LUKE 20:27–40, JESUS REVEALS THE TRUTH OF THE RESURRECTION
GOD IS THE LORD OF THE LIVING, AND ETERNAL LIFE TRANSFORMS ALL RELATIONSHIPS
Introduction
As Jesus continues teaching publicly in the Temple during his final days, different groups approach him with questions meant not to learn, but to challenge. After political traps and disputes over authority, a theological confrontation now arises. The Sadducees, who deny the resurrection, attempt to ridicule belief in life after death by presenting an exaggerated legal scenario. Their question is not pastoral but polemical. Jesus responds by lifting their limited understanding of God and life beyond death, revealing that the resurrection is not a continuation of earthly arrangements, but a transformation into a new mode of existence grounded entirely in God’s living power.
Bible Passage (Luke 20:27–40)
Some Sadducees, those who deny that there is a resurrection, came forward and put this question to him, saying, “Teacher, Moses wrote for us, ‘If someone’s brother dies leaving a wife but no child, his brother must take the wife and raise up descendants for his brother.’ Now there were seven brothers; the first married a woman but died childless. Then the second and the third married her, and likewise all the seven died childless. Finally the woman also died. Now at the resurrection whose wife will that woman be? For all seven had been married to her.” Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage; but those who are deemed worthy to attain to the coming age and to the resurrection of the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage. They can no longer die, for they are like angels; and they are the children of God because they are the ones who will rise. That the dead will rise even Moses made known in the passage about the bush, when he called ‘Lord’ the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob; and he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for to him all are alive.” Some of the scribes said in reply, “Teacher, you have answered well.” And they no longer dared to ask him anything.
Background
This passage is set during Jesus’ daily teaching in the Temple, where opposition intensifies as his Passion approaches. The Sadducees were a priestly group closely associated with Temple administration and accepted only the written Law of Moses. They rejected belief in the resurrection, angels, and life after death. By invoking the law of levirate marriage, they attempt to show that belief in resurrection leads to absurd conclusions. Jesus answers them not by dismissing Moses, but by interpreting Moses correctly and revealing the deeper meaning of God’s covenant.
Opening Life Connection
Many people imagine eternal life simply as an extension of earthly life—same relationships, same limitations, same concerns, just lasting forever. Others quietly doubt resurrection because they cannot picture how it could be real. This Gospel speaks to both confusions. It invites us to trust that God’s future is greater than our imagination and that death does not have the final word over love, identity, or relationship.
Verse-by-Verse / Phrase-by-Phrase Reflection
Luke identifies the challengers as those who deny that there is a resurrection, revealing that their question is not innocent curiosity but disbelief seeking justification. They quote Moses accurately, yet use the law to mock faith rather than deepen it.
Jesus begins by distinguishing the children of this age from the coming age. Earthly life is structured by marriage, procreation, and death. These are necessary because life here is fragile and temporary. But resurrection life is different, not inferior.
When Jesus says that the risen neither marry nor are given in marriage, he does not diminish love; he fulfills it. In eternal life, love is no longer exclusive or limited but fully shared in God. Human relationships are not erased but transformed.
He adds that the risen can no longer die and are like angels. This does not mean humans become angels, but that they share in immortality. Death no longer threatens relationship or identity. Life is secure in God.
Jesus then grounds resurrection in Scripture, saying even Moses made known that God is the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. God speaks of them in the present tense because they live in him. Jesus’ conclusion is decisive: he is not God of the dead, but of the living. Resurrection is not speculation; it flows from who God is.
The silence that follows, and the admission you have answered well, shows that truth spoken with clarity disarms even hardened opposition.
Jewish Historical and Religious Context
The Sadducees represented an elite group that emphasized Temple ritual and political stability. Their rejection of resurrection contrasted with the Pharisees and broader Jewish belief in life after death. Levirate marriage was a compassionate law meant to preserve family lineage and protect widows. By using it as a tool of mockery, the Sadducees reduce divine promise to legal puzzles. Jesus responds within Jewish tradition by affirming Moses while revealing that God’s covenant points beyond death to enduring life.
Catholic Tradition and Teaching
The Church professes belief in the resurrection of the dead as a central article of faith. Eternal life is not a disembodied existence nor a repetition of earthly life, but a transformed communion with God. Marriage is a sacrament ordered toward earthly life and salvation, but in heaven all are united directly to God. The Catechism teaches that God created us for eternal life and that resurrection completes, not cancels, human dignity. Jesus’ teaching assures believers that death is a passage, not an end.
Historical or Saintly Illustration
Saint Monica lived and died with unshakable hope in the resurrection. As she approached death, she told her son Augustine not to worry about where she was buried, but to remember her at the altar of the Lord. Her confidence rested not in earthly ties but in the living God who promised eternal life. Her hope bore fruit in the conversion and sanctity of her son.
Application to Christian Life Today
This Gospel challenges modern fears of death and misunderstandings of heaven. It calls us to live not only for this age, but for the coming one. Earthly relationships are sacred, but they are not ultimate. When grief, loss, or fear confront us, Jesus reminds us that those who belong to God are alive to him. Christian hope reshapes how we love, forgive, and endure suffering, knowing that nothing given to God is lost.
Eucharistic Connection
In the Eucharist, we receive the living Christ, risen from the dead. Communion is a pledge of future glory and a foretaste of resurrection life. Each Mass unites heaven and earth, reminding us that eternal life has already begun in Christ. Nourished by him, we learn to live as children of the resurrection even now.
Messages / Call to Conversion
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God is faithful beyond death and calls us to trust in resurrection.
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Repent of limiting God’s promises to what you can understand or imagine.
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Live earthly relationships with love, knowing they are destined for transformation in God.
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Strengthen hope in eternal life through prayer, Scripture, and the sacraments.
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Resolve to face suffering and death with faith, confident that God is the Lord of the living.
Outline for Preachers
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Background within the Gospel: Temple debates during Jesus’ final teaching days
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Life connection: fear of death and misunderstanding of eternal life
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Key verses and phrases explained: children of this age, coming age, God of the living
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Jewish historical and religious context: Sadducees, levirate marriage, denial of resurrection
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Catholic teaching and tradition: resurrection of the body, transformed life, hope beyond death
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Saintly or historical illustration: St. Monica’s trust in eternal life
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Application to life today: Christian hope in suffering, grief, and relationships
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Eucharistic connection: Communion as pledge of resurrection
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Key messages and call to conversion
