Bulletin:
Word of God, Speak
To Best Understand Heaven…
Don’t Try to Make it Fit Earthly Concepts. (23-28)
Don’t Underestimate the Satisfaction of God’s Presence. (29-30)
Live in Covenant with the Life-Giving God. (31-33)
Manuscript:
The question was asked on the website Quora - What is your personal idea of heaven?
“A peaceful slumber that lasts for eternity.”
No thanks. I’d like to be awake please.
“I would be living in an animal sanctuary with all kinds of animals and I’d be the one in charge of taking care of the puppies.”
Trust me. Even puppies are going to get old real quick.
“A window on my children’s lives and the lives of everyone else, where I could intervene here and there, to prevent bad things from happening to them, and pass a little good luck around.”
This is the helicopter parent’s idea of heaven.
?- Who wants to live in a world where people’s moms are intervening whenever they deem necessary?
Like today, there was some interesting beliefs about heaven in the time of Jesus.
One of the groups of religious leaders in the time of Jesus was a group called the Sadducees.
They taught that when a person dies, that’s it - they don’t live on spiritually in any way!
They also taught that there wasn’t any sort of angels or demons.
We’ve heard from Pharisees and the disciples of the Pharisees along with Herodians.
Now it’s the Sadducees chance to try to best Jesus in a debate.
The last time they were in Matthew was in Ch. 16. when they united with the Pharisees to test Jesus.
During Jesus’ day, the Sadducees represent one of the 3 main Jewish philosophies of life and religion.
They do something right in that they place all authority for life in the Word of God.
This is different from the Pharisees that leaned heavily on the writings of Jewish commentaries and rabbis.
Unfortunately, the Sadducees limited what they considered the Word of God to the first 5 books.
So the rest of the Old Testament was thought to basically be a commentary and not inspired by God.
This allowed them to justify some pretty unbiblical ideas because their theology lacked a lot of information.
The most profound idea that they held to was that didn’t believe in the spirit world or the afterlife.
This group stands as a good warning of what can happen when we pick and choose what parts of God’s Word we’re going to accept.
Title: Word of God, Speak
For this reason, I’ve titled this message “Word of God, Speak.”
And we’re going to learn more specifically from God’s Word about heaven and our relationships there.
We’re going to learn from God’s authoritative Word as it records the words of the one that was called the Word.
And Jesus is called the Word because He Himself is the final message from God.
So let’s jump into Matthew 22:23-33.
23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question, 24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’ 25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died. 28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God. 30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.” 33 And when the crowd heard it, they were astonished at his teaching.
V. 34 tells us that Jesus silenced the Sadducees.
This term is used in other places to describe muzzling an animal.
They’re ability to bark was taken away.
And you don’t hear from them again in Matthew’s gospel.
The crowd, on the other hand, were engaged with what Jesus had been saying.
Once again we’re told that they’re astonished by His teaching.
?- Why would they be so astonished.
Oh I don’t know… maybe because He just told them about how things work in heaven.
He’s explained stuff about angels and the resurrected saints.
Most likely they’re amazed by the authority of His teaching (as in 7:29) - not referencing Rabbi So-&-So.
And from His own authority, He’s answered unanswerable questions with unknowable truth.
I’d imagine that the people in the crowd were like,
“Why do I need to compare opinions from the Ribbis?”
“Why do I the Sadducees act like they know more because they accept less of the Bible?”
Jesus talks about heaven like a person who’s been there.
The fact is that He hasn’t just been there, He’s in charge there just like everywhere else.
And we’re going to let Jesus teach us some stuff about heaven this morning as well.
First idea that we pick up from Jesus is To Best Understand Heaven -
DON’T TRY TO MAKE IT FIT EARTHLY CONCEPTS. (23-28)
23 The same day Sadducees came to him, who say that there is no resurrection, and they asked him a question,
The questions are coming somewhat rapid fire at this point - the same day
Seeming like a genuine theological question, the Sadducees are probably only interested in moving the football a little further down the field in their own theological distinction.
