Chapter 93

THE SURETY OF OUR RESURRECTION

Matthew 22:23-33

Before we begin this study let us pray.

Dear Holy Father, Almighty God,

We come before You in the name of Your only begotten Son, Jesus Christ. Father God, as we read and study Your Word please open our eyes, ears and heart so we can truly see, hear and understand what You are teaching us. Please move upon us and cause us to be certain of the fact that the life we now have in this physical world is only a moment of time when compared to the eternal life You have set before us.

Amen

INTRODUCTION

We begin this study by reading about the confrontation Jesus had when the Sadducees tried to discredit the Biblical teaching of our resurrection. To do this we go to,

Matthew 22:23-33

[23] The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him and asked Him, [24] saying: “Teacher, Moses said that if a man dies, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. [25] Now there were with us seven brothers. The first died after he had married, and having no offspring, left his wife to his brother. [26] Likewise the second also, and the third, even to the seventh. [27] Last of all the woman died also. [28] Therefore, in the resurrection, whose wife of the seven will she be? For they all had her.” [29] Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God. [30] For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven. [31] But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, [32] ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’

God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.” [33] And when the multitudes heard this, they were astonished at His teaching.

To help us understand the more significant points of this confrontation we will:

1. Review the scenario the Sadducees used to try and trap or trick Jesus.

2. Explore Jesus’ response to the Sadducees.

3. Review four examples that bear witness to the truth of Jesus’ teaching.

4. Consider three points or messages from this study.

With this introduction in mind,` we begin by reviewing how the

SADDUCEES TRIED TO TRAP OR DISCREDIT JESUS

We begin by noting the fact that the Sadducees, who, at this point in time of Israel’s history, were one of the three major sects of the Jewish religion. Unfortunately, the Sadducees,

DID NOT BELIEVE IN THE RESURRECTION

This is revealed to us in,

Matthew 22:23

[23] The same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to Him …

To justify their position the Sadducees developed, from the Scriptures, a scenario to illustrate the rational for their unbelieving position. To see this let us read,

THE SCENARIO THAT WAS PRESENTED TO JESUS

To read the Sadducees s scenario we go to,

Matthew 22:23-28

The foundation of this scenario was not based upon the Sadducees imagination. No! As stated in verse 24, it was based upon the law given by Moses. To see this let us go to the Old Testament and read the Scriptures from where the Sadducees got the basis or foundation for their scenario. To do this let us go to and read from,

Deuteronomy 25:5-6

[5] If brothers dwell together, and one of them dies and has no son, the widow of the dead man shall not be married to a stranger outside the family; her husband’s brother shall go in to her, take her as his wife, and perform the duty of a husband’s brother to her. [6] And it shall be that the firstborn son which she bears will succeed to the name of his dead brother, that his name may not be blotted out of Israel.

With the above scenario in mind, let us now explore,

JESUS’ RESPONSE

Jesus’ response to the Sadducees, Jesus brought to their attention three very important issues with respect to their beliefs.

First of all, Jesus told the Sadducees that,

THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE SCRIPTURES OR THE POWER OF GOD

To see this, we begin by rereading Jesus’ opening statement to the Sadducees as it is recorded in,

Matthew 22:29

[29] Jesus answered and said to them, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God.”

It is noted that within this portion of Jesus’ response He told the Sadducees they did not follow two significant principles for reading and using the Holy Scriptures.

The first principle is that,

All Biblical doctrine must be in harmony with the entire Biblical message

In other words, Jesus was teaching them and now us that to truly understand the Holy Scriptures we must consider all of its teachings within the context of the entire Bible. Basically, Jesus told the Sadducees that they only picked and chose the Scripture that would enhance their belief.

To see this let us read the Scripture Jesus said they ignored in their scenario. It is recorded for us in,

Matthew 22:31-32

[31] But concerning the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was spoken to you by God, saying, [32a] ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob…

The above Scripture is an excerpt of what God told Moses to say so the Israelites would know it was He who sent him to deliver them from their bondage to Egypt. This is recorded in,

Exodus 3:14-15

[14] And God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM.” And He said, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’” [15] Moreover God said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the children of Israel: ‘The Lord God of your fathers, the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, has sent me to you. This is My name forever, and this is My memorial to all generations.”

