The Resurrection

Testament lesson is from Luke chapter 20, 27 through 44. Now there came to him some of the Sadducees who say that there is no resurrection. And they questioned him saying, Teacher, both this wrote for us that if a man's brother dies having a wife and he is childless, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. Now there were seven brothers and the first took a wife and died childless and the second and the third married her and in the same way all seven died, leaving no children. Finally, the woman died also in the resurrection therefore which one's wife will she be, for all seven had married her. Jesus said to them, 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 where they cannot even die anymore because they are like angels and our sons of God being sons of the resurrection 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 living him. Some of the scribes answered and said, teacher, you have spoken well or they did not have courage to question him any longer about anything. Then he said to them, how is it that they, how is it that they say the Christ is David's son? For David himself in the book of Psalms, the Lord said to my Lord, sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet. Therefore David calls him Lord and how is he his son? The passage were considering the Old Testament lesson as you know it was referenced by our Lord Jesus and so in a sense that is also included and you have those references in your bulletin and we will refer to them again. This is a good passage to remember the fact that doctrine is important. Here is a place where Jesus is asked a theological question and he gives an answer. He knows that there is division on this particular issue. The Sadducees are known to not believe in the resurrection or angels or that sort of thing and they ask that question with everyone knowing that that was their view and Jesus did not respond. Listen, let's just love one another. They'll know, you know, doctrine divides. Let's let's not worry about this one. Some have given, not Aquinas, a Godston credit for this although in my checking it out on the web, some Dr. Rodus dissertation has to do with the fact that it wasn't but you know the quote perhaps in Essentials unity and non-essentials liberty and in all things charity. One of the sermons I listened to in preparing to preach to you myself, the fellow used the idea of levels. You know there's first level doctrines that we hold to like the Trinity like the deity of Jesus Christ. In fact we used to call them the fundamentals not too long ago. Inspiration of the Scriptures, deity of Jesus Christ, angels, virgin birth, miracles, these sorts of things. Our responsive, not responsive, our creed this morning, the Nicene Creed was a statement of faith of Essentials, the Trinitarian Creed. In this particular one, giving specific emphasis on our Lord Jesus Christ that he was God and man. Begot not made, being of one substance with the Father by whom all things were made so on and so forth, emphasizing those things that are important. Second level some would call it. Second level would be things we may debate upon you know how much water do we use in baptism and these sorts of things. They'd be second level or non-essentials perhaps. The difference between reformed theology and Armenianism, there's some debate upon well is that really a second level but I'd say yes, you can know the Lord Jesus and think that you had more to do with it than he had to do with it and in fact the preacher I listened to said you know in heaven the Armenians will be Calvinists of whatever. You know some doctrines though they're important they touch on Essentials like the sanctity of marriage one man and one woman living together as one and in our day with you know gay lesbian transgender bisexuality as being in the secular culture promoted as normal. There's an emotional issue in fact I was asked just this week by someone what's your view about gays and lesbians and I wasn't sure where they were coming from and I wish I would have maybe started with just a question and said what do you mean or what's your view or something else but nevertheless I started to say well you know the scriptures record lots of sins and that's in the list kind of like adultery and so on and so forth but I want you to know that viewing that as sin doesn't mean that the person has love procedure and should be run from and this sort of stuff we all struggle with sin and we should show people respect and such and it was when I said that that this person said oh well this loved one in their family was lesbian and she wasn't so much looking to know if I thought that it was sin or not or what the Bible says about it she wanted to know how would we treat that person if they were here the doctrines like Jesus faced last week or emotional doctrine should we render taxes to Caesar there was some question about that and there was a good biblical answer to that but it was an emotional thing because Rome had occupied Jerusalem and all of Judea as well as so much of the Roman world and there was an emotional response to that there are some doctrines that have that this one it seems to be more of a rational argument right they come with their question and they ask a rational they give a rational proof for the non-existence of the resurrection and this isn't this is important stuff this this really does impact the way we live what we what we believe and I think while when we come to Christ when he saves us we have all sorts of things misunderstood and mistaken in our minds and maybe even a doctrine like this for for us who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ for those who are going to grow in our relationship for those who know and want to grow this is just an essential doctrine and