The sermon discusses the encounter between Jesus and the Sadducees, who questioned Him about the resurrection using a hypothetical scenario involving marriage. The Sadducees, unlike the Pharisees, did not believe in the resurrection or life after death. They posed a complex question to Jesus to trap Him, but Jesus responded by highlighting their misunderstanding of the Scriptures and the power of God. He explained that in the resurrection, people will not marry but will be like angels in heaven. Jesus used the example of the burning bush from Exodus to illustrate that God is the God of the living, not the dead, affirming the reality of the resurrection. The sermon emphasizes the importance of the resurrection in maintaining God's covenant with believers, highlighting that death does not sever the covenant between God and His people, unlike human marriage which ends at death. The resurrection assures believers of eternal life and the unbreakable nature of God's promises.

In verse 18. Some Sadducees who say that there is no resurrection came to Jesus and began questioning him saying, Teacher, Moses wrote for us that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother. There were seven brothers, and the first took a wife and died leaving no children. The second one married her and died, leaving behind no children. And the third likewise.

And so all seven left, no children. Last of all, the woman died also. In the resurrection, when they rise again, which one's wife will she be? For all seven had married her. Jesus said to them, is this not the reason you are mistaken?

That you do not understand the scriptures or the power of God? For when they rise from the dead They neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, have you not read in the book of Moses and the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him saying, I am the God of Abraham and the God of Isaac and the God of Jacob He is not the God of the dead But of the living you are greatly mistaken God bless the reading of his word Amen, let's pray father in heaven hallowed be your name kingdom come will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Thank you for this day and our daily bread. Thank you Lord so much for our daily bread.

I need it. This your word. Thank you Lord and in Christ you forgive us our debts. We want to forgive those who have trespassed against us. Lord, lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

For thine is the kingdom, and thine is the power, and thine is the glory forever. And in Jesus' name we pray, Amen. You may be seated. We come this morning to the second of three questions that are brought to Jesus following his pronouncement upon Jerusalem. Last Lord's Day we saw the Pharisees and the Herodians.

They were sent by the temple leaders to trap Jesus in a statement. Their question was one of taxes. Should we pay taxes to Caesar or not? And the hope was, if Jesus says Yes, then the people whom they feared would think that Jesus had sold out to Rome, and the people would leave him. Or if Jesus said, no, don't pay your taxes, then the Romans would get wind of that, and well, they would make quick work of Jesus.

Well that's what they thought would happen. But just like Jesus did in the temple, Jesus turned the tables on these Pharisees and Herodians. Render to Caesar that which bears Caesar's image, and render to God that which bears God's image. Pay the Roman coin to Caesar because it belongs to him. But give yourself to God, and give the temple to the nations, because you and the temple belong to Him." They were amazed at Him, our text says.

And now comes a second question. And a second group come on the scene. The Sadducees. And what a good name for them. Sad.

You see. The Sadducees, a group so vastly different than the Pharisees that only hatred of Jesus could bring them together in such a way that they join in with this plot to destroy Jesus. They were much different than the Pharisees and the Herodians. The Sadducees, our text tells us, were a group of men that did not believe in the resurrection. It says that they're in the text.

They did not believe in the resurrection, which means that they did not believe that there is life after death and that God will raise human bodies up from the grave on the last day. That's the doctrine of the resurrection, lest anybody be confused. What do we mean by resurrection? We mean what they mean. That on the last day, God will raise up human bodies from the grave.

And these Sadducees didn't believe it. They didn't believe that Scripture taught anything about the resurrection. And these Sadducees, in fact, they only embraced the first five books of the Old Testament. So the Pentateuch was their canon. Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy.

And they believe that According to Genesis through Deuteronomy, there was no teaching regarding life after death, and therefore, no resurrection of the body. Now I just want to make an aside here. There's a great deal of Christian liberty when it comes to the resurrection and how we treat our bodies. I just want to hold out to you as a pastor something for you to consider that's not in my notes, but I need you to consider. When you consider the day that you die, you need to consider that you do believe in the resurrection.