After Jesus quoted the above Scriptures to the Sadducees, He then told them the following,

[32b] … God is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

As we see from the above illustration, before we believe or develop a Biblical doctrine, we must, with prayer, do our best to be sure it fits within the entire Biblical message.

The second principle is that,

Scriptures are to be read with an understanding of God’s power and might

The implication of this is recognizing what God once said to the prophet Jeremiah. The Scripture of interest is when God told Jeremiah that after their captivity in Babylon, He was going to bring them back from Babylon and restore their city. To Jeremiah this promise seemed to be a very unlikely proposition. Consequently, God told Jeremiah that nothing was too difficult for Him. To read what He said we go to,

Jeremiah 32:26-27

[26] Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, [27] “Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for Me?”

To amplify upon this truth let us read what Jesus once said concerning the ability of a man to save himself. To do this we go to,

Mark 10:27

[10] But Jesus looked at them and said, “With men it is impossible, but not with God; for with God all things are possible.”

In other words, when we read the Scriptures, we are to remember we are reading God’s Words and promises; not mans.

The second issue Jesus brought to light concerning the Sadducees belief was their lack of understanding of,

WHAT THE RESURRECTION WILL BE LIKE

To see this let us read what Jesus said as it is recorded in,

Matthew 22:30

[30] For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels of God in heaven.

To expand upon this portion of Jesus’ response, we go to,

Luke 20:34-36

[34] Jesus answered and said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage. [35] But those who are counted worthy to attain that age, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage; [36] nor can they die anymore, for they are equal to the angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.”

In considering the above incredible promise, the question may arise as to; “What is Jesus teaching us?” “Can it be that Jesus is teaching us that after the resurrection we will have a new body?”

The short answer to the last question is yes. Unfortunately, the Scripture also teaches us that it has not yet been revealed as to exactly what we will be. However, the Bible does teach us that we will have a new body and this new body will not only be like the angels but also like Jesus’ new body. To see this let us read from,

1 John 3:2

[2] Beloved, now we are children of God; and it has not yet been revealed what we shall be, but we know that when He is revealed, we shall be like Him, for we shall see Him as He is.

To expand upon the above Scripture let us read what God the Holy Spirit wrote, by the hand of Paul, to the church in Philippi. To do this we go to,

Philippians 3:20-21

[20] For our citizenship is in heaven, from which we also eagerly wait for the Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ, [21] who will transform our lowly body that it may be conformed to His glorious body, according to the working by which He is able even to subdue all things to Himself.

Now some may wonder; “How can this be?” During the days when the Apostle Paul was preaching and teaching about the good news of Jesus Christ, there were those who had the same question. To read the explanation the Holy Spirit gave in Paul’s first letter to the church in Corinth, we begin with,

1 Corinthians 15:35

[35] But someone will say, “How are the dead raised up? And with what body do they come?”

In response to these questions, God the Holy Spirit provided the people within the church in Corinth and now us the following four examples.

The first example is that of a seed

This is recorded for us in,

1 Corinthians 15:36-38

[36] Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. [37] And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. [38] But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body.

The second example is that between animals & men

This example is recorded for us in,

1 Corinthians 15:39

[39] All flesh is not the same flesh, but there is one kind of flesh of men, another flesh of animals, another of fish, and another of birds.

The third example is that of the heavenly bodies

This example is recorded for us in,

1 Corinthians 15:40

[40] There are also celestial bodies and terrestrial bodies; but the glory of the celestial is one, and the glory of the terrestrial is another.

NOTE: Celestial means those bodies of the heavens. These would be angels, cherubim, etc. Terrestrial means those bodies of the earth. These would be the living things on earth.

Let us now continue with the Holy Spirit’s explanation by reading from,

1 Corinthians 15:41-49

[41] There is one glory of the sun, another glory of the moon, and another glory of the stars; for one star differs from another star in glory.