there's a lot for us to see in here I want to treat it though somewhat as an emotional doctrine I don't want you to just have some sort of rational response my isn't Jesus great in his ability to argue with the Sadducees it's okay to be in awe of that he is pretty amazing he never lost an argument but that's not the amazing thing we we really I suppose my proposition would be something more akin to this worship Jesus who is the Lord of the resurrection that kind of sums it up we'll look at it in two points worship Jesus the Lord of the resurrection the first point worship Jesus because he is the Lord of the resurrection they the Sadducees come the Sadducees were the kind of important political religious political figures they had a lot to do with who the next chief priest would be they were aristocratic they held to the first of five books of Moses you know the the Pentateuch the law but they didn't necessarily hold to the rest of the scriptures nor the missionary or Talmud or these other writings they they were a little bit unique that way they weren't afraid to mix it up with the the governing authorities the Romans and yet they also took seriously the purity laws and as it related to the temple and stuff so they're they're interesting people like I say they they did not believe in the resurrection Luke tells us that in the very first verse we looked at verse 27 they came to him there came to him some Sadducees who say there is no resurrection Luke will tell us in the book of acts when Paul is on trial and he sees that those who are judging him have both Pharisees who believe in resurrection and Sadducees who doubt he'll say I'm on trial for the resurrection and it causes a great stir and Luke records in that context this for the Sadducees say there is no resurrection nor an angel nor a spirit so you get a sense of the the rationalism that they hold to as they come to this and they bring from the law from that part of the scriptures that they see as authoritative and coming from God they bring a law that we commonly call the leverate law and they talk about it fairly cogently they give a great summary if you want to read it in its context it's Deuteronomy chapter 25 specifically verses 5 through 10 but I like the way they put it I think they they say it pretty well when when they say a teacher Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies having a wife and he is childless his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brothers living a society a time where the family line is very important and whether and there's a range marriages and while this is so totally different than anything we know culturally it was the way things were practiced then and this law fit the people of God in this time and so they take this this leverate law by the way more emotional reading if you will would be the book of Ruth and chapter 4 in particular where to marry Ruth meant raising up heritage for her dead husband and Boas took that on but anyway you can read about that and they bring this question and they they ask Jesus the logical question okay seven brothers all were married to her none had children she dies okay and heaven how's it going to work out all seven had her as wife and their logic seems to be what we have in this life matches what we would have in eternity only we would last forever so that the big difference between now and eternity is longevity right and based on that they say okay here we got your hands down you can't answer it now Jesus does have an answer and he he starts really with the conclusion and then gives the biblical text for it and then in case you think there is contradiction in the scriptures they both quote the law and one law says this and one law says that there is no contradiction Matthew and Mark also record this incident and both of those gospels they record Jesus saying you are mistaken not understanding scripture or the power of God I think that's really significant I don't know why Luke chose not to include that but but I pointed out to you that the problem isn't that the scriptures contradict themselves they don't the problem with the Sadducees was they were mistaken they didn't understand the scriptures and they didn't understand the power of God and so Jesus begins to correct them and he gives the teaching the sons this is verses 34 to 36 the the sons of this age Mary and are given in marriage but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead neither Mary nor are given in marriage for they cannot even die anymore because they are like angels and our gods our sons of God being sons of the resurrection let me ask you the emotional question how do you feel about that can you take Jesus literally on that especially if you have a good marriage I kind of tell you when I read this or have at least in the past and I read this it's a bit of a burden to me because probably the well no probably the greatest thing that ever happened in my life was my conversion how God saved me and the grace he shows me day by day but aside from that the next greatest thing that has ever happened in my life is that God gave Sarah to me yeah I'm glad you care about our marriage that's good Danza I love her and it's hard to imagine life being better not being married to her you feel that way there is an emotional aspect about that and and we may struggle with that and just for a second if you'll allow me partially to speak to that and say a few things one is our problem is we know this life but we don't know that life but we do know some of the scriptures that talk about that life and and we don't have a long time to trace this up so let me just give you a few things you know when when Paul talked about the resurrection and first Corinthians 15 he talked about the body okay and he talked about the body being like