Luke 20:27-38 Meaning: Jesus Defeats the Sadducees' Trap
27Some of the Sadducees came to him, those who deny that there is a resurrection.
28They asked him, “Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man’s brother dies having a wife, and he is childless, his brother should take the wife and raise up children for his brother.
29There were therefore seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died childless.
30The second took her as wife, and he died childless.
31The third took her, and likewise the seven all left no children, and died.
32Afterward the woman also died.
33Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them will she be? For the seven had her as a wife.”
34Jesus said to them, “The children of this age marry and are given in marriage.
35But those who are considered worthy to attain to that age and the resurrection from the dead neither marry nor are given in marriage.
36For they can’t die any more, for they are like the angels and are children of God, being children of the resurrection.
37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord ‘The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’
38Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living, for all are alive to him.”
27Then came to him certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,
28Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man’s brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children.
30And the second took her to wife, and he died childless.
31And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died.
32Last of all the woman died also.
33Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife.
34And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection.
37Now that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38For he is not a God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
27And there came to him certain of the Sadducees, they that say that there is no resurrection;
28and they asked him, saying, Teacher, Moses wrote unto us, that if a man’s brother die, having a wife, and he be childless, his brother should take the wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.
29There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died childless;
30and the second:
31and the third took her; and likewise the seven also left no children, and died.
32Afterward the woman also died.
33In the resurrection therefore whose wife of them shall she be? for the seven had her to wife.
34And Jesus said unto them, The sons of this world marry, and are given in marriage:
35but they that are accounted worthy to attain to that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage:
36for neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37But that the dead are raised, even Moses showed, in the place concerning the Bush, when he calleth the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.
38Now he is not the God of the dead, but of the living: for all live unto him.
27And certain of the Sadducees, who are denying that there is a rising again, having come near, questioned him,
28saying, `Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If any one's brother may die, having a wife, and he may die childless--that his brother may take the wife, and may raise up seed to his brother.
29`There were, then, seven brothers, and the first having taken a wife, died childless,
30and the second took the wife, and he died childless,
31and the third took her, and in like manner also the seven--they left not children, and they died;
32and last of all died also the woman:
33in the rising again, then, of which of them doth she become wife? --for the seven had her as wife.'
34And Jesus answering said to them, `The sons of this age do marry and are given in marriage,
35but those accounted worthy to obtain that age, and the rising again that is out of the dead, neither marry, nor are they given in marriage;
36for neither are they able to die any more--for they are like messengers--and they are sons of God, being sons of the rising again.
37`And that the dead are raised, even Moses shewed at the Bush, since he doth call the Lord, the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob;
38and He is not a God of dead men, but of living, for all live to Him.'
27And some of the Sadducees, who deny that there is any resurrection, coming up [to him],
28demanded of him saying, Teacher, Moses wrote to us, If any one's brother, who has a wife, die, and he die childless, his brother shall take the wife and raise up seed to his brother.
29There were then seven brethren: and the first, having taken a wife, died childless;
30and the second [took the woman, and he died childless];
31and the third took her: and in like manner also the seven left no children and died;
32and last of all the woman also died.
33In the resurrection therefore of which of them does she become wife, for the seven had her as wife?
34And Jesus said to them, The sons of this world marry and are given in marriage,
35but they who are counted worthy to have part in that world, and the resurrection from among [the] dead, neither marry nor are given in marriage;
36for neither can they die any more, for they are equal to angels, and are sons of God, being sons of the resurrection.
37But that the dead rise, even Moses shewed in [the section of] the bush, when he called [the] Lord the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob;
38but he is not God of [the] dead but of [the] living; for all live for him.
Meaning in one sentence
Jesus responds to the Sadducees' trick question about marriage in the resurrection, revealing that God is the God of the living.
Context
This scene happens in Jerusalem, during the final week before Jesus is crucified. The religious leaders keep trying to trap him publicly. The Sadducees, a powerful group among the Jewish elite, held a different set of beliefs than the Pharisees. They accepted only the five books of Moses as Scripture and denied the resurrection of the dead, the existence of angels, and the immortality of the soul. Their question about a woman who married seven brothers was not an honest inquiry. They invented this extreme scenario to make the idea of a resurrection look ridiculous. They thought they could expose Jesus as foolish or force him to contradict Moses. Instead, Jesus turns their own weapon back on them, using the very books of Moses to prove that the dead are raised.
