There Are Many Curious Questions About Heaven
Curious Questions
The Sting
In 1973 a movie came out called “The Sting.” Maybe you have seen it. It’s really quite enjoyable because we get to watch a grafter in action as he “con’s” his mark out of half a million dollars – and getting away with it scot-free!
The whole plot is built around a scam. The whole thing is designed to trick and trap the mark. Solomon said that, “there is nothing new under the sun.” and he was right.
This morning we are going look at a scam – a trap – an effort by the ruling class to back this upstart from Nazareth into a corner from which he cannot escape. No matter what he says – his credibility will be ruined and his following dispersed.
So in the tradition of “The Sting” let’s review the setup. Before we begin I’ll let you in on a little secret – the sting didn’t work for a couple of reasons which we’ll look at in a minute.
But the really good news is that we gain some real insight into the future life after life that we look forward to – in Jesus. But I digress – back to the story.
The Background:
Luke 20:27 Some Sadducees, who believed people would not rise from the dead, came to Jesus
The Sadducees were a secular group of leaders. The were the political left wing of the Jewish culture and they didn’t believe in an after life. (That’s why they were sad – u – see. Sadducee. Get it?)
They, like the Pharisees – the right wing fundamental political party based on religious beliefs – were very concerned about Jesus. His sizeable following and his radical teaching was threatening their power and their position.
They set a trap to take Jesus down.
The Setup:
28 They asked, “Teacher, Moses wrote that if a man’s brother dies and leaves a wife but no children, then that man must marry the widow and have children for his brother.
Here the Sadducees refer to part of the Mosaic Law. While it may sound strange to us the purpose of the law was the preservation of the family and it’s wealth. The possessions of each man were to be passed on to the first-born child. If there are no children then there must be a way to preserve the legacy and wealth of the family line.
The Mosaic Law said that a man’s brother HAD to marry the widow and their children would be considered as the children of the dead brother. They would receive the inheritance and the legacy of the family.
So now the stage is set for the trap.
The Play:
29 Once there were seven brothers. The first brother married and died, but had no children. 30 Then the second brother married the widow, and he died. 31 And the third brother married the widow, and he died. The same thing happened with all seven brothers; they died and had no children. 32 Finally, the woman died also.
The Sting:
33 Since all seven brothers had married her, whose wife will she be when people rise from the dead?”
The trap has been set. The bait is in place. Jesus answer would be controversial and confusing to the audience. It was designed to undermine Jesus’ popularity and drive a wedge between his supporters. No matter what he said – some would think him foolish – at the very minimum. At worst he would be regarded as a crackpot and a religious extremist that could be easily marginalized.
What we see here is good old American-style politics in action.
Let’s look at the trap carefully before we examine Jesus’ answer. There was a flaw in this carefully designed question.
The Curious Question of the Sadducees
Oh, the Sadducees had an ingenuous little snare – with just one problem. Their question was based on a total ignorance on the eternal realm to come.
They didn’t understand what they were talking about! The Sadducees had made an erroneous assumption, an assumption based on what the Pharisees taught about the resurrected life, namely, that life in the age to come would be just like life in this age – only much better.
They were interpreting heaven from the viewpoint of earth. Jesus, on the other hand, was teaching that we must interpret earth from the viewpoint of heaven.
They had their perspective backwards. That major error still exists today, even among Christians. Sadducees, Pharisees and many people today erroneously think that this life is the model for life in eternity. While it is true that life-in-time is the precursor for life-in-eternity, it is not the model.
The only way to get into eternity is to be born in time, into time and onto earth. Last week we talked about Hades as the place of the dead and how there was a waiting room there with a great chasm between two regions – one of comfort and one of torment. We also looked at Eph 4:8-9 which showed how that Jesus entered into that place of death and freed those held captive and took them to heaven.
Some of you have wondered if there is still a place of waiting in Hades. The challenge we all face in dealing with the time of Hades is that in eternity there is NO time. 10 seconds after death we are there with God.
Midnight Shift Illustration: Two men lived the same day. The first man went to bed at 11:00pm. He watched the 10 o’clock news, had a quick bowl of ice cream and then crawled under the covers.
The second man went to work at 11:00pm. His job was to work the assembly line at a local plant. He spent all night until 7:00 am putting parts together, enjoying coffee breaks, and talking with his co-workers.
The first man woke up at 7:00 and the night was over – instantly. The second man punched out from work and said, “Wow, what a long night. I’m sure glad it’s over”
They both shared the same piece of existence with totally different experiences. This is existence is for those who die today compared with those who die tomorrow or 100 years from today. For one it is the immediate arrival at judgment day – for the other it is a long time spent on this earth living out the moments – one after the other.
Earth is the necessary corridor to heaven; and time is the introductory experience of eternity. Not only did they not believe in life after life they assumed that if there was another life it would be just like this one – NOT.
But I digress – again – let us return to the question…
Is There Marriage in Heaven?
To answer the question we must look to Jesus.
There will be no marriage in heaven! Wow! So exactly what is Jesus saying? Is he saying that marriage is not heavenly? And what does this mean about sex? Is there no sex in heaven? That doesn’t sound like heaven to me! (I have to be careful here - this is dangerous and shaky ground.)
Before we go any further we must look at and understand what marriage is. This is especially important today with all the discussion in our society about marriage.