And so as you consider that, I want you to consider what that means and what you convey in your funeral. I do not believe, some may believe, but I do not believe it is a sin to be cremated but before you are cremated I want you to ask the question does that convey hope of the resurrection you might land differently but I want you to think through that as we think through this sermon together okay no pressure just want you to think just what you think about okay so these Sadducees they do not believe in the resurrection. They don't think life after death is taught in the Pentateuch. And in contrast, I want you to see this, In contrast, the Pharisees, they believed all of the Old Testament. Right?

They believed all of it. They believed all of the Old Testament. They very much believed in the resurrection. So this is an incredibly dark, incredibly evil thing that's going on with these two groups being opposed to Jesus on such a... They're opposed to Jesus and they're opposed to one another on such a weighty matter as the resurrection.

They're going to come together. The Pharisees and the Herodians failed, so the Sadducees say, Amen. Tag. Tag me into the ring. We'll come in with you.

And they disagree on something massive like the Resurrection. They're trying to bring Jesus down and catch him with a statement. So let me just give you one example of how massive and explosive this difference is between the Pharisees and the Sadducees. And why, when you read this text, you should just be caught like, wow, Such is their hatred towards the Savior that they would ignore this big difference. I just want to give you one example of the explosive nature of the difference between these two groups, the Pharisees and the Sadducees, regarding the resurrection.

I'll tell it to you quick. Acts chapter 23. You don't need to go there, I'll just give you a summary. Paul is on trial preaching the gospel. He's been taken prisoner basically, brought before a council.

And Luke tells us in Acts 23 that Paul, noticing that he's been brought before this council, and these men want him dead and imprisoned at least. They want to take his life. Noticing that Paul is standing in this council, they want him dead, that there's Pharisees and that there's also Sadducees in this mixed group. Paul just says one line. He says, looking around, oh, there's Pharisees and Sadducees.

He says, I'm on trial because of the resurrection from the dead. I'm on trial because of the hope of the resurrection from the dead. He just brings up the resurrection. And you know what happens? The Pharisees in that group in Acts 23 who had just wanted him moments before to be put to death, they start shouting you know what this guy ain't too bad.

This is a good man. What has he done wrong? And they become angry with one another, and of course the Sadducees are even more enraged at Paul because they deny the resurrection. That's the Sadducees. That's the Pharisees.

This is a major difference, and yet in this one chapter we see them together. They come on the scene in verse 18 and Mark makes it very plain who these men are. They say there is no resurrection. And yet what is their question? They say there is no resurrection and yet what's their question all about?

The resurrection. It's just like the Pharisees and the Herodians. These men come to Jesus in hypocrisy and guile. This again is a dishonest question. All they wish to do in asking this question is to hopefully make Jesus look silly.

And so, they begin their question, they begin by quoting from God's law in Deuteronomy chapter 25. You'll notice in verse 19 that it's a whole bunch of capitalized letters. You see that? That's because the Sadducees are taking a text from Deuteronomy chapter 25. And I've got a slide here just so you can have something to write down.

We have here the precept. They bring up a precept from God's law. In verses 18 through 23 of our passage, we see the Sadducees appeal to a precept from the law of God found in Deuteronomy 25, 5 through 10. And they kind of summarize it a little bit. And they quote from that law in verse 19.

Look with me there. These Sadducees in verse 19, they're quoting Deuteronomy 25. Moses wrote that if a man's brother dies and leaves behind a wife and leaves no child, his brother should marry the wife and raise up children to his brother." That's again from Deuteronomy 25, 5 through 10. A man dies, he leaves behind no heir, it would be the brother's responsibility to take his deceased brother's wife so that his brother's line wouldn't end. It's called the Leverett law.

If you want to say in a different way, Leverett law. I have no idea how to say it. I know what it is though. The Leverite law. A man dies, leaves behind no heir, it would be the brother's responsibility to take his deceased brother's wife.

