# God of the Living - MATTHEW 22:23-33 - 2024-08-29 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him and asked him a question: “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers among us; the first married and died, and, having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. So the second, and the third, through the seventh. And last of all, the woman died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her." But Jesus answered them, "You are wrong, because you know neither the scriptures nor the power of God. For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said 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.” And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching. --- This reading from Matthew shows us Jesus's wit and his ability to use the scriptures to confound his opponents. The Sadducees, who didn't believe in the resurrection, tried to trap Jesus with a scenario about levirate marriage and whose wife she would be in the resurrection. Jesus responds by saying that in the resurrection there is no marriage, they are like angels. He then points to the scripture where God says "I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob." He says God is not the God of the dead but of the living. This is a key point: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are dead to us, but to God they are alive. The implication is that they will be raised. This is a powerful statement because it shows that the resurrection is a reality. The Sadducees were trying to show that the resurrection would be absurd because of marriage laws. But Jesus points out that the nature of the resurrected life is different; there is no marriage. Then he uses their own accepted scripture (the Pentateuch) to prove that the resurrection is biblical. This is a good reminder for us that the God we serve is the God of the living. That means that all who have died in Christ are alive with Him. We don't need to fear death, because to be away from the body is to be at home with the Lord. Our loved ones who have passed away are alive in Christ. This is a comforting truth. --- **Call to action:** Consider the hope we have in the resurrection. Are you living as if this life is all there is, or as a child of the living God?