Matthew 22:23-33

Contemporary English Version

Life in the Future World

(Mark 12.18-27; Luke 20.27-40)

^23 (A) The Sadducees did not believe people would rise to life after death. So that same day some of the Sadducees came to Jesus and said:

^24 (B) Teacher, Moses wrote that if a married man dies and has no children, his brother should marry the widow. Their first son would then be thought of as the son of the dead brother.

²⁵ Once there were seven brothers who lived here. The first one married, but died without having any children. So his wife was left to his brother. ²⁶ The same thing happened to the second and third brothers and finally to all seven of them. ²⁷ At last the woman died. ²⁸ When God raises people from death, whose wife will this woman be? She had been married to all seven brothers.

²⁹ Jesus answered:

You are completely wrong! You don't know what the Scriptures teach. And you don't know anything about the power of God. ^30 (C) When God raises people to life, they won't marry. They will be like the angels in heaven. ³¹ And as for people being raised to life, God was speaking to you when he said, ^32 (D) “I am the God worshiped by Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.”^[a] He isn't the God of the dead, but of the living.

³³ The crowds were surprised to hear what Jesus was teaching.