And God specifically gives the reason for this in Deuteronomy 25 verse 6. You can write that down. Deuteronomy 25 verse 6. God says, so that the deceased brother's name would not be blotted out from Israel. Let's say that again, because that's important.

So that the deceased brother's name would not be blotted out from Israel. As theologian Jack Deary points out, and I quote, in this precept, even though a man had died before the Lord fulfilled the covenant promises made to Abraham and his descendants of land, seed, and blessing, this man who had died could still participate in a sense in the glorious future of Israel through His descendants provided through His brother. You get that? That's the precept from the law of God that these Sadducees are appealing to. And I need you to notice that what book is it from?

Deuteronomy. One of the few books that the Sadducees believed to be canon, to be true scripture. And so they quote from Deuteronomy 25. And from that precept, from that clear law, man dies, his brother should take his wife so that his brother's name would not be blotted out of Israel. From that precept, these Sadducees craft a pretty fanciful scenario, don't they?

It's actually, in my mind, is pretty comical in its improbability. Is such a scenario possible in verses 20, 21, and 22? Sure. Is it likely? No.

Has it ever happened? Probably not. So here's the scenario in verses 20 through 23. Seven brothers. The first brother takes a woman as a wife.

He dies before they have children. So 25, Deuteronomy 25 kicks in. And the next brother steps up. OK, going to keep my brother's name from being blotted out. Uh-oh.

But he dies before there's any children born to this woman. So down the line it goes all the way through the seventh brother, each of them having married her and none of them have provided an heir. Which brother will have her as a wife in the resurrection? Now again, you just need to remember that these men deny that there is even a resurrection. So what are they doing?

Why are they doing this to Jesus? Why are they doing what they're doing? Again, I think the answer is really simple. They must think to themselves, as the Pharisees did before them, this question will be so impossible for Jesus that he will either deny the resurrection because it's so impossible and he'll be on our side Or Or he will look just so silly and trying to maintain his position on the resurrection that nobody will be able to take Jesus serious anymore. We'll either win Him over our side, there's really no resurrection, people will probably abandon Him anyway, because the Pharisees are more popular than the Sadducees.

But if he doesn't do that, he'll just look silly. Win-win. How can he possibly, they might think, how can Jesus possibly answer our question when just two chapters earlier, Jesus told the Pharisees about the permanence of marriage? If marriage between believers is permanent according to chapter 10 between believers is a lifelong covenant relationship it's permanent. If that's true then how can Jesus say that in the resurrection who's gonna be married?

He can't hold to what he said in chapter 10 and chapter 12, can he? Lose, lose. Jesus is in contradiction. How can he maintain that position, that marriage is permanent, chapter 10, while saying there's a resurrection? There's no doubt in my mind that the Sadducees have heard what Jesus said in Mark chapter 10.

I think sometimes because, I mean, false preaching is great and we need to do it, but we forget what came just two chapters earlier. Jesus was talking here about divorce. Very, very likely. Very, very highly, far more probable than this scenario is these men hearing what Jesus said about marriage. Jesus had said that marriage between believers is to be for life.

The marriage is to be for life between two believers. And so if marriage is for life in the resurrected life, Jesus must have a problem with this woman. Oh yeah, Jesus? What are you going to do with this? I mean, can't you hear these Sadducees saying to themselves, we've concocted an outlandish scenario that will put Jesus in a real bind regarding marriage and the resurrection.

There's no way Jesus can affirm the permanence of marriage between believers and the resurrection when all seven brothers claim to be married to this woman. We've got Jesus in a real bind. It's closed case. Now, I think it's highly likely, again, I'm not certain, I think it's highly likely that This argument was used against the Pharisees all the time. These Pharisees, they just left and they couldn't trick Jesus but here come these guys who go, well, we trick the Pharisees with this all the time.

They never can answer this one. We'll throw this one at Jesus. As R.C. Sproul says, by asking whose wife the woman would be when they were all raised again, the Sadducees seem to have been suggesting that the resurrection would create unsolvable problems for anyone who believed it. We've got Jesus up against an unsolvable problem, think the Sadducees.