24 saying, “Teacher, Moses said, ‘If a man dies having no children, his brother must marry the widow and raise up offspring for his brother.’
This is a provision in the OT Law for a widow to be able to still raise children who would serve more than one purpose. (Deut 25:5-10)
First, the name of her husband would be continued.
Second, she’d have children to fulfill her motherly desires and have a family to care for her in the future.
25 Now there were seven brothers among us. The first married and died, and having no offspring left his wife to his brother. 26 So too the second and third, down to the seventh. 27 After them all, the woman died.
It was common for teachers to challenge a principle using a hypothetical situation.
Even though this is described as a real situation, this is clearly a purely hypothetical situation.
Or it may be that these Sadducees are recounting a common story from the Jewish book of Tobit.
The reason why the brothers would be expected to continue marry the widow was to allow her to have children.
The idea that not one of them succeeded in this before dying is as unlikely as the idea that a father would continue to keep allowing his sons to keep marrying the femme fatale
The situation is one where I think we’d see modern detectives checking the widow’s sugar bowl for arsnic.
The ludicrous earthly events of a righteous woman having seven husbands has served to highlight what the Sadducees consider to be the ludicrous dilemma that they think the doctrine of the resurrection presents.
28 In the resurrection, therefore, of the seven, whose wife will she be? For they all had her.”
Understand that these Sadducees are basically saying,
“How could the resurrection be true since a situation like this wouldn’t work?”
They’ve painted a picture all seven of these husbands waiting in heaven for their wife to arrive.
Here’s the mistake they’re making (aside from holding to false presupposition about the Bible).
They’re assuming that the joys and pleasures of heaven are just greater expressions of earthly pleasures.
The assumption is that heaven is simply an extension of what life is on this earth - only better.
I read a dialogue between a Muslim woman and a Shaykh/teacher about marriage.
She was wondering if would be better not to marry.
She refers to hadiths/teachings on how wives are to be treated by their husbands and was concerned.
In the course of the conversation, I could tell that the Shaykh wasn’t easing her worries.
One specific hadith/official teaching that concerned her states,
“Any woman who dies with her husband happy with her will enter Paradise.”
The Shaykh response was basically, “consider yourself lucky.”
He wrote in response,
“What a tremendous opportunity! Imagine a lifetime of sins and faults being overlooked by Allah if her husband is happy with her!”
He also wrote on how Allah knows exactly what men and women need and provides for them in paradise.
He referenced how men are allowed to have multiple wives because of their weaker nature.
As relates to heaven, he wrote on how, by being married, she could have a husband for all eternity.
And, since Muslims believe that paradise is the place where earthly pleasures are magnified, he also mentioned that Allah would provide many more wives for her husband in the afterlife as well.
For Mormons, marriage is also believed to be eternal.
In fact, those who are widowed or divorced are going to have multiple spouses in heaven too
And they hold similar beliefs about heaven that consider it to a magnification of earthly pleasures
And, low-&-behold, multiple wives for all eternity is also involved.
Incidentally, I learned about the divine explanation that Joseph Smith gave his wife, Emma, after saying, “to have more than one wife would be big-a-me!”
According to the Mormon Doctrines and Covenants, in 1843, Joseph Smith received a specific revelation to help his first wife accept her fellow helpmates:
“And let mine handmaid, Emma Smith, receive all those that have been given unto my servant Joseph... But if she will not abide this commandment she shall be destroyed, saith the Lord”
Religious people try to manipulate God with earthly works so that He’ll give them earthly stuff.
False teachers usually dangle earthly stuff before people’s faces telling them,
“Do what I say and God will give you this.”
Sadly, there ends up being a hierarchy of cult leaders in the home with wives and children at the bottom.
And their made to think that they’re inferior beings.
So, for them, they can basically be told,
“Do what you’re supposed to, and then you’ll be treated like a human being.”
It’s also common for people to think that the blessings of heaven is that we just unlimited earthly stuff.
