The Sadducees and the Resurrection

27 Some(A) of the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection,(B) came up and questioned him: 28 “Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother has a wife, and dies childless, his brother should take the wife and produce offspring for his brother.[a](C) 29 Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife and died without children. 30 Also the second[b] 31 and the third took her. In the same way, all seven died and left no children. 32 Finally, the woman died too. 33 In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For all seven had married her.”

34 Jesus told them, “The children of this age(D) marry and are given in marriage.(E) 35 But those who are counted worthy(F) to take part in that age(G) and in the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. 36 For they can no longer die,(H) because they are like angels and are children of God,(I) since they are children of the resurrection. 37 Moses even indicated in the passage about the burning bush that the dead are raised, where he calls the Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob.[c](J) 38 He is not the God of the dead but of the living, because all are living to[d] him.”(K)

39 Some of the scribes answered, “Teacher, you have spoken well.” 40 And they no longer dared to ask him anything.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:28 Dt 25:5
  2. 20:30 Other mss add took her as wife, and he died without children
  3. 20:37 Ex 3:6,15
  4. 20:38 Or with

Discussion about Resurrection

27 Then Jesus was approached by some Sadducees—religious leaders who say there is no resurrection from the dead. 28 They posed this question: “Teacher, Moses gave us a law that if a man dies, leaving a wife but no children, his brother should marry the widow and have a child who will carry on the brother’s name.[a] 29 Well, suppose there were seven brothers. The oldest one married and then died without children. 30 So the second brother married the widow, but he also died. 31 Then the third brother married her. This continued with all seven of them, who died without children. 32 Finally, the woman also died. 33 So tell us, whose wife will she be in the resurrection? For all seven were married to her!”

34 Jesus replied, “Marriage is for people here on earth. 35 But in the age to come, those worthy of being raised from the dead will neither marry nor be given in marriage. 36 And they will never die again. In this respect they will be like angels. They are children of God and children of the resurrection.

37 “But now, as to whether the dead will be raised—even Moses proved this when he wrote about the burning bush. Long after Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had died, he referred to the Lord[b] as ‘the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’[c] 38 So he is the God of the living, not the dead, for they are all alive to him.”

39 “Well said, Teacher!” remarked some of the teachers of religious law who were standing there. 40 And then no one dared to ask him any more questions.

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Footnotes

  1. 20:28 See Deut 25:5-6.
  2. 20:37a Greek when he wrote about the bush. He referred to the Lord.
  3. 20:37b Exod 3:6.