Many have attempted to reduce marriage to a contractual living arrangement between two parties. This is a little like using a computer as a doorstop – it does the job but it ignores its purpose and potential.
The Three Purposes of Marriage
Genesis 2:18
God made man and woman to fit together and to complete each other. The King James translation is the word “helpmeet”. Literally, one is “corresponding to” the other.
Think in terms of your two hands. One corresponds to the other. It is not a matter of them being identical but made for each other. Look at all the things you can do – together.
(Illustrate with hands) Twiddle your thumbs, clasp your hands, clap your hands, make a church – look here are all the people!
God made you with the capability of melding with another soul and becoming a new person – pretty remarkable and amazing.
The Three Purposes of Marriage
Malachi 2:15
The second purpose of marriage is to create a place for the raising, training, and preparation of children – none of which belong to you.
They all belong to God. In God’s plan children are to be guided to knowing him and loving him. This is the primary purpose of a family.
Your main job as a parent is not getting your kid past the dangers of HS and the drug scene. Your main job is not getting your kid into the best college or job available. Your main job is not getting your kid married off. Your main job is getting your child to fall in love with God.
I am sickened when I hear about proposed directives in our state government about how marriage is not important to the raising of children. All that matters is that there be two adults around called parents.
After Resurrection Sunday, we will be launching a six-week series on what God says it takes to make a phenomenal family. We’ll be working on this from the direction of our culture – that is single parent families, nuclear families, blended families, broken families, as well as what grandparents and people without kids can do to help create a society where God’s plan for the family is honored.
But I digress again.
The Three Purposes of Marriage
Ephesians 5:31
The third and perhaps the most important purpose of marriage is spiritual intimacy.
God made man and woman to come together, physically, emotionally, intellectually, and spiritually.
There is a very literal fusing of souls. It is so profound that the separation of this bond is always accompanied by great soul-searing pain.
Marriage is the bonding of Two Souls
Genesis 2:24
God created the bond.
Mark 10:7
Jesus confirmed the bond.
Marriage is the bonding of Two Souls
1 Corinthians 6:16-17
The Apostle Paul taught us much about how it works. Let’s talk about marriage and sex for a minute.
Now, you young people listen up (like I had to say that – they really started listening when I said the word sex).
Sex is not about recreation and having fun. It’s not about pro-creation either. Yes it brings pleasure and yes babies are made but God did not create sex for those purposes alone.
Sex is the physical expression of a spiritual bonding. It is about the melding of two souls into one person and the sharing of incredible intimacy.
When sex is used for personal pleasure and made into momentary recreation it is a little like taking a 2000-dollar Armani suit and using it to wash your car.
When a man takes a prostitute they become one – there is a melding of the souls.
When a man or a woman has an affair they have taken another person and have adulterated the bonding of two souls with a third soul.
When a teenage crosses the line and has sex with as a casual event they have missed the whole point of intimacy and bonding God wants us to enjoy.
I am not preaching against sex – God made sex – Yeah, God! It’s about sex in the intimate arrangement and bonding of two souls. God gave us marriage to help us experience an incredible intimacy.
But as wonderful as marriage is intended to be – it is not the end game! Look at the last phrase in this text: “But the one who joins with the Lord is one spirit with the Lord.” God wants us to be bonded to him spiritually – and eternally.
The Limitation of Marriage – Death
We were made in God’s image but we lost something of that in death. The spiritual intimacy and connection of souls is ended at death.
I heard some one describe the loss of a spouse after decades of marriage something akin to cutting off an arm and a leg and then trying to go about your life normally. It cannot be done.
But this is why death is not only the end of one way of living – it is the beginning of a new way of living that God is hungry for us to experience. So hungry that he gives us a taste here of what it will be like in heaven.
Marriage Is a Taste of Heaven
Ephesians 5:31-32
Think about the best marriage on earth – that’s only a tiny taste of the intimacy we will share with our Father God.
Marriage is the living, walking, talking, experiential, taste of heaven. It is the illustration and the foreshadowing of what God has prepared for us in eternity.
Now, Let’s go back to the answer that Jesus gave to the Sadducees to their tricky question.
We Are Children of God
We are not children of men whose live will end and there will be the painful loss of intimacy and closeness.
No, we are like the angels in this one regard. We will not die. We cannot die.
We are not exactly like angels – Angels are made as ministering servants – some day they will serve us.
But that is another message for another day.
Today we celebrate our new life through Jesus Christ. Today we understand that we have been reborn and born again into immortality.
In the Family of God class we study Romans 8 and learn how our soul and God’s spirit have bonded and we have new life… eternal life, which we experience fully once we pass through death on our way to life.
I am now an immortal – Like an angel in that I will never die – I cannot die – I am rescued and redeemed in Jesus.
God has prepared a new intimacy with him that cannot be understood outside of the relationship of love and bonding.
As we come to our time to commune with God this morning – understand that you time spent in prayer, in remembering and renewing your covenant with him is one more moment spent building a spiritual intimacy that will never end… That will never end. That will never end. Isn’t that incredible?
If you would like to experience this intimate fellowship with God it is yours for the taking. Put your faith in him today. Take his name and pledge your life in Baptism. Follow him and serve him the rest of this life. You can begin today.