What do you think? Is this a problem for Jesus? No. Come on. Come on.

We... Come on. Just as He turned the tables over in the temple, He turned the tables on the Pharisees and the Herodians, so now too Jesus looked at these Sadducees in verse 24 and He turned the tables on them by saying in effect, the problem isn't with the resurrection, the problem is with you. That's what He says. And I'm a Baptist pastor, so I've got alliteration going.

The problem. The problems. Verse 24. Jesus said to them, is this not the reason you are mistaken? That you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God?

The problem isn't with the resurrection. The problem isn't with marriage being a lifelong covenant. The problem is with the Sadducees. The problem is these men don't understand the Scriptures, nor do they understand the power of God. What the text says, that's the problem with these pharisees, with these Sadducees.

They neither understand the Scriptures, nor the power of God. What does Jesus mean by that? What don't these Sadducees understand concerning the Scriptures and the power of God? Well just think about it. What happened in this scenario that they posed to Jesus?

This is really important, really important. Zero in here. What happened in this scenario that they posed to Jesus? This is really important. Really important.

Zero in here. What happened in this scenario that these men brought to Jesus? Woman marries a husband. He dies. She remarries his brother.

He dies. So on, so on, so on. Got it? I want to ask you a question. Do you see anywhere in the text that these Sadducees are all concerned about this woman committing adultery?

Are they at all bringing up any kind of like, she's committed adultery, she's married more than one man. The answer is obvious, what's the answer? No. There is no suggestion from these men that this woman is in adultery for marrying another man. Why is that?

Because her husband had died. Because her former husband had died. You might not be putting the pieces together yet, hang with me. What does that tell you about a marriage covenant? It tells you that even in the Old Testament, it was clear just in the Pentateuch to these men, it was clear in God giving the law that a marriage covenant was broken when a spouse died.

Till death do you part. If the woman was married to a man, then after that the man died and she remarried. But if the first marriage covenant was still intact, What would that make that woman? She'd be guilty of adultery. She'd be guilty of adultery, of harlotry.

She would be in violation of the marriage covenant with her first husband, and therefore in violation of God's law, and guilty of sin, and the punishment for that particular sin would be most likely death. If the marriage covenant was still intact. But I want you to notice the really simple observation that the Sadducees aren't arguing about her lawfully remarrying. They aren't asking whether this woman should be put to death or not. Because they already know, and you already know, that death annuls a marriage covenant between two people.

God commanded His precept in Deuteronomy 25. He didn't say a brother should take up his deceased brother's wife to encourage adultery. He did that so that the man's name wouldn't be blotted out from Israel. So that the promises for that man and for his household would not be voided. These men, and you know that death results in marriage covenants being annulled, which then gives this woman lawful freedom to be remarried.

Now, I know that's simple, but I got to say it because of what's coming You do got that right will be clear Okay, so in this scenario these Sadducees are asking which husband is this woman married to? I'll give you a second. What I just said, which husband is this woman married to? When you think about it for just a second, And the answer is none of them. Got it?

None of them. Good. All her husbands had died and she had died. And again, what does marriage do to the marriage covenant? Well, What does death do to the marriage covenant?

It ends it. It annuls it. That's clear teaching. So upon death, who is this woman married to? The answer is none of them.

So I want you to just put the pieces together. In order for this woman to be married in the resurrection, in order for this woman to be married on that day when God raises human bodies up from the grave, what would need to happen in the resurrection since she isn't married to anyone after she died. She would need to be remarried in the resurrection. That's why Jesus says in verse 25, when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage. Because death in this life terminates the marriage covenant, no one will enter into the resurrection married to another human.

And Jesus says, and no one will be married again. They neither marry, nor are given in marriage. This idea that a spouse was free covenantally upon death was clearly taught in the Old Testament. And These Sadducees clearly didn't deny it by the way they worded this scenario. And we can today see it clearly in the Old Testament, but also in the New Testament, Romans chapter 7 verse 3.

