AM February 2nd Matthew 23

February 2^nd

The Resurrection

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.

The important commandment

34: But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together. 35: Then one of them, which was a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, 36: Master, which is the great commandment in the law? 37: Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. 38: This is the first and great commandment. 39: And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself.

David’s Lord

40: On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets. 41: While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus asked them, 42: Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son is he? They say unto him, The Son of David. 43: He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit call him Lord, saying, 44: The LORD said unto my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool? 45: If David then call him Lord, how is he his son? 46: And no man was able to answer him a word, neither durst any man from that day forth ask him any more questions.

The Saducees thought that they would tangle Christ in a question that is so difficult to answer that he would be silenced. A man dies without children so his brother marries his wife in order to raise up children to his brothers name. He also dies and so it goes on and on until all seven brothers had her to wife. Last of all she dies. So they say, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? Christ answers you are making a mistake you do not know the scriptures or the power of God. He says in the resurrection there will be no marriage. Nobody is married in the Kingdom. And they don’t realise that God is not the God of dead people He is God of the living not God of the dead. Therefore Abraham Isaac and Jacob are going to be raised from the dead. When the people heard this they were astounded. They had never heard such clear speaking and such authority in debate. And they were used to debate. Next the Pharisees and Sadducees joined forces to try to catch Christ out. So a teacher of the Law stands up to ask what the greatest commandment is. The religious leaders could never decide which was more important than another. Christ simply does not say which is the greatest but he divides the whole 613 commandments into just two groups and then shows that the first group could be described as Loving God with the whole being and the second would be summarised as - to love our neighbour as ourselves. One these two commandments the whole of OT scripture is summarised! The people had no response to his answer. Then Christ decides to ask a question of his own. He asks what do you think of Christ. Whose son is he? They answer Son of David. Ok says Christ if the Messiah is the Son of David – a man. Then why does he call him his Lord? If he is David’s LORD (Jehovah God) how can he be his son (in the flesh)? Everyone was dumbfounded by the question. And nobody asked him any more questions. This is ‘The Son of David’ - Solomon at his best. The wisest man who ever lived was Solomon but a great than Solomon was here.

• Why did the Saducees bring this difficult question to Christ?
• What question did the Pharisees bring?
• What question does Christ himself bring?