This brings us to the fourth and last example, which is,

The example of Jesus

This is recorded for us in,

1 Corinthians 15:42-45

[42] So also is the resurrection of the dead. The body is sown in corruption, it is raised in incorruption. [43] It is sown in dishonor, it is raised in glory. It is sown in weakness, it is raised in power. [44] It is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body. There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body. [45] And so it is written, “The first man Adam became a living being. The last Adam became a life-giving spirit.”

Let us explore in more depth the following portions of verse 45.

45a … God made Adam to be the first physical living man.

45b … The last Adam, who is Jesus Christ, through His physical death and resurrection, became a life-giving spirit. Thus, Jesus was raised up or resurrected in a spiritual body.

The Bible teaches us that those who are true born-again believers in Jesus Christ have been given eternal life with Jesus Christ. Consequently, we too must ultimately dwell in a spiritual body. To see this let us now continue our reading from 1 Corinthians and read from,

1 Corinthians 15:46-49

[46] However, the spiritual is not first, but the natural, and afterward the spiritual. [47] The first man was of the earth, made of dust; the second Man is the Lord from heaven. [48] As was the man of dust, so also are those who are made of dust; and as is the heavenly Man, so also are those who are heavenly. [49] And as we have borne the image of the man of dust, we shall also bear the image of the heavenly Man.

This brings us to the third issue with the Sadducees belief. Specifically, they did not realize that,

EVEN THOUGH WE DIE, WE ARE ALIVE

Given the significance of this truth, let us read again what Jesus said to prove to the Sadducees, who did not believe in the resurrection, that they were mistaken. However, this time let us read it as it is recorded in,

Mark 12:26-27

[26] But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, “I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? [27] He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken.”

At the time God spoke to Moses, the bodies of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were buried for well over 1600 years. The question arises as to; “What was Jesus teaching them and now us?” The answer to this question is that after we pass on, that is physically die, even though our body is still here on earth, our spirit and soul will be with God in Heaven. In other words, all of us, who are true born-again believers in Jesus Christ, will be with Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and all of God’s children who passed away before us. To confirm this truth let us read the following excerpts from the Apostle’s Paul’s second letter to the church in Corinth.

2 Corinthians 5:1

[1] For we know that if our earthly house, this tent, is destroyed, we have a building from God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

Let us continue our reading from,

2 Corinthians 5:5-8

[5] Now He who has prepared us for this very thing is God, who also has given us the Spirit as a guarantee. [6] So we are always confident, knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord. [7] For we walk by faith, not by sight. [8] We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

To emphasis the truth that even though we die we are alive, let us read what Jesus once said to Martha. The statement of interest for this study is what He said before He commanded Lazarus, the brother of Martha, to come out of the tomb. To read what Jesus said we go to,

John 11:25-26

[25] Jesus said to her, “I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in Me, though he may die, he shall live. [26] And whoever lives and believes in Me shall never die. Do you believe this?”

As we ponder Jesus’ question to Martha, it is the same with us. Specifically; “Do we truly believe that even though we may die we shall live?”

