Like the Pharisees, the Sadducees were powerful individuals, many of who were heavily involved in the church (temple). But unlike the Pharisees who lost their way through legalistic adherence to the law, the Sadducees lost their way through a desire for peace and unity in the world.

The Sadducees are known for becoming more of a political group than religious group, focused on the relationship with Rome. As such, they allowed the law, teaching, and desires of the prevailing culture to influence their belief and faith in scripture.

In today’s passage, we are given an account where they use a hypothetical situation ( a very unlikely one) to support their belief as to why there can be no life after death. They use the circumstance and teaching of our world to make assumptions and form beliefs about the kingdom and identity of God.

Friends, when we begin to form notions and beliefs about the things and character of God by the prevailing theories of a fallen world, we are in mortal danger, as were the Sadducees. Our culture and world are teaching us a “truth” as it relates to our identity, sexuality, race, marriage, the sanctity of life, purpose, and our source of joy but we cannot allow the world to shape our understanding of such core and fundamental teachings.

But how do we combat the unrelenting prerogative of the world? Through the word of God. As we see here with the Sadducees, there is no response or argument against the word of God. I implore all of us, to seek understanding and truth through scripture, that we may not lose faith in our attempt to love and make peace with this world.

[Luke 20.27-40]

27 There came to him some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, 28 and they asked him a question, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother. 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. 30 And the second 31 and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. 32 Afterward the woman also died. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.”

34 And Jesus said to them, “The sons of this age marry and are given in marriage, 35 but those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and to the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage, 36 for they cannot die anymore, because they are equal to angels and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection. 37 But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the passage about the bush, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob. 38 Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him.” 39 Then some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 For they no longer dared to ask him any question.

[ WHAT ] is this passage saying and what is a key truth or thought that we learn?

+ What question do the Sadducees ask Jesus?

+ What is Jesus’ response?

+ What happens after death?

+ What are the “truths” the world i trying to convince you of right now? This doesn’t have to be from the example above! Maybe it pertains to your identity and worth, or your pursuit and dedication to the Lord, your success or performance, there are endless possibilities.

[ HOW ] is the Lord calling me to action/obedience?

+ Is there sin to confess or a next step to take? How has it gone since last time?

+ How would you defend your stance on the social issues we face today? Is your response based on the truth of scripture?

+ How can you combat the lies the world and the devil are feeding you?

[ WHO ] am I walking with and praying for to discover Jesus?

+ What is my next step?

+ Who can help me work through what the Bible says on these topics? (discipleship band, community group, etc)

+ Who am I walking with that I can share or display a gospel-based perspective on one of these topics?