s elect have been brought to heaven, no one will ever be added, and no one will ever be subtracted. The full number of God’s elect people will dwell in heaven forever. Imagine being in a state where you can never die!
- It Is Certain (20:37-38). That is the point that Jesus is making in verses 37-38, “But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the burning bush, where he calls the Lord THE GOD OF ABRAHAM, AND THE GOD OF ISAAC, AND THE GOD OF JACOB.
Now He is not the God of the dead but of the living; for all live to Him.” Jesus is dealing with Sadducees that ridicule the idea of a resurrection. Now that Jesus has taught them that life in the age to come will have some differences from life in this age, He goes on to tell them that this resurrection is certain and will take place.
It’s interesting how He argues this. Of course, Jesus could have pointed out some very clear passages like Daniel 12:2, or Job 19:25-27. But Jesus knows that the Sadducees do not believe those passages are inspired Scripture. They had used a writing of Moses to argue that the resurrection could not be true, so Jesus refers to a writing of Moses to prove that it is true. Jesus takes them to Exodus 3:6, where God says, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Jesus is making the point that God did not say, “I was the God of Abraham”, but “I am the God of Abraham.” If God was still the God of Abraham, then Abraham must still be alive, and if so, then there is life after death.
Jesus was dogmatic about life after death. He was certain about that. And, with good reason. Jesus would know, wouldn’t He?! Man has always intuitively known that there must be life after this one. The American Indians were often buried with their bow and arrows and sometimes his dead pony, so that he could have them in the happy hunting ground. Norsemen were buried with a dead horse and armor to carry on life in the world to come. In Greenland, children were buried with a dog to guide them through the cold wasteland in the after life. In the ancient Greek religion, a corpse was often buried with a silver coin in his mouth to pay the fare across the river of death into the land of resurrection life. Mankind has always known that there must be life after death. However, in our day, there are plenty of those who deny it. Many teach that when man dies, he simply ceases to exist. His body goes into the grave, and he is no more. However, Jesus teaches authoritatively that the soul lives on.
Conclusion
My friend, you and I will live forever, either in Heaven or Hell. What will make the difference? Jesus gives us a hint in verse 35, “but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection of the dead.” Well, who are those who are considered worthy? According to the Bible all of us are unworthy. In fact back in Luke 17:10 Jesus taught that we should say, “We are unworthy slaves.” The Bible teaches that there is none righteous, not even one. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Well, if all have sinned, if all have fallen short of God’s glory, if all are unrighteous, then all are unworthy. Who then is worthy to attain to the resurrection of the dead? There is only one person who has ever lived who is worthy. That person is the Lord Jesus Christ, who lived a perfect life of obedience to God’s will.
Those who are considered worthy, are those who are united to Jesus Christ. His righteousness becomes theirs through faith. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “He made Him who knew no sin, to be sin on our behalf, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” How does a person become considered worthy of heaven? Only by faith in Christ. Only by the gospel of grace. It is interesting to me that Jesus does not say, “but those who are worthy to attain to that age.” Instead He says, “but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age.” God must consider you, count you worthy for Christ’s sake.
My friends, has God counted you righteous, because you have placed your trust in Him alone?
Do you have the same beliefs as Jesus Christ? Do you believe that Biblical doctrine is important and that we should strive to understand truth more and more? Do you believe that as soon as Christ returns, and puts a period on this age, that the age to come will commence? Do you believe that we will live forever with Christ in a place of glory and beauty? I hope so, because that is what Jesus believed. Let’s pray.
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