To help cement this belief within us let us review,

Four examples that illustrate this glorious truth,

The first example comes from the Old Testament and is that of,

The prophet Samuel

To read what occurred we go to,

1 Samuel 28:3-14

[3] Now Samuel had died, and all Israel had lamented for him and buried him in Ramah, in his own city. And Saul had put the mediums and the spiritists out of the land. [4] Then the Philistines gathered together, and came and encamped at Shunem. So Saul gathered all Israel together, and they encamped at Gilboa. [5] When Saul saw the army of the Philistines, he was afraid, and his heart trembled greatly. [6] And when Saul inquired of the Lord, the Lord did not answer him, either by dreams or by Urim or by the prophets. [7] Then Saul said to his servants, “Find me a woman who is a medium that I may go to her and inquire of her.” And his servants said to him, “In fact, there is a woman who is a medium at En Dor.” [8] So Saul disguised himself and put on other clothes, and he went, and two men with him; and they came to the woman by night. And he said, “Please conduct a séance for me, and bring up for me the one I shall name to you.” [9] Then the woman said to him, “Look, you know what Saul has done, how he has cut off the mediums and the spiritists from the land. Why then do you lay a snare for my life, to cause me to die?” [10] And Saul swore to her by the Lord, saying, “As the Lord lives, no punishment shall come upon you for this thing.” [11] Then the woman said, “Whom shall I bring up for you?” And he said, “Bring up Samuel for me.” [12] When the woman saw Samuel, she cried out with a loud voice. And the woman spoke to Saul, saying, “Why have you deceived me? For you are Saul!” [13] And the king said to her, “Do not be afraid. What did you see?” And the woman said to Saul, “I saw a spirit ascending out of the earth.” [14] So he said to her, “What is his form?” And she said, “An old man is coming up, and he is covered with a mantle.” And Saul perceived that it was Samuel, and he stooped with his face to the ground and bowed down.

Let us notice the following verses,

3a … The prophet Samuel had passed away.

3b … King Saul expelled the spiritists and mediums out of Israel. To read why King Saul did this we go to the following passage from the Law of Moses.

Leviticus 20:6-8

[6] And the person who turns to mediums and familiar spirits, to prostitute himself with them, I will set My face against that person and cut him off from his people. [7] Consecrate yourselves therefore, and be holy, for I am the Lord your God. [8] And you shall keep My statutes, and perform them: I am the Lord who sanctifies you.

Let us return to 1 Samuel and notice the following verses,

4-6 … King Saul was extremely afraid of the impending attack by the Philistines. However, because of King Saul’s past behavior of not trusting and following God’s commands, God did not answer Saul’s inquiry of what to do.

7 … Not hearing from God, Saul again took things in his own hand, ignored God’s command, and searched for a medium. He did this to bring up the prophet Samuel for advice of what he should do to protect Israel from the impending invasion.

11-13 … Saul asked the medium to bring up the prophet Samuel. When she saw Samuel’s spirit ascending from the earth, she recognized King Saul.

14 … After the medium described the person she saw, Saul knew it was Samuel. Thus, even though Samuel had passed away, his spirit and soul was still alive. This is the same for us.

However, since Jesus already had made atonement for our sins, our spirit and soul will not be in the earth but will be in Heaven with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

To confirm this truth, we go to “The Amplified Bible” and read from,

2 Corinthians 5:4-8

[4] Now while we are in this tent, we groan, being burdened [often weighed down, oppressed], not that we want to be unclothed [separated by death from the body], but to be clothed, so that what is mortal [the body] will be swallowed up by life [after the resurrection]. [5] Now He who has made us and prepared us for this very purpose is God, who gave us the [Holy] Spirit as a pledge [a guarantee, a down payment on the fulfillment of His promise]. [6] So then, being always filled with good courage and confident hope, and knowing that while we are at home in the body we are absent from the Lord - [7] for we walk by faith, not by sight [living our lives in manner consistent with our confident belief in God’s promises] – [8] we are [as I was saying] of good courage and confident hope, and prefer rather to be absent from the body and to be at home with the Lord.

Before we move on it must be strongly emphasized that what King Saul and the woman, did was and is still forbidden. In other words, as we read earlier, a true born-again believer in Jesus Christ is forbidden to consult with mediums, spiritists or engage in any activities such as Ouija Boards, Tarot Cards, Astrology Readings, etc. As a quick reminder let us read from,

Leviticus 19:31

[31] ‘Give no regard to mediums and familiar spirits; do not seek after them, to be defiled by them: I am the Lord your God.

Keeping the above Scripture in mind it is again strongly pointed out that this example of King Saul and Samuel was not to encourage us to consult with mediums, spiritists or the dead. This example was given to reveal to us that when Samuel died, he was not destroyed or evaporated or ceased to exist. No! Samuel was and is still alive. In other words, even though Samuel’s decaying body was still in the earth’s grave, his soul and spirit were alive.

In reading the New Testament one will find times when those who passed away were restored to their physical life upon this earth. One of the purposes of these events was to bear witness to the truth that even when our physical body dies, our spirit and soul are still alive.

