10/15/10 Matthew 22:23-33 Power to Raise the Dead

23 That same day the Sadducees, who say there is no resurrection, came to him with a question. 24 "Teacher," they said, "Moses told us that if a man dies without having children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for him. 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first one married and died, and since he had no children, he left his wife to his brother. 26 The same thing happened to the second and third brother, right on down to the seventh. 27 Finally, the woman died. 28 Now then, at the resurrection, whose wife will she be of the seven, since all of them were married to her?"
29 Jesus replied, "You are in error because you do not know the Scriptures or the power of God. 30 At the resurrection people will neither marry nor be given in marriage; they will be like the angels in heaven. 31 But about the resurrection of the dead—have you not read what God said to you, 32 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob' ? He is not the God of the dead but of the living."
33 When the crowds heard this, they were astonished at his teaching.

(Mario Sepulveda- Chilean Miner rescued- Mirror.co.uk)

Thoughts: The Saducees did not believe in the resurrection but the Pharisees did (cf. Acts 23:6-8).  The point for us is not only are we changed when we die, but that Jesus reaffirmed the idea of resurrection.  Jesus said that these Saducees did not know the Scriptures or the power of God.  The Scriptures refer to life after death, and God who made life, is able to make it again. 
Part of the message of what happened in Chile is that no one gave up, but they were clinging to the hope of the miners escaping their mine-tomb.  Chilean President Sebastian Pinera thanked the families of the miners "who maintained faith – this faith that ended up moving mountains."  Mario Sepulveda, the second miner rescued, said, "I was with God and I was with the devil. But God won. I held on to God's hand. At no point in time did I doubt that God would get me out of there."  The Christian hope is based on the scriptures and the power of God to get us out of the trap of death.

Prayer: May I never give up hope and faith in my resurrection, Lord.  Let not my understanding, my despair, my fears keep me from believing in your power and the Scriptures.

John Calvin abridged: The Saducees and Pharisees combined forces against Christ.  The Saducees had doubtless used this argument before against the Pharisees.  They assumed that people made in the image of God were to be counted as brute beasts.  When he says we shall be like the angels of God- he doesn't mean in all respects, but only regarding the infirmities of the present life. We will no longer die, and therefore will not need to propogate our species.  Jesus then refers to Ex. 3:6 to prove to them from Moses' law that the resurrection is a reality.