The Question about the Resurrection

27 And certain of the Sadducees, who are denying that there is a rising again, having come near, questioned him, 28 saying, 'Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If any one's brother may die, having a wife, and he may die childless—that his brother may take the wife, and may raise up seed to his brother. 29 'There were, then, seven brothers, and the first having taken a wife, died childless, 30 and the second took the wife, and he died childless, 31 and the third took her, and in like manner also the seven—they left not children, and they died; 32 and last of all died also the woman: 33 in the rising again, then, of which of them doth she become wife?—for the seven had her as wife.' 34 And Jesus answering said to them, 'The sons of this age do marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those accounted worthy to obtain that age, and the rising again that is out of the dead, neither marry, nor are they given in marriage; 36 for neither are they able to die any more—for they are like messengers—and they are sons of God, being sons of the rising again. 37 'And that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the Bush, since he doth call the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; 38 and He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.'

39 And certain of the scribes answering said, 'Teacher, thou didst say well;'

Matthew Henry's Commentary on Luke 20:27-39

Commentary on Luke 20:27-38

(Read Luke 20:27-38)

It is common for those who design to undermine any truth of God, to load it with difficulties. But we wrong ourselves, and wrong the truth of Christ, when we form our notions of the world of spirits by this world of sense. There are more worlds than one; a present visible world, and a future unseen world; and let every one compare this world and that world, and give the preference in his thoughts and cares to that which deserves them. Believers shall obtain the resurrection from the dead, that is the blessed resurrection. What shall be the happy state of the inhabitants of that world, we cannot express or conceive, Genesis 15:1. He never did that for them in this world, which answered the full extent of his undertaking; therefore there must be another life, in which he will do that for them, which will completely fulfil the promise.

Commentary on Luke 20:39-47

(Read Luke 20:39-47)

The scribes commended the reply Christ made to the Sadducees about the resurrection, but they were silenced by a question concerning the Messiah. Christ, as God, was David's Lord; but Christ, as man, was David's son. The scribes would receive the severest judgement for defrauding the poor widows, and for their abuse of religion, particularly of prayer, which they used as a pretence for carrying on worldly and wicked plans. Dissembled piety is double sin. Then let us beg of God to keep us from pride, ambition, covetousness, and every evil thing; and to teach us to seek that honour which comes from him alone.