Notes on Luke 20:34-46

Luke 20:34

Jesus replied by first affirming the goodness of marriage which God instituted for humanity (Gen. 2:18-25). It was given to help us understand his love for the church (Eph. 5:25-32)

Luke 20:35

regarded as worthy. God is the one who regards people as worthy for the kingdom (Col. 1:12-14). This happens through repentance and faith in Christ (Mark 1:14-15). that age. Many people in Jesus' day misunderstood the differences between this present age (v. 34) and the age to come. Eternal life is very different from earthly life (1 Cor. 15:40-44). Marriage will end because that which marriage pointed to will become reality (Eph. 5:31-32; Rev. 19:6-9). Since marriage is not part of the life after resurrection, their question is pointless. They were caught in their own trap (see note on vv. 29-33).

Luke 20:36

sons of God. Believers are adopted as God's children in Christ and given the same inheritance and privileges as son (Rom. 8:14-17; Gal. 4:4-7). sons of the resurrection. Those who experience resurrection in Christ have eternal life and will never die again (John 11:25; 1 Cor. 15:20-22). equal to the angels. This does not mean believers become angels. They remain human, though glorified. Like angels, they will dwell forever in God's presence and reflect his glory (Rev. 21:9–22:5).

Luke 20:37-38

Jesus rooted in his teaching on the resurrection in the Old Testament Scriptures. He utilized God's words to Moses prove the patriarchs were not dead, but alive with God (see Exod. 3:1–4:17). The Lord did not say that I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, but I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Those who have trusted and walked with God and his promises find themselves in his presence upon death. One day they will be raised to new life (see 1 Thess. 4:16-18)

Luke 20:39-40

This was an incredibly persuasive argument for Jesus to make in the context of the question (v. 33). They were shown to be wrong about their rejection of the resurrection by the very part of Scriptures that Sadducees valued (see note on v. 27). Though they tried to trap Jesus, his answer left them unable to respond.

Luke 20:41

It was commonly known that the promised Christ would be from David's lineage (2 Sam. 7:12-16). But he would not only be David's son (vv. 42-44).

Luke 20:41

It was commonly known that the promised Christ would be from David's lineage (2 Sam. 7:12-16). But he would not only be David's son (vv. 42-44).

Luke 20:42-44

Jesus quoted from Ps. 110 to show that the Christ was more than just a son of David. The background to his argument is the cultural assumption that ancestors were greater in prominence than their descendants. This was contradicted as David writes that the Lord (God) said to my Lord (the Christ). Who could be David's Lord? He was king and had no superior on earth. However, his descendent, the Christ, would be greater than him. As the Christ, Jesus was also God in the flesh (John 1:1-18; John 1:1, 14, 18; Col. 1:15-20; Heb. 1:3; see note on 1:35). Thus, Jesus had greater glory and authority than his forefather, David.

Luke 20:45

Jesus taught his disciples but knew others were listening.

Luke 20:46

scribes. See note on 5:17. beware. Jesus condemned the pride and hypocrisy of the teachers of Israel in his day. He gave four examples to show the scribes' love of attention and popularity. long robes. Unlike the common people of Israel, the scribes wore full length robes as a sign of their wealth. These had long mantles with unusually tassels on the four corners to emphasize their piety (see Num. 15:38-39). special greetings. People were expected rise and greet the scribes with a formal greeting (see 11:43). chief seats. Benches along the walls of a synagogue (see note on 4:15). The chief seats were those closest to the front where the entire congregation could be seen and addressed. chief places. Seats nearest the host at dinner parties (see note on 14:7).

Related Resources

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International License.