If while her husband is living, a woman is joined to another man, she should be called an adulteress. But if her husband dies, she's freed from the law so that she's not an adulteress though she is joined to another man. Okay, I just want to make really clear. This is clear in the Old Testament for these Sadducees. It's clear even more clear.

We have old and new for us. But for these Sadducees, the problem with these men is that they're misunderstanding what God has said in the Scriptures. Their question presupposes a false thing. They misunderstand the scriptures and it says they have a total lack of understanding of the power of God. Remember what that verse says, right?

Jesus responded, is this not the reason you're mistaken? That you do not understand the Scriptures or the power of God. When they rise from the dead, in verse 25, they neither marry nor are given in marriage but are like angels in heaven. This life Right now here is not all that there is. There is something far grander and fundamentally different in the life to come.

Not just in heaven, yes, but also in the resurrection. On the last day when God raises bodies from the grave. And on that day when God raises up physical bodies from the grave, we will be like angels. Like angels. Not angels themselves, notice the modifier, but like them.

Like angels in that we will not be married, that the fellowship with God will be forever, constant, and more real, and more sweet than what eye or ear can now know. These men misunderstood the scripture and the power of God. That was their problem. That was the problem. And now, you might be getting to a point in your brain, you're like, man, Pastor Grant, okay, I get what you just said, but why is the Sadducees misunderstanding about the marriage covenant and the nature of the resurrection such a big deal Like what is the marriage covenant?

You mean such a big deal pastor can about the marriage covenant you die And it's a no what on earth does have it to do with this whole question Why are you making such a big deal about them not understanding the role that death plays in covenantal obligations? I'm really glad you asked that question. Because it has everything to do with the power of God. It has everything to do with His power over you. It has everything to do with your life and your death.

It has everything to do with your hope of resurrection. What would death do between two people in a marriage covenant? I want you to say it one more time. It would sever the covenant between them. I want you to say it to me one more time So I know you got it.

What would death do between two people in a marriage covenant? It would Sever the covenant between them So then what does that mean for those of you who are in a covenant relationship with God and Then you die You die What does that mean for you Christian who are in a covenant relationship with God, and you die. You die. What does that mean for you, Christian, who are in a covenant relationship with God, and you die? If you die, will that covenant be severed?

Will that covenant, the covenant that God has made with you in Christ, will that covenant be terminated at your death? You see what's at stake now? Man, if you don't see what's at stake, I'm sorry. If you die, will the covenant between you and God be severed? Because in death, covenant is broken.

If you die, will that covenant be void so that in the resurrection there's no hope for you because you're all alone in your sin, you're powerless, you're damned to an eternity because the covenant that God made with you as His child has been severed by death. Is that what's going to happen? Is that the prospect that you have before you as death comes full steam for each and every one of us? Oh man, Jesus says to you this morning, a hearty no. No way!

God's promises are unbreakable. God's covenant, God's promises are unbreakable. That's where I want to end this morning. We see the unbreakable promises of God in verses 25 through 27. I think you'll begin to see that pieces fit together.

I'm hopeful. Look in verse 25. For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven. But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to him saying, I am the God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob. He is not the God of the dead, but of the living.

You are greatly mistaken. Verse 26, it is a fact according to Jesus regarding the what word look in verse 26, But regarding the fact that the dead rise again, Jesus is making a statement. The resurrection is true. The Sadducees are false. And the promises of God are unbreakable.

How so? How do I know that when I die the covenant between me and Christ will be unbroken? How do I know that the covenant won't be severed If my marriage covenant will be severed, if my marriage covenant between Carissa and I is severed upon death, what about my marriage with Christ? The answer is in verse 26. In verse 26, Jesus quotes from Exodus chapter 3, a book of the Bible, again, I just want to point out, that these Sadducees would embrace as canon.