a seed that is planted that you know a seed seed seed would grow a wheat plant and the seed looks nothing like the plant itself and we could extend that you know a seed for a tree or whatever for beautiful flowers you know spring's not that far away although it feels like it this weekend we know that a seed and the thing the seed produces are two different things and Paul even makes a point the seed's got to die before this can happen and he talks about the resurrection that way too so also in the resurrection of the dead it is shown perishable a perishable body it's raised an imperishable body it is shown in dishonor it is raised in glory it is shown in weakness it is raised in power and he goes on with this saying it's different it's it's completely different it's the life and the resurrection is completely different that's what Jesus is saying as well and I might want to push even on relationships again we don't have a lot of time and so just short to say our relationships now are like seed compared to what they will be like in heaven even Paul when he talks about marriage and Ephesians five that great passage that talks about husband and wife and so on he comes to almost the conclusion of the teaching on husband and wife and he says for this cause he quotes the Old Testament right he quotes Genesis the law for this cause the man shall leave his father and his mother and shall cleave to his wife and the two shall become one flesh this mystery is great speaking about marriage now very next verse says nevertheless I'm speaking about Christ in the church we don't know what it's going to look like but I want to tell you in no uncertain terms that there is nothing in this life that is better than it will be in heaven the best bliss that life in parts here is dull and gray compared to the brilliance and the beauty of what God has in the resurrected life and that is something you can trust so Jesus answers their questions and he tells them something about resurrection life and I might add he speaks as one who knows he speaks as one who who said to a beloved friend of his I am the resurrection and the life he is the Lord of the resurrection and he's eternal

I don't know time let's just move on he does want to point out something about God though and so he goes on and he he proves from the scriptures that there's a resurrection from the dead he says Jesus said in verses 37 and 38 but that the dead are raised even Moses showed in the passage about the burning bush when he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob he is not the God of the dead but of the living for all live to him you know if I was talking to the Sadducees and I was trying to prove the resurrection of the Lord from from the scriptures I would go to Job I know that my Redeemer lives or you know though he's slain me yet will I praise him you know to the Psalms even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death I fear no evil for you are with me and it ends surely goodness and mercy will dwell follow me all the days of my life and I'll dwell in the house of the Lord forever our Isaiah 53 that talks about the scriptures crushing him and yet him seeing the vindication and and the fruit of his labor and such but that's all not in the law Jesus goes to the law and I would have never found this I am the God of Abraham the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob but he does reason from the scriptures and he knows the scriptures and he knows that all are alive to God because God is eternal more there than than we can chew on at this time but I want to I want to go back and say it's more than a rational argument worship worship Jesus because he's the Lord of the resurrection worship him and by worship I I mean love adore obey delight in honor give your life to Jesus because he's the Lord of the resurrection I was struck this week let's talk into someone else and just kind of in my own spiritual journey the last couple of weeks I don't know how long God has been impressing upon me the need to love worship adore delight and obey him because he is in himself worthy you see him in his majesty you've heard me preach it right his majesty his glory his holiness he is worthy in and of himself to be worshipped but I was talking to someone whose whose wife has cancer a young couple and it doesn't look good for her and I I was telling him that I'd be more he knows I'm a pastor and I told him I'd be more unhappy to talk about the situation and and as I was thinking about it and praying for him I was struck by this thought that not only because he is worthy in and of himself but we come to him with our needs and he cares and he ministers to us and we should worship him because he is the Lord of the resurrection not only because of his mighty power and his grandeur and the fact that he is the resurrection and the life but because he raises us from the dead he knows our weakness he knows that we are frail and but dust he has taken into hand to express his mighty power on our behalf worship worship him he is worthy of all your love all your affection all your obedience and honor of all your life and service the second aspect worship Jesus because he God made him Lord and Christ it's an interesting thing when Jesus gave the answer to the Sadducees the scribes were like well I need to go Jesus you're awesome I don't know if they thought he was awesome or not but they they I mean it's just one thing after another right it's the same day and probably kind of a stream of talking by what authority are you doing this I'll answer your question when you answer my question and then the parable of the tenet and then is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar and Jesus is able to easily to answer their question and in a sense put them to shame and call them