Let’s start with some fun; many of you will recognize them right away, so if that is you, please don’t answer. What is it??
A box without hinges, key, or lid; Yet golden treasure inside is hid.
[An egg]
What has roots as nobody sees, Is taller than trees, Up, up it goes, And yet never grows?
[A mountain]
It cannot be seen, cannot be felt, Cannot be heard, cannot be smelt. It lies behind stars and under hills, And empty holes it fills. It comes first and follows after, Ends life, kills laughter.
[Darkness]
This thing all things devours: Birds, beasts, trees, flowers; Gnaws iron, bites steel; Grinds hard stones to meal; Slays king, ruins town, and beats high mountain down. [Time]
These were riddles between Bilbo Baggins and Gollum in the book The Hobbit! What’s the purpose of riddles??
Riddles are used for trying to outsmart another person!
We will note 2 riddles in our passage today. What were they, why were they asked, and what were the answers?
Read along with me now Luke 20:27-47……
We note a riddle from the Sadducees and also from Jesus.
Let’s first note who the Sadducees were; Basically, the Sadducees was one of the major groups of Religious Leaders of the Hebrew faith; the other 2 major groups of Jewish leaders were the Pharisees and Essenes. Because they were religious leaders, they were teachers of the Law (the Law which we know as our Old Testament).
What do we note in v27?
The Sadducees who asked Jesus a question did not believe in the resurrection (the dead living again); But what was the topic of their question to Jesus? – the ressurection!!
And how was the question phrased? They cited a truth from Moses but they added a made up scenario with 6 brothers!
And so, these Sadducees who did not believe in any answer about the resurrection anyway, and made the question to Jesus a ridiculous scenario, what was their intent?
The Sadducees gave a riddle to try and outsmart Jesus!
Did they outsmart Jesus? Can you picture these Sadducees? Like Gollum to Bilbo in the Hobbit, those Sadducees had evil smirks on their faces as they waited for Jesus’ ridiculous answer to their ridiculous question! They were expecting a guess from Jesus about which brother will have the wife in heaven; but Jesus did not guess on an answer but answered with truths about heaven!
There are no riddles with Christ because He will always tell the truth and no one can outsmart Jesus because He is God!
What did Jesus imply in v34??
There is life here on earth and a life in heaven but they are different and earthlife will end but heaven life is forever.
And what was Jesus saying in the first part of v35(a)?
Look at that again with me…..
Jesus did not say every person will be worthy of being resurrected to heaven! Only certain people will be worthy of resurrection to heaven! Jesus does not tell us directly who these worthy people are but the passage gives us a clue (we’ll talk more about this later in applying truths in our lives).
For now, let’s note the truths about heaven from Jesus, the Only Holy One who came from heaven!
Jesus said, People in heaven:
v35b - will neither marry nor given in marriage. There is no need for marriages in heaven for all will be one with God!
v36a - will never die! There is life with God forever in heaven!
v36b – will be like angels! Angels are beautiful, powerful, always called and blessed by God!
v36c – God’s children! And why are they God’s children??.................. And who is the Resurrection??
And so we have a note here who are worthy to be in heaven – only those who truly believe in Jesus Christ and His resurrection!
And what do we note from v37-38?
Jesus was saying, “How can you Teachers of the Law don’t believe what you teach?” The teacher the Sadducees follow was Moses who said that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob even though already dead are with God; but many of the Sadducees still did not believe in people coming alive again. Because many of the Sadducees did not believe in resurrection power, they really were not believing the God of life! Most of the Sadducees did not believe in rising from the dead; that’s why they were sad, you see!!
And the Sadducees were kept quiet with Jesus’ response to their riddle. No one can outsmart Jesus because He is God! Again, the right response to confrontations? - Jesus made the Sadducees think spiritual truths with His own riddle in v41-44.
v41 - the Messiah is the son of David? i.e. – son of man!
v42-44 - The Lord said to my Lord – Messiah is son of man and son of God (Lord)!
In closing, in v45-47, Jesus spoke directly to His disciples, and indirectly to others, a warning about the “teachers of the law” who will eventually be severely punished!
How can the people know who to be cautious about?
v46 – those who look for attention, expect reverence, and be honored.
v47a….. other translations tell us they devour widow’s properties; in other words – they steal from those who are weak!
v47b – they say lengthy prayers for show; in other words – they brag about themselves pretending to pray to God.
Let’s conclude with applications to our lives today.
Again, the main biblical principle from this passage is this: There are no riddles with Christ because He will always tell the truth and no one can outsmart Jesus because He is God!
1. If we see Jesus as a riddle, we really are not listening to His truths. If you get an opportunity to tell someone about Jesus Christ, can you tell them at least 5 truths about Jesus? Take a moment to write them down right now…..
2. If we are trying to outsmart Jesus by doing things our way, we will lose!
Now, you might say “I never try to outsmart Jesus!” But, how many times have we forced our way rather than what Christ says?
Memorize Luke 22:42c then apply it…
Let us note a couple more things.
Let’s read the passage that the Sadducees cited regarding Moses’ instruction, Deutoronomy 25:5-6…..
What did the Sadducees do to God’s Word??
3. Be careful of adding to God’s Word or taking it out of context!
And as Jesus stated, not every person will be resurrected to heaven. How sure are you about your eternal future? If you do not fully believe and trust in Jesus Christ alone for your eternal destiny, you will not be with God!
4. Believe and trust now and always the truths about God and Savior Jesus Christ!
One more thing to note; Jesus warns us of who not to follow for spiritual guidance. It’s all there at the end of our passage for today.
5. Use Luke 20:46-47 as a guide who not to follow!