A book of the Bible that these Sadducees believed had no concept of life after death and the resurrection. And Jesus quotes them from their own canon and says from Exodus 3, Have you not read in the book of Moses, in the passage about the burning bush, how God spoke to Moses saying, I'm the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, the God of Jacob. That's from Exodus 3. And how did God, how did Yahweh talk about Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? Look, how did He talk about them?

Did God say in Exodus 3, I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? I am. I wasn't just what I was. I didn't use the word was, not past tense, present tense. I am the God of Isaac, Abraham, and Jacob.

Present tense. What does that tell you about the patriarchs? What does that tell you about the patriarchs? What does that tell you about these men? Very obvious.

It tells you that Abraham, Isaac, Jacob live. They live. Was the concept of life after death absent from the Pentateuch? Far from it. Was the concept of the resurrection absent from the Pentateuch?

Far from it. God is the God not of the dead but of the living. There is life after death and there is resurrection to come. So I'm going to get back to the question, what does this mean for those of us in covenant relationship with God, the repentance and faith in Christ? Will that covenant be broken because of death?

The marriage covenant between two humans will be broken by death, but not the covenant with Christ. Because when it comes to the covenant of God, you live and Christ lives. And therefore, the covenant between you and Christ will never, ever, ever be broken. You live, Christian, to be absent from the body, we're told in scripture, is to fall asleep in the Lord. To fall asleep.

You live to be absent from the bodies, to be present with the Lord, and you will live in the resurrection to come like angels. That's you. But there's another part of the covenant. If one member dies, if there's death, the covenant's annulled. But Christ, He lives.

He rose up from the grave. The firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep and all who belong to him Have not died in the sense. They've merely Fallen asleep covenantally Do you see why the resurrection of Jesus matters so much? Do you see why the covenant between you and Christ is not abrogated and it will never be severed? The answer is because Jesus lives.

And you live in Him forever. And therefore this covenant between you and Almighty God will never be broken. That's the power of God. It's the power of God. God spoke to Moses from a burning bush.

Israel had cried out to God for rescue from bondage in Exodus 3 and God said to Moses, I will rescue them. Because of the covenant I have with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. And you know what's interesting about it, if you go back to Exodus 3, Moses did not say there in Exodus 3, wait a minute, you're going to go rescue the people of Israel because of the covenant you had with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob? But God, look you know, they're dead. Did Moses say that in Exodus 3?

Have you done your Bible reading yet? If you're not past Exodus at this point, whoa. Moses did not look at God and say, but God, the covenant's broken. You don't have to remember the covenant because the people are dead. No, here's what Moses did.

Moses bowed his face to the ground and trembled. And God rescued his covenant people according to his covenant because God's people live Abraham, Isaac and Jacob trusting in Christ according to Hebrews 11. They're looking forward to the coming Savior. They live, Meaning that the covenant will never be broken. For they live and so does their Savior.

If you don't get that, I am so sorry. I wanted to be clear. So to that end, I may quote another theologian. He's clear. Abraham Curovilla.

I think he's really helpful here in putting the pieces together. Here's what he writes, as far as God is concerned, human life extends beyond physical death, and therefore, he upholds his covenants with the patriarchs, and therefore with you, Christian. Your God, Christian, is a dependable God who keeps His Word, a faithful God whose authority and ownership extends throughout eternity past and into eternity future. Thus, in correcting the Sadducees' misconception of Scripture and their misunderstanding of the power of God, Jesus establishes one basic fact. God is one whose authority is from eternity to eternity.

His power knows no bounds and death can do nothing to thwart His plans. And this authoritative one's word and scripture can be trusted. For he is faithful to his people. He's faithful to you, Christian." End quote. He is faithful, Christian.

And he always will be. That is such good news. That is really good news for those in this room who have turned from their sins. They've cast themselves upon the mercies of God in Christ Jesus. And I want you to think about that here as we near our conclusion.

I told you at the beginning of the service, it was really important for you to remember, I think, why that Leverett law was in place in Deuteronomy 25. It was so that a man's name would never be blotted out from his people. Now, I really like that word blotted out. Do you like that word blotted out? Not that if it applies to you, your name being blotted out.

