23 The same day came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection, and asked him, 24 Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother. 25 Now there were with us seven brethren: and the first, when he had married a wife, deceased, and, having no issue, left his wife unto his brother: 26 Likewise the second also, and the third, unto the seventh. 27 And last of all the woman died also. 28 Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the seven? for they all had her. 29 Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven. 31 But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying, 32 I am the God of Abraham, and 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 multitude heard this, they were astonished at his doctrine. (Matthew 22:23-33 KJV)
Sadducees Ask About the Resurrection
Christ disputed with the Sadducees about the resurrection on the same day he was questioned about paying tribute. Satan was busy opposing him (Revelation 3:10). The truth in Christ always meets contradiction.
The Sadducees denied the resurrection, just as some deny God’s existence. They were named after Sadoc, a disciple of Antigonus Sochaeus, who lived about 284 years before Christ. Writers of their nation censured them for their immoral lives, which their doctrines encouraged. Though few in number, they were influential and denied the future state, asserting that the soul perishes with the body, and there are no rewards, punishments, or spirits except God (Acts 23:8).
They rejected the divine inspiration of the prophets and acknowledged only what God spoke at Sinai. Christ’s teaching on the resurrection opposed their beliefs, making them his adversaries. The Pharisees and Sadducees were at odds but united against Christ. The gospel has always suffered opposition from both hypocritical legalists and irreligious skeptics.
The Pharisees said they believed in resurrection, but they had very wrong and physical ideas about it and the afterlife. They expected it to be like the Islamic paradise, filled with the carnal pleasures of life, which may have led the Sadducees to reject the idea of resurrection altogether. This shows that when people use religion just to satisfy their desires and personal interests, it can lead others to disbelief.
Those who are mistaken deny the truth, while those who are superstitious mislead others. The Sadducees based their argument on the Pharisees’ beliefs. It’s not surprising that people focused on physical things have incorrect ideas about spiritual matters. Those who are only concerned with the natural world find these ideas silly. When the truth is shown clearly, it becomes strong and clear.
The Sadducees posed a hypothetical case to challenge the resurrection. They assumed that life after resurrection would be identical to earthly life. They referenced the law of Moses, which required a man to marry his brother’s widow if he died childless (Matthew 22:24; Deuteronomy 25:5). They presented a case of seven brothers who consecutively married the same woman, all dying without children (Matthew 22:25-27). This highlighted death’s devastation in families (Psalm 107:38-39; Job 18:19) and the obedience of the brothers to the law despite the right to refuse (Deuteronomy 25:7). Finally, the woman also died, showing that long life is merely a reprieve, not immortality (Jeremiah 25:26).
They questioned whose wife she would be in the resurrection (Matthew 22:28), implying the doctrine was absurd. Christ addresses the Sadducees’ disbelief in the resurrection by highlighting their ignorance of both God’s power and the scriptures. He states their error stems from a lack of understanding, not malice, and emphasizes that the scriptures clearly affirm the resurrection and afterlife.
Both the law and the prophets teach that there will be a resurrection for everyone, both good and bad (Ac 24:14-15). Job believed it (Job 19:26), Ezekiel saw it (Ezekiel 37), and Daniel clearly predicted it (Da 12:2). Christ rose again as the scriptures say (1Co 15:3), and we will too. The resurrection may be mysterious, but it is certain. Jesus points out that true belief in God’s omnipotence removes doubt about the possibility of resurrection, and that ignoring or misinterpreting scripture is the root of their disbelief.
Christ clarified that resurrected life differs from earthly life (Matthew 22:30). Marriage is necessary now for companionship and procreation but will be unnecessary in the resurrection. There will be no need for reproduction, as there will be no death (Revelation 21:4). The joys of heaven are spiritual, arising from union with Christ, not earthly relationships.
The resurrected will be like angels—pure, holy, and immortal. The righteous will be glorified, swift, and powerful like angels (1 Corinthians 15:42). Believers should strive to do God’s will on earth as angels do in heaven (Hebrews 12:22-23). Christ did not discuss the state of the wicked, but by implication, they will be like the devils, whose ways they followed.
To prove the resurrection, Christ cited Scripture (Matthew 22:32). God’s word to Moses—”I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob”—this implies their continued existence and a future resurrection, for God is not the God of the dead but of the living. To be someone’s God means bestowing on them eternal blessings (1 Chronicles 17:24). The patriarchs did not receive such blessings in this life, indicating a future state where they would be truly and eternally blessed. Their faith and obedience would not go unrewarded.
Thus, Christ established the truth of the resurrection, silencing the Sadducees. The multitude was astonished at Christ’s teaching (Matthew 22:33). The truth of the resurrection is one of the greatest revelations of God’s power and faithfulness. Those who deny it do so to their own ignorance and loss.