MATTHEW LESSON 44
We will pick up with this lesson in Matthew 22:23 "The same day
came to him the Sadducees, which say that there is no resurrection,
and asked him," Matthew 22:24 "Saying, Master, Moses said, If a man
die, having no children, his brother shall marry his wife, and raise
up seed unto his brother."
In Acts the 23rd chapter the 8th verse we read Acts 23:8 "For the
Sadducees say that there is no resurrection, neither angel, nor
spirit: but the Pharisees confess both."
You see, these Sadducees were trying to prove that there was no
resurrection. They, like so many of our religious people of today,
would not believe anything that they could not see with their physical
eyes. (They missed the whole message of faith). Anything that is fact,
is not faith. If you are standing on Mt. Ararat looking at Noah's Ark.
It would take no faith to believe there was a Noah's Ark. These people
had to have physical proof of something that was spirit. The Levitical
law said, if a married man died without a son, the brother of the
deceased was to marry the widow; and the first child born from that
union would actually belong, in name, to the deceased. The
inheritance, if there was any would go to this child. Any other
children born of this union would go to the physical father.
Matthew 22:25 "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:" Matthew 22:26 "Likewise the second also, and the third, unto
the seventh." Matthew 22:27 And last of all the woman died also." Matthew
22:28 "Therefore in the resurrection whose wife shall she be of the
seven? for they all had her."
These Sadducees had set up a hypothetical situation, first of all,
to try to catch Jesus in error. They really did not want an answer to
their question. They were just trying to prove by Jesus, that there could
not possibly be a resurrection. They remind me so much of people of
our day who know the letter of the word, but do not comprehend it
spiritually. These Sadducees weres trying to fit the laws of this physical
earth into the heavenly.
Matthew 22:29 "Jesus answered and said unto them, Ye do err, not
knowing the scriptures, nor the power of God."
Jesus went right to the question these Sadducees had asked. They
were thoroughly convinced of this one thing. Jesus' reprimand of them
was two fold (you do not know and understand the Scriptures, and you
under-estimated God.)
Matthew 22:30 "For in the resurrection they neither marry, nor
are given in marriage, but are as the angels of God in heaven."
Angels are ministering spirits, not flesh and blood beings like
here on this earth. I am not saying we shall not have a body. We shall
have a heavenly body (changed in the twinkling of an eye).
Angels (spirit beings) do not marry. Marriage is an earthly
relationship and has no part in heaven. It is a function of the earth
to populate the earth. Without death being in the picture, there is no
need for birth. Mankind will be an eternal being in heaven.
Matthew 22:31 "But as touching the resurrection of the dead, have
ye not read that which was spoken unto you by God, saying," Matthew
22:32 "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."
This does not mean that God is just God of this earth. This
means there is life after death, as we know it here on earth. God
called Himself "I AM" to Moses. This was a special name showing His
eternity. Jesus is Lord of the dead (to this earth) and the living. In
fact, a person truly never dies. We choose where we will spend this
eternity either in heaven or hell, but we never die. We have a new
body suited for all of eternity. A body that does not age and does not
function exactly like our body of flesh and blood that we use here on
earth.
Matthew 22:33 "And when the multitude heard [this], they were
astonished at his doctrine."
Jesus, at that time, had not risen from the grave, as an example
of how we will, also, rise. This was very confusing to people who could
not accept anything that they could not see with their physical eyes.
The only thing that the Pharisees and the Sadducees could agree on was
that they both were trying to discredit Jesus.
Matthew 22:34 "But when the Pharisees had heard that he had put
the Sadducees to silence, they were gathered together." Matthew 22:35
"Then one of them, [which was] a lawyer, asked [him a question],
tempting him, and saying," Matthew 22:36 "Master, which [is] the
great commandment in the law?"
It seems that one group gave up, and another came. In this
particular case, the cross examination was done by a very learned
fellow of the law. This was no ordinary man. He had studied the
Scriptures in their best schools. Surely he would be able to trip
Jesus up. It seemed there were so many laws, that perhaps this lawyer
learned in the law, would be able to trip Jesus up. Maybe the lawyer,
himself, really did not want to know.
Matthew 22:37 "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."
Matthew 22:38 "This is the first and great commandment."
