When a Brother Dies - Luke 20:28

The beloved physician Luke wrote how there came to Jesus, “certain of the Sadducees, which deny that there is any resurrection; and they asked him,”, and in chapter twenty and verse twenty-eight of his book Luke shared how the religious leaders say when a man's brother dies, “his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother” where we read:

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.

The verse reads, “Saying, Master, Moses wrote unto us, If any man's brother die, having a wife, and he die without children, ...” Luke began with the words, “saying, Master” or “uttering, declaring and proclaiming teacher or instructor”, “Moses wrote unto us” which means “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 delineated or form in letters upon a tablet, paper, parchment or other material”, “If any man's brother die” or “whether any male human being's brother from the same mother or father”, “having a wife” which means “possessing a female spouse”, “and he die without children” or “and the brother breathe his last and perish not having any offspring or progeny”. Luke shared how the “Sadducees” began to present a situation to Jesus concerning a man who was married, but died without having any “children”.

The verse continues, “... that his brother should take his wife, and raise up seed unto his brother.” Luke added the words, “that his brother” or “that the brother from the same mother or father who died” “should take his wife” which means “is to lay hold of, receive to himself and marry the brother's female spouse”, “and raise up seed” or “produce family, posterity and offspring” “unto his brother” which means “for the man's brother”. Luke shared how the “Sadducees” referred to the law which said if a man died before having “children”, the immediate brother of that man was to marry her and have a child to honor the dead brother's name. (See Deuteronomy 25:5-10)

When we consider Luke's words in this verse, we learn about the illustration presented by the “Sadducees” that was meant to “catch” Jesus in His words. This time, the “Sadducees”, employed the law pertaining to a “brother” marrying the widow of an older brother who died before having “children”. The idea was to keep the first brother's “name” alive and not allowing it to vanish among the people. God's desire is to have an “eternal” family, and because the Jewish people were to bring forth His Messiah Jesus, their names needed to continue. God will “save” every person who believes and trusts in His Son Jesus, and when they do, they shall be forgiven of their sins and be granted everlasting life with God.

Next time Luke shares how the religious leaders say, “there were therefore seven brethren: and the first took a wife, and died without children”, 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".