For example, there was the time when Jesus called Lazarus, Martha and Mary’s brother, who was dead for four days, to come out of the tomb (see John 11:1-44).

Another example of when Jesus raised the dead is when He restored to life upon this earth the only son of a widow (see Luke 7:11-16).

The New Testament teaches us that even the apostles brought back the dead to their life upon this earth. For example, in Acts 9:36-45 we read about the time when Peter restored Tabitha, who was a disciple of Jesus Christ, back to life upon this earth. Thus, this act, along with the previous examples, supports the truth that even though we may die, our spirit and soul are still very much alive.

For our fourth and last example let us read about,

The resurrection that occurred after Jesus’ resurrection

To read what happened we go to the time after Jesus released His Spirit from His body. In giving up His Spirit He became a physically dead person. However, after Jesus Christ was resurrected from the dead, God also resurrected other people who were dead and in their graves. To read about this event we go to,

Matthew 27:50-54

[50] And Jesus cried out again with a loud voice, and yielded up His spirit. [51] Then, behold, the veil of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom; and the earth quaked, and the rocks were split, [52] and the graves were opened; and many bodies of the saints who had fallen asleep were raised; [53] and coming out of the graves after His resurrection, they went into the holy city and appeared to many. [54] So when the centurion and those with him, who were guarding Jesus, saw the earthquake, they feared greatly, saying, “Truly this was the Son of God!”

We now come to the message or,

THE THREE POINTS OF THIS STUDY

Actually, there are three points or messages to be made.

First Even though the born-again believer may physically die, our spirit and soul are still alive. To see this, let us first read from,

John 11:25-26

As we saw earlier, before our resurrection, when our spirit and soul are absent from our earthly body they have actually gone to be with our Lord. To refresh our memory let us reread from,

2 Corinthians 5:8

[8] We are confident, yes, well pleased rather to be absent from the body and to be present with the Lord.

Second If there is an earthly body, there will be a spiritual body.

As we read earlier, this truth is recorded in,

1 Corinthians 15:44b

[44b]... There is a natural body, and there is a spiritual body.

To expand upon this truth for the born-again believer in Jesus Christ, let us reread,

Philippians 3:20-21

Third We will have to answer to Him for our actions while we were in our earthly body.

It is noted that in the previous two points or messages the Scriptures that were used applied to those who were true born-again believers in Jesus Christ. This was not intended to imply that those who are not true believers in Jesus will not be resurrected.

To see this let us read the vision God gave the Apostle John with respect to the upcoming judgment for each one of us. To do this we go to,

Revelation 20:11-15

[11] Then I saw a great white throne and Him who sat on it, from whose face the earth and the heaven fled away. And there was found no place for them. [12] And I saw the dead, small and great, standing before God, and books were opened. And another book was opened, which is the Book of Life. And the dead were judged according to their works, by the things which were written in the books. [13] The sea gave up the dead who were in it, and Death and Hades delivered up the dead who were in them. And they were judged, each one according to his works. [14] Then Death and Hades were cast into the lake of fire. This is the second death. [15] And anyone not found written in the Book of Life was cast into the lake of fire.

However,

If our name is written in the Book of Life, meaning that we are true and faithful born-again believers in Jesus Christ then the following Scriptures is God’s promise to us.

Revelation 21:1-7

[1] Now I saw a new heaven and a new earth, for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away. Also there was no more sea. [2] Then I, John, saw the holy city, New Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. [3] And I heard a loud voice from heaven saying, “Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people. God Himself will be with them and be their God. [4] And God will wipe away every tear from their eyes; there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying. There shall be no more pain, for the former things have passed away.” [5] Then He who sat on the throne said, “Behold, I make all things new.” And He said to me, “Write, for these words are true and faithful.” [6] And He said to me, “It is done! I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End. I will give of the fountain of the water of life freely to him who thirsts. [7] He who overcomes shall inherit all things, and I will be his God and he shall be My son.

Blessed be the Lord forever,

Amen and Amen

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