The Dead are Raised - Luke 20:37

Luke the beloved physician how there came to Jesus, “certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him, Saying, 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. There were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children. And the second took her to wife, and he died childless. And the third took her; and in like manner the seven also: and they left no children, and died. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore in the resurrection whose wife of them is she? for seven had her to wife. And Jesus answering said unto them, The children of this world marry, and are given in marriage. But they which shall be accounted worthy to obtain that world, and the resurrection from the dead, neither marry, nor are given in marriage. Neither can they die any more: for they are equal unto the angels; and are the children of God, being the children of the resurrection”, and in chapter twenty and verse thirty-seven of his book Luke shared how Jesus talked about the idea, “that the dead are raised” where we read:

Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.

The verse reads, “Now that the dead are raised, even Moses showed at the bush, ...” Luke began with the words, “now that the dead” or “moreover considering that the lifeless ones who have breathed their last and are expired and perished” “are raised” which means “exist as risen from the dead”, “even Moses” or “also and indeed Moses whose name means drawing out and was the legislator of the Jewish people and in a certain sense the founder of the Jewish religion” “showed at the bush” which means “disclosed, make known, declared, indicated and made known at the thorn or bramble bush” the following. Luke shared how Jesus referred to Moses who demonstrated at the “burning bush” the following idea concerning the “rising of the dead”. (See Exodus 3:1-17)

The verse goes on to say, “... when he called the Lord the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.” Luke continued with the words, “when he called” or “at the time and moment Moses affirmed, maintained, directed and intended” “the Lord” which means “the One to whom a person or thing belongs, about which he has power of deciding; master and the title given to God the Messiah” “the God of Abraham” or “the Godhead and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit belonging to Abraham whose name means father of a multitude and was the son of Terah and the founder of the Jewish nation”, “and the God of Isaac” which means “and the Godhead and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit belonging to Isaac whose name means to laugh and was the son of Abraham and Sarah”, “and the God of Jacob” or “and the Godhead and trinity which is comprised of God the Father, Christ the Son and the Holy Spirit belonging to Jacob whose name means heel-catcher or supplanter and was the second son of Issac and Rebecca”. Luke shared how Jesus referred to the way Moses declared “the Lord” to be the “God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob”.

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we see how Jesus referred to the ancestors of the Sadducees to answer their question concerning the “resurrection” of the dead. Because they honored and respected Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Jesus reminded them of the way Moses at the burning bush demonstrated that these men were “alive” by sharing that God was among them after their death. In other words, Moses, Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were alive again and had in effect “risen from the dead”. God wants all people to be with Him eternally in Heaven, and He sent His Son Jesus to die for their sins which separated them from a relationship with Him so they could be granted everlasting life. Those who put their faith and trust in Jesus will be forgiven of theirs sins and granted eternal life with God, but those who refuse and reject Jesus as the Christ and Messiah of God shall forever be separated from Him.

Next time Luke shares how Jesus says, “he is not a God of the dead, but of the living”, so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore. All references are from "Strongs Concordance".