And, if this woman that the Sadducees described actually existed and heard Jesus’ response,
She’d probably respond with, “Oh, thank God none of these husbands will HAVE me!”
To Best Understand Heaven - Don’t Try to Make it Fit Earthly Concepts.
Listen to what Jesus has to say about it, and trust that it’s gonna be awesome!
The next idea that we pick up from Jesus is To Best Understand Heaven -
DON’T UNDERESTIMATE THE SATISFACTION OF GOD’S PRESENCE. (29-30)
29 But Jesus answered them, “You are wrong, because you know neither the Scriptures nor the power of God.
Recall that these guys are pretty proud of themselves regarding their approach to God’s Word.
They consider themselves to be purists - only sticking to the books that Moses wrote.
The challenge that Jesus is confronting is about whether there is a literal, physical resurrection.
He flat-out tells the Sadducees that they are mistaken in their judgment of the issue.
His next statements aren’t meant to be a full expose’ on what life will be like in heaven.
It’s simply an explanation of how the whole scenario they presented is a misunderstanding of heaven.
In the process of trying to disprove the resurrection, they’re thinking about heaven with their finite minds.
And they can only imagine it as being an extension of what we enjoy on earth.
Their argument against the resurrection is that it’s not possible for us to live there as we do here.
They think (since the sexual intimacy of marriage is so important right now) it must exist in eternity too.
So, there must NOT be an after-life because what about wives who have been widowed more than once?
Jesus basically tells the Sadducees that the problem isn’t with the doctrine of the resurrection.
The problem has to do with their understanding of heaven.
They limit what they consider to be the Scriptures to the first 5 books.
So they don’t understand the Scriptures like -
* Isaiah 26:19 19 Your dead shall live; their bodies shall rise. You who dwell in the dust, awake and sing for joy! For your dew is a dew of light, and the earth will give birth to the dead.
* Daniel 12:2 2 And many of those who sleep in the dust of the earth shall awake, some to everlasting life, and some to shame and everlasting contempt.
They also don’t understand the power of God
They are limiting what should be believed to what their minds can comprehend.
They essentially had a secular mindset because they put a cap on what they thought God could do.
30 For in the resurrection they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven.
Jesus provides us with a little bit of insight into what our eternal relationships will be like in heaven.
This isn’t a full teaching on all the aspects of these relationships.
He’s mainly pointing out the shortsightedness of the Sadducees heresy regarding the resurrection.
Notice we’re not told that we will become angels.
Jesus says that we will be like angels, especially that there will not be a need for marriage.
The truth is that there won’t be people born after this present time comes to end & the eternal state begins.
There will no longer be any procreation.
And this means there will no longer be the sexual relationship that’s true of marriage.
J- Married folks, if this bothers you, make the most of it now… feel free to quote me on that.
With eyes of faith, we understand how God’s blessings on earth are hints of how amazing heaven will be.
* 1 Corinthians 2:9 But, as it is written, “What no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man imagined, what God has prepared for those who love him”—
While spouses won’t have the same relationship, marriage teaches the relationship of the church & Jesus. In his book The Meaning of Marriage, Tim Keller tells us of the divine purpose of marriage:
“Marriage was designed to be a reflection of the saving love of God for us in Jesus Christ. That is why the gospel helps us to understand marriage and marriage helps us to understand the gospel.”
Most of you are familiar with what’s written in Ephesians 5.
* Ephesians 5:25–29 25 Husbands, love your wives, as Christ loved the church and gave himself up for her… 28 In the same way husbands should love their wives as their own bodies. He who loves his wife loves himself. 29 For no one ever hated his own flesh, but nourishes and cherishes it, just as Christ does the church,
The beginning of eternal life in God’s presence is described as a wedding is in Revelation 19.
* Revelation 19:9 9 And the angel said to me, “Write this: Blessed are those who are invited to the marriage supper of the Lamb.” And he said to me, “These are the true words of God.”