This one Scripture tells so much. If we could truly do this one,
then we would never sin again. If we could truly give all our love to
God, make the desires of our hearts be His will for us, keep our minds
stayed upon Him rather than on things of the world; we would have our
relationship with Him pleasing unto Him. We would follow all of His
instructions about all of the other things, because we would be
seeking to please Him. This the great commandment. If God is first in
our lives, we have our lives in order.
Matthew 22:39 "And the second [is] like unto it, Thou shalt love
thy neighbour as thyself." Matthew 22:40 "On these two commandments
hang all the law and the prophets."
This Scripture rounds the first out. We would do no murder,
steal, lie, bear false witness, or covet if we loved our neighbor as
ourself. If we truly love God and want to please Him, we will love our
neighbor; because He commands us to do just that. Just as Jesus said,
these two cover all the commandments. Take notice, here, that it is
natural for us to love ourselves, as well.
Matthew 22:41 "While the Pharisees were gathered together, Jesus
asked them," Matthew 22:42 "Saying, What think ye of Christ? whose son
is he? They say unto him, [The son] of David."
This is really the problem in our churches today. Most do not
realize who the person of Jesus is. Just like the Pharisees thought
Jesus was the descendent of man, that is what most believe today. The
problem with believing miracles, is that we have decided that Jesus was
man walking around on this earth; when, in fact, He was God the Word,
who took on the form of flesh and dwelt among us. We limit Jesus,
because we do not truly understand who He is. We know that we are
limited in what we can do, so we, believing that Jesus was man, have
reduced Him to the point that we believe that he is limited as we are.
Just His name (Emmanuel) tells us that He was God with us.
Matthew 22:43 "He saith unto them, How then doth David in spirit
call him Lord, saying," Matthew 22:44 "The Lord said unto my Lord, Sit
thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool?"
Matthew 22:45 "If David then call him Lord, how is he his son?"
You see, the Spirit of Jesus Christ is eternal. He has used many
different names from time to time, but they are all the same Spirit.
The only time He used the name Jesus Christ, was for His short stay on
the earth. When He returns, we will know Him as Lord of lords and King
of kings. One of His names in heaven was the Word of God. You see,
what ever name He uses describes the job He is fulfilling at the
moment. He is the second person of the Godhead. Even though He was
counted in the line of David, He was David's Lord. We cannot
comprehend, as well as we should, all of this until it is revealed to
us by the Holy Spirit of God. Just as we can't answer every little
aspect of this until we learn the secret of God, neither could these
Pharisees, as you can readily see in the next verse.
Matthew 22:46 "And no man was able to answer him a word, neither
durst any [man] from that day forth ask him any more [questions]."
Jesus' answers were so complicated, that they were beyond their
comprehension. Instead of them trapping Jesus, He trapped them at
every question.
We will begin in Matthew chapter 23 in the next lesson.
Matthew 44 Questions
1. What was the Sadducees' belief about the hereafter?
2. What did they remind Jesus about what Moses told them concerning
men who die without a son?
3. Anything that is fact is not ________?
4. These people wanted what kind of proof?
5. By Levitical law, if a man's brother marry the deceased's wife and
bears a child, who does the first child belong to?
6. How many brethren are in this story they told to Jesus?
7. What question did they have for Jesus?
8. What were they really trying to prove?
9. How does this remind us of people today?
10. What two ways did Jesus say they err?
11. In the resurrection, what is the state of the married?
12. Why was marriage established on the earth?
13. What three Old Testament patriarchs were used as examples to prove
that God is God of the living?
14. This does not mean that God is God just here on the earth, what
does it mean?
15. What were the multitude astonished at?
16. What was the only thing that the Sadducees and the Pharisees could
agree on?
17. What question did the lawyer ask Jesus?
18. What is the first and great commandment that Jesus gave him in
answer?
19. What one thing puts our life in order?
20. What was the second commandment He gave?
21. Jesus said this covered all of what?
22. What question did they give?
23. What answer did they give?
24. Relate that to our modern churches?
25. Why is it hard for most people to believe in miracles today?
26. What one word tells us who He is?
27. What question did Jesus ask them that they had no answer for?
28. Who is Jesus, really?
29. Why did they stop asking Him questions?
30. Who trapped who in the end?
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