Luke 20:38 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him."

NIV: He is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive."

NASB: Now He is not the God of the dead, but of the living; for all live to Him.'

CSB: He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because all are living to him."

NLT: So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.'

KJV: For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.

NKJV: For He is not the God of the dead but of the living, for all live to Him.”

A sect of ancient Judaism, the Sadducees, are trying to prove that Jesus does not properly teach the Mosaic law. Their tactic attempts to prove that the practice of levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5–6) makes resurrection of the dead absurd. Jesus corrects their misunderstanding: there is no marriage in heaven (Luke 20:27–36). But there is a bigger issue at hand.

Matthew starts Jesus' answer with His introduction: "You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God" (Matthew 22:29). The Sadducees don't believe God controls the world. They think things happen through humanity's obedience or disobedience to God's law. If the Jews obey the Law, things will go well for them. If they don't, they could be sent into exile again.

Jesus' ministry is based on the understanding that God will judge sin. John the Baptist, Jesus' herald, made that concept the cornerstone of his own ministry (Luke 3:3). The people must repent of sin against God or face judgment. The Sadducees don't believe in the resurrection of the dead, nor in any sort of afterlife.

They are wrong about their understanding of God. God is involved in His world and His people. He is powerful enough to resurrect the dead. He is holy enough to judge unrepentant sinners and gracious enough to forgive the repentant.

Furthermore, the Torah that the Sadducees claim to adore proves the resurrection. God introduced Himself to Moses as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exodus 3:6). But the patriarchs had been dead for over four hundred years. How could the Creator of the world be the God of the dead? He can't. He is only the God of the living because He is life.

Therefore, the patriarchs were resurrected. And, someday, the Sadducees will be, too. All live "to him": God is life itself so His people must be alive.

Luke 20:27–40 records the Sadducees trying to discredit Jesus' authority to teach. They plan to present a paradox about marriage and the resurrection of the dead. Leaders of other religious sects have already failed to embarrass Jesus regarding the law and civil responsibilities (Luke 20:19–26). Jesus easily explains away the Sadducees' argument using the very text which their sect reveres: the Torah. He continues with proof that the Christ has authority over David and warns the people to be wary of the scribes' hypocrisy (Luke 20:41–47). This debate is also recorded in Matthew 22:23–33 and Mark 12:18–27.

After His triumphal entry into Jerusalem, Jesus find Himself in conflict with the city's religious leaders. Elders, priests, scribes, Pharisees, and Sadducees all attempt to discredit Him. This comes mostly in challenging Jesus with trick questions. Jesus deftly handles those challenges without falling into the trap. He provides several teachings about His role as the Son of God and directly warns the Jewish people against their generation of scribes, who are arrogant and pretentious.

Luke 20 is a chiasm about authority. Jesus has entered Jerusalem and cleansed the temple (Luke 19:28–46). Now, the priests and teachers attack Jesus' authority in religion, law, and doctrine; Jesus defends Himself and shows their sinful lifestyles disqualify them for authority. After holding up a widow as a better role model (Luke 21:1–4), Jesus warns His disciples about the challenges they will face in the coming years, including the destruction of Jerusalem (Luke 21:5–38). The events in Luke 20 are also discussed in Matthew 21—23 and Mark 11—12.

Luke was a traveling companion of Paul (Acts 16:10) and a physician (Colossians 4:14). Unlike Matthew, Mark, and John, Luke writes his gospel as an historian, rather than as a first-hand eyewitness. His extensive writings also include the book of Acts (Acts 1:1–3). These are deliberately organized, carefully researched accounts of those events. The gospel of Luke focuses on the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ. Luke's Gentile perspective presents Christ as a Savior for all people, offering both forgiveness and direction to those who follow Him.