Twenty-Fifth Sunday After Pentecost (Series C)
November 6th, 2016
Gospel: Luke 20:27-40
Epistle: 2 Thessalonians 2:1-8, 13-17
Lesson: Exodus 3:1-15
Psalm: Psalm 149
CLB Commentary – Rev. Bill Helland
Many Christians look to this text to answer the question; “Will I know my spouse in heaven, and will we still be married?” That was not the question the Sadducees asked, nor are either of these questions the main point of the text, which is this; there is a resurrection of the dead for all of God’s children.
This passage provides us, then, with yet another opportunity to hold out to our people a marvelous word of hope! Not the hope that they will spend all eternity with their spouse (or in the case of some couples, the hope that they won’t have to!), but the glorious hope of a resurrection of the dead made possible by “the God of the living!”
From verses 27-33, we will want to point out the fact that the question put before Jesus was done so by a group of self-righteous men, known as Sadducees, who believed and taught that there was NO resurrection from the dead. Other than that, there may be little value in dwelling on them other than that they set the stage for the “red letter” words of Christ, who spoke the truth about the resurrection and heaven.
It is the natural curiosity of believers to long for more information about heaven; to find any bit of evidence we can for its existence and any further details on what it might be like. This passage gives limited information, but what it gives is worth noting.
First, heaven is for those who are “considered worthy of taking part in that age…” We will want to unpack what that means and clearly proclaim the way of salvation to our listeners.
Secondly, there will be no marrying or giving of marriage in heaven. We are NOT to hear that as meaning that those who were married when they died will be married to the same individual for all eternity and those who were single when they died will remain single for all eternity. Christ was simply teaching that marriage is not even a factor in heaven. It is an earthly institution in terms of how we understand it and experience it. In fact, John, in his account of his revelation of heaven speaks of only one marriage in heaven – that of the Bridegroom coming for his “bride” – the believing church on earth and all believers who have died before his second coming.
Thirdly, we see that those who go to heaven “can no longer die.” That is VERY encouraging, right? And it is consistent with Revelation 21:4.
Fourthly, we see that those who go to heaven are “like the angels.” One false assumption, often made by many professing Christians as well as some unbelievers, is that our loved ones become angels who watch over us. That is a false notion that has no biblical basis unless you pull this verse out of context and misquote it, but that still doesn’t make it true. God created angels to be angels and humans to be children of God, and we would do well to remind our people of that.
Fifthly, as I just mentioned, those who go to heaven are known as God’s children, “since they are children of the resurrection.”
These are wonderful and important truths to emphasize, and to stress that all this is made possible on account of Christ’s death and resurrection.
We also might want to make a separate point, or it could be one’s conclusion, that God is “not the God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” What a wonderful hope and source of comfort and peace! Be sure to proclaim that with great joy and boldness!