Luke 20:27-47 What Did Jesus Say About the Resurrection?

September 23, 2026 

The Ten Signposts of the Bible

CAMDE—400—CALY

Creation. Abraham. Moses. David. Elijah. 400. Christ. Apostles. Letters. Yet-to-Come.

On the way to the cross, Jesus devoted time to public ministry. He taught each day at the temple in Jerusalem, which prompted the religious leaders to ask a series of questions to turn the people against him. 

The Pharisees and Sadducees were neither theologically nor politically aligned. But, as the saying goes, “the enemy of my enemy is my friend.” Both groups agreed that Jesus had to be eliminated to stop the movement, which threatened their power, authority, and livelihoods. In today’s passage, the Sadducees, “who deny that there is a resurrection,” asked a question. Members of this group were often from the upper class and controlled the high priesthood, which they had purchased from the Roman government.^[1] (See more about the Sadducees in Saturday's WEEKEND RECHARGE).

Luke 20:28

Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man’s brother dies, having a wife but no children, the man must take the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.  Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife, and died without children. And the second and the third took her, and likewise all seven left no children and died. Afterward the woman also died. In the resurrection, therefore, whose wife will the woman be? For the seven had her as wife.

The basis for their question was the Hebrew concept of “Levirate” marriage, which required an unmarried man to marry his deceased brother’s widow to preserve the family name (Deut. 25:5–10). The term “Levirate” comes from the Latin word levir, meaning “brother-in-law.” According to the historian Josephus, this was still practiced among the Jews in Jesus’ day.^[2]

The Sadducees pushed this instruction to an absurd extreme to support their view. But Jesus responded with the true understanding of resurrection and eternal life. First, Jesus made it clear that there would be no marriage in heaven (Luke 20:34–36). Life in the next world will not be like life in this world. Those in heaven will be immortal, like the angels, so there will be no need for marriage or procreation. 

Yet Jesus continued his explanation, emphasizing that there would indeed be a resurrection from the dead. The Lord’s proof text came from Moses and the burning bush, where Moses called the Lord the “God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob” (Luke 20:37), confirming that Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob were still alive. Jesus said, “Now he is not God of the dead, but of the living, for all live to him” (Luke 20:38). 

The Pharisees, who believed in the resurrection, approved of Jesus’ answer. They said, “Teacher, you have spoken well” (Luke 20:39). But Jesus did not stop there. He turned the moment back on them with a question of his own: “How can they say that the Christ is David’s son? For David himself says in the Book of Psalms, ‘The Lord said to my Lord, “Sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies your footstool.’” David thus calls him Lord, so how is he his son?” (Luke 20:41–44). 

The people of Israel expected the one called the Son of David to be a military hero, like their mighty King David, who had ruled during Israel’s united kingdom. They believed Jesus would restore Israel’s political power, but their understanding of the Messiah was incomplete. By quoting Psalm 110:1, Jesus revealed his true identity. 

In this passage from Psalm 110, David recognizes the coming of one greater than himself and calls him “my Lord.” Jesus quotes this psalm in Luke 20 to show that the Messiah is more than merely David’s descendant. He was not David’s equal; he was David’s Lord and, therefore, greater than David. God also told David’s “Lord” to sit at his right hand, “until I make your enemies your footstool.” Sitting at God’s right hand signified finished work and a place of power. Though fully human and descended from David’s line, the Messiah was acknowledged by David as his Lord. Jesus was fully God and fully man. His kingdom was certain to look very different from anything ever experienced.

Jesus had one more thing to say as he called out the religious leaders who had rejected his proof of deity and were trying to silence him. Having shown that David himself called the Messiah “Lord,” Jesus exposed the false, self-exalting religion of those who opposed him. He said this loudly so all could hear: “Beware of the scribes, who like to walk around in long robes, and love greetings in the marketplaces and the best seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at feasts, who devour widows’ houses and for a pretense make long prayers. They will receive the greater condemnation” (Luke 20:46–47). 

One day the proud, pompous pretenders would be put in their place. While they presently enjoyed the appearance of power and authority, it would not last. Their injustice to the needy and self-promotion would result in condemnation. Yet even this warning is marked by grace, for there was still time for them to repent and turn to the One sent from God.

And that same mercy speaks to us as well. Pride has a way of blinding us to spiritual things, doesn’t it? So we, too, must walk humbly before the Lord, repent when our hearts drift toward self-importance, and surrender gladly to Jesus’ sovereign authority.

Read and reflect on Luke 20:27–47: The people expected a Messiah who would be a political or military king, but Jesus revealed himself to be a very different kind of king. Where might you be tempted to reshape Jesus into the kind of Savior or king you want him to be rather than surrendering to who he truly is?

Talking to God: Ask God to help you surrender and accept Jesus as Lord. 

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