The reason for the law of God mandating that a man take the wife of his deceased brother was so that the name would not be blotted out from Israel and that promise that God made to him would not be void beloved I want you to consider Jesus Christ consider him who in his perfect life and in his death and resurrection secured your salvation He secured the eternal covenant that you are in with Almighty God so that through repentance and faith in Him, your sin is what? Blotted out. Your sin is blotted out. Your sin is blotted out. Your sin is blotted out in Christ and your name far from being blotted out is written in the Lamb's book of life, engraved in on His hand, and written on His heart.

That don't get you excited. You're dead. You need a resurrection. John 11, 25. Jesus Christ is the resurrection and the life.

It all centers on Christ. And He lives. So you can face tomorrow. Because He lives, all fear can be gone. Because you know the one who lives and who holds the future, life is worth the living, and death is worth the dying.

Because He lives, And I live and you live in him Therefore his promises are yes and amen and unbreakable to you because Jesus lives When When Carissa and I Were first married Some sometime early in the first year of our marriage, we read this passage. I don't remember if it was in Mark or another Gospel. But we read this passage together about life after death and the resurrection to come. And there would be no marriage. And here's little Grant Brown, little Carissa Brown.

No children yet, but one on the way. We were pretty quick. And there we were, reading this text, and newly married, and we looked at each other, and we cried. It just seemed so sad to not be married to my best friend. Then we prayed and we prayed and God showed us that if it hurts, this much to think about not being together in heaven, in marriage.

If that is how great the love is here, with sin still present, corruption all around, Then we don't need to wonder if God will rip us off in the resurrection. When He comes to take all corruption inside and out away, and Corruption ceases and we are like angels. We don't need to wonder Will God rip us off? If it hurts here to consider like man that my affection is so great here. I need to trace that back up to the giver of that affection and say imagine what it would be like in the resurrection.

And to press in on that. I don't gotta be ashamed to say, man, that hurts to think about. But in that moment, it's not idolatry to say, I am sad to think, in a way, there's a sadness. To be the same thing I would counsel a young person or a family that lost a child. You can mourn grief for them.

It's not idolatry, it hurts. And in that, you trace the pain, you trace the love and affection back up to the giver and you say, if this is what it's like for me, my love for this child, my love for this wife, imagine the love and the resurrection. As one brother asks, he asks the same question, what will my relationship to my wife or husband be like? I know that as part of the bride of Christ, we will all be united to Christ, but what of my union with this woman? What of my union with this man?

That's the question that this brother asks. The answer is that it does not yet appear what we shall be like. But our unbelief is revealed in our fear that whatever it is, it will involve a significant downgrade in the resurrection. We imagine that the only options are the same as what we have here, or a blundering or malicious eradication of every trace of what we have here and this reveals that we do not understand the fundamental direction of resurrection The fundamental direction of the resurrection is not downwards or merely sideways but upwards. We err as Christians because we do not know the scriptures or the power, goodness, and kindness of God.

Whatever our relationships will be in the resurrection, it will be better than what we have now, very different from what we have now, and have a basic continuity with what we have now. Life in the resurrection will be more real, and more substantive, and more incredible than what we currently possess. Romans 8, 17-19. If children heirs also, heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with him so that we may also be glorified with Him. For I consider that the suffering of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.

For the anxious longing of the creation waits eagerly for the revealing of the sons of God. In 1 Corinthians 15, for this perishable must put on the imperishable and this mortal must put on immortality. But when this perishable will have put on the imperishable and this mortal will have put on immortality, then will come about the saying that is written, Death is swallowed up in victory. Oh death, where is your victory? Oh death, where is your sting?

The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your toil is not in vain in the Lord. Why? Because Christ lives.

And He is your resurrection, and He is your life. Father in heaven, thank you for this, your Word. May it achieve your intended purpose for Jesus' sake. The joy of my people. Amen.