It may very well be that the oneness of heart and soul that we experience with our spouse is what we’ll experience with God and even with all brothers and sisters in Christ.
I heard that what were punishments when we were kids are goals for us as adults.
Eating vegetables
Not going out all weekend
Taking a nap
Going to bed early
One person’s idea of eternal bliss might be another person’s idea of eternal annoyance.
Skewed views of eternal rewards involving mansions and material wealth are because of our shortsightedness
I’m so glad that the riches that God is going to show me according to Ephesians 2:7 are the immeasurable riches of his grace in kindness toward us in Christ Jesus
It’d be a real bummer if this were just talking about God dumping a bunch of money and gold on us.
But, the person that thinks heaven is just an extension of earthly pleasures, this might be their concept.
To Best Understand Heaven - Don’t Underestimate the Satisfaction of God’s Presence.
Don’t forget what’s happening here and why the crowd ends up so astonished by Jesus’ teaching.
He’s not quoting Rabbi Jedediah’s writings about heaven.
He’s not saying, “Well, what if there’s no marriage in heaven?”
He’s saying, “You’re wrong m’dudes. There is a spirit world and a heaven. I know cause I made it.
As with other misconceptions about heaven, most people think that entry into heaven is based on the good things they’ve done in their lives.
I read a story along these lines.
When Fred arrived at the Pearly Gates, he was met by an official-looking angelic being who began to process his entry data. Fred was asked for some purely unselfish, kindly deed he had done on earth. Well, Fred thought about it for a minute and then said, "Oh, yes. I think I have something you might be interested in. One day I was walking along and I came upon a little old lady who was being mercilessly beaten up by a huge motorcycle-gang type of fellow. He was smacking her back and forth. Well, I just stepped right up and first I pushed over his motorcycle just to distract his attention. And then I kicked him real hard in the shins and told the old lady to run for help. And then I hauled off and gave the guy a great shot right to the gut with my fist."
The angel looked at Fred with a great deal of interest and said,
"Wow, that's quite a story. I'm very impressed." Then taking his clipboard in hand he said, "Could you tell me just when this happened?" Fred looked at his watch and said, "Oh, about two of three minutes ago."
We end up in heaven because, through Christ, we’re in a saving relationship with the eternal God.
And when we leave this physical earth, that relationship with God becomes unfettered by sin & continues
and this leads us to how we can learn from Jesus that To Best Understand Heaven
LIVE IN COVENANT WITH THE LIFE-GIVING GOD. (31-32)
31 And as for the resurrection of the dead, have you not read what was said to you by God: 32 ‘I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not God of the dead, but of the living.”
Jesus dismantled their argument that the marriage relationship makes the resurrection unlikely.
Now He turns to prove the resurrection from the scriptures that the Sadducees revere.
Jesus quotes what God tells Moses is Exodus 3:6 at the burning bush.
This is the same place where He will tell Moses that His name is I AM - the eternal God unbound by time.
There, God introduces Himself as the God of the Patriarchs of the Hebrews - Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.
Grammatically, God told Moses “I AM the God of Abraham…” - not I WAS their God.
He doesn’t say, “Those were some cool dudes. It’s too bad their dead. I miss them.”
No, He’s saying they were mine, they’re still mine, and we’re still in that same covenant relationship.
The understanding here is that the Patriarchs are still living and God is still their God.
The whole point that Jesus is hitting at is the resurrection is proven by the fact that the living God gives eternal life to those that walk in covenant with Him.
Physical death doesn’t limit God’s life-giving work.
!- The Resurrection is something that we believe in faith.
And we’re not just believing Moses or our Sunday school teacher.
We’re believing the words of the Word of God made flesh who walked among us.
We can take it to the bank.
The living God gives eternal life to those who have a saving covenant with Him.
This is the same sort of covenant that Abraham and Isaac and Jacob had with God.
Ours is the New Covenant
And this morning we remind ourselves of that New Covenant we have with God through Jesus