to render under God what is due to God is those who bear his image and now the Sadducees they think they've got him and yet wow Jesus again answers well and no one wants to ask him any more questions that is in the crowd there are encourages and supporters and those who don't like him and want to kill him and his enemies say we're done there's there's nothing we can say and so Jesus says well let's just do one more question and he calls their attention now their scribes they're not the Sadducees and so he goes to the Psalms and he quotes Psalm 110 and it says how is it that they say that the Christ is David's son for David himself says in the book of Psalms the Lord said to my Lord said at my right hand until I make your enemies a footstool for your feet therefore David calls him Lord and how is he his son now if you have your Bibles turn to Psalm 110 that's where it is in verse one is what is quoted here the Lord said to my Lord there are English Bibles give us a little bit of a headache here and we're dealing with three languages right we're dealing with Hebrew we're dealing with Greek which is what the New Testament was written in Old Testament Hebrew New Testament Greek and and while we speak English or at least make our best attempts at such and it's easy to get lost there is the Lord said to my Lord and the first Lord the the Lord capital L capital O capital R capital D the Jews were in the habit of in their translations when they came to God's sacred name we would pronounce it Jehovah or Yahweh they would just put Adonai or Lord okay or Hashem which means the name they they distinguish they and but in the Psalm when it says it's all in caps it's Yahweh it's God it's the sacred name for God says to my Lord which is Adonai which means Lord all right and then we have to remember that when Jesus asked this question he's saying he's talking about the the Christ Christ is the Christos is the Greek word for Messiah the English that's my best Hebrew so forgive me those of you who know Hebrew but Messiah is Christ is an English anointed and so he's asking okay this anointed one because this is a messianic Psalm how is it that David can call him Lord because see in the Jewish way of thinking the parents have the honor they have the respect they are the greater generations go from greater to lessers the parents the grandparents the great grandparents they're the greater and it's at least in terms of honor and respect and you know the fifth commandment honor your father and mother this sort of thinking and Jesus asked them the question and he is indeed pointing to his authority when he asked the question how is it the David who existed before the Messiah Jesus calls him Adonai Lord well because Jesus is talking to the people and he's revealing who he is and as as we come to a close as we think about it I want to ask you you know they they came to him with questions and I want to say how do you come to him how do you come to him there's a there's a mixed multitude before him and and we're coming in a special way both the worship in the service of worship as well as coming before the Lord as we observe the Lord's we're before him right now is he his word is proclaimed as I preached to you how do you come you can come like the the Jews who Jesus talked about in John chapter five you searched the scriptures because you think in them you have life but they speak of me and you're unwilling to come to me see and come and kind of casually look the rational aspect you can you can come not believing at all kind of like the Pharisees who are like the the Sadducees they're there as antagonist they're wanting to destroy him or you can come to him as the one who is the Lord the one whom God has sent it makes all the difference in the world you know when Jesus was raised from the dead and it was the day of Pentecost Peter preached and he spoke about the resurrection he explained different things but he came to the east part he said this Jesus God raised up from again to which we are all witnesses therefore having been exalted to the right hand and having received from the Father the promised Holy Spirit he's poured out this which you both see in here where it is not David who ascended into heaven but he himself said the Lord said to my Lord sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a foot store for your feet therefore let all the House of Israel know for certain that God has made him both Lord and Christ this Jesus whom you have crucified will you come to him as Lord and Christ Lord and the one whom God has sent to redeem will you come to him and receive instruction will you receive his authority will you receive his salvation he welcomes you and when he met with the disciples before his death and they were eating the Lord's supper or excuse me the Passover meal Jesus he changed it and these are the words of institution as they're found in Matthew's gospel while they were eating Jesus took some bread and after a blessing he broke it and gave it to the disciples and said take eat this is my body and when he had taken a cup and given thanks he gave it to them saying drink from it all of you for this is my blood of the covenant which is poured out for many for forgiveness of sins but I say to you I will not drink of this fruit of the vine from now on until that day when I drink it new with you and my father's kingdom at the time of the resurrection here is a meal that speaks of at least one wedding that takes place in the resurrection where the church as seen as one is married to Jesus Christ the Kenzman Redeemer the Savior the one who makes all alive and this is a meal that points out that it is by his mercy and grace his body broken his blood shed this is a great picture of what it means to come to Jesus his perfect sacrifice merely received