Key Words
Three Greek words stand out in this passage. The first is anastasis, the word for resurrection, meaning a rising up or standing again. It pictures the dead being raised bodily. The Sadducees denied this could happen. The second word is isangeloi, a word that appears only here in the New Testament. It means equal to or like the angels. Jesus uses it to describe the resurrection life: no more death, no more need for marriage to continue the human family. The third word is kataxiothentes, considered worthy. It is a passive verb, the worthiness is not earned by human effort but granted by God. Those who enter the resurrection age do so because God counts them worthy. Together these words paint a picture: the resurrection is a gift that transforms us into beings who cannot die, whose relationships are no longer shaped by loss and need.
How Christians Read This Verse
Christians across traditions have found deep meaning in this exchange. The Roman Catholic Church reads it as affirming the bodily resurrection and the transformation of earthly relationships into the perfect communion of saints in heaven. Protestant commentators, like Matthew Henry and John Calvin, emphasize the covenant faithfulness of God, shown in the words to Moses at the bush: the patriarchs are still alive to God. Eastern Orthodox teaching highlights the angelic state of the resurrected, seeing it as a step toward theosis, becoming partakers of the divine nature. While traditions phrase these truths differently, all agree that Jesus grounds the hope of resurrection in the character of God Himself, not in human reasoning about the afterlife.
A common misunderstanding
A common mistake is to think Jesus teaches that there is no marriage in heaven, so heaven must be a lonely or joyless place. In fact, Jesus is describing a life so full and transformed that marriage, which serves to overcome death and sustain the human race on earth, is no longer needed. He does not say that love or relationship ends. He says that the resurrection life is a different order of existence, where death is no more. The value of marriage here is not erased; it is fulfilled and transcended.
Living This Out
This week, you might carry a quiet fear about death or maybe a grief for someone you loved. The Sadducees wanted everyone to think that death is the end, that God just abandons people to the grave. Jesus gives you a better truth. He says that God identified Himself as the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, hundreds of years after their bodies died. That means those men were still alive to Him. Your loved ones who died trusting God are not gone. And your own future is not a ghostly float in the clouds but a real, embodied, transformed life. When you feel the weight of loss, hold on to this: the same God who called Himself the God of the living calls you to that life.
Main takeaway: Because God is the God of the living, all who belong to Him are alive to Him, even when their bodies die.
For Families
For ages 5, 8
Jesus told the Sadducees that God is the God of the living, not the dead. That means Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are still alive with God, even though their bodies died long ago.
For ages 9, 12
The Sadducees tried to trick Jesus with a story about a woman who married seven brothers in a row. They thought this proved the resurrection would be impossible or silly. But Jesus explained that life after the resurrection is different from this life. We won't marry or die anymore. Instead, we will be like the angels, living forever with God. Jesus even showed from the Old Testament that God called Himself the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so they must still be alive to Him.
Questions People Ask
Why did the Sadducees deny the resurrection?
The Sadducees believed that only the five books of Moses were authoritative Scripture, and they did not find a clear statement about resurrection in those books. They also denied the existence of angels and spirits, focusing on life in the present world. Their theology relied heavily on human reason, and they thought the idea of a bodily resurrection was impossible.
What is the levirate marriage law that the Sadducees mention?
Levirate marriage is commanded in Deuteronomy 25:5. If a man died without a son, his brother was supposed to marry the widow and have a child to carry on the dead man's name and inheritance. The Sadducees invented an extreme case of seven brothers taking the same woman to show what they thought was an absurd outcome in the resurrection.
Does Jesus say we become angels in heaven?
No. Jesus says that those who are raised from the dead are like the angels (isangeloi) in one key way: they can no longer die. He does not say they turn into angels. Angels are created spirits, while resurrected humans are transformed, bodily beings who share the angelic quality of immortality.
Why did Jesus quote Exodus 3:6 to prove the resurrection?
Jesus quoted God's words to Moses at the burning bush: 'I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.' Centuries after those men had died, God spoke in the present tense. Jesus explained that this means God is not the God of the dead but of the living. Somehow Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive to God, so the dead are raised.
Does this passage mean marriage is not important?
Not at all. Jesus honors marriage as part of 'this age.' But he says the resurrection life will be so different that marriage, which serves to continue the human race through death, will no longer be needed. Relationships in heaven are not ended; they are transformed into something deeper, without the limits of death or the need for procreation.
For pastors & researchers
Greek interlinear, 8 commentaries & word study