Matthew 22:23-46
The same day Sadducees (who say there is no resurrection) came to him and asked him, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and father children for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children he left his wife to his brother. The second did the same, and the third, down to the seventh. Last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had married her.”
Jesus answered them, “You are deceived, because you don’t know the scriptures or the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Now as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead but of the living!” When the crowds heard this, they were amazed at his teaching.
Now when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they assembled together. And one of them, an expert in religious law, asked him a question to test him: “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?” Jesus said to him, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the first and greatest commandment. The second is like it: ‘Love your neighbour as yourself.’ All the law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”
While the Pharisees were assembled, Jesus asked them a question: “What do you think about the Christ? Whose son is he?” They said, “The son of David.” He said to them, “How then does David by the Spirit call him ‘Lord,’ saying, ‘The Lord said to my lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I put your enemies under your feet”’? If David then calls him ‘Lord,’ how can he be his son?” No one was able to answer him a word, and from that day on no one dared to question him any longer.
The Scriptures quoted are from the NET Bible® http://netbible.com copyright ©1996, 2019 used with permission from Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C. All rights reserved.
COMMENT & QUESTIONS
The long list of people who try to trap Jesus in an airtight logical argument continues. This time it’s the Sadducees who try their luck against Jesus. Sadducees were Jewish leaders who didn’t believe in a resurrection or in angels. Since Jesus clearly believed in angels and the resurrection of the dead, they tried to challenge Him. When he answered them, how did the crowd react?
They were amazed at His teaching. Similar to when he taught in other occasions (Matthew 7:28; 13:54; 19:25)
After the Sadducees tried and failed, the Pharisees had one last attempt to trap Jesus in His words. They asked Jesus what the greatest commandment was. After this, Jesus asked them a question in return. It was a question that identified the Christ as the Son of God. But the Pharisees couldn’t come up with any answers, so from that day on they never questioned Jesus again.
PRAYERS
Pray that as we study God’s word, we also will be able to answer those who question us Thanks that Jesus has shown us the greatest commands Thanks that we can look forward to a resurrection into a new life
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